https://www.scmp.com/rss/508151/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alice Yan Alice Yan A long-standing and widely-circulated rumour that the Forbidden City in Beijing uses 600,000 tonnes of pig’s blood each year to dispel evil has been debunked. The liquid is actually used as a form of adhesive which is painted on the famous palace’s signature red walls and pillars, according to a recently published book. The book Sitting under the Roof of the Forbidden City: Answering 50 Questions about the Forbidden City is wrote by Zhou Qian, a researcher at the palace for 20 years who is also... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3350878/rumours-china-forbidden-city-using-600000-tonnes-pig-blood-dispel-evil-debunked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3350878/rumours-china-forbidden-city-using-600000-tonnes-pig-blood-dispel-evil-debunked?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A Mercedes-Benz was buried as a funerary offering in a village in northeastern China, igniting public outrage over legal violations and environmental safety. A viral video shows some villagers in Liaoyang, Liaoning province, attending the funeral of a septuagenarian on April 9. Sources told the mainland media that the dead person was an avid collector of luxury cars, prompting his children to bury a real vehicle to ensure his soul’s peaceful passage. The car, a black Mercedes-Benz S450L valued... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3350031/china-family-buries-luxury-car-offering-prompting-government-reprimand-public-apology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3350031/china-family-buries-luxury-car-offering-prompting-government-reprimand-public-apology?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu American outdoor apparel brand Patagonia is facing significant backlash online after implementing an “earth usage fee” for online orders, aimed at curbing excessive returns. Announced on March 30, the fee applies exclusively to purchases made through its Tmall store, a premium online shopping platform operated by Alibaba, which also owns the South China Morning Post. During last year’s Double 11 shopping festival, Patagonia’s Tmall store shipped 16,179 packages, leading to a staggering return... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3349342/patagonia-faces-criticism-earth-usage-fee-online-orders-curb-excessive-returns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3349342/patagonia-faces-criticism-earth-usage-fee-online-orders-curb-excessive-returns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:19:33 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A new trend known as the “Storm Bath Spa” is gaining traction in major cities across China, uniquely merging wellness and innovation by creatively simulating storms and incorporating mild electric shocks. This experience offers both emotional and psychological healing, attracting an increasing number of enthusiasts. Chinese bathhouses boast a rich history spanning thousands of years. Beyond serving basic hygiene needs, they have long functioned as spaces for social connection, allowing people to... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3345331/china-storm-hot-springs-simulate-squalls-mild-electric-shocks-unique-experience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3345331/china-storm-hot-springs-simulate-squalls-mild-electric-shocks-unique-experience?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 01:03:19 +0000 Kamala Thiagarajan Kamala Thiagarajan In a year already brimming with threats of war and unrest, 2026 has brought some health scares for Asia. In January, two cases of the deadly Nipah virus emerged among healthcare workers, both nurses, in West Bengal, India. One of the two nurses has since died. The Nipah virus has one of the highest fatality rates of any known viral disease, typically ranging from 40 to 75 per cent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since 1998, when the first outbreak of the disease was recorded... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344544/nipah-and-mpox-expose-asias-urgent-need-stronger-disease-surveillance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344544/nipah-and-mpox-expose-asias-urgent-need-stronger-disease-surveillance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A woman has quit her job as a senior manager for a large Beijing company to work on an uninhabited island in the East China Sea. Despite paying just 3,000 yuan (US$430) a month, the remote job has sparked an outpouring of envy online. Yue Li, who was born in the 1980s, posts online about her new job as a quality inspector at a fish feeding base on the uninhabited Dongzhai Island, the City Express reported. There are other islets nearby with no residents and the nearest inhabited one is Daishan... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3342256/china-woman-leaves-city-job-live-uninhabited-island-relishing-grid-lifestyle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3342256/china-woman-leaves-city-job-live-uninhabited-island-relishing-grid-lifestyle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Mohammad Yunus Mohammad Yunus The deadly floods in Sumatra at the end of November that killed more than 1,000 people exposed the devastating effects of deforestation, with massive logs washed downstream. Public pressure has forced the Indonesian government to respond and environmental authorities have announced investigations into eight companies suspected of contributing to the flooding and landslides. What happened in Indonesia was not an isolated tragedy. Similar floods have devastated Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3337932/forest-conservation-must-be-long-term-priority-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3337932/forest-conservation-must-be-long-term-priority-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo China draws flak in the West for seemingly everything it does. However, it’s the end of the year and we shouldn’t be so down on China, at least not all the time. So let me draw attention to a major development in the country that’s making the world a better place: clean energy. That is a major “China shock” if ever there was one, but no one is putting it that way. Critics like to cite the stats that China burns as much coal as the rest of the world combined. That is true, but the country burns... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3337314/china-now-good-guy-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3337314/china-now-good-guy-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A Chinese secondary school pupil who asked his classmates to save their used water bottles so he could sell them to help ease his family’s financial position has been praised online. The plea in the form of a blackboard message was written by a Grade Two pupil at No 5 Middle School in Huainan, in eastern Anhui province. His request went viral on social media at the end of November after fellow pupils shared it online, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported. “My fellow students in Grade Three,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3334886/china-boy-writes-blackboard-plea-used-bottle-donations-raise-funds-sick-mum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3334886/china-boy-writes-blackboard-plea-used-bottle-donations-raise-funds-sick-mum?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:00:12 +0000 Mohammad Yunus Mohammad Yunus Europe is once again embroiled in a prolonged argument over how to keep deforestation-linked timber out of its markets. The European Union’s deforestation regulations, once promoted as a bold step forward, have instead become a symbol of hesitation and uneven political will. Some governments want delays and others push for exemptions, creating persistent uncertainty. For Asia, observing this from afar, the indecision carries more consequence than might initially be apparent because the region... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3333265/why-asia-cant-wait-europe-lead-deforestation-free-timber?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3333265/why-asia-cant-wait-europe-lead-deforestation-free-timber?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A rural Chinese woman has gone viral online for her creativity, transforming farmland into a dazzling catwalk by designing dresses from natural materials such as peanut shells, corn leaves, red beans, sweet potatoes, and corn kernels. The blogger, known online as “Village Magical Treasure,” boasts over 152,000 followers on Douyin and hails from Hengzhou in Guangxi province, southern China. In her videos, she artfully uses materials like peanut shells, dried grass, corn kernels, and corn husks to... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3333156/china-woman-makes-dresses-peanut-shells-corn-kernels-turning-farmland-catwalk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3333156/china-woman-makes-dresses-peanut-shells-corn-kernels-turning-farmland-catwalk?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu An animal sanctuary in China which is known as “the humblest zoo in history” has gone viral thanks to the meticulous care its director takes of its inhabitants. The small zoo, located in a mountainous region in Kaili city, southwestern China’s Guizhou province, only measures 3,500 square metres but is home to more than 20 types of animals. These include nationally protected animals such as the tiger, lion and bear. The zoo’s director, 70-year-old Feng Yuanyong, is a retired secondary school... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3331795/donations-surge-most-humble-china-zoo-protected-animals-after-story-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3331795/donations-surge-most-humble-china-zoo-protected-animals-after-story-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Few areas of China reflect the country’s decades-long economic transformation more vividly than its cities. Rapid development has turned villages into dense urban landscapes and already sizeable metro areas into some of the world’s largest population centres. As the rate of urbanisation slows and the country transitions into a new economic era, we explore how select Chinese cities are navigating the change. Read the rest of our series here. There is hardly a city in China like Datong, where... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330638/chinas-urban-revival-and-datong-contradiction-when-planning-double-edged-sword?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330638/chinas-urban-revival-and-datong-contradiction-when-planning-double-edged-sword?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 22:00:16 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Indonesia’s intent to export durians directly to China in search of higher profits will hinge on mastering the sanitary standards and cold-chain storage that intermediary countries have provided to date, analysts said. Sudaryono, deputy agriculture minister of the Southeast Asian archipelago, has announced that Indonesia is “actively seeking opportunities” to export directly to China as a way of increasing profits from an average of 10 to 30 per cent, the national news agency Antara reported... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328793/indonesias-bid-ship-durians-straight-china-rides-refrigeration-sanitation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328793/indonesias-bid-ship-durians-straight-china-rides-refrigeration-sanitation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 07:00:11 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A man from central China conquered a 70-day jungle challenge, winning 100,000 yuan (US$14,000) by using home-made traps to catch rats and insects. In Zhangjiajie, Hunan province, which is known for its dramatic landscapes, caves and rare wildlife, an event called the Qixing Mountain Cup jungle survival challenge took place in July. It was organised by a local tourism company and outdoor clubs. One hundred contestants from across China were dropped into the remote, climate-shifting area with just... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3326825/chinese-man-survives-70-day-jungle-dare-uses-home-made-traps-rats-wins-us14000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3326825/chinese-man-survives-70-day-jungle-dare-uses-home-made-traps-rats-wins-us14000?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Hong Kong entertainment idol Nicholas Tse Ting-fung has notched up a new claim to fame as a lucky charm in the face of extreme weather. When Super Typhoon Ragasa approached Hong Kong and southern China, residents found a new way to protect themselves, attaching a picture of the star to their exposed windows. The reason? In Cantonese and Mandarin, Tse’s name sounds like a phrase meaning “thanks for stopping the wind”, Jimu News reported. As a result, as well as using adhesive tape to criss-cross... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3326953/why-hong-kong-idol-nicholas-tse-photos-used-typhoon-amulets-during-ragasa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3326953/why-hong-kong-idol-nicholas-tse-photos-used-typhoon-amulets-during-ragasa?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:00:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A Chinese man has gone viral for embarking on a journey across China in an excavator, visiting 13 provinces and regions over six months and amassing more than 550,000 followers online. His remarkable adventure has garnered widespread admiration and envy across Chinese social media platforms. Wen Xiangpu, 27, from Pingdingshan in northern China’s Henan province, began learning to operate excavators at the age of 15 and spent years travelling the country working at various construction... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3323424/chinese-man-travels-across-nation-goodwill-excavator-gains-550000-followers-6-months?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3323424/chinese-man-travels-across-nation-goodwill-excavator-gains-550000-followers-6-months?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang When I first arrived in Beijing in the summer of 2012, I was greeted with what local authorities called “a historically rare storm”. Trains were late, traffic was congested, basements were flooded and a man driving an SUV drowned in logged water under the Guangqumen Bridge. A total of 79 people died and the government vowed to make changes. Then Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong said the disaster had exposed many issues in Beijing’s urban planning, infrastructure and emergency management, stressing the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322315/beijing-floods-deadly-reminder-prepare-climate-changes-worst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3322315/beijing-floods-deadly-reminder-prepare-climate-changes-worst?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Mark Hinnells Mark Hinnells The past week has seen four incidences of black rain. On Tuesday, two separate warnings were issued before 9am, so parents were all working from home as kindergarten and holiday activities were cancelled, leaving the city much quieter than usual. This quiet prompted me to ask three questions. Is this the usual bad weather or driven by climate change? If it is long-term change, what are the impacts and costs? And what are we doing about it? According to the Hong Kong Observatory, annual rainfall... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3320912/4-black-rain-days-week-show-hong-kongs-climate-fight-urgency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3320912/4-black-rain-days-week-show-hong-kongs-climate-fight-urgency?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Beijing man has earned the nickname “bulldozer hero” after he used his digger to rescue more than 100 people from heavy rainfall and floods. China’s capital and its neighbouring provinces suffered heavy rainfall in the past week, which reportedly took 30 lives. Beijing Daily reported that the rainfall lasted 147 hours, during which the city received 40 per cent of its annual precipitation. As the total amount of rain was increasing to more than 300 millimetres in Beijing’s Miyun County, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3320244/china-bulldozer-hero-saves-over-100-flood-victims-during-heavy-rain-lashes-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3320244/china-bulldozer-hero-saves-over-100-flood-victims-during-heavy-rain-lashes-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan When a couple in northern China became trapped in floodwaters, and as rescuers approached, the husband insisted that they save his wife first, moving mainland internet users. Heavy rains wrecked northern parts of China at the end of July. In Beijing, at least 30 people were killed after a year’s worth of rain fell in less than a week. While in neighbouring Hebei province, a mudslide hit a village, leading to the death of eight locals. Another four are missing. Jizhou District, in the northern... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3320271/i-can-swim-chinese-husband-insists-flood-rescuers-save-wife-first-touching-many-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3320271/i-can-swim-chinese-husband-insists-flood-rescuers-save-wife-first-touching-many-online?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 01:00:08 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A tragic accident in southern Taiwan has evoked widespread sympathy after a car carrying five family members plunged into a valley, claiming all their lives – including a baby and the father, who initially escaped from the vehicle but lost his life in a desperate attempt to save his family. The only survivor was the family’s 14-year-old son, who had stayed home to care for his grandfather and consequently avoided the ill-fated trip. The incident occurred on July 30 in the Taoyuan District of... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3320671/taiwan-family-5-perish-landslide-son-survives-after-staying-home-care-grandpa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3320671/taiwan-family-5-perish-landslide-son-survives-after-staying-home-care-grandpa?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 10:00:24 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A six-year-old boy who is besotted with fish wrote to an ocean aquarium after noticing some sea life had disappeared, and surprisingly received a well-illustrated handwritten letter back and an invitation. Tao Tianxing has been a huge fan of the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium since the age of two. He does not know many Chinese characters, but already knows more than 800 species of fish and has drawn tens of thousands of sea life in his sketchbook. In January, he noticed that several fish had gone... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3320166/china-boy-writes-marine-park-about-missing-fish-receives-personal-reply-invitation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3320166/china-boy-writes-marine-park-about-missing-fish-receives-personal-reply-invitation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 01:00:08 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A 72-year-old Chinese grandmother suffered severe burns that needed a skin graft after sitting for just 10 seconds on a sun-heated stone in her garden. Her ordeal has sparked widespread concern and warnings about the dangers of extreme heat exposure. The incident happened on July 7, when Grandma Wang was working in her vegetable garden in Xiangyang, Hubei province, central China, as temperatures had soared to 38 degrees Celsius. Hubei is well known for its summer heat, with its capital city,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3319125/china-woman-burns-bottom-after-sitting-garden-stone-10-seconds-needs-skin-grafts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3319125/china-woman-burns-bottom-after-sitting-garden-stone-10-seconds-needs-skin-grafts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 08:00:08 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman wrote in 2007 that “Green is the new red, white and blue”, arguing that the United States could cement its leadership through clean technology. The ensuing decades have seen US political dysfunction turn that on its head. Now in 2025, he argues that US President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” will only “make China great again”. It’s not hard to see why he might think that. There is an intimate connection between generation capacity and national... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3318245/china-must-ensure-its-green-energy-leadership-good-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3318245/china-must-ensure-its-green-energy-leadership-good-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer A former Hong Kong athlete, who said the city was where he “fell in love with open-water swimming”, has swum 360 kilometres around a Swedish island as part of his battle with mental health and to raise awareness of the issue and for nature conservation. Karl Palmqvist, a Swedish national who trained with the Hong Kong Sports Institute’s triathlon national development squad as a teenager, completed the 21-day swim around Gotland, Sweden’s largest island, on Thursday. But the mammoth achievement... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3319029/ex-hong-kong-athlete-swims-360km-around-swedish-island-part-mental-health-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3319029/ex-hong-kong-athlete-swims-360km-around-swedish-island-part-mental-health-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu The scorching summer heat in China has sparked a trend where people hug a giant winter melon while sleeping to find relief from the sweltering temperatures. The topic “sleeping with a winter melon is cooler than using an air conditioner” has gone viral on mainland social media, with one Chinese platform alone garnering 4.4 million views. Many individuals shared photos of themselves slumbering while clutching these large vegetables, which are comparable in size to a toddler, highlighting their... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3318392/quirky-china-trend-shows-kids-pets-hugging-giant-winter-melons-stay-cool-night?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3318392/quirky-china-trend-shows-kids-pets-hugging-giant-winter-melons-stay-cool-night?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 01:00:10 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Less than 10 days after a Chinese truck driver narrowly escaped a landslide that left his vehicle precariously balanced on a collapsed bridge, he returned to the disaster-stricken area to assist with relief efforts, moving many online. The 44-year-old driver from Jiangxi province, You Guochun, earned the title of “China’s luckiest driver” from the online community after miraculously surviving a landslide in southwestern Guizhou province. On that fateful day, incessant heavy rainfall triggered a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3317334/china-luckiest-driver-survives-after-half-truck-teetering-edge-collapsed-bridge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3317334/china-luckiest-driver-survives-after-half-truck-teetering-edge-collapsed-bridge?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 08:00:09 +0000 Harvey Rouse Harvey Rouse Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time. Last year marked the hottest on record, and extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more severe. Just last month, scientists warned that we have only three years left to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels as set by the Paris Agreement. This target has long been the pillar of climate efforts worldwide. Our planet is not waiting for us. The European Union and Hong Kong share this conviction:... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3317171/hong-kong-and-eu-are-natural-partners-2050-carbon-neutral-goal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3317171/hong-kong-and-eu-are-natural-partners-2050-carbon-neutral-goal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Young people in China have taken self-made sun protection to the next level with their latest innovation: full-face masks made from lotus leaves. People from southern Chinese provinces, such as Zhejiang, Sichuan and Fujian, are making their own sun protection masks with lotus leaves they pick from roadside ponds. Viral videos show them covering their faces with the giant leaves, which are at least twice the size of their faces, using hats or helmets with straps to wrap and tighten the... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3315608/chinese-youth-make-sun-protection-masks-giant-lotus-leaves-ignite-online-hilarity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3315608/chinese-youth-make-sun-protection-masks-giant-lotus-leaves-ignite-online-hilarity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 01:00:08 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A five-star hotel in China has sparked controversy by using a red panda for morning calls, prompting an investigation and suspension of the service by authorities. The establishment, Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Hotel, located in southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, raised public concerns after several guests shared videos of their morning calls delivered by an adorable red panda. In the footage, the animal climbs onto beds and desks in hotel rooms, where guests are invited to pet and feed... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3315504/china-hotel-uses-red-panda-morning-calls-triggers-safety-concerns-service-suspension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3315504/china-hotel-uses-red-panda-morning-calls-triggers-safety-concerns-service-suspension?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 06:00:08 +0000 Syed Munir Khasru Syed Munir Khasru Asia’s relationship with the ocean represents one of the most complex environmental contradictions of our time. The region is home to some of the world’s largest maritime economies, with China, Japan, South Korea and India among those leading the global shipping, fishing and marine trade. It contains about 60 per cent of the world’s coastal population, and those people depend on the region’s coastal zones for their livelihoods, food security and economic survival. Yet, at the same time, the same... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3314617/how-asias-failure-cooperate-killing-its-rivers-and-oceans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3314617/how-asias-failure-cooperate-killing-its-rivers-and-oceans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jun 2025 01:30:22 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Online shops in China are selling “wisdom-inspiring” bottled water taken from a lake at the prestigious Peking University. The so-called special water has captivated social media and delighted many internet users. Sellers usually advertise it for sale on second-hand product platforms, China News Service reported. It costs between 30 and 99 yuan (US$4 and US$14) for 500ml, the report said, far more expensive than normal bottled water, which sells for around 5 yuan. Peking University is one of... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3313996/china-online-shops-sell-wisdom-inspiring-water-peking-university-lake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3313996/china-online-shops-sell-wisdom-inspiring-water-peking-university-lake?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jun 2025 06:00:08 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A group of tourists who pulled out the hair of a tiger at a zoo in China, thinking it would ward off evil spirits, have sparked outrage online. On June 8, a viral video showed several visitors at a zoo in Liaoning province, northeastern China, pulling hair from the big cat’s belly and tail through a metal fence. The incident took place in a special zone where tigers often rest on top of a steel viewing tunnel. In the video, one of the tourists, a woman, is heard saying: “Let’s pull more! Tiger... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3313841/china-zoo-visitors-slammed-lucky-tiger-hair-pulling-warned-against-provoking-beast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3313841/china-zoo-visitors-slammed-lucky-tiger-hair-pulling-warned-against-provoking-beast?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jun 2025 01:00:14 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A renowned Chinese television host has been praised for helping a tourist suffering with altitude sickness. The plaudits came after curious online observers dug into her past life and discovered her legendary history. On May 28, television personality Zhu Xun and her colleagues came across a group of tourists after attending an environmental protection event in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province, southwestern China. One woman from the group was suffering from altitude... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3312919/chinese-tv-host-widely-praised-helping-tourist-altitude-sickness-scenic-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3312919/chinese-tv-host-widely-praised-helping-tourist-altitude-sickness-scenic-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jun 2025 06:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A special notice issued by meteorologists in China has amused internet users after it ordered deities to ensure good weather so that kids could enjoy Children’s Day. On May 31, the Shenzhen Meteorology Bureau in the south of the country released a short video on its social media account with the caption “a notice that it must not rain on June 1”. Children’s Day falls on June 1 each year, and China observes the event by allowing youngsters to play instead of studying on that day. In the clip, an... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3312864/china-weather-forecasters-ask-deities-no-rain-childrens-day-kids-play-outside?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3312864/china-weather-forecasters-ask-deities-no-rain-childrens-day-kids-play-outside?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jun 2025 01:00:17 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Social media in China has reacted with disbelief after a Chinese paraglider who miraculously survived after being sucked into a potentially deadly cloud vortex that carried him 8,598 metres above sea level was punished by local authorities. Peng Yujiang, 55, was sucked into the clouds on May 24 in the Qilian Mountain region across Qinghai and Gansu provinces in northwestern China. He ascended to an altitude almost the height of the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest that is 8,849 metres... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3312094/disbelief-chinese-paraglider-sucked-freezing-high-altitude-vortex-punished?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3312094/disbelief-chinese-paraglider-sucked-freezing-high-altitude-vortex-punished?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 10:00:08 +0000 Zulfiya Suleimenova Zulfiya Suleimenova In a time of growing fragmentation and scepticism towards multilateralism, it’s tempting for nations to turn inward, prioritising short-term domestic concerns over shared global challenges. However, climate change leaves no room for retreat. Among its most urgent and overlooked consequences is the deepening crisis of water scarcity, which already affects more than 2 billion people worldwide. Water stress threatens food security, public health and economic stability while increasing the risk of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3311504/why-countries-cannot-afford-turn-inward-climate-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3311504/why-countries-cannot-afford-turn-inward-climate-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 May 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A woman in China has earned widespread praise online after giving first aid to a dehydrated camel during a desert trek. The Alxa Desert in northern China’s Inner Mongolia is famous for its striking poplar forests and desert lakes, drawing adventurers all year round. On April 28, a group of tourists trekking through the Alxa Desert came across a collapsed young Bactrian camel. Native to Inner Mongolia and other parts of Central Asia, the breed can live up to 40 years and weigh as much as 600kg. A... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3309607/chinese-woman-earns-praise-giving-first-aid-dehydrated-camel-desert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3309607/chinese-woman-earns-praise-giving-first-aid-dehydrated-camel-desert?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 May 2025 06:02:31 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A young Chinese man with mismatched eyes has been dubbed “Desert Prince” for combating desertification by planting trees on barren land. Wang Jin, 23, went viral on mainland social media, amassing half a million followers in just one month and attracting 1.1 million followers on a short video platform. Wang has only posted 17 videos, which mostly feature the same content of him drinking bottled water and eating steamed buns in the desert. In the videos, he devours food, his skin is rough and his... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3308499/desert-prince-combats-desertification-china-planting-trees-arid-regions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3308499/desert-prince-combats-desertification-china-planting-trees-arid-regions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2025 10:00:12 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang An influencer in Taiwan has come under fire for posting a sponsored video in which she used a vacuum cleaner to suck up a fried egg heavily sprinkled with pepper, sparking online condemnation for “wasting food”. On April 16, the 29-year-old influencer known as Sharonn.88, who has 114,000 followers online, posted a video to demonstrate the powerful suction of a vacuum cleaner in an endorsement deal with the company which makes it. In her bio, the influencer, who used to teach English at a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3307615/taiwan-influencer-slammed-wasting-food-after-vacuuming-fried-egg-advert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3307615/taiwan-influencer-slammed-wasting-food-after-vacuuming-fried-egg-advert?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A Taiwanese tourist faced intense online backlash after vigorously shaking cherry blossom trees in Japan to create a romantic “cherry blossom rain” for photos. The unidentified woman was criticised for lacking public decency and “damaging Taiwan’s international image.” The incident came to public attention through a recent post on Threads, where a netizen shared a video of their experience at the famous Todai-ji Temple in Nara, Japan, showcasing the cherry blossoms. According to the post, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3306540/taiwan-tourist-japan-criticised-shaking-trees-create-cherry-blossom-rain-photos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3306540/taiwan-tourist-japan-criticised-shaking-trees-create-cherry-blossom-rain-photos?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Apr 2025 10:00:08 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A Chinese court will auction off 100 tonnes of live crocodiles for four million yuan (US$550,000) in a sale that requires buyers to pick the reptiles up in person. The announcement of this unusual auction attracted widespread public attention for its sheer scale and logistical challenges, and also triggered much amusement online. Recently, the Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Court captured public attention by auctioning off the unlikely animals online. The starting bid has been set at four million... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3304892/china-court-auctions-100-tonnes-live-crocodiles-starting-us550000-no-delivery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3304892/china-court-auctions-100-tonnes-live-crocodiles-starting-us550000-no-delivery?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Apr 2025 01:00:13 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang Online shops in China are selling so-called bank soil, claiming it was dug up from outside major Chinese banks and can bring wealth and good fortune to buyers. The price of the “bank soil” can reach as high as 888 yuan (US$120) per portion. The trending product is claimed to have been sourced from green belts outside banks, potted plants in bank lobbies, or even dust from money counting machines. One online vendor offers four types of soil, and claims was collected from five major banks, Bank of... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3300350/china-online-shops-sell-bank-soil-top-institutions-us120-claims-it-brings-wealth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3300350/china-online-shops-sell-bank-soil-top-institutions-us120-claims-it-brings-wealth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Mar 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A young woman in eastern China has been living an ultra frugal lifestyle for seven years, using only second-hand items, including towels, soap and lipstick. Su Yige, 26, from Shanghai, believes that resource conservation brings her greater happiness. She told the mainland media outlet Yit that both her parents are highly resource conscious. “They do not waste water in the bathhouse and never accept unnecessary freebies at the supermarket,” she said. From clothes, furniture and plants to... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3300032/frugal-chinese-woman-only-uses-second-hand-products-including-soap-towels-lipstick?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3300032/frugal-chinese-woman-only-uses-second-hand-products-including-soap-towels-lipstick?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Mar 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan An 18-year-old man has been successfully rescued after being lost for 10 days in the frigid, mountainous terrain of northwestern China. During the harrowing period when he faced food shortages, Sun Liang managed to survive on river water, melted snow, and even toothpaste, as reported by Jimu News. Sun began his solo hiking adventure on February 8, venturing into the Qinling, a prominent east-west mountain range in Shaanxi province known for its average altitude of around 2,500 metres and an... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3299976/young-china-hiker-survives-eating-toothpaste-after-lost-cold-mountains-10-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3299976/young-china-hiker-survives-eating-toothpaste-after-lost-cold-mountains-10-days?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2025 01:00:11 +0000 We have selected five Trending in China stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Outrage in China as highway workers eat dog that escapes from boarding centre A pet dog in China escaped from a boarding centre after being startled by fireworks, was struck by a car, and was subsequently eaten by highway workers. 2. China tour site panned for using cotton, soapy water to make up for lack of... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3299264/chinese-workers-eat-dog-snow-made-cotton-faye-wongs-lookalike-5-trending-stories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3299264/chinese-workers-eat-dog-snow-made-cotton-faye-wongs-lookalike-5-trending-stories?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2025 04:30:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A tourist spot in China has apologised and shut down temporarily for making snow with cotton and soapy water to attract visitors after it did not receive the icy precipitation that it had expected. Chengdu Snow Village, a newly-opened tourist zone in the suburban Chengdu, in southwestern Sichuan province, issued an apology on February 8 because of the artificial snow scene, the Shanghai Morning Post reported. Since it opened at the end of January, it has been put under the spotlight after... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3298497/china-scenic-site-panned-using-cotton-soapy-water-snow-due-lack-winter-weather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3298497/china-scenic-site-panned-using-cotton-soapy-water-snow-due-lack-winter-weather?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 01:10:07 +0000 Earlier this year, scientists at the Zoological Survey of India announced the discovery of a new pangolin species, the Indo-Burmese pangolin. Found in mountainous and subtropical habitats across Nepal, India and Myanmar, the discovery adds to growing knowledge of these elusive mammals. However, this breakthrough in biodiversity research also raises concerns about increased risks. The UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency has warned that legal loopholes could allow traffickers to take... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3298225/asia-must-act-avoid-eating-pangolins-out-existence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3298225/asia-must-act-avoid-eating-pangolins-out-existence?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Feb 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu The owner of “Jiangxi’s most stubborn nail house” expressed regret for not selling to the government after officials chose to bypass his property, constructing the highway around his home instead. In China, a “nail house” or ding zi hu refers to homeowners who resist eviction during urban development or property redevelopment projects. The house, situated between the G206 highway in Jinxi county, eastern China’s Jiangxi province, was nicknamed “The Eye of Jinxi” because it resembles a pupil... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3296356/china-most-stubborn-nail-house-owner-regrets-not-selling-highway-was-built-around-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3296356/china-most-stubborn-nail-house-owner-regrets-not-selling-highway-was-built-around-home?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2025 06:00:16 +0000