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Chinese culture

Chinese culture
Latest news and updates on Chinese culture including the country’s traditions, food, values, history and festivals.
A viral Chinese app called “Are You Dead” has topped the paid app charts in China’s ios App Store.
Mainland China

Video | Chinese-made ‘Are You Dead’ app addresses fear of dying alone

Failing to check in for two days in a row will result in the app sending an email to the emergency contact person.

Year of the Horse 2026

What the Chinese surname Ma, meaning ‘horse’, symbolises and how it spread

Art

Hong Kong artist’s ceramic forest inspired by old Shanghai’s wooden staircases

Year of the Horse 2026

Why the Year of the Horse 2026 will be lucrative and romantic for Roosters

Lucky stars in the Year of the Fire Horse mean Roosters will prosper at work and could meet their ideal partner. But healthy living is key.

In the Year of the Horse 2026, Roosters will enjoy good luck in terms of career prospects and windfalls, romance and health. But it is crucial to use caution when entering into business agreements and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
Cantonese

Lunar New Year greetings in Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese and Hokkien

The Year of the Horse 2026 will be welcomed across China with blessings for money, health and more. Here are common ones and their meanings.

Chinese zodiac predictions

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for Monkeys, from love to health

In the Year of the Fire Horse, Monkeys should focus on travel and avoid places with heavy yin energy, fortune-teller Tong Pik-ha says.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

3 of Gong Li’s surprising 1990s Hong Kong movie roles

Gong switched gears after making it in Chinese art-house films, starring with Stephen Chow, Brigitte Lin and others in lesser-known movies.

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Gong Li and Stephen Chow attend a promotional event for Flirting Scholar in 1993. Gong rose to fame as the muse of China’s Fifth Generation directors, starring in art-house classics such as Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern and Farewell My Concubine, but found time during the 1990s to make a batch of lesser-known commercial films in Hong Kong. Photo: SCMP
Chinese zodiac predictions

Why the Year of the Horse 2026 will be lucky for Sheep in money and love

A fortune-teller reveals why the Year of the Fire Horse will be a positive one for Sheep and how to take advantage of good fortune.

China consumption

Horse power: brands in China seek sales boost with Lunar New Year items

Distiller Kweichow Moutai among the companies launching limited-run Year of the Horse products to jolt revenues during the festive season.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How ancient Chinese dental practices were often similar to those used today

From gargling with medicinal concoctions to chewing sticks, people in China addressed dental health with considerable ingenuity.

Brushing one’s teeth is a basic part of oral hygiene today. Centuries ago, Chinese people used chewing sticks, among other methods, to keep their teeth clean. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese zodiac predictions

Why the Year of the Horse will be a profitable but turbulent one for Horses

In this volatile, turbulent year, Horses can expect to prosper at the office or in a new job, but health and romance will not be so lucky.

Those born in the Year of the Horse can expect a turbulent Year of the Horse, with good wealth prospects mixed with less luck predicted in the areas of health and romance. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
Chinese zodiac predictions

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for all 12 zodiac signs. Is your luck in?

A fortune-teller gives Year of the Fire Horse predictions for careers, relationships and more, plus lucky numbers, colours and elements.

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Food and Drinks

‘Umami, salty, stinky’: how 3 flavours define China’s Ningbo cuisine

We go on a culinary journey through Ningbo with the people behind Yong Fu Hong Kong to discover the region’s punchy and pungent flavours.

Fashion

History of Chinese-style ‘frog buttons’, seen on viral Adidas jacket

Used in China for centuries, frog buttons are a key feature of a limited-edition Adidas jacket that has become a huge hit on social media.

A model wears Adidas’ “Tang-style” jacket that combines streetwear cool with Chinese details including “frog buttons”. The jacket has become a viral hit on social media. Photo: Adidas Power of Three
Hong Kong culture

Editorial | Zhou Shen concerts a showcase of Hong Kong-mainland cultural ties

The Mandopop superstar’s concerts in Hong Kong attracted a large number of mainland visitors and his tribute to Cantonese culture won him new fans.

A poster is seen for Zhou Shen’s concert tour in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Photo: captured for online
Food and Drinks

5 premium sparkling teas in Hong Kong to try during Dry January

From The Peninsula’s Cuvée Sparkling Tea to Saicho’s limited-edition osmanthus offering, these low- or zero-alcohol tipples let you ditch the hangover but not the ceremony.

Art

Hong Kong’s women tattoo artists who draw on Chinese culture to ink differently

These artists channel elements of Chinese painting, calligraphy and Buddhism through their needles in a new form of ‘poetic expression’.

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Horoscopes

Horoscopes: what’s your luck like in January 2026, Earth Ox month?

It’s going to be smooth sailing for the Dragon, Horse and Dog, but those under the Ox sign need to be careful while on the road.

The Chinese zodiac is comprised of 12 animals. Illustration: SCMP Graphics
Year of the Horse 2026

3 Hong Kong events to celebrate the Year of the Horse 2026

From a horse show to a run in nature to a special character’s appearance at Hong Kong Disneyland, ring in the Lunar New Year at these events.

World of performing arts

‘I’d lie on the floor and cry’: Peking opera actress on the art’s challenges

Peking opera actress Zhang Wanting performs poses that can take months to perfect, and leave more than a few bruises.

China's ageing population

For Shanghai’s elderly, dancing ‘makes us feel we still have value’

Shanghai’s elderly are flocking to the city’s dance halls for exercise, socialising and entertainment, with some venues open as early as 6am.

Guests dance at the Shiguang Dance Hall in Shanghai. The city’s dance halls offer retirees vibrant social spaces to exercise and connect. Photo: AFP
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Jet Li and Wong Jing’s The New Legend of Shaolin is underrated

The 1994 cult classic The New Legend of Shaolin blends comedy, action and child martial artists in a fresh take on the Shaolin myth.

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Jet Li in a still from The New Legend of Shaolin, which married lighthearted comedy and above-average action in an underrated gem of a film.
Fashion

When a Korean horsehair underskirt sparked a fashion frenzy in China

The maweiqun, an underskirt made from horsehair, was so popular in the Ming dynasty that the government banned it.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Chinese diners’ preference for warm water is not as ancient as you’d think

The ‘ancient Chinese wisdom’ about warm water being good for you is rooted in 20th-century health campaigns, not aeons of tradition.

US-China relations

US poet laureate Arthur Sze on slowing down to translate poetry across cultures

As the first Asian-American poet laureate, Sze reflects on Chinese cultural inheritance and poetry’s role beyond borders.

Arthur Sze has woven the translation of classical Chinese poetry into his work across a five-decade career. Photo: by Shawn Miller
Food and Drinks

This former restaurateur releases debut book on Singaporean food culture

Little Perfections, by a Singaporean, US-based writer and cook, examines what Singaporean food is truly worth with essays and recipes.

Lim Tse Wei opened several restaurants in the US, but closed them all in 2017. His culinary journey began with a book, not family tradition, and his debut book explores Singaporean food culture. Photo: Lim Tse Wei
China consumption

China’s box office up 22% in 2025 to US$7.4 billion, led by smash hit Ne Zha 2

World’s second-largest movie market sees domestic films capture nearly 80 per cent of sales, while Disney’s Zootopia sequel sets new high for imported titles.

Science

Could 2,000-year-old machine from tomb in China be earliest binary computer?

Silk-weaving loom dating to Western Han is world’s oldest known ‘computer hardware’ with corresponding ‘software’, China science body says.

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