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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.
Some people in China are sharing AI-generated videos of middle-aged single women crying in hospitals, regretting their choice not to marry or have children. Photo: SCMP composite / Shutterstock / Douyin
China society

Opinion | In China, the pressure on women to marry is deadly serious

Wedding-day death of Henan teacher highlights desperation of young women caught between modern hopes and traditional expectations.

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Food and Drinks

How did China’s dan dan mian noodle dish become so popular in Japan?

Chinese history

Why Asia’s historic Silk Road should have been called the ‘Horse Road’

Interiors

This refurbished home is a love letter to old Shanghai

A Hong Kong designer transforms his late aunt’s flat with 1930s East-meets-West glamour.

An old Shanghai-style flat. Photo: courtesy hoo
Chinese zodiac predictions

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for Dragons, from career to romance

The Year of the Fire Horse will bring Dragons good luck in terms of career development, but the outlook for romance and health isn’t so rosy.

World of performing arts

World’s first Chinese rosewood cello stars in Hong Kong exhibition

Made over six months from a 200-year-old piece of Chinese rosewood, or huanghuali, the cello is now on show at Sheung Wan’s Liang Yi Museum.

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Chinese zodiac predictions

Opinion | In Chinese astrology, why are benefactors and networking so important?

Benefactors in Chinese culture are people who swoop in to save you or give a leg up. They are your essential allies – and that’s a big deal.

Chinese fortune-tellers often mention benefactors who help to improve your life. In Chinese astrology, benefactors are people around you who will change things from good to great and stop things going from bad to worse. Photo: Shutterstock
China jobs

Hong Kong degree is ‘passport’ to jobs in the world’s third-largest art market

Art graduates from the mainland, looking to expand their horizons and gain an edge in the job market, are flocking to Hong Kong for further study.

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Art

This remote Chinese minority uses horsetail hair to create beautiful embroidery

A craft passed down for thousands of years, the horsetail embroidery of China’s Shui people is deemed a local intangible cultural heritage.

Science

Chinese team restores legendary Tang dynasty ‘golden’ armour from Tibetan tomb

Tomb’s occupant confirmed to be a Tuyuhun king and the golden armour is likely to have been among his prized possessions, conservators say.

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For centuries, the splendour of the Tang dynasty gold-plated armour lived only in poetry and imagination. Photo: Handout
Chinese zodiac predictions

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for Rabbits, from career to romance

The Year of the Fire Horse will bring Rabbits good luck at work, and romance will blossom. But they should pay attention to their health.

Will the Year of the Horse 2026 be a lucky one for Rabbits? Fortune-teller Tong Pik-ha shares her predictions for wealth, relationships and health. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
Chinese zodiac predictions

Why the Year of the Horse 2026 will be luckier in wealth than love for Oxen

While wealth, career and health fortunes will be good for Oxen in the Year of the Fire Horse, true love might be hard to come by.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Ronny Yu’s The Postman Fights Back is an unusual wuxia gem

Starring Leung Kar-yan and with a young Chow Yun-fat on the cast, 1982’s The Postman Fights Back is an intriguing mix of Western and wuxia.

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Food and Drinks

History of Macau’s iconic pork chop bun and where to eat the authentic classic

Gaining global fame after being spotlighted by Anthony Bourdain, Macau’s pork chop bun is set to become an Intangible Cultural Heritage item.

A pork chop bun from Tai Lei Loi Kei in Macau. The snack will be added to the city’s Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Photo: Joshua Lee
Chinese zodiac predictions

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for Tigers, from career to romance

The Year of the Fire Horse will bring Tigers increased wealth, but things could get ugly at work, and medical conditions might worsen.

Will the Year of the Horse 2026 be a lucky one for Tigers? Fortune-teller Tong Pik-ha shares her predictions for wealth, relationships and health. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
China-Japan relations

Japan urged to ‘correct historical errors’, return Tang dynasty stele to China

9.5-tonne stone slab shipped to Japan as ‘war trophy’ in 1908 is described as one of China’s most significant ‘lost national treasures’.

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Food and Drinks

Why Dali in China’s Yunnan province is a great place for food adventurers

Yunnan’s climate and geography are ideal for growing a wide range of produce, and chefs in Dali are taking the cuisine to the next level.

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Chinese zodiac predictions

Why the Year of the Horse 2026 could be a tough one for Rats

Unlucky stars in the Year of the Fire Horse mean Rats will have to work hard to reap rewards at the office, and travel with caution.

Will the Year of the Horse 2026 be a lucky one for Rats? Fortune-teller Tong Pik-ha shares her predictions for wealth, relationships and health. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
Year of the Horse 2026

7 horse-themed Chinese idioms to use during the Year of the Horse

Horses symbolise strength, speed and health in Chinese culture. Here are seven sayings based on the animal, with Cantonese pronunciations.

Chinese zodiac predictions

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for Pigs, from money to love and health

After a volatile year, Pigs will enjoy success at work in the Year of the Fire Horse, but need to pay close attention to their health.

Chinese zodiac predictions

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for Dogs, from success at work to love

Harmony with the tai sui deity means Dogs’ wealth will grow in the Year of the Fire Horse, but certain relationships will need nurturing.

Will the Year of the Horse 2026 be a lucky one for Dogs? Fortune-teller Tong Pik-ha shares her predictions for wealth, relationships and health. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
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.

A viral Chinese app called “Are You Dead” has topped the paid app charts in China’s ios App Store.
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Year of the Horse 2026

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

Ma is one of mainland China’s most common surnames and is interestingly even prevalent among Chinese Muslims. We look at its history.

Art

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

At the Shanghai Biennale, Jaffa Lam explores the climate crisis and community with her Longquan-celadon-style ceramic columns.

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.

A woman holds Lunar New Year decorations. Throughout China, greetings in various dialects will be exchanged to welcome the Year of the Horse. Here are some of them and their meanings. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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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