https://www.scmp.com/rss/506033/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Josephine Tee Josephine Tee Across dining tables in China, diners toast (or taunt) each other with a tiny shot of the distinctively pungent baijiu. The sorghum-based Chinese liquor commonly produced in the country’s southwestern Guizhou province has played a key role in China’s drinking culture since the Ming dynasty. Today, baijiu is often cited as the world’s most frequently consumed liquor, thanks largely to the country’s population, 1.4 billion strong. With a market cap of US$69.2 billion, distillers Kweichow Moutai... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3161499/will-world-drink-more-baijiu-2022-beyond-kweichow-mao?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3161499/will-world-drink-more-baijiu-2022-beyond-kweichow-mao?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Dec 2021 05:32:58 +0000 Torrential rains that battered Henan province, China, over the weekend of July 17 have displaced over a million people and resulted in almost two billion yuan (US$308 million) of damage, NPR and Reuters reported respectively. The heaviest rainfall on record in central China submerged entire neighbourhoods, trapped passengers in subway cars, caused landslides and overwhelmed dams and rivers. Rescue and recovery efforts continue as at least 33 people have died and eight remain missing in and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3142538/why-these-chinese-celebrities-were-shamed-henan-flood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3142538/why-these-chinese-celebrities-were-shamed-henan-flood?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jul 2021 07:12:13 +0000 The name Zhang Weili will not be unfamiliar to any fan of mixed martial arts (MMA). Nicknamed “Magnum”, 31-year-old Zhang was the first Chinese and East Asian champion in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history. After the former strawweight champion lost her first professional match in 2013, she went on to propel her career with an exceptional 21-fight winning streak, gaining her fans worldwide. Despite losing her title to Rose Namajunas at the recent UFC 261, Zhang still inspires MMA... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3137416/chinas-female-mma-stars-zhang-weili-ufc-champ-rose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3137416/chinas-female-mma-stars-zhang-weili-ufc-champ-rose?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jun 2021 01:00:00 +0000 Meet Christopher Raeburn, the award-winning British designer behind Ræburn. The label focuses on responsible and intelligent fashion, reworking surplus fabrics and recycled materials to create distinctive and functional pieces. And he is a man who wears many hats. In 2018, the London-based designer was named the first-ever creative director of Timberland, the iconic American footwear brand. 4 hottest fashion launches to lust after this month The designer is now collaborating with... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3136441/meet-christopher-raeburn-british-fashion-designer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3136441/meet-christopher-raeburn-british-fashion-designer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jun 2021 05:13:40 +0000 The pandemic has provoked painful new realities for commercial air travel: ever-changing restrictions by governments and the looming spectre of transmissible disease in a crowded cabin. For top executives and families with means, flying has long been a way of life, and so private aviation is starting to look particularly appealing. Factoring in social distancing norms and decimated commercial airline schedules, it’s no surprise that travel companies and hotel groups are offering a host of new... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3134863/why-five-star-hotels-are-flying-private-jets-four-seasons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3134863/why-five-star-hotels-are-flying-private-jets-four-seasons?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 May 2021 04:28:34 +0000 Chinese celebrities from ethnic minority groups have been gaining increasing traction in mainland China in recent years. The Chinese government backed more films depicting minorities in 2013, and the Chinese entertainment industry has also become more open to casting minority actors – including those from the controversial Xinjiang region. Check out four of the most popular Xinjiang actresses who’ve managed to break into mainstream Chinese cinema. 4 crazy rich Malaysian weddings Dilireba... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3131419/who-are-most-famous-actresses-xinjiang-gulnazar-dilraba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3131419/who-are-most-famous-actresses-xinjiang-gulnazar-dilraba?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Apr 2021 08:12:37 +0000 Josephine Tee Josephine Tee You might not have heard of Kuaishou yet, but chances are you will soon. The video sharing app is rising fast in China – where it claims over 300 million daily active users and has already been touted as a rival to Douyin, the local version of TikTok. On its IPO debut at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange last month, the company’s shares soared 161 per cent, valuing the 10-year-old company at HK$1.23 trillion (US$159 billion). You don’t need to be a mathematician or stock watcher to work out those... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3125145/watch-out-tiktok-who-kuaishous-su-hua-millennial-ceo-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3125145/watch-out-tiktok-who-kuaishous-su-hua-millennial-ceo-who?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Mar 2021 05:10:01 +0000 The great kimchi debate – about whether the pickled cabbage dish is originally Korean or Chinese – last month drew millions of Chinese and Koreans to social media to defend the origin of the food staple, even prompting a minor online war involving Korea’s YouTube personality Hamzy and Chinese internet celebrity Li Ziqi. Another food caught in the crosshairs of the online cultural food fight is the universally-beloved rice cake. Hong Kong’s most giftable luxury Lunar New Year puddings A... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3121412/chinese-niangao-vs-korean-tteokbokki-which-rice-cake-dish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3121412/chinese-niangao-vs-korean-tteokbokki-which-rice-cake-dish?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Feb 2021 00:00:10 +0000 Josephine Tee Josephine Tee The latest Chinese entrepreneur to join the three-comma club is 33-year-old Wang Ning. The newly minted billionaire is the founder and chairman of Pop Mart, the largest toy enterprise in China. Spanning 21 countries with more than 200 stores and over 1,000 vending machines – called “roboshops” – the decade-old company’s signature products are trendy figurines packaged in mystery boxes, priced around US$9 each.  Why the Black Unity Apple Watch makes a powerful statement Wang owns a majority stake... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3121164/pop-mart-how-millennial-entrepreneur-wang-ning-became?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3121164/pop-mart-how-millennial-entrepreneur-wang-ning-became?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Feb 2021 03:00:11 +0000 Josephine Tee Josephine Tee Chinese YouTube celebrity Li Ziqi was recently crowned by Guinness World Records for having the “most subscribers for a Chinese language channel on YouTube”, with some 14.2 million followers at the time of writing.  The 30-year-old’s quietly thoughtful videos of rural Chinese life provide a tranquil escape from the slick, fast-paced quality of other YouTube videos, and dispense gentle lessons through honest country living. While other ultra-competitive vloggers might hawk consumerism and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3120396/how-did-chinese-youtube-star-li-ziqi-break-guinness-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3120396/how-did-chinese-youtube-star-li-ziqi-break-guinness-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Feb 2021 10:28:01 +0000 Global gin consumption, driven in part by Chinese interest, has been growing faster than that of any other alcoholic drink category since 2018. China’s alcohol market statistics indicate that revenue generated in the gin segment amounted to US$70 million in 2019, and that the Chinese gin market is expected to grow annually by 2.5 per cent from 2021 onwards.  Blossoming Chinese interest in the juniper-based drink has been stoked by local distilleries that trade on unique regional flavours,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3118427/why-will-china-drink-and-create-more-gin-2021-chinese-gin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3118427/why-will-china-drink-and-create-more-gin-2021-chinese-gin?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jan 2021 07:18:50 +0000 Though she is a fifth-generation scion of the powerful Thai-Chinese Lamsam family and her family name, “Lamsam”, has become a Thai colloquialism for “rich”, Nualphan “Pang” Lamsam, 54, has charted her own paths to success across many wide-ranging passions. The Lamsam family founded Kasikorn Bank, or KBank. As one of Thailand’s largest lenders, it has US$98 billion in assets and a sizeable portfolio that includes major insurance companies. Pang’s cousin, Kasikorn Bank CEO Banthoon Lamsam, and his... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3115485/who-thai-billionaire-heiress-nualphan-lamsam-hermes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3115485/who-thai-billionaire-heiress-nualphan-lamsam-hermes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Dec 2020 00:00:17 +0000 With a green reputation to uphold, Singaporeans, together with their private enterprises, government initiatives and neighbouring countries, are now aiming to propel sustainability island-wide through their fashion choices. A sentiment that has taken hold in the Singaporean consumer market is the movement towards making conscious lifestyle choices by selecting brands and services that align with green values. A 2019 DBS survey reported that “seven in 10 Singaporeans are open to recycling,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3113614/singapores-founding-father-lee-kuan-yew-preached?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3113614/singapores-founding-father-lee-kuan-yew-preached?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Dec 2020 04:00:21 +0000 Before Zhong Huijuan became a pharmaceutical self-made matriarch worth over US$18.9 billion, she was a chemistry teacher. So no wonder she’s been playfully compared to Walter White, the fictional drug kingpin and protagonist of hit TV series Breaking Bad, for her career change – although without the criminal aspect. Rather than manufacturing and pushing methamphetamines, Zhong heads up a company that develops drugs to treat a variety of health issues. It might be more appropriate to compare her... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3106486/real-life-breaking-bad-without-crime-meet-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3106486/real-life-breaking-bad-without-crime-meet-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Oct 2020 09:53:31 +0000 Affectionately nicknamed Doron, after a naively passionate and kind character featured in acclaimed writer Jin Yong’s martial arts novels, Cai Jingxian is reputed to be one of the top programming legends at Alibaba – the Chinese e-commerce giant and owner of the South China Morning Post. As a student at Zhejiang Cangnan Middle School, in Wenzhou, southern Zhejiang province, Cai struggled with languages but aced his maths and science classes. His teachers regarded him as a shy student, who... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/3104725/alibaba-programmer-jack-ma-asked-build-taobao-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/3104725/alibaba-programmer-jack-ma-asked-build-taobao-now?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2020 23:00:22 +0000 The internet boom has turned the world of retail on its head and anointed a new generation of handsomely compensated online influencers – especially in China, where digital KOLs have the power to provoke purchases worth millions of dollars in a matter of minutes. But amid this quickfire, high-stakes, big bucks game, the unprecedented global upheaval of 2020 has prompted several high-profile influencers to fall back, step up, and mobilise their powers for good and make a positive social impact –... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3104400/lipstick-king-austin-li-lieer-baobei-charitable-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3104400/lipstick-king-austin-li-lieer-baobei-charitable-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2020 02:00:24 +0000 Luxury fashion brands see Asia as key to their continued growth, pandemic or no pandemic. In recent years that has seen them experiment with ways to broaden their engagement with customers, extending to the launch of hospitality concepts, most often in conjunction with existing retail spaces. The latest was Louis Vuitton’s unveiling of restaurants Le Café V and Sugalabo V in February this year, housed within the brand’s latest flagship store in Osaka. Chef Yosuke Suga, once the protégé of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3103709/louis-vuitton-gucci-dior-tiffany-co-which-luxury-brands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3103709/louis-vuitton-gucci-dior-tiffany-co-which-luxury-brands?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2020 09:00:11 +0000 Josephine Tee Josephine Tee Luxury brands targeting the lucrative Chinese market have been trying to ingratiate themselves with Chinese celebrities’ extraordinary social media fans through brand associations. This strategy follows the wisdom that an association with these celebrities helps increase public awareness and credibility, and influences purchasing decisions. Armani Group has just announced 19-year-old Jackson Yee, the youngest member of Chinese boy band TFBoys and the top-ranked celeb on Forbes’ China Celebrity... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3103700/kris-wu-luhan-yang-mi-cai-xukun-zhou-dongyu-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3103700/kris-wu-luhan-yang-mi-cai-xukun-zhou-dongyu-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2020 05:00:07 +0000 On August 27, shares of Xpeng Motors – one of several Chinese rivals to Tesla – soared 41 per cent at its New York Stock Exchange debut. Backed by Xiaomi and the Alibaba Group (owner of the South China Morning Post), the Chinese electric carmaker is headed by co-founder, chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng, who achieved start-up success earlier in his career after co-founding a Chinese mobile browser company. Coming soon: a mini Tesla Model Y made just for kids He is now one of the richest men in the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/3101790/elon-musk-watch-out-tesla-competitor-xpeng-motors-value?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/3101790/elon-musk-watch-out-tesla-competitor-xpeng-motors-value?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2020 10:00:12 +0000 Dubbed the “Elon Musk of China”, 45-year-old William Li has either founded or invested in more than 40 companies in the IT and automotive industries, including Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Nio. Estimated to be worth around US$2.8 billion, Li founded Shanghai-based Nio in 2014, with the company taking orders for its first electric SUV in December 2017. Nio raised US$2.1 billion in funding before going public in September 2018 on the New York Stock Exchange, with Li ringing the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/3101572/chinas-elon-musk-billionaire-brains-behind-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/3101572/chinas-elon-musk-billionaire-brains-behind-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2020 05:00:00 +0000 On June 15, 2020, Chinese police rescued He Xiangjian, one of China’s richest men and founder of Midea Group, one of the world’s largest producers of appliances. He had been the latest Asian billionaire to experience a kidnapping ordeal, serving as a reminder that a wealthy, high-status person is an alluring target for kidnappers seeking major paydays. Here are some past, infamous kidnappings of Asian billionaires: Who are the 10 new Asian billionaires hot on the heels of Jeff Bezos? Teddy Wang... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3094608/teddy-wang-victor-li-and-walter-kwok-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3094608/teddy-wang-victor-li-and-walter-kwok-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jul 2020 02:00:12 +0000 On an uneventful Sunday afternoon, a family relaxing in their home at the Royal Orchid International Golf Villa, a luxurious enclave in Foshan, Guangdong province, could not have imagined that they were about to be the target of a high-profile kidnapping plot. Local police revealed the following Monday that five suspects were under arrest for the home-invasion and kidnapping, and that a victim surnamed He was rescued from the attack. The crime made international headlines because the target is... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3090272/who-he-xiangjian-publicity-shy-chinese-billionaire-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3090272/who-he-xiangjian-publicity-shy-chinese-billionaire-who?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jun 2020 22:00:15 +0000 The swift transformation of China from an emerging nation in transition to a booming market economy has helped spawn a record number of rich citizens. China now produces billionaires faster then any country in the world. Many parents of young children refer to the annual “Billionaire Ranking” compiled by the China University Alumni Association, listing Chinese colleges and universities according to the number of billionaires they have produced from alumni and faculty. Intrigued? Let’s look at... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3086726/alibaba-founder-jack-ma-baidus-robin-li-xiaomis-lei-jun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3086726/alibaba-founder-jack-ma-baidus-robin-li-xiaomis-lei-jun?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2020 22:00:09 +0000