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Chinese culture

Chinese culture
Latest news and updates on Chinese culture including the country’s traditions, food, values, history and festivals.
Tate Dining Room in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. The restaurant helmed by chef Vicky Lau closed in June 2026 and will reopen at a nearby address later in the year. Photo: Tate Dining Room
Food and Drinks

On the Menu | It’s goodbye to chef Vicky Lau’s Tate Dining Room, but not for long

Hong Kong’s Tate Dining Room, which has closed its Hollywood Road space and will reopen nearby, has felt like a steady presence in the past 14 years.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

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

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Mainland China

Video | How a Chinese indie film conquered the box office

Art

What was it like to attend a Children’s Palace in socialist-era China?

The ‘Youth Palace’ exhibition at Shanghai’s Rockbund Art Museum looks at a socialist educational institution that promoted collectivism.

A screenshot from the video “Ludwig” (2018), Diego Marcon. (Photo courtesy the artist and Sadie Coles HQ, London)
Food and Drinks

‘Healthier than butter’ lard is back as chefs celebrate rendered pork fat

After years of people believing that lard is an unhealthy fat, Hong Kong chefs are championing the use of rendered pork fat on their menus.

China consumption

After hooking China on coffee, Starbucks ramps up consumer strategy

Now that the chain has Chinese consumers hooked on coffee, it is attempting to become part of local consumer culture, analysts say.

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US-China relations

As the US turns 250, young Asian-Americans weigh identity and China

Many feel more at ease with their heritage but see the future of US-China ties, not anniversary festivities, as more relevant to their lives.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
Food and Drinks

Gluten-free Chinese food in London? Why coeliac diners will love this dim sum

A London restaurateur, driven by maternal instinct, created a gluten-free dim sum menu, ensuring coeliac diners can enjoy Chinese cuisine.

Food and Drinks

How traditional Chinese medicine found its way onto fine-dining and bar menus

At Man Ho Chinese Restaurant, Table by Sandy Keung and Clan & Co, chefs and bartenders are leaning into ancient wisdom and giving TCM a tasty makeover.

Chinese history

‘Cleverest woman that ever lived’: the rise of China’s Empress Dowager Cixi

Beginning royal life as a low-ranking concubine, Cixi controlled Qing-dynasty China for nearly half a century from behind the scenes.

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A portrait of Empress Dowager Cixi, one of the most powerful and influential women in Chinese history. Photo: Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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
Luxury Hotels

Review | Where Chinese tea culture and Aman luxury steep together

Set among ancient tea fields and Buddhist temples, Amanfayun is where Longjing tea culture, village life and Aman’s quiet luxury converge.

Wellness

Don’t have life sorted by 25? Not to worry – why TCM says your peak comes later

Traditional Chinese medicine observes peak physical and reproductive age as 28 for women and 32 for men, much older than in Western medicine.

Art

World’s first Chinese LGBTQ museum spotlights overlooked community

Out Museum in San Francisco’s Chinatown gives artists from China and the Chinese diaspora a platform to tell their stories.

OUT Museum founder Xiangqi Chen looks toward “Collective Notation,” an interactive installation displayed at the Chinatown museum, Monday, June 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Hong Kong society

Thousands pack Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui promenade for annual dragon boat races

Over 220 teams from 16 jurisdictions compete in two-day competition marking event’s 50th anniversary.

The Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races is marking its 50th anniversary. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

Being Chinese | Talking when you eat is bad for you, and other Chinese beliefs

Beyond Confucian restraint and traditional medicine, my family has urgent rules for eating bony fish and steaming hot food.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How the Chinese language has long been shaped by foreign influences

From Buddhism’s arrival in China to European exchange in the 1800s, external forces have left a mark on Chinese vocabulary and grammar.

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Style Edit

Style Edit: Chow Tai Fook’s Chinese Couture high jewellery collection

Creative director of high jewellery Nicholas Lieou introduces a range inspired by the traditional elements of Chinese dressmaking.

A necklace from the Jade Ombre chapter of Chow Tai Fook’s Chinese Couture high jewellery collection. Photo: Handout
Luxury Hotels

Review | Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing pays homage to the city’s hutong heritage

Even French President Emmanuel Macron recently enjoyed the hotel’s Cantonese restaurant Yan Garden by Chef Fei, which – along with the rest of the property – sits amid 8 alleyways.

US-China relations

Opinion | How Chinese philosophy influenced US founding fathers

From the Mandate of Heaven to the ‘pursuit of happiness’, the US and China share a rich intellectual tradition of ethical governance.

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Food and Drinks

Bear’s paw, monkey brain? Not in this US$2,000 Manchu-Han banquet in Hong Kong

Chef who was part of the team behind the 1977 ‘imperial’ feast in Hong Kong is planning a modern interpretation, minus the taboo ingredients.

Dishes from Chinesology’s Tales of History tasting menu, which reimagines the legendary Manchu-Han banquet. Photo: Chinesology
Chinese overseas

Opinion | For many outside China, Dear You reflects family history, not politics

Some call the film soft power, but for many in the Chinese diaspora, it’s simply family history.

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A woman attends a screening of Dear You in Kuala Lumpur on June 15. Photo: Xinhua
Food and Drinks

Hong Kong’s dai pai dong go upscale indoors. Can they recreate the same magic?

Meet the chefs behind restaurants honouring Hong Kong’s traditional open-air food stalls by serving wok-fried dishes in nostalgic indoor settings.

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Food and Drinks

On the Menu | Despite what TCM doctors say, I need cold food and drink this summer

Never mind yin and yang, the unrelenting heat has this writer seeking the coolest food and iciest drinks to keep the sweats at bay.

Art

Lauded Chinese artist Shao Fan on his journey and seeking ‘a sense of presence’

Shao talks about early inspiration and moving from oil to sculpture to ink as two exhibitions in London and Guangzhou highlight his works.

Chinese contemporary artist Shao Fan currently has two solo exhibitions showing his work, from ink paintings to furniture sculptures. “Refrain” at White Cube Mason’s Yard in London runs until June 27, while “The Nature of Things” at Mirrored Gardens in Guangzhou runs until June 28. Photo: Shao Fan
Jewellery

How jeweller Huimin Zhang is reimagining traditional Chinese filigree

The Beijing-born artist’s intricate brooches will be featured in an exhibition opening on June 23 at Hong Kong’s Crafts on Peel.

Chinese jeweller Huimin Zhang with her collection of antique jewellery. Photo: Handout
Food and Drinks

The Hong Kong chef who quit teaching to wow Paris diners with Cantonese food

After studying education, Luke Ng’s love of cooking took him to France, where he tells his story through creative dishes and Instagram videos.

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?

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