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Asia travel
Survival guides, insider secrets, top things to do, eco-tours, independent hotel reviews, family-friendly itineraries: fire your imagination with the South China Morning Post’s travel guides and must-see lists for holiday destinations across China and the rest of Asia.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
A still from the video of Mirror’s “12”, which was released in 2021. Photo: handout

How Cantopop created Hong Kong’s own Christmas soundtrack

Joyful and jubilant, melancholic and mournful … the marriage of Cantopop and Christmas has resulted in a unique musical genre with a very Hong Kong vibe.

Reading Time:3 minutes
A picture of a young Teresa Teng in Bangkok from The Story of Teresa Teng by Billy. A former employee of the Chiang Mai hotel where she lived and died reveals what happened on the day she died in 1995. Photo: The Story of Teresa Teng by Billy

The day Teresa Teng died in Thailand – what the butler saw

Reading Time:12 minutes
Joe Wong poses for a portrait after his Joe Wong: The Twin Tariff Show in Hong Kong. Photo: Alexander Mak

Joe Wong, Ronny Chieng and the rise of Asian voices in comedy

Reading Time:8 minutes
Yau Yiu-wai, owner of Sun Nga Shing Umbrella Store in Hong Kong, which he plans to close after five generations. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

A fifth-gen shop owner on closing the business despite his umbrella obsession

Reading Time:5 minutes
Christmas decorations in Landmark in Central, Hong Kong, in 1988. Photo: SCMP Archives

In pictures: Hong Kong’s Christmas festivities, from the 1970s to 90s

Reading Time:1 minute
GN Architects’ Seaside Pavilion, on Chaishan island, Zhejiang province, clinched the Temporary Architecture prize in the 2025 RIBA Asia Pacific Awards. Photo: courtesy GN Architects

Building on waves: a Chinese triumph in temporary architecture

Reading Time:4 minutes
MORE IN POSTMAG
Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Aircrafts queue up on the tarmac before taking off at Mumbai airport. Photo: AFP
India

Duopoly of Air India, IndiGo to face challenge from 2 new airlines

The approval for Al Hind Air and FlyExpress to operate in India comes amid mounting calls to challenge the dominance of Air India and IndiGo.

Malaysia

‘Nothing has changed’: safety gaps, old facilities hobble Malaysian tourism

China-Latin America relations

Brazil weighs visa-free entry for Chinese tourists and business travellers

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Kim Jong-un

Video | Kim Jong-un visits new resort with daughter

The new facilities feature indoor and outdoor baths, as well as barbecue restaurants.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Kim Ju-ae attended opening ceremonies for the country’s lavish new mountain resort on December 20, 2025.
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Tourism

Best things to do in Nara, Japanese city that’s more than an Osaka side trip

Widely regarded as the birthplace of Japanese culture, Nara offers everything from Unesco World Heritage sites to ryokans and bars.

Luxury Hotels

6 of the best hotels in Chengdu from which to explore the city or mountains

Whether you’re going there for the pandas and city vibes, or the mountains and teahouses, these are the best places to check into in Chengdu.

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Nepal

Nepal’s plan to tackle uphill task on Mount Everest: clean up waste

Over the years, the authorities have removed a mountain pile of trash and the bodies of climbers on the world’s highest peak.

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A Nepalese sherpa collecting garbage left by climbers at an altitude of 8,000 metres during the Everest clean-up expedition at Mount Everest in 2010. Photo: AFP
China-Japan relations

China-Japan tension hits holiday travel as flights cancelled on 46 routes

All cancelled flights are operated by Chinese carriers and involve most of the country’s major airlines.

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Wellness

How this luxury Cambodian resort offers a yoga experience few others can match

Knai Bang Chatt, an eco-friendly seaside resort in Kep, left stressed-out Cathy Hilborn Feng feeling realigned from the inside out.

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China travel

China eases visa rules for India, tapping into US$21.6 billion travel market

Indian nationals will now be able to apply for Chinese visas online as Beijing and New Delhi gradually move to normalise economic ties.

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China and India are gradually normalising economic ties five years after a deadly border clash. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Thailand’s tourism crown slips as troubles in paradise mount

Border clashes with Cambodia, fierce competition from Malaysia, deadly floods and a strong baht threaten the kingdom’s holiday appeal.

Illustration: Huy Truong
Japan

‘Limits’ to hospitality: 10 times Asia overtourism became a problem in 2025

From Japan to Indonesia, excessive tourism has created issues in some of Asia’s travel hubs this year.

Luxury travel

Review | A luxurious stay in Phuket at Trisara, away from the hustle and bustle

Phuket is one of Southeast Asia’s most popular beach destinations, but at Trisara, one doesn’t have to compromise on privacy and luxury.

China-Japan relations

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan lose momentum amid tensions: official data

Mainland visitor numbers rose just 3% in November after flight cuts and travel warnings took effect as diplomatic strains escalated.

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Mainland Chinese tourists visit Sensoji temple in the Asakusa district of Tokyo on Thursday Photo: AP
Food and Drinks

‘Crazy cocktail menu’ at Macau bar honours bartender’s travels in Asia

At Wynn Palace’s Wing Lei Bar, Scottish cocktail maestro Mark Lloyd pours his spirit into tipples inspired by places from Seoul to Singapore.

Scotland-born Mark Lloyd is the head mixologist at Wing Lei Bar in Wynn Palace, in Cotai, Macau. His new menu features twists on classic cocktails inspired by his trips to places from Singapore to Seoul. Photo: Wing Lei Bar
China travel

Why South Korea is becoming China’s new bargain travel hotspot amid Japan spat

A slump in the won is making South Korea increasingly affordable for mainland tourists just as China warns against travel to Japan.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Two Seasons, Two Strangers: a hypnotic ode to writing and travel

Starring Shim Eun-kyung and Yuumi Kawai, Japanese drama Two Seasons, Two Strangers is both fascinating and beautiful.

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Mainland China

China-led Asia-Pacific lifts global aviation outlook as profits set to soar

Passenger demand from China and India, eased visa rules and freight resilience drive growth as IATA forecasts record airline profits in 2026.

China and India will lead regional growth, fuelled by a rebound in tourism and the expanding middle classes, says IATA. Photo: Xinhua
Trip Inspiration

What the festive season looks like across Asia’s most vibrant cities

Christmas markets, fireworks and giant lanterns are all in store if you’re seeing in the season elsewhere in Asia.

China consumption

‘A violation’? China’s airlines in the hot seat over hidden extra fees

Seat selection fees are becoming more common in China as airlines grapple with squeezed profit margins, but consumers are pushing back.

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United States

US plans to order foreign tourists to disclose social media histories

The move requires tourists from 42 nations to share five-year social media history, igniting privacy debates and free speech worries.

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View of a giant American flag inside Terminal 1 at JFK airport in New York. Photo: Shutterstock
North Korea

North Korea promotes new beach resort to Chinese tourists in 2026 plan

The Wonsan beach resort and the Pyongyang Marathon highlight plans for Chinese visitors in a post-pandemic tourism push.

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Domestic tourists visit the beach at Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area in Wonsan, North Korea on July 1. Photo: AFP
World of performing arts

New arts venues in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, including the ‘Airpod building’

The Shenzhen Bay Culture Square and Aranya Art Centre Guangzhou show the Greater Bay Area’s ongoing efforts to become a cultural destination.

Luxury Hotels

Is Hoiana Resort & Golf Vietnam’s ultimate seaside escape?

The luxury resort along the central Vietnam coast boasts over 20 F&B establishments, golf, a casino and endless activities for both grown-ups and children.

India

IndiGo flight chaos exposes risks of India’s aviation duopoly

India’s largest airline grounded nearly 3,000 flights last week, showing how easily a staffing crunch at one carrier can paralyse the sector.

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IndiGo employees tag stranded bags belonging to the airline’s passengers at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Monday following large-scale flight disruptions. Photo: Reuters
Tourism

This Japanese farm homestay lets you get involved in producing organic food

Part of the global Wwoof programme, the Sho Farm near Tokyo lets visitors get their hands dirty and learn all about organic farming.

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Farmers replant rice seedlings for a new trial at Sho Farm near Tokyo, Japan. Sho Farm offers homestays under the Wwoof organic farm stay programme. Photo: SCMP
India

India regulator faults airline CEO amid severe disruption

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has been ordered to explain the cancellations that affected almost half of its flights.

India

India caps airfares as IndiGo crisis hits 5th day, stranding hundreds

IndiGo’s spate of cancellations has prompted fare increases on flights operated by other airlines on popular routes.

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