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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.
King Charles gives a state dinner speech at the White House on April 28, with the ship’s bell bearing the inscription “Trump 1944” to his right. Photo: AP
Donald Trump

Why King Charles’ ‘Trump bell’ gift amuses Chinese internet users

The king’s present – which came just days after the third assassination attempt on Trump – is a Chinese homophone for ‘attending the dying’.

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Food and Drinks

Asian-American mother challenges tough Chinese traditions for new mums

Food and Drinks

On the Menu | It is sweet how Chinese desserts are having their moment again

Mahjong

It started with Crazy Rich Asians. How mahjong is booming across the US

Thriving mahjong clubs in places like Denver are fostering community and connection across generations and cultures.

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Hien Kim (centre) gives advice to the rest of her table during a monthly meeting of the Honour Tile Society mahjong club at Hot Shot Coffee in Denver, in the US. Photo: TNS
Food and Drinks

At London restaurant Ikoyi, Jeremy Chan gives a taste of his Hong Kong childhood

Jeremy Chan spent his first eight years in Hong Kong. His menu on April 23 for two-Michelin-star restaurant Ikoyi, in London, reflected that.

Style Edit

Style Edit: Poly MGM Museum’s new ‘Silk Roads Beyond Borders’ treasures

New Italian and Persian treasures make their Asia debut, expanding the museum’s Silk Road narrative with rare works that illuminate centuries of East-West exchange.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The bloody legacy of The One-Armed Swordsman film sequels

The two follow-ups to The One-Armed Swordsman are somewhat different to the original hit film but plenty of blood runs through all three.

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David Chiang Da-wei in a still from The New One-Armed Swordsman, a 1971 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Chang Cheh.
Food and Drinks

Not just home to Lao Gan Ma, Guizhou is where China’s chilli culture was born

Guizhou people were the first in Chinese history recorded as eating chillies. Now the spice-loving province is China’s top chilli producer.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | The history of China’s hospitality industry and how its inns evolved over time

Private inns served travelling merchants in ancient China and grew in number and sophistication as the economy and infrastructure expanded.

Wellness

Are ice baths good for you? What you need to know before taking the plunge

Ice baths and cold plunges are springing up across Hong Kong, but will traditional Chinese medicine ideas freeze them out of the market?

Cold-water immersion such as ice baths and cold plunges are said to come with a host of health benefits, but one possible cultural counter-current in Hong Kong could be traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong economy

Hongkongers find value, space and style in Shenzhen’s new cultural hotspots

Short cross‑border getaways emerging as the ‘quick escape’ of choice, with the newly opened Shenzhen Bay Culture Square adding to appeal.

Illustration: Henry Wong
China’s Communist Party

China must ‘strengthen education’ of Tibetan Buddhists, Beijing official says

On inspection tour, Li Ganjie urges local authorities to promote new ‘unity’ law to ethnic minority groups.

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Food and Drinks

The soy sauce artisans making the Chinese condiment with a dash of attitude

Two craft soy sauce makers in Sweden and Australia are turning away from ‘boring’ mass production methods to make the condiment in new ways.

Art

‘Raw honesty’: new museum preserves Thai-Chinese art rebel’s remarkable legacy

The Tang Chang Private Museum opens on May 1 as the Bangkok-born artist’s family aims to show the world his work before it’s too late.

A partial view of “October 14” (1973), by Tang Chang. The Thai-Chinese artist’s self-portrait was painted in the wake of a 1973 crackdown in Bangkok that left dozens of pro-democracy protesters dead and hundreds more injured. The canvas is on show at the Tang Chang Private Museum, which will open in Nakhon Pathom on May 1. Photo: Tang Chang Private Museum
Chinese history

As I see it | How ancient Chinese philosophers make sense of modern headaches

Scholar Daniel A. Bell has written an entertaining new book, exposing a new generation to ancient Chinese wisdom on the issues of our day.

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A Confucius statue in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Confucianism has traditionally been the predominant ideology in Chinese cultural and intellectual contexts, with other philosophical schools usually sidelined. Photo: Shutterstock
Art

Midea Group scion’s Shunde art museum shifts focus to amplify local voices

New projects at the He Art Museum, opened by the owners of Chinese appliance giant Midea, explore complex realities born of societal shifts.

Food and Drinks

Hong Kong’s famous Oi Man Sang dai pai dong opens dessert shop

At Oi Sweet by Oi Man Sang, a former Michelin-star-restaurant pastry chef makes sweet treats that honour Hong Kong culinary heritage.

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Hong Kong society

Over 250 rare Han dynasty relics on display in major Hong Kong showcase

Development chief Bernadette Linn calls exhibition a ‘sequel’ to last year’s Tang dynasty showcase, with 95 per cent of relics shown in city for first time.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn (right) views a Han dynasty artefact. Photo: Handout
Chinese overseas

Being Chinese | Growing up Hakka, around a language that few dared to speak publicly

My relatives spoke Hakka, but behind closed doors. Imagine my surprise when I finally found myself in a public Hakka-speaking environment.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | What an old Chinese snack can teach people about the ‘proper’ way to eat dishes

The evolution of ‘biluo’ in Tang-dynasty China highlights how there is no unchanging way in which a dish ought to be prepared and enjoyed.

Food and Drinks

Kunafa prawn? From Shandong to the Nile, Cairo’s love affair with Chinese food

From a 63-year-old restaurant chain to high-end hotels, Cairo has no shortage of Chinese food, tweaked for the local palate.

A chef at work at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo’s 8 Restaurant. The woks used at the Cairo restaurant are sourced from China. Photo: Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza
Chinese zodiac predictions

Is the Year of the Horse’s third month lucky for you? Forecasts for all signs

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan breaks down this lunar month’s prospects for all 12 Chinese zodiac signs in health, love, work and finances.

How’s your luck in the Year of the Fire Horse’s third month? Feng shui master Andrew Kwan gives his predictions for all 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs. Photo: Shutterstock
Art

US painter becomes Hong Kong Artists Association’s first non-Chinese member

Vermont native Nissa Kauppila talks about fusing Eastern and Western painting styles on discarded materials following her recent induction.

Horoscopes

Horoscopes: what’s your luck like in April 2026, Metal Dragon month?

Work pressures are higher for many signs this month, like the Rat and Monkey, while good fortunes will continue for the Ox and Rabbit.

Chinese artifacts

Turning walnuts into ‘jade’? Social media goes nuts over old Chinese tradition

You will not actually make jade by rolling walnuts around in your palm, but this Chinese tradition can boost hand strength and calm anxiety.

A social media trend takes on an ancient Chinese tradition in the form of rolling a pair of walnuts around in your hand until they turn into “jade”. Photo: YouTube/ growithjessie
Hong Kong society

Editorial | Ageing Hong Kong should welcome more open conversations around death

Recent events are nudging Hongkongers to move past long-standing taboos and embrace end-of-life and funeral planning.

Minimal Funeral founder Pasu Ng at his booth at the Smart Retirement Expo in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, on April 5. Photo: Jonathan Wong
China’s Communist Party

The winners from China’s growing intercity football rivalries may surprise you

Lighthearted contests between areas with different customs, dialects and cuisine encourage local pride but ultimate control is elsewhere.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Cremation was frowned upon in ancient China, so why was it so widespread?

Though seen as barbaric, cremation was a common, practical choice for families in China’s Song dynasty that reflected their economic reality.

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