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Asian cinema: Chinese films

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Asian cinema: Chinese films
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Asian cinema: Chinese films. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
The stuffed crab shell at Seventh Son is dipped in egg and breadcrumbs twice before being fried. Photo: Alexander Mak

Masters of Hong Kong’s ‘kung fu’ cuisine on the struggle to save Cantonese classics

The labour-intensive ‘kung fu’ dishes that once defined Cantonese cuisine are on the brink of extinction. Here, three Hong Kong chefs reveal the secrets of these vanishing recipes.

Reading Time:8 minutes
An image from The Pig’s Menu, an ink and watercolour manuscript created by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in Algiers in 1944. Photo: courtesy Collection of the Saint-Exupéry-d’Agay Estate

Exhibition sheds new light on The Little Prince and its author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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South Asia curry specials at Curry Room. Photo: courtesy Curry Room

Hong Kong’s hottest new openings, from Curry Room to Canto-American Lazy Suzy

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Shinya Kobayashi beside a cedar, the wood he uses as much as possible in the construction of his “village”. Photo: courtesy Mujun

Mujun Planet: one man’s quest to revive Japan’s artisanal legacy

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Rail and road in Kunming, Yunnan province, China. Photo: Xinhua

Rail and road: the benefits of China’s full-system transport makeovers

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A wig factory in Aberdeen in 1967. Photo: SCMP Archives

In pictures: ‘Made in Hong Kong’ - craft industries that built the city

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Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Hong Kong filmmaker Andrew Lau is photographed at the New York Asian Film Festival, where he is the 2026 Filmmaker in Focus. Photo: Chris Kammerud
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Prolific Hong Kong director Andrew Lau looks back on his most iconic films

From the Young and Dangerous series to The Storm Riders and Infernal Affairs, Andrew Lau has captivated audiences for decades.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Classic Hong Kong cinema

American cinema

East meets West

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Kung Fu Soccer: Stephen Chow loses his touch with Shaolin Soccer spin-off

Dilraba Dilmurat and Zhang Xiaofei lead a team of female football martial artists in Chow’s film that falls far short of its 2001 predecessor.

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Dilraba Dilmurat in a still from Kung Fu Soccer, Stephen Chow’s gender-flipped spin-off of his 2001 comedy classic Shaolin Soccer. The Hong Kong director’s first film in seven years lacks tension and has visuals that resemble AI slop.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How pioneering studio UFO redefined early-1990s Hong Kong cinema

Peter Chan’s studio revolutionised Hong Kong cinema, scoring numerous hits during its short life, such as Comrades, Almost a Love Story.

Diplomacy

Opinion | Slowly but surely, China’s soft power is making itself felt

With trusted businesses, more openness, creative culture and inspiring sporting successes, China is building a foundation for influence.

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European cinema

Why flop movie Shatter is a perfect 1970s Hong Kong time capsule

Shatter, featuring Peter Cushing, Lily Li and Ti Lung, was a box office failure in 1974, but offered a glimpse of a Hong Kong in transition.

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Stuart Whitman in a still from Shatter, a collaboration between the UK’s Hammer Film Productions and Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers Studio. Photo: Hammer
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

6 surprising facts from Jet Li’s new book, including his near-death moment

From his many names to dishwasher woes, Beyond Life and Death shares things about the Chinese martial artist fans may not have been aware of.

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Singapore

Do Singapore ministers watch films? Joke raises hackles amid dialect debate

The culture minister’s quip about being too busy to go to the cinema has some critics jumping up from their seats.

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Mainland China

Video | How a Chinese indie film conquered the box office

Lan Hongchun’s story about love, loyalty and immigrant struggles has struck a chord with the overseas Chinese diaspora, topping the box office with US$290 million.

Lan Hongchun’s story about love, loyalty and immigrant struggles has struck a chord with the overseas Chinese diaspora, topping the box office with US$290 million
Chinese language cinema

Review | A Dance with Rainbows: Taiwanese coming-of-age boxing drama packs a punch

Director Lee Yi-shan delivers a quietly powerful Taiwanese sports drama in A Dance with Rainbows, starring Lin Yi-ting.

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Lin Yi-ting in a still from A Dance with Rainbows (category IIA, Mandarin and Minnan), directed by Lee Yi-shan. Tsai Chen-nan and Yu An-shun co-star.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Beyond The Killer: why Law with Two Phases is Danny Lee’s best police film

Danny Lee’s nuanced role in Law with Two Phases redefined Hong Kong police dramas, showcasing gritty realism and complex character arcs.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Twins’ Charlene Choi went from Cantopop teen idol to top Hong Kong actress

Since finding fame with Twins’ Gillian Chung 25 years ago, “Ah Sa” has navigated scandals and reinvented herself to become a force in showbiz.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Unidentified Murder: twisty Hong Kong comedy shows admirable ambition

This award-winning comedy about an online prank that ends in a murder is a quirky story underpinned by the performances of its lead actors.

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Ling Man-lung as Mark (left) and Renci Yeung as his girlfriend Man in a still from Unidentified Murder (category IIB, Cantonese), directed by Kwok Ka-hei and Jack Lee.
Hong Kong

Will Fosun’s luxury project revive Hong Kong’s Movietown magic?

Fosun Group begins HK$10 billion transformation of legendary studio, signalling confidence in Hong Kong’s property recovery.

Fosun International chairman Guo Guangchang speaks Monday at the groundbreaking ceremony of a HK$10 billion residential project at the site of the Shaw Brothers studio in Clear Water Bay. Photo: Fosun
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Running on Karma with Andy Lau hid a Buddhist tragedy behind muscles

Lau played a muscular monk-turned-stripper with karmic visions opposite Cecilia Cheung in this film that began light and then got grim.

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Cinema

From the Vault: culturally significant films

In the From the Vault feature series, the South China Morning Post’s film experts reflect on culturally significant films celebrating notable anniversaries.

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Singapore

Will Dear You’s smash success push Singapore to ease dialect film policies?

Extra Teochew shows of the indie hit signal ‘increasing liberalisation’ towards dialect films, but long-term changes will take time, analysts say.

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A woman takes photos during the special screening of “Dear You” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 18. Photo: Xinhua
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Fennie Yuen went from Hong Kong teen idol to serious actress

A popular Hong Kong actress in the 1980s and 90s, Yuen started in teen comedies like the Happy Ghost films before pivoting to dramatic roles.

Singapore

‘Overwhelming’ demand sparks extra Teochew shows for Dear You in Singapore

The decision comes after all eight of the Chinese migration film’s previously announced Teochew-language screenings sold out.

TV shows and streaming video

Who is Zhang Linghe, the Pursuit of Jade star and Gucci ambassador?

A recent public appearance sparked riots while his Netflix drama trends around the world – but why did this superstar almost choose a career in STEM?

Zhang Linghe is a star of Chinese dramas including Pursuit of Jade, as well as a Bulgari and Gucci ambassador. Photo: @zhanglinghe__1230/Instagram
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | Cantopop star, scandal, redemption: Andy Hui’s turbulent 40-year career

Hui had a dream career and marriage to Sammi Cheng, then a 2019 cheating scandal threatened it all. Seven years on, he has turned things around.

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Hong Kong singer and actor Andy Hui Chi-on in 1997. Hui, one of Cantopop’s “New Four Heavenly Kings”, was embroiled in a cheating scandal in 2019 that threatened to destroy his legacy. Photo: Dickson Lee
Chinese language cinema

Review | Dear You: nostalgic Teochew family drama is a surprise box office hit in China

Lan Hongchun’s film on love, loyalty and immigrant struggles is a sensation in China, with lead Li Sitong giving a career-making performance.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Palimpsest: The Story of a Name – Mary Stephen’s riveting study of identity

Hong Kong-born director Mary Stephen’s documentary explores her obscure heritage against a background of colonialism and self-reinvention.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Dog Day Evening: Kafkaesque comedy reflects on a Hong Kong hostage incident

Inspired by a true story, Dog Day Evening explores the often infuriating world of customer hotlines and service cancellations.

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Yukki Tai as the frustrated Tak (left) and Michael Ning as desk agent Ringo in a still from Dog Day Evening.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Pang Ho-cheung’s early black comedies disrupted Hong Kong cinema

The writer-director’s You Shoot, I Shoot (2001) and Men Suddenly in Black (2003) injected a dose of dark satire into a waning local industry.

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Eric Kot (left) and Cheung Tat-ming in a still from You Shoot, I Shoot, Pang Ho-cheung’s 2001 directorial debut.
China-Asean relations

Dear You – the Chinese migration film igniting a propaganda debate in Southeast Asia

Some are worried that the Teochew-language drama represents a new, softer era of propaganda targeting the diaspora.

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American cinema

When RZA cut his teeth as a kung fu director in The Man with the Iron Fists

The Wu-Tang Clan leader’s directorial debut with Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu was an ambitious ode to the martial arts films he grew up loving.

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