https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/326907/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Kevin McSpadden Kevin McSpadden It is no secret that Chinese emperors had many women in their lives, and the imperial concubine system was a significant feature of feudal social structures. Ming-era (1368–1644) emperors could have upwards of 9,000 consorts, ostensibly to ensure an heir. Unfortunately, these women often existed in gilded prisons, barred from leaving the palace grounds and frequently subject to the wrath of a cruel emperor. However, one leader stands out for doing just the opposite; the Hongzhi Emperor (r.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3369702/chinas-only-monogamous-emperor-why-hongzhi-refused-harem-remained-dedicated-wife?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3369702/chinas-only-monogamous-emperor-why-hongzhi-refused-harem-remained-dedicated-wife?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:30:22 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Christie’s auctioneer Rupert Banner leans forward with practised showmanship as bidding stalls on a rare Yongzheng bowl near New York’s iconic Rockefeller Centre. He pauses as if willing offers from thin air, scanning dozens of in-person buyers and phone banks connecting with China, London, Texas. It will be a bad look if the frenzy abates for this delicate peach-decorated bowl highlighted on Christie’s glossy Chinese sale catalogue and online advertising. But bidding soon resumes with a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3369654/chinese-art-takes-long-march-home-us-museums?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3369654/chinese-art-takes-long-march-home-us-museums?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 14:00:12 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Munich’s Oktoberfest was never on my travel bucket list. But it offered a chance to meet up with good friends from Hong Kong and their adorable toddler, Joshua, who go to the festival every year as a family. So there I was, spending a weekend at Theresienwiese, surrounded by bewildering varieties of beer and their drinkers. The annual Oktoberfest, first held in October 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding, is about more than just beer. There are amusement rides, games, stalls selling things you... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3369449/surprising-history-beer-china-li-tsingtao?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3369449/surprising-history-beer-china-li-tsingtao?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:15:06 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Online claims that archaeologists have identified the source of mercury in the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang – China’s first emperor, who unified the country more than 2,000 years ago – have revived interest in ancient cinnabar sites in northwestern China’s Shaanxi province. The claims, which sent related hashtags trending on social media late last month, centred on three sites in Xunyang where archaeologists last year found evidence of cinnabar mining, processing and transport during the pre-Qin... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369469/online-claims-revive-mercury-mystery-around-tomb-first-chinese-emperor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369469/online-claims-revive-mercury-mystery-around-tomb-first-chinese-emperor?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 01:00:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A banknote clasped between her hands, Liu Haiyan prays to the protector of the Wudang Mountains. The range in central China’s Hubei province has long been considered sacred in Taoism. “I asked him to bless our motherland with favourable weather and to make it even more prosperous,” Liu says while sitting outside the Golden Hall, a Taoist temple at the summit of Tianzhu Peak. “This place watches over our country,” she adds. “We’re Chinese, and this is part of our faith.” Tourists and pilgrims in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3369441/how-chinas-wudang-mountains-draw-droves-visitors-search-spiritual-cleansing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3369441/how-chinas-wudang-mountains-draw-droves-visitors-search-spiritual-cleansing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 23:15:06 +0000 Caroline Lin Caroline Lin China’s ruling Communist Party is marking 90 years since the end of the Long March with exhibitions, tours, film and television productions as it tries to mobilise the nation to contribute to its vision for the future. Ahead of the October 22 anniversary, commemorative activities are under way to promote the history of the Long March and revive its “spirit”. The Long March was an epic retreat between 1934 and 1936 by the party’s Red Army to evade Kuomintang, or Nationalist, forces during the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3369418/shows-tours-and-film-china-marks-90-years-end-long-march?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3369418/shows-tours-and-film-china-marks-90-years-end-long-march?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 04:59:40 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan A decades-long effort by Beijing and Washington to recover the remains of US servicemen missing in China since World War II has resurfaced in the wake of the summit between the nations’ leaders. The commitment was included in an eight-point list of outcomes from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day state visit last week, alongside other agreements covering issues including artificial intelligence and trade. According to a statement issued by China’s foreign ministry after the summit, the two... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369361/why-did-trump-and-xi-seal-deal-world-war-ii-soldiers-missing-remains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369361/why-did-trump-and-xi-seal-deal-world-war-ii-soldiers-missing-remains?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:00:06 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Scientists have unveiled an exceptionally well-preserved 100-million-year-old fossil of a small, feathered dinosaur in northeastern China that could reshape our understanding of how dinosaurs took to the skies. The newly discovered species, named Norellraptor barsboldi, is a four-winged predatory dinosaur measuring 57cm (22 inches) long. Belonging to the microraptorines – small dinosaurs with feathers and wings closely related to birds – the creature offers fresh evidence that flight evolved... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369309/4-winged-fossil-found-liaoning-challenges-single-origin-dinosaur-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369309/4-winged-fossil-found-liaoning-challenges-single-origin-dinosaur-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:00:06 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Before I went to Warsaw, I knew little of the city beyond the fact that it was Poland’s capital. I had not realised that much of present-day Warsaw, including its beautiful historic centre, was rebuilt after World War II. Warsaw’s wartime destruction was not merely the consequence of battle, but a deliberate campaign by its Nazi German occupiers to erase much of the city. In August 1944, the Warsaw Uprising – a Polish armed revolt by the city’s underground resistance against German occupation –... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3368383/when-centuries-chinese-knowledge-were-destroyed-warlord-who-burned-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3368383/when-centuries-chinese-knowledge-were-destroyed-warlord-who-burned-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:15:07 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam As moon-gazers look skyward during the Mid-Autumn Festival weekend, they should spare a thought for Wang Zhenyi, one of China’s most notable astronomers and mathematicians – and a woman. Living during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), when a learned woman was expected to do little more than ornament a household with poetry, Wang wanted something bolder: to explain eclipses. Her answer was physical, not mystical. It involved light, shadow and the movement of the moon. Using a round table for the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3368457/how-wang-zhenyi-chinese-female-astronomer-and-mathematician-defied-gender-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3368457/how-wang-zhenyi-chinese-female-astronomer-and-mathematician-defied-gender-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Kevin McSpadden Kevin McSpadden When the weather turns warm around June, people all across China gather for the annual Dragon Boat Festival, and one of the most famous dishes from the celebration is the zongzi. Zongzi is a rice dumpling with a delicious filling, wrapped in bamboo leaves before being cooked. The leaves add aroma and flavour to the rice. In mid-August, a group of scientists from China announced they had discovered an ancient ancestor of zongzi made around 2,200 years ago. However, Yong Ge, a study author from... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3368584/chinese-archaeologists-find-2200-year-old-ancestor-dragon-boat-festival-treat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3368584/chinese-archaeologists-find-2200-year-old-ancestor-dragon-boat-festival-treat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:45:21 +0000 Charmaine Mok Charmaine Mok As symbolic of the Mid-Autumn Festival as the legend of Chang’e and the Jade Rabbit, mooncakes have a history dating back centuries, with their first mention during the Song dynasty (960-1279) in author Wu Zimu’s Dreaming of Grain. Early mooncakes were a far cry from the creative and intricate designs we see today. The rudimentary cakes were flat and round, with a thin outer crust and fillings such as lotus seed paste or the auspicious five kernels. During the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368),... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3368460/history-mooncake-moulds-and-their-designs-and-those-preserving-craft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3368460/history-mooncake-moulds-and-their-designs-and-those-preserving-craft?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:59:27 +0000 Kevin McSpadden Kevin McSpadden Stealing someone’s cattle is a serious crime, and in many places, the thief would end up in jail. However, ancient Chinese justice could result in a truly horrific form of mutilation: the amputation of the nose. This harsh consequence has been well-documented by historians as one of the infamous “five punishments” from the penal system of the Xia dynasty (2070 BC–1600 BC). Until now, no physical evidence of this punishment had been discovered. A team of researchers from China and the US recently... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3368074/chinese-scientists-find-first-evidence-ancient-nose-chopping-punishment-cattle-thieves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3368074/chinese-scientists-find-first-evidence-ancient-nose-chopping-punishment-cattle-thieves?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon I spent a week in Warsaw and ate more pierogi than I could shake a stick at. These beloved traditional Polish dumplings come filled with potatoes, cheese, meat, mushrooms and even fruit. Boiled or fried, they may look familiar to anyone acquainted with jiaozi, the Chinese dumpling, although their flavours are distinctly Polish. This is not to suggest that dumplings travelled directly from China to Poland. One theory posits that dumpling-like foods – from Nepalese momo and Central Asian and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3367680/polish-priests-perilous-mission-save-doomed-chinese-dynasty-catholic-links?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3367680/polish-priests-perilous-mission-save-doomed-chinese-dynasty-catholic-links?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:15:05 +0000 Chang Zi Qian Chang Zi Qian A friend who is three years into her doctoral programme in the San Francisco Bay Area texted me the other day to say she had finally figured out what was different about living in the US. “I don’t need to perform any more. I am allowed to just … exist.” Naturally, I asked for elaboration. She said that back home in China, every decision she made came with an interview she did not sign up for. Every Chinese New Year, some relative would probe into her personal life with forensic precision. In... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367701/unspoken-reason-my-chinese-friends-choose-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3367701/unspoken-reason-my-chinese-friends-choose-america?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Few figures in Qing dynasty (1644-1912) history embody the tragedy of shifting tides quite like Duanfang, a Manchu statesman born in 1861. Duanfang rose through the imperial ranks, earned distinction for his service during the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) and went on to hold major regional posts, such as governor of China’s Hubei province and viceroy of the Liangjiang region. His career took a bizarre turn when he was stripped of his viceroyalty in 1909 for supposedly showing disrespect by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3367584/tragic-qing-dynasty-politician-whose-legacy-lives-descendants-new-novel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3367584/tragic-qing-dynasty-politician-whose-legacy-lives-descendants-new-novel?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 23:15:04 +0000 SCMP SCMP This article was first published on September 10, 1976. Sense of grief in Hongkong A deep sense of grief was felt by great numbers of the people in Hongkong yesterday (September 9, 1976) when radio and television stations flashed the news of the Chairman’s passing. The news brought a cloud of gloom over celebrations of the mid-autumn festivities. Flags at a number of major building and hotels, – including the Bank of China – were flown at half-mast within an hour of the announcement. Hongkong... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3366847/hong-kong-mourns-mao-zedongs-death-1976-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3366847/hong-kong-mourns-mao-zedongs-death-1976-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 03:15:05 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon I suspect many Americans are embarrassed by their president’s recent actions. On August 27, Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” following the collapse of trade talks between the United States and Canada. The change applies only in the US, while Canada and the rest of the world continue to call it Lake Ontario. Doug Ford, premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, has put up a sign declaring “Lake Ontario Now and Always”. The lake, meanwhile, remains... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366754/amid-trumps-lake-america-stink-chinese-emperor-whose-renaming-campaign-backfired?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366754/amid-trumps-lake-america-stink-chinese-emperor-whose-renaming-campaign-backfired?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:15:04 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Women are vastly under-represented in ancient Chinese literature. The few who appear, often in myth or semi-fiction, serve primarily to reflect that era’s moral expectations for women. From filial warriors to patriotic seductresses and femmes fatales, these women have one thing in common – they all trade personal autonomy for survival in a man’s world. Here are three fictional women in Chinese history and what makes their names live on to this day. 1. Hua Mulan The only historical record of Hua... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366929/famous-chinese-women-folklore-hua-mulan-consort-who-brought-down-dynasty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366929/famous-chinese-women-folklore-hua-mulan-consort-who-brought-down-dynasty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:15:04 +0000 Jakki Phillips Jakki Phillips Imagine a classic Chinese landscape of bamboo forest, rice paddies and lotus-filled waterways, dotted with villages that seem untouched by time. Now add to that scene hundreds of castle-like watchtowers, their turrets rising unexpectedly against the skyline. This is Kaiping in Guangdong province, just a couple of hours from Hong Kong by direct high-speed train from West Kowloon Station. It is one of mainland China’s lesser-known Unesco World Heritage sites and home to more than 1,800 distinctive... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3366303/why-chinas-unesco-listed-kaiping-watchtowers-are-best-discovered-two-wheels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3366303/why-chinas-unesco-listed-kaiping-watchtowers-are-best-discovered-two-wheels?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 04:15:06 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Radically rewriting world and Chinese history without solid proof could threaten China’s international image and national identity, a leading Communist Party journal has warned. There has been a growing trend to promote a less Western-centric view of history in recent years, while Beijing has also been keen to promote the idea that Chinese civilisation has a long and continuous history. But at the same time, the so-called pseudo-historical school – which has cast doubt on the origins of Western... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3366546/rewriting-world-history-puts-chinas-image-and-cultural-security-risk-party-journal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3366546/rewriting-world-history-puts-chinas-image-and-cultural-security-risk-party-journal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2026 16:00:07 +0000 Matt Glasby Matt Glasby As the idealistic 1960s bled into the cynical 70s, Hollywood thrillers became increasingly paranoid. But before post-Watergate efforts such as The Parallax View and The Conversation (both 1974) came The Chairman, a globe-trotting 1969 oddity starring Gregory Peck. Instead of the enemy within, the film rattled with anxieties about communist China’s scientific capabilities. It was hardly the sexiest of subjects for a spy thriller – which was reflected in its poor box office showing – but it... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3366097/how-bizarre-1969-spy-thriller-chairman-pitted-gregory-peck-against-mao-over-ping-pong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3366097/how-bizarre-1969-spy-thriller-chairman-pitted-gregory-peck-against-mao-over-ping-pong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Sep 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon In Belgium, Clement Vandenkerckhove, a 26-year-old former car salesman, has recently been formally recognised as the son of Prince Laurent, the younger brother of the country’s king, Philippe. Vandenkerckhove was born out of wedlock when his mother, the Belgian singer Wendy Van Wanten, and Prince Laurent had a relationship in the 1990s. A DNA test confirmed the paternity, and a private ceremony earlier this year made Vandenkerckhove a prince of Belgium and gave him rights to his father’s private... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366074/prison-and-poverty-chinese-emperor-rags-riches-tale-liu-bingyi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3366074/prison-and-poverty-chinese-emperor-rags-riches-tale-liu-bingyi?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Sep 2026 04:15:05 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam When you think of mooncakes, the ones that come to mind tend to be the classic sweet lotus paste versions with salted egg yolk, or maybe a more modern interpretation like one with a salty-sweet baked custard filling. Historically, however, the first mooncakes were made with a mix of nuts and seeds. The five-kernel (wuren) mooncake – filled with ingredients including walnuts, almonds and sesame seeds – was considered the height of sophistication from the 1950s to the 1970s. With traditional sweet... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3365921/what-are-five-kernel-mooncakes-history-protein-packed-mid-autumn-festival-treat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3365921/what-are-five-kernel-mooncakes-history-protein-packed-mid-autumn-festival-treat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 04:55:58 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong Modern simplified Chinese characters form a tightly connected network from just 514 basic components that evolved through a process similar to natural selection, according to researchers who say their findings could change how Chinese writing is taught. “Chinese characters evolve like living organisms,” lecturer Xie Yonghui of Shanghai Normal University said on August 24. The research into the evolution of Chinese writing over thousands of years, led by Huang Wei, of Beijing Language and Culture... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3365849/chinese-script-evolved-living-organism-driven-natural-selection-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3365849/chinese-script-evolved-living-organism-driven-natural-selection-study?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 04:00:05 +0000 Jane Cai,Caroline Lin Jane Cai,Caroline Lin In the quiet of a Peking University research room, shelves groan under the weight of 60 thick volumes. Stacked, they stand taller than an average human. Inside their pages lie the details of more than 23,000 ancient Chinese bronze vessels, weapons, chariot fittings and ritual objects that left China’s shores long ago and now sit in museums, private collections and auction houses across nearly 30 countries. Published in April by Shanghai Classics Publishing House, the Collection of Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365643/23000-bronzes-14-years-60-volumes-how-china-mapping-lost-heritage-held-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365643/23000-bronzes-14-years-60-volumes-how-china-mapping-lost-heritage-held-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2026 08:00:37 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Malaysia celebrates its Independence Day (“Hari Merdeka” in Malay) on August 31. This year, it will mark the 69th anniversary of the Malayan Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom. Note that it was a “Malayan”, not “Malaysian”, declaration. Sixty-nine years ago, in 1957, Malaysia did not yet exist; the modern nation of Malaysia came into being only on September 16, 1963, with the merger of the 11 states of the Malay Peninsula with British North Borneo (renamed Sabah), Sarawak and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3365430/how-national-holidays-ancient-china-aligned-emperors-birthdays-so-all-could-revel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3365430/how-national-holidays-ancient-china-aligned-emperors-birthdays-so-all-could-revel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:15:07 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Chinese archaeologists are heading to South America for the first field project on the continent in search of ancestral bonds between ancient Chinese and native American civilisations. Under an agreement signed by national research institutions from the two countries in Supe, Peru on Friday, archaeologists from China will soon start working with their Peruvian counterparts in the Caral archaeological zone – home to the oldest known urban centre in the Americas. The joint archaeological team will... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3365148/china-sends-archaeologists-south-america-trace-ancestral-links-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3365148/china-sends-archaeologists-south-america-trace-ancestral-links-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China has stepped up its offensive against a US-born school of thought on China’s last imperial dynasty, accusing it of providing “theoretical ammunition” for attempts to divide the country. The denunciation comes as online debates over the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) continue to give rise to inflammatory rhetoric, and as Beijing’s ethnic policies and historical narratives are increasingly becoming an arena for international political competition. An article published by the state-run China Ethnic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364954/why-chinese-media-says-us-historians-are-giving-ammunition-separatists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364954/why-chinese-media-says-us-historians-are-giving-ammunition-separatists?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:00:14 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s secondary school students are dropping history as an exam subject, a trend that could leave the public more vulnerable to distorted narratives in the future, an academic at a top university has warned. The note of caution comes as Beijing steps up efforts to counter “historical nihilism” – the official term for narratives that contradict or undermine the state’s official historical line – as well as pseudo-history, such as claims that Ancient Greece did not exist. “History education in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364926/gaokao-reforms-could-leave-chinese-public-vulnerable-pseudo-history-top-academic-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364926/gaokao-reforms-could-leave-chinese-public-vulnerable-pseudo-history-top-academic-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Aug 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Donald Trump’s recent departure from Turkey was far more elaborate than it appeared. After attending a Nato summit in Ankara in July, the US president was publicly seen boarding Air Force One for the flight to Britain. This was, in fact, a decoy. Trump was secretly transferred from the aircraft and taken across the tarmac in a catering truck to a smaller Air Force C-32A military jet. The operation was prompted by intelligence indicating a credible Iranian threat to assassinate him, amid the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3364558/trump-chinas-first-emperor-survived-various-assassination-attempts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3364558/trump-chinas-first-emperor-survived-various-assassination-attempts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:15:06 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Could merely glimpsing a 357-year-old Buddhist manuscript really grant you seven lifetimes of good fortune? An old Chinese folk belief regarding the Tibetan Dragon Canon has recently been revived on social media as the monumental Qing dynasty (1644-1911) scripture takes pride of place in “Tibetan Dragon Canon: A Symphony of Imperial Power, Belief and Art in a Golden Age”, an exhibition at Taipei’s National Palace Museum. While it is impossible to trace the origin of the qishi fubao – good karma... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3364369/357-year-old-buddhist-text-taiwan-said-bring-lifetimes-luck-one-glimpse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3364369/357-year-old-buddhist-text-taiwan-said-bring-lifetimes-luck-one-glimpse?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:15:08 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang Years ago, I was invited to speak in Bali about the significance of rice to the Chinese. At first, I wondered whether there was enough to say about something so ordinary. Once I began writing, however, the words poured out like water from a broken dam. The talk, delivered in a pavilion overlooking emerald rice paddies, turned out to be my most engaging. There was far more to rice than I had imagined. In China, it occupies a special place in the national imagination, somewhere between food and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3363990/rice-has-place-chinese-hearts-whether-we-eat-it-or-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3363990/rice-has-place-chinese-hearts-whether-we-eat-it-or-not?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Kevin McSpadden Kevin McSpadden It may not be the most majestic creature on our beautiful planet, but the humble silkworm deserves a place alongside horses, cattle, cats, and dogs due to its profound impact on human civilisation. The luxurious fabric spun from the silkworm’s natural secretion ignited the creation of a vast global trade network, connecting Asia with the Mediterranean. This network became a catalyst for transformative exchanges of goods, ideas, and technologies across continents, significantly shaping the course... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3364115/evidence-earliest-silkworm-farming-outside-china-found-upending-silk-road-timeline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3364115/evidence-earliest-silkworm-farming-outside-china-found-upending-silk-road-timeline?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon The Czech people are famously reticent with strangers, to the point that many of us would consider it rude. In shops and restaurants, getting a staff member to be helpful can feel like pulling teeth, while a smile is often out of the question. There is even a name for it: the Slavic Face – an icy, unsmiling expression that can come across as hostile and dismissive. I have been assured that it is an “equal-opportunity” aloofness. It is bestowed on everyone alike: locals and foreigners, black,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3363749/how-chinese-societys-resilient-moral-framework-has-lasted-nearly-3000-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3363749/how-chinese-societys-resilient-moral-framework-has-lasted-nearly-3000-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2026 00:15:06 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei A provincial propaganda department in China has warned the public against subscribing to growing conspiracy theories on history, such as those stating that Aristotle and Ancient Greece never existed. In a post on Wednesday, “Zhejiang Propaganda” – a social media account affiliated with the Zhejiang provincial publicity department – warned about the rise of the “pseudo-historical school” online. The school promotes conspiracy theories that deny Western history and claim key achievements of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3363942/did-aristotle-exist-china-targets-pseudo-history-myths-claiming-west-stole-civilisations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3363942/did-aristotle-exist-china-targets-pseudo-history-myths-claiming-west-stole-civilisations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang In traditional Chinese culture, the cardinal directions – east, west, south, and north – represent more than mere points on a compass; they reveal how ancient societies comprehended life, death, and human nature. The Shuowen Jiezi, the earliest surviving dictionary of China compiled during the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220), explains the four cardinal directions in relation to the movement of the sun. The east, or dong in Chinese, the direction of the sunrise, signifies spring, hope, and prestige.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/environment/article/3363795/how-chinese-culture-links-4-cardinal-directions-lifes-natural-cycle-and-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/environment/article/3363795/how-chinese-culture-links-4-cardinal-directions-lifes-natural-cycle-and-why?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:14:51 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Beijing is stepping up efforts to challenge the Western concept of the “tribute system”, arguing that foreign frameworks distort ancient Chinese diplomacy and misrepresent the country’s contemporary global rise. China is redoubling efforts to define its own practices, experiences and ideas through original, home-grown social science language rather than through what it says are Western conceptual lenses. The theory was forged and made popular in the US decades ago as a means to interpret both... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363558/china-challenges-western-tribute-system-theory-push-control-its-narrative-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363558/china-challenges-western-tribute-system-theory-push-control-its-narrative-power?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Sherry Wang Sherry Wang In mid-July, Dayong Ancient City – a state-backed replica town in China’s mountain tourist hub of Zhangjiajie – reopened its gates after a major overhaul, drawing more than 150,000 visitors in its first three days, according to official figures. That marked a stark contrast to the site’s recent past. Built to showcase architectural styles from the Ming and Qing dynasties, the site in the central Chinese province of Hunan was, until recently, little more than a ghost town, struggling amid years... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3363321/reboot-dayong-ancient-city-tests-if-chinas-loss-making-tourism-projects-can-be-revived?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3363321/reboot-dayong-ancient-city-tests-if-chinas-loss-making-tourism-projects-can-be-revived?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Against my better judgment, I took out a gym membership in Prague. It turns out that my usual exercise regime – brisk walking for up to an hour every day – is not as practical in the city as I had imagined, at least not in my part of Prague. Cobblestone pavements are pretty to look at, but they are made for leisurely strolls, not aerobic walks, unless spraining an ankle or two is your intention. There are parks and green spaces near my flat, but they are either too small or they reek of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3362793/even-confucius-was-buff-how-ancient-china-prized-strength-and-fitness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3362793/even-confucius-was-buff-how-ancient-china-prized-strength-and-fitness?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:15:05 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo “Philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it.” This famous 11th thesis from Karl Marx’s Theses on Feuerbach is engraved on his tombstone in Highgate Cemetery in London. It was meant to be a refutation of another famous saying, by G.W.F. Hegel: “The owl of Minerva takes flight only when darkness falls.” This poetic but enigmatic remark is from the Philosophy of Right. It means understanding always arrives too late; philosophy can only teach... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3363031/world-made-confucius-and-china-he-made?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3363031/world-made-confucius-and-china-he-made?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Josephine Ma Josephine Ma Professor Wang Gungwu is regarded internationally as an authority on Chinese history. The 95-year-old is best known for his explorations of Chinese history in the long view, and for his writings on the Chinese diaspora. He has been a professor at the National University of Singapore since 2007 and emeritus professor at the Australian National University since 1988. He was vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong from 1986 to 1995. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/politics/article/3363237/wang-gungwu-lessons-chinese-history-and-cold-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/politics/article/3363237/wang-gungwu-lessons-chinese-history-and-cold-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 02:57:29 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang No longer confined to disputed islands or historical memory, the rivalry between Beijing and Tokyo has evolved into a fight for the global microphone, as both countries try to define each other’s international identity. Amid an escalating diplomatic crisis, China is intensifying its rhetoric against what it calls Japan’s “new militarism”, using World War II-era history to rally regional and global sympathy for its position. In stark contrast, Japan has rejected the label as “false claims”,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363175/china-vs-japan-battle-global-microphone-reshape-post-war-identity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3363175/china-vs-japan-battle-global-microphone-reshape-post-war-identity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 01:00:07 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Four hundred years before modern interactive design became a trend, a remarkable ceramic crab was already captivating audiences in ancient China. Placed inside a porcelain cup, this ingenious creature would float and dance to life the moment wine was poured, transforming a simple drink into a mesmerising and joyful spectacle. Between 2018 and 2022, archaeologists unearthed the cup in the ruins of Zhouqiao Bridge along the Bianhe River in Kaifeng city, located in today’s central Chinese Henan... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3363127/escape-artist-ancient-chinese-cup-features-swimming-crab-evolved-dancing-fairy-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3363127/escape-artist-ancient-chinese-cup-features-swimming-crab-evolved-dancing-fairy-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Aug 2026 06:00:07 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo A viral clip renews the headlined question for me. Jameela Jamil, a British actress of Pakistani and Indian descent, caused a public row in the UK for her interview last month on Yestergays, a pop culture podcast. She said: “Americans think British people are so sweet, which is crazy because British people are truly the most evil people in history. Like, they are Thanos. They owe 43 trillion to India … We colonised the world.” A similar figure came from Indian economist Utsa Patnaik. Based on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3362778/how-evil-was-british-empire-centuries-theft-and-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3362778/how-evil-was-british-empire-centuries-theft-and-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon I am not one to follow celebrity gossip, but the recent decision by several of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s children to drop their father’s surname caught my attention. Following the couple’s bitter separation, some of their children have chosen to remove “Pitt” from their original hyphenated surname, “Jolie-Pitt”. For people living in imperial China, changing one’s surname was rarely a casual decision. Unlike Europeans and many others, married Chinese women traditionally retain their own... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3362366/jolie-pitt-kids-change-their-surname-why-ancient-chinese-did-same?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3362366/jolie-pitt-kids-change-their-surname-why-ancient-chinese-did-same?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:15:05 +0000 SCMP SCMP This article was first published on July 29, 1976. Quake rocks Northern China by Staff Reporters Heavy casualties and severe damage to industrial plants and property were feared when the strongest earthquake for 12 years struck the industrial belt of northern Hopei Province early yesterday (July 28, 1976) morning. The tremor was followed by a series of aftershocks and 16 hours after the first quake, an aftershock of almost the same intensity struck the same area, causing further damage and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3362056/1976-earthquake-chinas-tangshan-kills-over-240000-people-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3362056/1976-earthquake-chinas-tangshan-kills-over-240000-people-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jul 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang One morning in February 1784, a converted privateer called the Empress of China sailed out of New York harbour. It was bound for a country almost no one aboard had ever seen – China, then ruled by the Qing dynasty. Six months later, it dropped anchor at Canton, the only port where the Qing government allowed Western maritime trade. At the time, the Declaration of Independence was less than a decade old, and the Treaty of Paris recognising American independence had been signed less than a year... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3361843/how-americas-250-year-china-dream-became-its-greatest-strategic-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3361843/how-americas-250-year-china-dream-became-its-greatest-strategic-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jul 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon Czech politics seldom register on anybody’s radar in East Asia, but within a month of living in Prague, I am already hooked on the country’s political drama. It is more fascinating than any reality TV show. At the moment, the main spectacle is the very public spat between the Czech president and prime minister. President Petr Pavel, a liberal and popular retired army general who previously served as chairman of the Nato Military Committee, and Prime Minister Andrej Babis, a populist business... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3361558/when-chinese-emperors-and-their-prime-ministers-fell-out-results-could-be-deadly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3361558/when-chinese-emperors-and-their-prime-ministers-fell-out-results-could-be-deadly?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:15:06 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen South Korea has returned a pair of Qing dynasty (1644-1911) marble sculptures to China, a symbolic gesture as the two nations work to repair bilateral ties through cultural diplomacy. The male and female lions, each standing 1.9 metres (6ft) tall and weighing 1.25 tonnes, were officially handed over by the Kansong Art Museum at a ceremony in Seoul on Thursday and were set to depart for China on Friday, according to the Chinese embassy. Senior cultural officials and diplomats from both nations... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361739/south-korea-returns-looted-qing-dynasty-lions-china-cultural-diplomacy-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361739/south-korea-returns-looted-qing-dynasty-lions-china-cultural-diplomacy-win?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jul 2026 08:59:52 +0000