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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.
How’s your luck in the Year of the Horse’s fourth month? Feng shui master Andrew Kwan gives his predictions for all 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese zodiac predictions

Is the Year of the Horse’s fourth month lucky for you? Forecasts for all signs

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan breaks down this lunar month’s prospects for all 12 Chinese zodiac signs in work, finances, romance and health.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How the Chinese did laundry before washing machines: ash ‘soap’, stone beatings

Icons and Influencers

Couture craft meets whimsical walls in Laura Cheung’s Lala Curio

China’s film industry

How a tiny indie movie sparked a major tourist boom in southern China

Made on a shoestring budget, the hit drama Dear You has triggered a surge of interest in the history of southern China’s Teochew diaspora.

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A poster for Dear You, an independent film set in Chaoshan, Guangdong province, which has become an unexpected box office hit in China. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

Being Chinese | How to deal with this ‘very Chinese time’ in Western lives

The question is not whether outsiders are getting China or Chinese culture right, but what we choose to do with their attention.

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Video | Executive chef offers insight into Xi-Trump banquet

The state banquet menu blended Chinese cuisine and Western favourites, with a nod to the US president’s personal tastes.

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Asian diaspora

Why Chinese-Canadian Derek Kwan is so much more than a ‘token Asian’ actor

As Hallmark’s mahjong movie faces a backlash, actor Derek Kwan talks about championing authentic Asian narratives by making his own films.

Chinese-Canadian filmmaker and actor Derek Kwan on the sets of his short film 100 Days, which was filmed in a functioning Chinese restaurant in Vancouver. Kwan wants to move beyond “token Asian” supporting roles in film. Photo: Instagram/seasonsofeastvan
Horoscopes

Horoscopes: what’s your luck like in May and early June 2026, Water Snake month?

Snakes will have to work harder, Dragons can play to their strengths, and Rabbits should pay attention to health this month.

2026 Xi-Trump summit

The message China wants to send by hosting Trump at Temple of Heaven

Beijing urges US president ‘to hold the line on peaceful coexistence’ as it prepares to host him at heritage site.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | A Man and a Woman: Hong Kong-set quarantine drama is a tough watch

Neighbouring hotel guests develop a relationship over the course of their 21-day quarantine in Hong Kong in Guan Hu’s pandemic-set drama.

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Ni Ni (left) and Huang Bo in a still from A Man and A Woman.
Food and Drinks

‘Liquid yin and yang’? How Hong Kong bartenders work with Chinese chefs

Leading mixologists from Duddell’s, Vea and Mott 32 share their tips on curating ideal flavour pairings between cocktails and courses.

In Hong Kong, Duddell’s cocktails draw inspiration from the Ba Gua and are specifically designed to pair with the restaurant’s Cantonese cuisine. Photo: Handout
Wellness

Why tai chi and qigong are great for health, and English classes in Hong Kong

The Chinese ‘internal’ arts of tai chi and qigong offer a host of health benefits and are slowly becoming more accessible to English speakers.

Asia travel

Best things to do in China’s Nanjing, from food and architecture to history

Planning a weekend in Nanjing? Here’s an itinerary to consider for visiting the bustling metropolis in eastern China.

Food and Drinks

Mandarin peel ice cream? Chun pei, a TCM ingredient, is gaining favour

Dried mandarin peel was first used in dishes to impress Chinese emperors. Today, it can be found in everything from drinks to desserts.

In April 2026, Venchi debuted its 30-year dried mandarin peel and red bean dessert gelato. It is one of the many ways that chun pei (dried mandarin peel) is being reinvented. Photo: Joyce Yip
What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this Mother’s Day weekend, May 8-10

From an artisan Mother’s Day market to food, fashion and music, check out our recommendations for things to do around the city this weekend.

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Sapphire Shen (front), a lupus patient and founder of My Lupus Diary, is pictured at The Lupus Revolution, an inspiring awareness and fundraising event, in May 2024. This weekend, Shen will hold The Lupus Revolution Vol. 2 in Hong Kong’s Central neighbourhood. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Style Edit

Style Edit: Chow Tai Fook’s Dawn collection, where elegance meets artistry

Tang dynasty Baoxiang florals, classy enamel hues and fluid gold craftsmanship make for a timeless collection of rings, bangles and necklaces.

Trending in China

In China, number of clothing buttons holds meaning; specific counts assigned for the dead

According to Chinese tradition, the manner in which a person does their garment up can have consequences, from bad luck to taking a beating.

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Art

Gardens of China and Europe juxtaposed in spectacular Hong Kong exhibition

A new exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art features works including Monet’s water lilies and Qing dynasty masterpieces.

The Water Theatre (c. 1700) by anonymous is one of the artworks on loan from the Palace of Versailles in “Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West” at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo: Collection of the Palace of Versailles
Chinese history

Beautiful, power-hungry: how Wu Zetian became China’s only female emperor

A legitimate ruler for 15 years – but de facto leader for years more than that – Wu Zetian is remembered as a complex character.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Angela Mao, aka ‘the new Bruce Lee’, was a better fighter than Michelle Yeoh

Angela Mao, star of hits like Hapkido and Lady Whirlwind, was billed as the ‘new Bruce Lee’ by Golden Harvest after his death.

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China’s soft power

Why are modern Chinese audiences shying away from dubbed films?

Greater subtitle literacy among streaming viewers is among factors chipping away at enthusiasm for dubbed movies in China.

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956) is among much-loved cinematic classics that have for decades been enjoyed in China dubbed into Chinese. But audiences are shifting away from dubbed productions. Photo: Paris Film Productions
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Ancient Chinese sleep advice, from bedtimes and body positions to state of mind

For premodern Chinese people, sleep was much more than daily rest – it was a cultivated discipline and a medical necessity.

The ancient Chinese believed that the ideal sleep schedule followed nature’s rhythms, and rising early was prized. Photo: Shutterstock
Donald Trump

Why King Charles’ ‘Trump bell’ gift amuses Chinese internet users

The king’s present – which came just days after the third assassination attempt on Trump – is a Chinese homophone for ‘attending the dying’.

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Food and Drinks

Asian-American mother challenges tough Chinese traditions for new mums

Clarissa Wei’s cookbook ‘Sitting the Month’ puts a modern spin on the traditional Chinese foods typically given to post-partum mothers.

Food and Drinks

On the Menu | It is sweet how Chinese desserts are having their moment again

Dubai chocolate, croffles and matcha tarts are temporary, while Chinese sweet soups – known as tong sui in Cantonese – are forever.

Stewed papaya with snow fungus (left) and black sesame soup served at Kai Kai Dessert, Mong Kok, Hong Kong. Photo: Alexander Mak
Mahjong

It started with Crazy Rich Asians. How mahjong is booming across the US

Thriving mahjong clubs in places like Denver are fostering community and connection across generations and cultures.

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Hien Kim (centre) gives advice to the rest of her table during a monthly meeting of the Honour Tile Society mahjong club at Hot Shot Coffee in Denver, in the US. Photo: TNS
Food and Drinks

At London restaurant Ikoyi, Jeremy Chan gives a taste of his Hong Kong childhood

Jeremy Chan spent his first eight years in Hong Kong. His menu on April 23 for two-Michelin-star restaurant Ikoyi, in London, reflected that.

Style Edit

Style Edit: Poly MGM Museum’s new ‘Silk Roads Beyond Borders’ treasures

New Italian and Persian treasures make their Asia debut, expanding the museum’s Silk Road narrative with rare works that illuminate centuries of East-West exchange.

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