https://www.scmp.com/rss/521313/feed Nancy Wang is a student at the Hong Kong Baptist University. She joined SCMP in 2025 as an intern with the Culture Desk. Wang has a deep interest in reporting news coverage related to social trends and youth culture. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Nancy Wang Nancy Wang This is the 58th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. In the relentless machine that is Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, few television stars have shown the tenacity and dedication of Charmaine Sheh Sze-man. During her peak of productivity, she was easily one of the most prolific actresses working at Hong Kong broadcaster TVB. She once shot six drama series – 120 episodes of TV – in one year, routinely working at least 18 hours per... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3323340/how-charmaine-sheh-went-miss-hong-kong-runner-becoming-queen-tvb-dramas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3323340/how-charmaine-sheh-went-miss-hong-kong-runner-becoming-queen-tvb-dramas?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Nancy Wang,Enid Tsui Nancy Wang,Enid Tsui In 2022, clips of A Tapestry of a Legendary Land went viral online, alerting the world to the immense popularity of Chinese folk dance drama, or wuju in Mandarin. Since then, the number of new productions has exploded, with young audiences particularly enamoured with the “Eastern aesthetics” these dialogue-free performances featuring traditional Chinese costumes have come to epitomise. The first blockbuster wuju was 1979’s Rain of Flowers Along the Silk Road. Created by the Gansu Song and Dance... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3322747/why-are-chinese-folk-dance-dramas-suddenly-exploding-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3322747/why-are-chinese-folk-dance-dramas-suddenly-exploding-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 23:15:11 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang Just like the widely acclaimed 3D animated film Ne Zha 2 before it, Nobody – a breakout box office hit in China this summer – draws its inspiration from a Chinese literary classic, namely Journey to the West. Its character designs and plotlines are influenced by the 2023 animated series Yao-Chinese Folktales, which in turn is based on stories of demons and monsters in traditional Chinese folklore. Mining China’s vast cultural heritage is proving to be a winning formula for the local... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3322792/chinese-animated-film-nobody-summers-ne-zha-2-its-story-and-art-style-explained?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3322792/chinese-animated-film-nobody-summers-ne-zha-2-its-story-and-art-style-explained?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang At the Michelin Guide Taiwan 2025 official unveiling ceremony in Taipei on August 19, eight restaurants received their first star while three were elevated from one- to two-star status. Now in its eighth edition, the Taiwan guide has expanded its coverage for the first time to encompass New Taipei City and Hsinchu. “This is a testament to Taiwan’s openness and confidence in embracing both tradition and innovation,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the Michelin Guide. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3322467/michelin-guide-taiwan-2025-awards-8-restaurants-their-first-star-heres-full-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3322467/michelin-guide-taiwan-2025-awards-8-restaurants-their-first-star-heres-full-list?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 06:30:12 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang Toast can be made in many ways, as we discovered after visiting Ztoryhome, a cafe in Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Island, where a display of 500 illustrations of toast from around the world takes up an entire wall. Featuring toast from cities including Tokyo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York and Seoul, “#toast500” – on now until August 17 – was created by Tam Ka-yan, a Hong Kong-born Gen Z artist who also goes by Nomkakaii. The exhibition is the 22-year-old’s first showcase since her return to Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3321403/hong-kong-artists-500-illustrations-toast-cover-cafes-entire-wall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3321403/hong-kong-artists-500-illustrations-toast-cover-cafes-entire-wall?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang Chinese composer Yupeng Chen does not produce the type of music that one would typically expect from a classical musician. Instead, Chen creates music that is most likely to be recognised by gamers, such as the captivating soundtrack to the wildly popular Chinese video game Genshin Impact. In a sign that the highbrow classical music world is more widely embracing accessibility and a younger demographic, German classical music record label Deutsche Grammophon announced on July 18 that Chen was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3321168/how-chinese-composer-who-wrote-genshin-impacts-music-breaking-classical-mould?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3321168/how-chinese-composer-who-wrote-genshin-impacts-music-breaking-classical-mould?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang When Huang Yu needed to lose weight urgently for medical reasons, she turned to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). With it, she lost five kilograms (11 pounds) over three months, and she has kept it off since. In January 2024, the 21-year-old from Shanghai, who is studying at a university in Hong Kong, learned she had a tumour on her uterus. This slowed her metabolism, and she eventually tipped the scales at 75kg. If she did not lose weight, her Western doctor told her, the condition would be... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3320139/how-traditional-chinese-medicine-can-help-you-lose-weight-acupuncture-cupping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3320139/how-traditional-chinese-medicine-can-help-you-lose-weight-acupuncture-cupping?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 00:15:08 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang A highly anticipated Chinese film that over 3 million users have marked as “want to see” on the Chinese ticket-selling platform Maoyan has sparked discussion on Weibo after its release was changed from July 31 to the more ambiguous “2025”. The film, 731, exposes the grievous biological and chemical experiments committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Kwantung Army in Northeast China during the Sino-Japanese war and World War II. Directed by filmmaker Zhao Linshan and starring well-known mainland... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3320268/chinese-netizens-riled-over-delay-731-film-about-horrific-japanese-human-experiments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3320268/chinese-netizens-riled-over-delay-731-film-about-horrific-japanese-human-experiments?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang Yin Chenxi, a second-year postgraduate student, was working on her thesis one evening when her phone lit up with a notification from the Chinese social media platform RedNote, recommending a video tagged with words including “stress relief” and “cutting perfume bottles”. Exhausted from her work and in dire need of distraction, Yin opened the video. In it, a glass perfume bottle was sliced in two by someone with a knife. As the two liquid-filled halves fell away, a gurgling sound could be... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3320074/how-ai-asmr-videos-are-captivating-social-media-users-instagram-rednote-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3320074/how-ai-asmr-videos-are-captivating-social-media-users-instagram-rednote-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Nancy Wang,Chloe Loung Nancy Wang,Chloe Loung Last year’s Korean Netflix show Culinary Class Wars helped fuel a surge of interest in reality cooking competitions, as well as the chefs who star in them. Riding that wave of popularity is chef Anh Sung-jae of Seoul-based restaurant Mosu, which held three Michelin stars before its relocation earlier this year. Ahn, one of two judges on Culinary Class Wars, has partnered with HSBC to create a new, strikingly similar contest set in Hong Kong. Red Hot Chef, a three-episode series, dropped its... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3319605/what-hong-kongs-red-hot-chef-cooking-show-inspired-culinary-class-wars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3319605/what-hong-kongs-red-hot-chef-cooking-show-inspired-culinary-class-wars?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jul 2025 07:15:07 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang Renowned Hong Kong lyricist Peter Lai Bei-dak is trending on Chinese social media platform Weibo after he disclosed that he helped his 37-year-old son – with whom he has a strained relationship – pay off credit card debt worth hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars. Many comments shared on Weibo expressed empathy for the 75-year-old single father, with many users lamenting his situation. Lai also shared with local media platform HK01 that he is currently looking for a soulmate, which sparked... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3319493/who-peter-lai-renowned-hong-kong-lyricist-trending-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3319493/who-peter-lai-renowned-hong-kong-lyricist-trending-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jul 2025 00:15:08 +0000 Nancy Wang,Chloe Loung Nancy Wang,Chloe Loung Social media users are questioning a new trend in Hong Kong after videos circulated earlier this week on Reddit showing people making what appeared to be the controversial Nazi salute. The videos attracted comments questioning the trend – which had become popular among users of Chinese social media platforms RedNote and Douyin – and its implications. However, other users pointed out that the gestures were meant to be harmless tributes to a character in the popular Hong Kong film series Young and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3319257/nazi-salute-trend-chinese-social-media-actually-tribute-young-and-dangerous?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3319257/nazi-salute-trend-chinese-social-media-actually-tribute-young-and-dangerous?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 09:15:09 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang With over 3.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify and even more on Chinese streaming platforms, Chinese rapper Lan Lao has toppled long-reigning Mandopop king Jay Chou as the most-streamed Mandarin singer. In 2024, the 27-year-old, who also goes by Skai IsYourGod, released his second album Ba fang lai cai – or Stacks from All Sides in English – which went viral on mainland China’s TikTok-like platform Douyin. Today, his fame has spread to Hong Kong, Taiwan and other parts of Asia. Here is what... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318960/who-lan-lao-chinese-rapper-topples-jay-chou-become-most-streamed-mandarin-singer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318960/who-lan-lao-chinese-rapper-topples-jay-chou-become-most-streamed-mandarin-singer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang Gone are the days when photo booths were only for taking passport photos. In Asia, photo booths where users can customise their snaps with decorative stickers, filters and more have been popular since the 1990s, when purikura booths debuted in Japan. More recently, South Korea’s “Life 4 Cuts” (L4C) have become popular, especially among members of Gen Z. This type of photo booth prints out four snapshots on a vertical or horizontal strip embellished with colourful borders and filters. What is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3318250/life-4-cuts-korean-photo-booth-trend-hits-hong-kong-4-popular-ones-try?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3318250/life-4-cuts-korean-photo-booth-trend-hits-hong-kong-4-popular-ones-try?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang One of the most basic but important parts of Chinese etiquette is knowing how to greet your older relatives correctly. Ancient Chinese society placed a strong emphasis on hierarchy and respecting seniors, something that continues to be observed in contemporary Chinese culture. The practice of a verbal greeting, often combined with a hand gesture, can be traced back to a collection of ancient Confucian texts – Zhouli (The Rites of Zhou), Yili (The Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial) and Liji (The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3317832/how-greet-your-chinese-relatives-cantonese-do-you-know-your-gu-fu-your-yi-ma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3317832/how-greet-your-chinese-relatives-cantonese-do-you-know-your-gu-fu-your-yi-ma?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 09:15:06 +0000 Reuters,Nancy Wang Reuters,Nancy Wang Chinese social media reacted positively to yesterday’s announcement that there will be an English version of the globally successful Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2, to be released in North America, Australia and New Zealand later this year. Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh will be voicing one of the characters. “We’re looking forward to seeing Zha er [as Ne zha is affectionately known in the Chinese online community] speaking English on the screen,” said one Weibo user. “Zha er secretly... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3317680/chinese-social-media-reacts-news-ne-zha-2s-english-version?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3317680/chinese-social-media-reacts-news-ne-zha-2s-english-version?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 10:15:07 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang Tarot enthusiast Haicen Yang used to look to her cards for guidance. These days, the 21-year-old from Chongqing, in southwestern China, is tapping into a new energy source for her readings: generative artificial intelligence. Yang says that by combining the ancient Chinese concept of ba zi – how a person’s birth year, month, day and hour can influence their fate – with astrology apps and AI-powered chatbots such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek, she is able to glimpse into the future. This extends to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3317206/how-young-chinese-are-turning-ai-tell-their-fortune-amid-fear-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3317206/how-young-chinese-are-turning-ai-tell-their-fortune-amid-fear-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jul 2025 09:15:12 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang Got plans for Hong Kong’s July 1 public holiday next week? If you’re looking for a place to go, here are five cute cafes in which to spend the afternoon, offering things like Jellycat-themed sets and DIY painted cakes. Read on to find out more. 1. Ukiyo British soft-toy brand Jellycat has become very popular in recent years and their signature plush toys, or plushies, can be seen both on social media and as keychains on the bags of every other person on the street. Some enterprising cafes have... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3315737/5-cute-cafes-hong-kong-visit-jellycat-menus-custom-latte-art-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3315737/5-cute-cafes-hong-kong-visit-jellycat-menus-custom-latte-art-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 04:45:57 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang As university graduation season comes around again, more students in mainland China and Hong Kong are tossing away traditional mortarboards and gowns for alternatives that are more colourful and fashionable. On the social media platform RedNote – also known as Xiaohongshu – white graduation dresses are a much-discussed topic, with views of related posts reaching over 2 million. Meanwhile, more than 174,000 posts on Instagram have the tag #graduationdress. Chinese-American freestyle skiing world... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3314593/chinese-students-spice-graduation-dresses-gowns-and-caps-more-fashionable-looks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3314593/chinese-students-spice-graduation-dresses-gowns-and-caps-more-fashionable-looks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jun 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang The “Ita bag” hashtag went viral on Weibo – China’s answer to X – in summer 2024 when Quan Hongchan, who won two golds in diving at the 2024 Paris Olympics, showed off gifts given to her by fans, from badges to cute toys, inside her transparent PVC bag. An ita bag, which means “painful bag” in Japanese, humorously denotes the great pain – and expense and effort – the wearer has put into lavishly decorating their bag. The bag is usually made of canvas or nylon with a clear see-through front. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3313385/what-ita-bag-plus-most-popular-toys-dolls-and-figures-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3313385/what-ita-bag-plus-most-popular-toys-dolls-and-figures-now?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jun 2025 10:05:48 +0000