A Phnom Penh theatre that has hosted shadow puppet performances for 26 years is being forced to close because of problems related to the coronavirus pandemic. The Cambodian capital’s Sovanna Phum Theatre will be taken over by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, in hopes the troupe can eventually continue performing under the same name. The traditional Cambodian performance art dates back to the 7th century, and has been on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list since 2005.

Hong Kong’s annual bun festival opened with toned down celebrations on April 30, 2020, as social-distancing measures to control the spread of the coronavirus remained in place across the city. But with hundreds of people flocking to the island of Cheung Chau, marquee events including a traditional religious parade and bun-scramble competition were cancelled. As of April 30, Hong Kong had recorded zero infections for five consecutive days.

Kathy Mak, an actress and dancer from Hong Kong, has used her experiences during the coronavirus outbreak to come up with a parody of the Natalie Imbruglia song Torn. Mak’s version with a twist about hygiene fears has amused crowds in entertainment venues across the city and an online hit with viewers around the world. “I thought that if I’m feeling this way, many other people would be too,” she said, explaining that she hopes the song will offer some relief amid a stressful situation. “In a way, it’s been kind of a coping mechanism.”

Hong Kong singer Kathy Mak’s coronavirus-themed parody of Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn has become an online sensation, hitting a note with people all over the world affected by the outbreak. Kathy spoke with the South China Morning Post about what inspired her to rewrite the song’s lyrics to create a viral hit she hopes will help raise spirits during tough times.

You Wenfeng is one of only a few people who know how to create clothing from fish skin, a skill of her ethnic Hezhen minority people – who were once so skilled plying the waters of the nearby Heilong River that they are said to be “descended from mermaids”. The 68-year-old woman from Tongjiang, a city in China’s northeastern Heilongjiang province near the border with Russia, fears the loss of the ancient tradition from her people. But that might change she started teaching others her craft, and because the exotic, aquatic leather  caught the eyes of international fashion designers working for the likes of Dior and Prada.

The Japanese comedy film Little Miss Period and its male director Shunsuke Shinada hope to break taboos related to talking about menstruation in the country and beyond. The film was released across Japan in November 2019 and was set to hit cinemas in Hong Kong and on the Chinese mainland in 2020.

Take a tour of Hong Kong’s most beautiful and dazzling Christmas displays for the 2019 holiday season.

Disney's award-winning musical The Lion King is coming to Hong Kong more than two decades after it premiered on Broadway. It is one of the most successful stage productions of all time, having been performed to more than 95 million people in 20 countries worldwide.

The South Korean company that composed the popular children’s song Baby Shark believes a mix of folk music and K-pop was the “secret formula” that hooked fans of their global hit. 

Every year, elephants take part in the Surin Elephant Round-up where the elephant handlers, called mahouts, show their skills in battle re-enactments and football games. However, critics say the elephants have to endure traumatic and painful training to be tamed.

Miriam Lancewood has spent the better part of the last decade living deep in the New Zealand wilderness - hunting wild animals, foraging edible plants and living a nomadic lifestyle with her husband Peter.

Fans of bubble tea are now able to drink in an unparalleled experience at a new exhibit in Singapore. 

The coastal city of Chonburi southeast of the Thai capital Bangkok has hosted its 148th annual Miss Beautiful Buffalo beauty pageant.

Korean-born producer Mikyung Kim explains how her career creating video commercials for major brands in Asia started with a behind-the-scenes role in Hollywood. 

World Rugby, the sport's international governing body, has advised foreign players with tattoos to cover-up during the upcoming Rugby World Cup to be hosted by Japan from September 20, 2019. 

Finland has just hosted the first Heavy Metal Knitting World Championship.  

Traditional Japanese washi is the thinnest paper in the world and known for its flexible and tough texture has made with fibres from the bark of mulberry bushes and other plants.

At the Nan Hua Academy in the South African town of Bronkhorstspruit, girls from rural and less-developed areas are being trained to become professional dancers and musicians in hopes they can bridge Chinese and African cultures.

The House of Dancing Water, the world’s largest water-based show, is an award-winning acrobatic and stunt-filled spectacle at the City of Dreams resort and casino in Macau.

Wang Jianfeng is no ordinary barber – he sculpts faces of celebrities onto the backs of his customers’ heads. He serves around eight to 10 clients a month with hair creations that depict the likes of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong and renowned England soccer player David Beckham.

Director Zhang Yimou’s new film Shadow brings Chinese ink-brush-painting to the big screen. Set in ancient China, the film expresses different levels of darkness and characters by using the ink-brush technique of painting.