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Explore Hong Kong
Kaiping’s diaolou watchtowers are scattered across the flat countryside of China’s Guangdong province, and with many only accessible along farm tracks and quiet paths, a bicycle tour is the ideal way to see them. Photo: Bruce Foreman
Travel

On a tower trip: a bike tour around China’s Unesco-listed Kaiping watchtowers

Many of the ‘diaolou’ can be reached only by farm tracks and quiet paths, making cycling the ideal way to explore them.

Travel

‘Ultimate luxury’: why fashion houses are building branded residences

Art

Busan Biennale 2026: a ‘Dissident Chorus’ of sound, art and politics

Travel

Safe travels: how tourists are reacting to war, fuel prices, geopolitical strife

Regional conflicts and high fuel prices are affecting travel patterns as people prioritise flexibility and bypass trouble spots.

Passengers check a departure board at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 8, 2026. Geopolitical tensions and conflicts are altering how people plan their trips. Photo: TNS
Passengers check a departure board at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 8, 2026. Geopolitical tensions and conflicts are altering how people plan their trips. Photo: TNS
Asia travel

5 days in Seoul: what to do in South Korea’s capital, from palaces to DMZ

South Korea’s capital is a sprawling mix of old and new. Here’s a 5-day itinerary to help first-time visitors see why the city is so special.

Travel

Butter believe it – first Paris boutique devoted to France’s favourite fat opens

With flavours including garlic, shallot, fines herbes and raspberry, Le Butter Shop in Paris is a temple to all things butter.

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Travel

Spud-tacular hotel celebrates potatoes in food, facials and farming

Germany’s Potato Hotel offers potato treatments, yoga sessions and work opportunities for young travellers who are looking for a free stay.

Sylvia Methfessel, the right-hand woman of Potato Hotel owner Olaf Stehr, says young people from all over the world visit the German hotel. Photo: Philipp Schulze/dpa
Sylvia Methfessel, the right-hand woman of Potato Hotel owner Olaf Stehr, says young people from all over the world visit the German hotel. Photo: Philipp Schulze/dpa
TV shows and streaming video

Disney Worldbuilders captures ‘magic’ of turning films into theme park lands

New Disney+ film interviews masterminds behind Frozen and more to show how on-screen tales are adapted at Disneylands from Hong Kong to Paris.

Travel

6 great places to visit during shoulder season, from Japan to Austria and France

Travelling in the autumn brings all kinds of benefits. Here are six places worth a visit in 2026, from magical Japan to welcoming Malta.

Travel

Art, saints, Galileo: Italy’s Padua offers a quiet alternative to Venice

Escape Venice’s crowds for Padua, less than a 30-minute train ride away and one of the country’s most dynamic cities.

Fourteenth-century frescoes painted by Italian painter Giotto that depict the life of Jesus, his parents and grandparents line the walls of Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. Photo: Shutterstock
Art

The Buddhist text in Taiwan said to bring lifetimes of luck with one glimpse

The Tibetan Dragon Canon, a huge 17th century scripture on show at Taiwan’s National Palace Museum, has set social media ablaze.

A gold-inked manuscript from the Tibetan Dragon Canon, which is on show as part of the “Tibetan Dragon Canon: A Symphony of Imperial Power, Belief and Art in a Golden Age” exhibition at Taiwan’s National Palace Museum until November 8, 2026. The 357-year-old text has recently gone viral for apparently granting those who view it seven lifetimes of good karma. Photo: NPM
A gold-inked manuscript from the Tibetan Dragon Canon, which is on show as part of the “Tibetan Dragon Canon: A Symphony of Imperial Power, Belief and Art in a Golden Age” exhibition at Taiwan’s National Palace Museum until November 8, 2026. The 357-year-old text has recently gone viral for apparently granting those who view it seven lifetimes of good karma. Photo: NPM
Travel

Are these Odyssey islands prepared for tourist surge in wake of new film?

A jump in visitors is expected in Ithaca, believed to be Odysseus’ home in the poem, and Favignana, its stand-in in the recent blockbuster.

Travel

Why the first night in a hotel affects your sleep quality and how to improve it

The first night in a new place often results in worse sleep. Experts cite the evolutionary causes and give tips on sleeping better.

Chinese culture

The world’s only hieroglyphic script still in use today is found in China

Over 1,000 years old, Dongba script is associated with the Naxi ethnic minority and is a common sight in Yunnan province’s Lijiang city.

Dongba script, the world’s only hieroglyphic script still in use today, was created by Naxi shamans for sacred rituals. Photo: Amandayan
Asia travel

Why Ben Fogle thinks he discovered the ‘real’ China in new TV series

In Ben Fogle’s Chinese Adventure, the TV presenter ‘transcends stereotypes’ as he travels from the Great Wall to Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

British presenter Ben Fogle meets a cormorant fisherman in Guilin. Photo: All3Media
British presenter Ben Fogle meets a cormorant fisherman in Guilin. Photo: All3Media
Art

3 million mosaic pieces later, why artist Sung Tieu wants Germany to ‘wake up’

The Vietnam-born, Berlin-based artist explains how her transformation of the 2026 German pavilion at Venice reflects immigrant experiences.

Travel

6 ‘glowcation’ destinations for your next beauty and wellness fix

A trip built around a wellness treatment, beauty ritual or targeted pharmacy haul, ‘glowcations’ are trending throughout the travel world.

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Science

Why were there no teeny-tiny dinosaurs like we have with mammals and birds?

New research investigates why there were never any dinosaurs the size of, say, a mouse, and it seems like mammals could be to blame.

A model of a Microraptor (front) is wheeled out for display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The crow-sized Microraptor was one of the smallest-known dinosaurs, weighing about 430 grams. Photo: Reuters
A model of a Microraptor (front) is wheeled out for display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The crow-sized Microraptor was one of the smallest-known dinosaurs, weighing about 430 grams. Photo: Reuters
Chinese culture

How the Shenzhen Natural History Museum was designed to reflect its landscape

The architects behind the new museum talk about the Shenzhen landmark’s unique design that reflects its green and water-edged location.

Food and Drinks

These 7 lesser-known Korean snacks are trending among visitors

From pork rice soup to K-pop star Jennie’s favourite banana-flavoured snacks, these foods are trending across TikTok, Instagram and Reddit.

SCMP Highlights

Hong Kong’s dining battle; TV host’s insomnia struggle: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From Singapore’s dragon dance to French cultural influence in Hong Kong, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

The Red Cuisine owner Joyce Yuen serves dishes at her restaurant in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. Many restaurants in the city are struggling with falling customer numbers as more locals head to Shenzhen for cheaper meals. Photo: May Tse
Asia travel

Why Singapore’s record-breaking giant fire dragon goes up in smoke every 3 years

Unlike other dragon dance traditions, one Singaporean temple’s fire dragon exists within a cycle of creation, sacrifice and renewal.

Spectators watch the Fire Dragon Dance of Sar Kong Mun San Fook Tuck Chee in March 2026. Every three years, the dragon is offered back to the deities through fire, reducing its physical form to ashes. This act is not an end but a renewal. Photo: Yeo GT
Spectators watch the Fire Dragon Dance of Sar Kong Mun San Fook Tuck Chee in March 2026. Every three years, the dragon is offered back to the deities through fire, reducing its physical form to ashes. This act is not an end but a renewal. Photo: Yeo GT
Asia travel

‘Not the typical Bali’: little-known beach to host 5-day annual design fair

With its relatively undiscovered feel, Pengembak Beach is the perfect location for this year’s edition of Jia Curated, one co-founder says.

US travel

‘Like someone is getting murdered’: Fast & Furious roller coaster scares locals

For residents near Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, there’s never a quiet moment as piercing screams cut through the neighbourhood.

Tourism

Could we see BTS, Blackpink, Exo and Stray Kids at the same Korean festival?

‘Fanomenon’, a South Korean mega-event planned for December 2027, will feature artists from all four of K-pop’s biggest entertainment labels.

Jennie of Blackpink performs with the K-pop girl group at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 22, 2023 in Indio, California. Photo: Getty Images for Coachella
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