https://www.scmp.com/rss/520774/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon The recent American midterm elections offered yet another glimpse into a political culture increasingly defined by division and hostility. In the state of Ohio, Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy ran an attack advertisement against his Democratic rival, Amy Acton, exploiting painful details of her childhood. President Donald Trump publicly defended the advertisement. The episode was emblematic of a country where political conflict has come to reflect something far more profound... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3373242/after-us-midterms-how-bitter-political-divisions-eroded-4-chinese-dynasties https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3373242/after-us-midterms-how-bitter-political-divisions-eroded-4-chinese-dynasties Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:15:06 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo Suzhou embroidery is one of China’s most celebrated traditional crafts. It is renowned for its delicate techniques and is often referred to as the textile equivalent of Chinese ink paintings. Originating more than 2,000 years ago in Suzhou, in China’s Jiangsu province, the art form features silk threads thinner than human hair woven into images. These depict classical gardens, shanshui (mountain and river) landscapes, flowers, lotuses and birds to reflect Jiangsu’s rich artistic heritage. In the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3373472/who-was-chinese-female-artisan-who-dazzled-empress-dowager-cixi-and-italys-queen https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3373472/who-was-chinese-female-artisan-who-dazzled-empress-dowager-cixi-and-italys-queen Fri, 06 Nov 2026 04:15:07 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon The history of the betel nut, also known as the areca nut, stretches further back than previously thought. New research suggests that people on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi were enjoying its mind-altering effects as long as 25,000 years ago. The discovery began with two ancient skeletons whose teeth bore curious, deep grooves. Australian archaeologists suspected these were the result of repeatedly sucking on whole betel nuts. Chemical analysis subsequently detected traces of arecoline, the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3372435/how-betel-nut-chewing-china-became-habit-millions-emperors-commoners https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3372435/how-betel-nut-chewing-china-became-habit-millions-emperors-commoners Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:15:07 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam White Flower Oil is a familiar scent in many Chinese homes – you may even have had a whiff of it on public transport. The sharp, pungent fragrance of eucalyptus and mint is unmistakable and memory-evoking, and has traditionally been used to treat ailments such as headaches, nausea and bug bites. The origins of White Flower Oil, also known as Hoe Hin Pak Fah Yeow, can be traced to 1927 Penang, then part of Malaya, where founder Gan Geok Eng developed a medicated oil initially intended for private... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3372507/6-ways-use-white-flower-oil-home-repelling-pests-removing-stickers https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3372507/6-ways-use-white-flower-oil-home-repelling-pests-removing-stickers Thu, 29 Oct 2026 23:15:06 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon We recently hosted visitors from Malaysia at our place in the Czech Republic, happily guiding them around Prague and several places beyond the capital, including a few that were new to us, too. There was much conviviality as the six of us explored beautiful Czech cities and towns, sampled hearty local cuisine and slipped effortlessly into the distinctive Malaysian-Singaporean patois – a lively hybrid of English, Chinese, Malay and some Indian vocabulary and syntax – that comes naturally to many... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3371741/how-confucius-teachings-about-morality-still-apply-today-and-what-we-can-learn-them https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3371741/how-confucius-teachings-about-morality-still-apply-today-and-what-we-can-learn-them Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:15:08 +0000 Tan Pin Yen Tan Pin Yen “Many people, when they first smell Chinese incense, describe it as smelling like Chinese medicine,” says Shanghai-based incense master Sun Na. “And it’s true, the classic Chinese incense we’re talking about is primarily medicinal in character.” She points to a spherical censer, a vessel designed to burn incense. “In winter, you could put it under the blankets to scent and warm the bedding,” she says. “If you had trouble sleeping, calming herbs could be added. This is what we call zhi wei bing –... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3371601/history-chinese-incense-ancient-rituals-fragrance-craft-enjoys-revival https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3371601/history-chinese-incense-ancient-rituals-fragrance-craft-enjoys-revival Fri, 23 Oct 2026 04:45:09 +0000 Cathy Fan Cathy Fan While the Tang dynasty (618-907) is synonymous with a golden age of Chinese arts and culture, its glittering reign was fractured by one of history’s most devastating civil wars. Today, the life and work of the revered Tang dynasty calligrapher Yan Zhenqing, a key figure in that 1,200-year-old tragedy, are capturing the attention of millions, partly thanks to an AI microdrama. The series titled Yanbian Qingmei, which roughly translates to Green Plums by the Inkstone, has accumulated more than 100... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371727/how-ai-microdrama-yanbian-qingmei-driving-interest-ancient-chinese-calligrapher https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371727/how-ai-microdrama-yanbian-qingmei-driving-interest-ancient-chinese-calligrapher Thu, 22 Oct 2026 23:15:08 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven Lifestyle 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. This ancient Chinese warrior queen led huge armies and stole a king’s heart Fu Hao is one of the earliest documented female military generals in history, yet relatively little is known about her. Most of the information gathered about her life is from her tomb. 2. How to prevent osteoporosis, from training to eating... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371716/ancient-chinese-warrior-queen-how-prevent-osteoporosis-7-lifestyle-highlights https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371716/ancient-chinese-warrior-queen-how-prevent-osteoporosis-7-lifestyle-highlights Thu, 22 Oct 2026 07:15:06 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Archaeologists have long found a disturbing pattern in the graves of ancient rulers: the dead were sometimes accompanied by other dead. Around royal tombs, the remains of people – who appear to have been killed specifically to follow their masters into the afterlife – lie alongside precious objects and weapons. A new study from Egypt has brought this practice back into the news. At the ancient royal cemetery of Abydos, archaeologists re-examined the skulls of people buried around the tombs of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370687/how-chinas-macabre-practice-human-sacrifice-burials-came-end https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370687/how-chinas-macabre-practice-human-sacrifice-burials-came-end Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:15:04 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Fu Hao is one of the earliest documented female military generals in history, yet relatively little is known about her. Most of the information gathered about her life is from her tomb. One thing we do know is that she lived during the Shang dynasty (1600BC-1046BC), before the unification of China. Fu’s tomb was excavated in 1976. Its contents led archaeologists to conclude she was a high-ranking royal consort and military general who commanded some of the largest armies of her time. So, who... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370818/ancient-chinese-warrior-queen-who-led-huge-armies-victory-and-stole-kings-heart https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370818/ancient-chinese-warrior-queen-who-led-huge-armies-victory-and-stole-kings-heart Thu, 15 Oct 2026 23:15:06 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo Autumn is a popular season for hiking in Hong Kong, offering crisp air and sweeping vistas across the countryside. Yet beyond leisure, October brings a significant cultural occasion to climb the hills: the annual Chung Yeung Festival, which falls on October 18 this year. The name of the festival, which translates to “double yang” in Chinese, originates from its occurrence on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. This numerical alignment also gives the occasion its alternative title, the Double... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370879/chung-yeung-festival-hong-kong-and-beyond-traditions-history-and-how-its-celebrated https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370879/chung-yeung-festival-hong-kong-and-beyond-traditions-history-and-how-its-celebrated Thu, 15 Oct 2026 04:54:12 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon A human skull was carried into a Czech town in late September as part of the country’s observance of St Wenceslas Day, officially the day of Czech statehood. The public holiday honours Wenceslas, the 10th century ruler later venerated as the patron saint of the Czech lands and the “Good King Wenceslas” of the familiar Christmas carol. Wenceslas (Václav in Czech) was born around 907 and became ruler of Bohemia as a teenager. Raised as a Christian, he promoted Christianity – then relatively new to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370157/chinese-emperor-whose-death-sparked-mystery-remains-unsolved-1000-years https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370157/chinese-emperor-whose-death-sparked-mystery-remains-unsolved-1000-years Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:15:06 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo On a typical day, Kat O – a tranquil island within the Hong Kong Unesco Global Geopark, in the northeastern waters of the New Territories – sees just a small number of visitors, who arrive mostly for a scenic hike through its heritage trails. However, with an island-wide festival taking place from October 11 to 15, things are about to get lively. In the run-up to the festivities, villagers are busy completing a giant bamboo theatre, traditional puppets and parade lanterns, while local artists... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370266/why-dajiao-festival-hong-kongs-kat-o-island-held-once-every-10-years https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370266/why-dajiao-festival-hong-kongs-kat-o-island-held-once-every-10-years Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:15:05 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung As international fashion companies increasingly incorporate traditional Chinese design elements into their collections, accusations of cultural appropriation have flooded social media. In recent years, brands such as Zara and Adidas have been criticised for adopting Chinese tailoring features such as Mandarin collars and pankou, or frog buttons. While Zara drew backlash for mislabelling these elements as generic “fireman clasps” without acknowledging their heritage, Adidas sparked debate over... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3369501/adopting-chinese-fashion-appropriation-or-appreciation-artisans-weigh-debate https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3369501/adopting-chinese-fashion-appropriation-or-appreciation-artisans-weigh-debate Sat, 03 Oct 2026 04:15:06 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Munich’s Oktoberfest was never on my travel bucket list. But it offered a chance to meet up with good friends from Hong Kong and their adorable toddler, Joshua, who go to the festival every year as a family. So there I was, spending a weekend at Theresienwiese, surrounded by bewildering varieties of beer and their drinkers. The annual Oktoberfest, first held in October 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding, is about more than just beer. There are amusement rides, games, stalls selling things you... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3369449/surprising-history-beer-china-li-tsingtao https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3369449/surprising-history-beer-china-li-tsingtao Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:15:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A banknote clasped between her hands, Liu Haiyan prays to the protector of the Wudang Mountains. The range in central China’s Hubei province has long been considered sacred in Taoism. “I asked him to bless our motherland with favourable weather and to make it even more prosperous,” Liu says while sitting outside the Golden Hall, a Taoist temple at the summit of Tianzhu Peak. “This place watches over our country,” she adds. “We’re Chinese, and this is part of our faith.” Tourists and pilgrims in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3369441/how-chinas-wudang-mountains-draw-droves-visitors-search-spiritual-cleansing https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3369441/how-chinas-wudang-mountains-draw-droves-visitors-search-spiritual-cleansing Thu, 01 Oct 2026 23:15:06 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Before I went to Warsaw, I knew little of the city beyond the fact that it was Poland’s capital. I had not realised that much of present-day Warsaw, including its beautiful historic centre, was rebuilt after World War II. Warsaw’s wartime destruction was not merely the consequence of battle, but a deliberate campaign by its Nazi German occupiers to erase much of the city. In August 1944, the Warsaw Uprising – a Polish armed revolt by the city’s underground resistance against German occupation –... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3368383/when-centuries-chinese-knowledge-were-destroyed-warlord-who-burned-capital https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3368383/when-centuries-chinese-knowledge-were-destroyed-warlord-who-burned-capital Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:15:07 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam As moon-gazers look skyward during the Mid-Autumn Festival weekend, they should spare a thought for Wang Zhenyi, one of China’s most notable astronomers and mathematicians – and a woman. Living during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), when a learned woman was expected to do little more than ornament a household with poetry, Wang wanted something bolder: to explain eclipses. Her answer was physical, not mystical. It involved light, shadow and the movement of the moon. Using a round table for the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3368457/how-wang-zhenyi-chinese-female-astronomer-and-mathematician-defied-gender-expectations https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3368457/how-wang-zhenyi-chinese-female-astronomer-and-mathematician-defied-gender-expectations Thu, 24 Sep 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Jing Zhang Jing Zhang Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan has long been a symbol of China’s fashion soft power at high-profile global summits as she accompanies President Xi Jinping. She has eschewed Western luxury labels and logos in favour of chic local brands and modern Chinese styles – a well-tailored qipao, say, or elegant scarves and coats in formal yet feminine colours. Case in point: the outfit she wore as she stepped off the plane for the much-anticipated Xi-Trump meeting in the US on September 23. Her grey... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3368679/how-chinese-first-lady-peng-liyuan-symbol-chinas-fashion-soft-power https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3368679/how-chinese-first-lady-peng-liyuan-symbol-chinas-fashion-soft-power Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:23:08 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven Lifestyle 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. All about Hong Kong’s herbal teas and how Gen Z is reviving the health tradition Long before modern chain pharmacies and over-the-counter painkillers were readily available in Hong Kong, there were leung cha: intensely bitter herbal “cooling teas” brewed in massive brass cauldrons in traditional open-front shops. 2. How... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3368592/hong-kongs-gen-z-revives-herbal-teas-experts-couple-intimacy-7-lifestyle-highlights https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3368592/hong-kongs-gen-z-revives-herbal-teas-experts-couple-intimacy-7-lifestyle-highlights Thu, 24 Sep 2026 06:15:06 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo While mass-produced Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns of every size, shape and style can be bought with a single click these days, a dedicated few in Hong Kong are defying the fast consumerism trend by keeping the objects’ traditional craftsmanship alive. Among them is Hong Kong fashion designer and lantern artisan Wan Wong, 52, who spends hours every year crafting traditional bamboo, wire and cellophane lanterns by hand. Lanterns remain a cherished centrepiece of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a Southeast... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3368319/how-mid-autumn-festival-lanterns-are-traditionally-made-and-artisan-defending-craft https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3368319/how-mid-autumn-festival-lanterns-are-traditionally-made-and-artisan-defending-craft Tue, 22 Sep 2026 10:15:04 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon I spent a week in Warsaw and ate more pierogi than I could shake a stick at. These beloved traditional Polish dumplings come filled with potatoes, cheese, meat, mushrooms and even fruit. Boiled or fried, they may look familiar to anyone acquainted with jiaozi, the Chinese dumpling, although their flavours are distinctly Polish. This is not to suggest that dumplings travelled directly from China to Poland. One theory posits that dumpling-like foods – from Nepalese momo and Central Asian and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3367680/polish-priests-perilous-mission-save-doomed-chinese-dynasty-catholic-links https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3367680/polish-priests-perilous-mission-save-doomed-chinese-dynasty-catholic-links Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:15:05 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Few figures in Qing dynasty (1644-1912) history embody the tragedy of shifting tides quite like Duanfang, a Manchu statesman born in 1861. Duanfang rose through the imperial ranks, earned distinction for his service during the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) and went on to hold major regional posts, such as governor of China’s Hubei province and viceroy of the Liangjiang region. His career took a bizarre turn when he was stripped of his viceroyalty in 1909 for supposedly showing disrespect by... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3367584/tragic-qing-dynasty-politician-whose-legacy-lives-descendants-new-novel https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3367584/tragic-qing-dynasty-politician-whose-legacy-lives-descendants-new-novel Wed, 16 Sep 2026 23:15:04 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon I suspect many Americans are embarrassed by their president’s recent actions. On August 27, Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” following the collapse of trade talks between the United States and Canada. The change applies only in the US, while Canada and the rest of the world continue to call it Lake Ontario. Doug Ford, premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, has put up a sign declaring “Lake Ontario Now and Always”. The lake, meanwhile, remains... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366754/amid-trumps-lake-america-stink-chinese-emperor-whose-renaming-campaign-backfired https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366754/amid-trumps-lake-america-stink-chinese-emperor-whose-renaming-campaign-backfired Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:15:04 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Women are vastly under-represented in ancient Chinese literature. The few who appear, often in myth or semi-fiction, serve primarily to reflect that era’s moral expectations for women. From filial warriors to patriotic seductresses and femmes fatales, these women have one thing in common – they all trade personal autonomy for survival in a man’s world. Here are three fictional women in Chinese history and what makes their names live on to this day. 1. Hua Mulan The only historical record of Hua... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366929/famous-chinese-women-folklore-hua-mulan-consort-who-brought-down-dynasty https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366929/famous-chinese-women-folklore-hua-mulan-consort-who-brought-down-dynasty Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:15:04 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam The elements play a powerful role in the eighth month of the Year of the Fire Horse, with a surge of metal energy bringing clarity to some zodiac signs and obstacles to others. Read on to see how feng shui master Andrew Kwan predicts these shifting elements will affect your career, romance and well-being – and where you should exercise caution. Rat (1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020) This month will generally be favourable for those born in the Year of the Rat. The flowing metal... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3367035/year-horse-2026-eighth-month-predictions-all-12-chinese-zodiac-signs https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3367035/year-horse-2026-eighth-month-predictions-all-12-chinese-zodiac-signs Thu, 10 Sep 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo When Hong Kong Ballet’s resident choreographer Ricky Hu Songwei and his wife, fellow choreographer Mai Jingwen, were assigned to create a new production inspired by Dunhuang for the company, they had what they describe as “an immediate headache”. Dunhuang, in northwestern China, is known for the Mogao Caves, a Unesco World Heritage site on the ancient Silk Road featuring more than 1,000 years of Buddhist rock art. Over the years, its murals and statues have inspired numerous dance productions... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3366747/hong-kong-ballet-takes-chinas-mogao-caves-dunhuang-search-light https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3366747/hong-kong-ballet-takes-chinas-mogao-caves-dunhuang-search-light Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon In Belgium, Clement Vandenkerckhove, a 26-year-old former car salesman, has recently been formally recognised as the son of Prince Laurent, the younger brother of the country’s king, Philippe. Vandenkerckhove was born out of wedlock when his mother, the Belgian singer Wendy Van Wanten, and Prince Laurent had a relationship in the 1990s. A DNA test confirmed the paternity, and a private ceremony earlier this year made Vandenkerckhove a prince of Belgium and gave him rights to his father’s private... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366074/prison-and-poverty-chinese-emperor-rags-riches-tale-liu-bingyi https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366074/prison-and-poverty-chinese-emperor-rags-riches-tale-liu-bingyi Sat, 05 Sep 2026 04:15:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse From a distance, the Shaolin Temple outside Lusaka appears almost like a mirage, a slice of central China dropped into the Zambian landscape. Then the dragons emerge from beneath the pagoda, their brightly coloured fabric bodies hoisted on poles by teenagers moving with surprising precision. Nearby, smaller children tumble across a weather-beaten foam mattress, twisting into barrels and forward rolls as 30-year-old instructor Yan Chen barks commands. The sprawling complex houses Africa’s first... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3365960/how-africas-first-shaolin-temple-shares-chinese-martial-arts-and-culture https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3365960/how-africas-first-shaolin-temple-shares-chinese-martial-arts-and-culture Wed, 02 Sep 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Malaysia celebrates its Independence Day (“Hari Merdeka” in Malay) on August 31. This year, it will mark the 69th anniversary of the Malayan Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom. Note that it was a “Malayan”, not “Malaysian”, declaration. Sixty-nine years ago, in 1957, Malaysia did not yet exist; the modern nation of Malaysia came into being only on September 16, 1963, with the merger of the 11 states of the Malay Peninsula with British North Borneo (renamed Sabah), Sarawak and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3365430/how-national-holidays-ancient-china-aligned-emperors-birthdays-so-all-could-revel https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3365430/how-national-holidays-ancient-china-aligned-emperors-birthdays-so-all-could-revel Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:15:07 +0000 Jianlu Bi Jianlu Bi This summer, Chinese anti-war film Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has dominated the mainland box office. The film implicitly answers the question: what happens when a story about international conflict is told, not through the sights of an assault rifle, but through a gentler lens? It offers a fundamental restructuring of cinematic narrative paradigms, one that challenges decades of Hollywood inertia. For nearly a century, mainstream international anti-war cinema has been heavily anchored... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3365093/chinese-cook-middle-east-serves-very-different-anti-war-film https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3365093/chinese-cook-middle-east-serves-very-different-anti-war-film Fri, 28 Aug 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Donald Trump’s recent departure from Turkey was far more elaborate than it appeared. After attending a Nato summit in Ankara in July, the US president was publicly seen boarding Air Force One for the flight to Britain. This was, in fact, a decoy. Trump was secretly transferred from the aircraft and taken across the tarmac in a catering truck to a smaller Air Force C-32A military jet. The operation was prompted by intelligence indicating a credible Iranian threat to assassinate him, amid the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3364558/trump-chinas-first-emperor-survived-various-assassination-attempts https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3364558/trump-chinas-first-emperor-survived-various-assassination-attempts Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:15:06 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Cheongsam or hanfu? Despite the former being more universally popular, Gong Pan Pan, a Singaporean-Chinese fashion historian and designer, would opt for hanfu, as the historical traditional Chinese attire best fits her body type. “Cheongsams are very body-fitting – you can’t go to a buffet in those tight garments. And I have narrow shoulders, so I’d look like I have a huge head in a cheongsam,” she explains. “In hanfu, the sleeves extend as one piece from the shoulder downwards, adding a volume... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3364534/how-singapores-hanfugirl-gong-pan-pan-putting-modern-spin-ancient-chinese-fashion https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3364534/how-singapores-hanfugirl-gong-pan-pan-putting-modern-spin-ancient-chinese-fashion Thu, 20 Aug 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon The Czech people are famously reticent with strangers, to the point that many of us would consider it rude. In shops and restaurants, getting a staff member to be helpful can feel like pulling teeth, while a smile is often out of the question. There is even a name for it: the Slavic Face – an icy, unsmiling expression that can come across as hostile and dismissive. I have been assured that it is an “equal-opportunity” aloofness. It is bestowed on everyone alike: locals and foreigners, black,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3363749/how-chinese-societys-resilient-moral-framework-has-lasted-nearly-3000-years https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3363749/how-chinese-societys-resilient-moral-framework-has-lasted-nearly-3000-years Sat, 15 Aug 2026 00:15:06 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam Stepping into the Old Town of Lijiang, a city in China’s Yunnan province, feels like entering the set of a Chinese period drama. Passing timber homes dotted with red lanterns, you walk on slick, rain-polished cobblestones worn down by centuries of Himalayan traders’ footsteps. The 800-year-old network of timber-framed architecture – often associated with Naxi ethnic minority culture – and the town’s alpine canal system earned Unesco World Heritage status in 1997 for exceptional preservation of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3363770/what-dongba-script-only-hieroglyphic-system-still-used-today-found-china https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3363770/what-dongba-script-only-hieroglyphic-system-still-used-today-found-china Fri, 14 Aug 2026 04:45:06 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam The seventh lunar month brings a powerful wave of cosmic shifts, reshaping fortunes across all 12 Chinese zodiac signs. As the elemental energies transition, this pivotal month introduces smooth qi for some, while presenting volatile trials and planetary clashes for others. From sudden career breakthroughs and secret benefactors to romantic entanglements and unexpected financial pressures, each sign must navigate a unique energetic landscape. Feng shui master Andrew Kwan breaks down the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3363729/year-horse-2026-seventh-month-predictions-all-12-chinese-zodiac-signs https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3363729/year-horse-2026-seventh-month-predictions-all-12-chinese-zodiac-signs Wed, 12 Aug 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung The Hungry Ghost Festival begins on the first day of the seventh lunar month, when it is believed that the gates of the underworld will open, allowing spirits to visit the living. This year, that day falls on August 13. The festival will last until September 10, the final day of the seventh lunar month, when the gates of hell are shut. The apex of the festival falls on the 15th night (August 27), when it is believed the spirits are at their most active. While welcomed ancestors are honoured, the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3363790/7-taboos-avoid-during-hungry-ghost-festival-keep-unwanted-spirits-bay https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3363790/7-taboos-avoid-during-hungry-ghost-festival-keep-unwanted-spirits-bay Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:36:09 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Against my better judgment, I took out a gym membership in Prague. It turns out that my usual exercise regime – brisk walking for up to an hour every day – is not as practical in the city as I had imagined, at least not in my part of Prague. Cobblestone pavements are pretty to look at, but they are made for leisurely strolls, not aerobic walks, unless spraining an ankle or two is your intention. There are parks and green spaces near my flat, but they are either too small or they reek of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3362793/even-confucius-was-buff-how-ancient-china-prized-strength-and-fitness https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3362793/even-confucius-was-buff-how-ancient-china-prized-strength-and-fitness Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:15:05 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam You may have noticed a surge in Cantonese influencers on social media this year. Language teachers have long used digital platforms to increase their student numbers, but these influencers are not there to teach – they simply share their love for Cantonese. They come from all walks of life, and they are learning and practising with their followers. One such presence is 35-year-old Mihi Matshingana. In one video, with more than 15,000 likes on Instagram, she bursts onto the screen with a glass of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3363137/want-learn-cantonese-these-influencers-are-sparking-canto-revival-social-media https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3363137/want-learn-cantonese-these-influencers-are-sparking-canto-revival-social-media Fri, 07 Aug 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak When you think of those who lived on the American frontier, the sort of person who springs to mind is probably a rough-and-rowdy Caucasian cowboy with a scruffy face and spurs on his boots. But then there was Ah Toy – pronounced “Ah Choi” in Cantonese – who became one of the best-known Asian women in 19th century California. Ah Toy was the first recorded Chinese sex worker in San Francisco, but became much more: so successful was her chain of brothels that she often attracted unfriendly... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3362911/chinese-sex-worker-who-built-empire-americas-old-west https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3362911/chinese-sex-worker-who-built-empire-americas-old-west Thu, 06 Aug 2026 23:15:04 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon I am not one to follow celebrity gossip, but the recent decision by several of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s children to drop their father’s surname caught my attention. Following the couple’s bitter separation, some of their children have chosen to remove “Pitt” from their original hyphenated surname, “Jolie-Pitt”. For people living in imperial China, changing one’s surname was rarely a casual decision. Unlike Europeans and many others, married Chinese women traditionally retain their own... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3362366/jolie-pitt-kids-change-their-surname-why-ancient-chinese-did-same https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3362366/jolie-pitt-kids-change-their-surname-why-ancient-chinese-did-same Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:15:05 +0000 Cheung Hok-hang Cheung Hok-hang The Shenzhen Natural History Museum will open to the public on July 28 as the first dedicated large-scale institution of its kind in southern China. Spearheaded by the Shenzhen government with a total investment of 3.5 billion yuan (US$517 million) – excluding the cost of collecting artefacts – the museum, located in the Pingshan district in the northeast of the city, is among its “Ten Cultural Facilities of the New Era”. The first of these to open was the new Shenzhen Art Museum in 2023,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3361967/what-see-shenzhen-natural-history-museum-dinosaur-fossils-meteorites https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3361967/what-see-shenzhen-natural-history-museum-dinosaur-fossils-meteorites Mon, 27 Jul 2026 23:15:12 +0000 Audrey Jiajia Li Audrey Jiajia Li Growing up as an only child in China, I thought I knew exactly what parental love looked like. Around me, many parents seemed to carry an invisible ledger. Sacrifice was the moral currency of the day, invoked to justify good grades, prestigious careers and lifelong gratitude. Love and guilt often came as a package deal. “Do you know how much I’ve sacrificed for you?” was so ubiquitous that it became a suffocating childhood refrain. The self-sacrificing mother is by no means unique to China, or... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3361405/self-sacrificing-chinese-mother-i-never-wanted-become https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3361405/self-sacrificing-chinese-mother-i-never-wanted-become Sat, 25 Jul 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Czech politics seldom register on anybody’s radar in East Asia, but within a month of living in Prague, I am already hooked on the country’s political drama. It is more fascinating than any reality TV show. At the moment, the main spectacle is the very public spat between the Czech president and prime minister. President Petr Pavel, a liberal and popular retired army general who previously served as chairman of the Nato Military Committee, and Prime Minister Andrej Babis, a populist business... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3361558/when-chinese-emperors-and-their-prime-ministers-fell-out-results-could-be-deadly https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3361558/when-chinese-emperors-and-their-prime-ministers-fell-out-results-could-be-deadly Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:15:06 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu If you want to seek enlightenment, you can consult Gabi, a robot monk in a South Korean temple. If you want to meditate, download an app and let a computerised voice guide you towards inner peace. Now, if you want to analyse your Chinese astrology to check your financial prospects, you can look towards AI to give you a reading. This is what Singapore-based astrologer Sean Chan has been working on: Tian Qi, an AI-powered Chinese metaphysics reading platform. Chan “vibe-coded” his platform – he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3361464/read-your-future-tian-qi-ai-powered-astrology-platform-powered-real-consultations https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3361464/read-your-future-tian-qi-ai-powered-astrology-platform-powered-real-consultations Wed, 22 Jul 2026 23:15:15 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Pirates such as Blackbeard and Jack Sparrow are well known in Western pop culture. But Ching Shih, a woman seafarer from China’s Guangdong province, was just as mighty, if not as famous. By the late 18th century, the South China Sea had become a haven for pirates. Colonial merchant vessels frequently traversed these waters carrying valuable cargo. Ching Shih, also known as Zheng Yi Sao, roamed the waters around Tung Chung Bay off what is today Hong Kong’s Lantau Island. She was a pirate queen... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3360971/how-chinese-pirate-queen-ching-shih-ruled-south-china-sea-then-sailed-sunset https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3360971/how-chinese-pirate-queen-ching-shih-ruled-south-china-sea-then-sailed-sunset Sun, 19 Jul 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Questions about who belongs to a nation and how citizenship should be acquired remain as contentious today as they have ever been. The rise of xenophobic, far-right politics in many countries is an ugly consequence of this debate. On June 30, 2026, the United States Supreme Court rejected an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that sought to end so-called birthright citizenship, the guarantee of citizenship to almost anyone born on American soil, including the children of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3360860/after-us-birthright-citizenship-ruling-lessons-how-foreigners-once-became-chinese https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3360860/after-us-birthright-citizenship-ruling-lessons-how-foreigners-once-became-chinese Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:15:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press With one of their arms raised and the other lowered, hundreds of people move every morning like birds spreading their wings at the heart of Beijing’s Temple of Heaven. They are performing a movement in tai chi, a physical and philosophical practice developed more than 300 years ago that continues to resonate in China today. “The environment is great and the air is good too,” Ye Guirong, 64, says. “You can see we’re surrounded by trees.” Most practitioners are retirees in their 60s and beyond.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3360749/everyones-health-has-improved-how-tai-chi-energises-these-chinese-retirees https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3360749/everyones-health-has-improved-how-tai-chi-energises-these-chinese-retirees Fri, 17 Jul 2026 20:15:05 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam Every zodiac sign will face unique challenges and opportunities this month amid a complex interplay of elemental forces. The strong earth element in particular will create a dynamic landscape where some signs will flourish while others must exercise caution. From workplace turbulence and romantic possibilities to health concerns and career breakthroughs, feng shui master Andrew Kwan offers guidance for the month ahead. Whether you are dealing with conflicts with the tai sui or embracing... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3360343/year-horse-2026-sixth-month-predictions-all-12-chinese-zodiac-signs https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3360343/year-horse-2026-sixth-month-predictions-all-12-chinese-zodiac-signs Mon, 13 Jul 2026 23:15:06 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu New York-based author Elizabeth Lim grew up hearing her grandmother’s stories about Hong Kong in World War II, Guangdong during the Sino-Japanese war and the sweeping immigrant journey that eventually brought their family to American shores. Those ancestral memories form the backbone of her latest novel, Fishbone Cinderella, set to hit shelves on July 28. Known widely for her young adult high fantasies such as Spin the Dawn (2019) and Six Crimson Cranes (2021), The New York Times bestselling... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3359950/i-never-felt-ready-elizabeth-lim-writing-her-chinese-grandmothers-story-and-soy-milk https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3359950/i-never-felt-ready-elizabeth-lim-writing-her-chinese-grandmothers-story-and-soy-milk Sat, 11 Jul 2026 11:15:05 +0000