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Chinese history

Chinese history
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Chinese history. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Processes similar to Bronze Age brewing techniques are still used today. Photo: Shutterstock
Science

Bronze Age cemetery offers clues on how ancient Chinese brewed red rice wine

Vessels found in tombs at Mogou in modern-day Gansu contain traces of a fermentation starter of the type still used to make sake today.

Science

China urged to sue over Japanese royal’s role in Unit 731 crimes

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China’s Communist Party

Fall of Ming dynasty has ignited controversy online – and China has weighed in

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Science

Well-preserved section of China’s 2,200-year-old four-lane highway discovered

Stretch of Qin Straight Road reveals sophisticated construction techniques including rammed-earth slope reinforcements and filled valleys.

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A previously identified section of the road. Archaelogists are slowly piecing togther the whole route. Photo: Handout
Trending in China

Explainer | China Santa Claus: Qing dynasty military figure ‘cutified’ into ‘Father Christmas’

Oboi has become a new pop culture icon in China, with related videos exceeding 1 billion views on Douyin.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Malaysia’s unusual creation still affects it today. China mulled doing similar

Malaysia was born as a federation in 1963, with some states considered ‘special’. China also once toyed with federal ideals.

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Chinese culture

Explainer | What is the winter solstice? History, food and how Hong Kong celebrates

Known as dung zi in Cantonese and dongzhi in Mandarin, the winter solstice is one of the most important celebrations for Chinese families.

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A luxury poon choi from Hong Kong restaurant Duddell’s. Poon choi is a popular meal for family gatherings during the winter solstice in China. Photo: Nicholas Wong / Sixteen Photography
China-Japan relations

Tower of peace or sin? Why China says a Japanese wartime monument must be razed

Chinese state media decries tourist attraction as ‘symbol of militarism’ as Beijing’s diplomatic row with Tokyo continues.

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Books and literature

Hidden histories of China revealed at rare book fair in Hong Kong

At Firsts Hong Kong, several rare book exhibits gave visitors the chance to peruse first-hand accounts of China’s complex past.

History

After The War | Virtual reality and the Nanking massacre: where does immersion become trauma?

Amid push in China for museum digitalisation, one educator seeks to help students ‘feel history without being flooded by it’.

Simon Li, executive director of the Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre, with students (from second left) Kavira S. Kazimoto, Gem Peduche and Josue Camarena, at Andrews University’s Hong Kong campus. Photo: Handout
Chinese culture

5 of the best-known horses in Chinese legend, from the Red Hare to qilin

Horses play a fascinating role in Chinese folklore, ranging from the downright disturbing – one kidnaps a girl – to the gently auspicious.

Warlord Lu Bu and his famous horse Red Hare are depicted in the 2013 video game Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends.
US-China relations

After The War | How an American family’s wartime bond with China brings the countries together

Daughter-in-law of Flying Tiger who taught in Fujian province sees lessons in ordinary people always finding ways to understand one another.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Ancient China’s Labubu-like doll craze also saw fans splurge silly money

Mohele dolls featured expensive ‘special editions’, saw designer collaborations and even inspired cosplay, much like Labubus today.

Science

US green tech retreat echoes mistake of China’s Qing dynasty before collapse

While Washington pulls back on climate, Beijing is making it possible for developing nations to leapfrog into a cleaner energy era.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
Art

Famous horse-related works of art as the Year of the Horse 2026 approaches

To celebrate the nearing Year of the Fire Horse, we look at paintings, books and plays that show how the use of horses in art has evolved.

A scene from War Horse, performed at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2019. The award-winning British play is one of many artworks made over the centuries with a strong equine focus. Photo: Winson Wong
Chinese culture

Why the Year of the Horse 2026 could bring chaos but also great progress

With 12 animals and 5 elements, the Year of the Fire Horse comes around every 60 years and tends to bring both good fortune and bad.

Chinese culture

Language Matters | The enduring legacy of bamboo, a symbol of resilience and strength in Asia

Bamboo is used in everything from construction to food throughout Asia, and even lends itself to global concepts like the ‘bamboo curtain’.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | In wake of Tai Po blaze, China’s long and difficult struggle fighting fire

The qualities that made buildings beautiful in premodern Chinese cities also made them dangerously flammable, and fire was a constant threat.

Residential buildings in Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court burn on November 26, 2025. Hong Kong’s recent tragedy is a grim reminder of the enduring menace fires have posed throughout Chinese history. Photo: Sam Tsang
Trending in China

China boy, 14, acts like ancient scholar, turns bedroom into museum of artefacts

Teenager with a passion for history collects items stretching across China’s dynasties; says packed bedroom is the ‘container of my spirit’.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | ‘Mar-a-Lago faces’ echo Chinese elites’ unhealthy attempts to please a king

King Ling of Chu’s preference for his officials to be thin-waisted saw them practically starve themselves in efforts to win royal approval.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | From slapping body parts to National Games, China’s history of exercise

Used to train soldiers long before its benefits were taught to regular folk, exercise has become a matter of national resilience in China.

新华社照片，广州，2025年11月9日 这是11月9日拍摄的开幕式现场表演。 当日，第十五届全国运动会开幕式在广东奥林匹克体育中心举行。 新华社记者 卢汉欣 摄
Art

The enigmatic collectors’ society opening its vault of Chinese masterpieces

Hundreds of exceptional works go on show at HKMoA as a famously discreet circle of collectors marks its 65th year.

The Engaging Past Wisdom: Min Chiu Society at Sixty-five exhibition at HKMoA includes a pendant of a dancing woman, dating back to the 3rd century BC. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Chinese culture

Shameful period? How China’s Qing dynasty brought both wealth and humiliation

China’s final dynasty saw the arts and economy thrive under Manchu rule. But internal and external struggles corroded centuries of stability.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Andrew’s loss of ‘prince’ title echoes the downfall of China’s past royals

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s fall from prince to commoner mirrors how many disgraced royals in imperial China also lost their titles.

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Chinese culture

How China’s Ming dynasty brought us everything from porcelain to novels

The prosperous Ming dynasty restored Han Chinese rule after the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty and introduced numerous cultural and social changes.

The Ming dynasty was a prosperous time of culture and trade. Blue-and-white porcelain made during the Ming dynasty is prized around the world. Photo: Sam Tsang
Chinese zodiac predictions

What’s your luck like in November 2025, the month of the Fire Pig?

The Pig symbolises wealth in Chinese culture – it’s also a ‘double month’, meaning both good luck and bad energy are doubled.

November is the month of the Fire Pig. Photo: Illustration: SCMP Graphics
Chinese culture

How China changed during the Yuan dynasty, when Mongols ruled

Mongol rulers shook up Chinese society as Silk Road trade routes thrived, paper money became common and China’s influence in Eurasia grew.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How Asean differs from the alliances of China’s Warring States Period

Asean’s consensus-driven approach, based on non-aggression, generally fosters regional peace, unlike the factious alliances in China’s past.

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