https://www.scmp.com/rss/500216/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Indonesians have a saying that a name is akin to a prayer. So when parents give their child a name, it goes without saying that a certain wish for his or her future is inherent within. This belief has produced some distinctive name-giving traditions rooted in the country’s history and diverse cultures. Since there are some 1,300 ethnic groups in Indonesia, the results are as varied as they are unique. For a minority ethnic group like the Indonesian Chinese, who make up less than two per cent of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3168452/indonesias-chinese-revive-original-family-surnames?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3168452/indonesias-chinese-revive-original-family-surnames?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Feb 2022 02:30:21 +0000 A daughter’s devotion and a dedicated group of internet volunteers have solved a decades-old mystery that shattered one family and haunted another. The daughter, Li Yantao, grew up wondering why her mother looked so different from everyone else in her village. She also spoke a language that nobody could understand. When she was 11 years old, Li found out the truth – her mother had been abducted and sold to her father as a bride five years before Li was born. Determined to help her mother return... https://www.scmp.com/society/daughter-helps-mother-reunite-parents-19-years-after-abduction/article/3114157?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/daughter-helps-mother-reunite-parents-19-years-after-abduction/article/3114157?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Dec 2020 10:10:08 +0000 Ethnic Mongols in China are protesting a government decision to expand the use of Mandarin Chinese in schools attended by minority students. The regional government of Inner Mongolia, home to the world’s largest ethnic Mongol population, said last week it planned to have all Mongol pupils study three compulsory subjects – literature, history and ethics – in Chinese. Other subjects, such as maths and arts, will continue be taught in Mongolian. The announcement prompted strong discontent among... https://www.scmp.com/society/dont-try-tame-me-mongols-china-protest-plan-teach-chinese/article/3099606?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/dont-try-tame-me-mongols-china-protest-plan-teach-chinese/article/3099606?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Aug 2020 12:42:36 +0000 China’s proposed bill on granting permanent residency to foreigners has unleashed a wave of xenophobia on the Chinese internet. Even though China has one of the lowest shares of foreign-born people in the entire world, many people worry that a potential rise in foreign immigrants will make their life harder. In response to the bill, people have posted hostile comments online, especially against black people and Muslims, demanding that the government toughen rules on immigration. We spoke with... https://www.scmp.com/society/immigration-backlash-i-cant-accept-china-having-people-different-skin-colors/article/3074386?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/immigration-backlash-i-cant-accept-china-having-people-different-skin-colors/article/3074386?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2020 14:24:15 +0000