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Asia travel

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Asia travel
Survival guides, insider secrets, top things to do, eco-tours, independent hotel reviews, family-friendly itineraries: fire your imagination with the South China Morning Post’s travel guides and must-see lists for holiday destinations across China and the rest of Asia.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
The summit of Norman Foster’s HSBC Main Building in relief against The Peak, 1986. Photo: Ian Lambot

The building that rewrote architecture – 40 years ago

The architect whose creation defied convention and the photographer who shot it share their thoughts on an inside-out marvel.

Reading Time:7 minutes
Bryn Terfel, the bass-baritone. Photo: Rolex/Elisa Haberer

A legendary opera singer on playing the ‘bad boy’ on stage

Reading Time:3 minutes
Sally Grace Bunker in her living room in Mui Wo, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

This botanical artist’s journey from the ‘garden of England’ to Lantau

Reading Time:4 minutes
Stephen Buckle, from Aspect, a global landscape architecture company, says that the most successful way to strike a balance between commercial and design aspirations is to make ecologically minded greening the focal point of any project, including this, The Roof, a Shanghai lifestyle complex, designed in collaboration with French architect Jean Nouvel. Photo: Courtesy Aspect

From Hong Kong’s Taikoo Square to Seoul’s Gangnam forest and Chengdu’s Hyperlane, nature is reshaping Asia’s cities

Reading Time:7 minutes
The north elevation of the completed building as seen from Statue Square. Photo: Ian Lambot

This week in PostMag: the HSBC Main Building turns 40, the Hong Kong Sevens and new beginnings

Reading Time:2 minutes
Dry-aged duck served three ways at Le Le. Photo: Le Le

Hong Kong’s hottest new openings, from Le Le’s launch to Thong Smith’s debut

Reading Time:2 minutes
MORE IN POSTMAG
Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Mount Fuji is seen through cherry blossoms at Arakurayama Sengen Park, in Fujiyoshida, Japan, on April 8, 2026. Photo: AP
Tourism

They came to see the cherry blossoms. A Japanese town isn’t happy about it

Fujiyoshida’s cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji views have sparked overtourism chaos, with a local festival cancelled as a result.

Luxury Hotels

Review | The newly opened 1 Hotel Tokyo, a sustainability-driven hotel in Akasaka

Japan

‘Making a racket in Chinese’: Japan’s cherry blossom season stirs cultural rift

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Food and Drinks

Hainanese chicken rice origins and its versions in Singapore, Malaysia and more

With roots in Hainan’s Wenchang chicken, Hainanese chicken rice shows how a dish can quietly evolve into distinct regional iterations.

Hainanese chicken rice at a restaurant in Hong Kong. From humble origins on the Chinese island of Hainan, the dish spread across Asia, evolving into much-loved local variations from Singapore to Vietnam. Photo: Warton Li
Thailand

Chinese youths swap the rat race for fun and freedom at Thailand’s hippie Shambhala festival

At a hippie festival in northern Thailand, mainland Chinese youths are swapping involution for personal freedom.

Food and Drinks

How sake breweries near Japan’s Mount Fuji are taking the drink to new heights

From elevated premium spirits to sparkling sake and even a rosé-inspired red sake, two Yamanashi sake makers are elevating the drink.

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Luxury Hotels

Review | Regent Bali Canggu brings coastal luxury to the island’s trendiest beach

Bali’s hottest spot now boasts a beachfront resort with stunning views, top-notch service and seclusion for those seeking peace and quiet.

The main pool at sunset at Regent Bali Canggu, which opened late last year. Photo: Handout
China travel

South Korea opens door wider to Chinese travellers – but will they come?

Higher airfares and fierce regional competition may blunt impact of new policy, analysts say.

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Indonesia

Bali rocked by spate of murder cases – is Indonesian island more dangerous now?

The cases allegedly involving foreign suspects have spurred concerns that gang disputes have moved from other countries to the island.

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Japan

Litterbugs in Shibuya to be fined on the spot as visitor numbers surge

The initiative, which will see offenders fined US$12.50, reflects a broader rethink of the ward’s earlier decision to remove public rubbish bins.

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Aluminium cans, bottles, and other trash stashed next to a vending machine in Shibuya. Photo: Shutterstock
Indonesia

‘Disturbing’: are Indonesia’s borders prone to systemic immigration corruption?

Some Singaporean tourists to Batam say they have paid nearly US$200 to clear entry checks that should have been free for Southeast Asian visitors.

Batam is about an hour’s ferry ride from nearby Singapore. Photo: Dewey Sim
China travel

Amid soaring airfares, Chinese bookings up 20% ahead of Ching Ming holiday

Global instability fails to deter Chinese holidaymakers with airlines selling 2.04 million tickets in the lead-up to Ching Ming Festival.

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North Korea

Video | Air China resumes direct flights to Pyongyang

The route resumption is seen as a sign of warming economic ties between China and North Korea.

Luxury Hotels

Review | Explore a new side of the city from the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan

The new Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan, with its futuristic facade, is situated in one of the city’s most stylish areas – and is Hilton’s 888th property in China.

The Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan looks like a cruise ship when seen from across the Huangpu River. Photo: Handout
Japan

Sacred deer have been a fixture of Japan’s Nara. Now they’re wandering away

More green spaces in nearby cities and the deer’s adaptable nature have led to them straying as far as 40km away from their habitat.

The deer at Nara Park in Japan are popular with tourists and locals. Photo: AFP
Tourism

Profile | How a third-culture COO navigates culture clashes in frosty Niseko

The Luxe Nomad executive Patrick Ohtani talks about overcoming the issues that arise as cultures mix in the popular Japanese ski resort.

Tourism

Visiting South Korea? 10 BTS pilgrimage spots every Army should visit

Explore iconic landmarks throughout the K-pop band’s history, from the current Hybe headquarters to their trainee-era haunts.

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China trade

Chinese island province wants more than beachgoers as it chases economic growth

After three speculative booms – and busts – the island province is seeking sustainable growth based on new status as a free-trade port.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Malaysia

Malaysia wanted 43 million tourists this year. Then the Iran war happened

Malaysia’s reliance on Gulf hubs is exposed as long-haul fares soar, but 21 million annual arrivals from Singapore offer a buffer.

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Japan

Video | Tokyo’s cherry blossom season kicks off early

This year’s sakura season is 5 days earlier than usual.

Japan

MORE: An SCMP travel series

Today’s travellers want more out of their trips. More purpose. More authenticity. More connection. They’re wary of the dangers posed by over-tourism. They’re less likely to follow algorithms, and more likely to champion sustainability. And in a world over-reliant on smartphones, the modern traveller wants to be in the moment. They want more — and the travel industry is adapting to meet that demand, as this series explores.

Photo: SCMP
Malaysia

Some tourists in Malaysia make most of ‘extended’ holiday amid flight mess

Stranded European visitors in Malaysia navigate visa extensions and rebooking woes as the conflict shows no sign of easing.

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An Instagrammable spot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Facebook/malaysia.travel.my
Food and Drinks

Best things to do in Harbin, China’s ice festival mecca with a Russian accent

Visiting Harbin during its Ice and Snow Festival adds a range of winter fun on top of delicious food, Russian architecture and bathhouses.

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Locals' Guide

Insider’s guide to Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Derelict houses reborn as hip cafes and a showcase for local fashion talent are some of the draws in Johor’s capital, actress Debbie Goh reveals.

Tourism

Shizuoka, in Japan, needs more tourists. How does it attract them?

For tourists tired of cities like Tokyo or Osaka, Shizuoka offers a quieter experience of Japanese culture. But how can it market itself?

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A Birupaku sign on the stairway, right outside Masatoyo Knives, indicates tourist lodgings. Photo: Jonathan Vit
Tourism

How the KPop Demon Hunters travel trend is shaking up ‘Korean wave’ tourism

While previous ‘hallyu’-driven tourist waves focused on K-pop culture, KPop Demon Hunters fans are embracing Korean culture on another level.

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Promotional material for instant noodles and snacks themed after the Netflix movie KPop Demon Hunters is displayed outside a shop in the tourist district of Myeongdong in Seoul. The South Korean capital has benefitted from a tourism wave linked to the movie’s popularity. Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images
MORE TRAVEL

Video | Can a new kind of hotel save Japan’s dying towns?

One concept hotel in Shizuoka gives tourists a sense of living history by turning sites of closed businesses into guest lodging.

China travel

Here are 5 ways to enter China without a visa – by land, sea or air

China has continually expanded its visa-free policies in recent years. Here is a breakdown of the latest rules.

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