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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.
Mama Yu’s curry chilli oil – the UK-based brand was founded by Xiengni Zhou and her mum, Jolene Yu. Photo: Handout
Food and Drinks

Why Xiengni Zhou swapped investment banking for Mama Yu chilli oil

Zhou thought she’d be an ‘investment banking queen’ – instead, she found herself quitting KPMG to run Mama Yu, partnering with the BBC and Ford.

Food and Drinks

7 Shenzhen restaurants earn stars in city’s Michelin Guide debut

Food and Drinks

How Singaporean cookbook writer Shu Han Lee built her spice brand Rempapa – interview

Art

The Buddhist text in Taiwan said to bring lifetimes of luck with one glimpse

The Tibetan Dragon Canon, a huge 17th century scripture on show at Taiwan’s National Palace Museum, has set social media ablaze.

A gold-inked manuscript from the Tibetan Dragon Canon, which is on show as part of the “Tibetan Dragon Canon: A Symphony of Imperial Power, Belief and Art in a Golden Age” exhibition at Taiwan’s National Palace Museum until November 8, 2026. The 357-year-old text has recently gone viral for apparently granting those who view it seven lifetimes of good karma. Photo: NPM
Malaysia

‘Is this China?’: Malaysian preacher under fire over Chinese festival remarks

Ridhuan Tee Abdullah publicly questioned why a Hungry Ghost Festival banner was in Chinese rather than Malay.

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Food and Drinks

A Chinese spicy snack has gone viral. Thank ‘Chinamaxxing’ on social media

Oily, chewy, spongy and spicy, Chinese latiao – literally ‘spicy strips’ – are finding fans outside China, driven by social media.

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Social media

Chinamaxxing: is it really about China or Gen Z fleeing Western fatigue?

From viral candy wrappers to hot water routines, Western Gen Z appears obsessed with all things China. But is it true love?

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Illustration: Dennis Yip
Food and Drinks

How 2 like-minded chefs are celebrating Chinese diasporic gastronomy in Montreal

Christophe Yu and Nora Lou craft innovative pop-up feasts that blend migration stories, local ingredients and bold flavours.

Chinese history

Being Chinese | Rice has a place in Chinese hearts, whether we eat it or not

The importance of rice is reflected in our language and assumptions. As abundance becomes the norm, will we forget what hunger taught us?

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US-China relations

US immersion schools expand across country for early-age Chinese language study

While college enrolment in Chinese stalls, K-12 immersion schools are seeing renewed popularity as parents seek advantages for their children.

Preschoolers during Chinese language instruction in Portland, Oregon. Photo: Handout
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How Chinese society’s resilient moral framework has lasted nearly 3,000 years

The Zhou-dynasty ideals of family responsibility, propriety and self-cultivation remain woven into the very fabric of China today.

The family has long lay at the centre of Chinese society’s moral universe, with respect for parents, harmony between siblings and the fulfilment of family obligations elevated from private virtues to the very foundations of society. Photo: Shutterstock
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | All Wishes Come True!: Chinese animation reinvents the Eight Immortals

This culturally authentic and wholly accessible origin story is a visually dazzling infusion of Chinese and Western storytelling conventions.

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China travel

The world’s only hieroglyphic script still in use today is found in China

Over 1,000 years old, Dongba script is associated with the Naxi ethnic minority and is a common sight in Yunnan province’s Lijiang city.

Artificial intelligence

How AI is helping to open a new chapter for ancient Chinese literature

The technology is being used for everything from digitising rare manuscripts to helping break down barriers to understanding classical texts.

Increasing numbers of medical and scientific texts are availble online. Photo: Getty Images
China’s internet censorship

China targets pseudo-history conspiracists who claim civilisations were stolen

Zhejiang agency says pseudo-historical claims – made worse by AI – reflect ignorance and fracture social cognition.

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The Acropolis in Athens. A social media account linked to a Chinese provincial government has criticised pseudo-historical theories denying the existence of figures such as Aristotle. Photo: EPA
Chinese zodiac predictions

Is the Year of the Horse’s seventh 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 work, finances, romance and health.

Accidents and disasters in China

Blackout at Terracotta Army museum prompts cultural safety review in China

Museum-goers used phone flashlights to continue viewing exhibits inside the pitch-black hall at historic Xian site after power outage.

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Chinese superstitions

7 Hungry Ghost Festival taboos to avoid to keep unwanted spirits at bay

Spirits are believed to roam the world when the gates of the underworld open, and actions such as picking up loose change can attract them.

Paper offerings during Hungry Ghost Festival celebrations in Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong, on August 17, 2021. Photo: May Tse
Food and Drinks

How Hong Kong chef Vicky Lau is taking her Tate restaurant to a new level

For Tate’s third incarnation, Lau has forged a new sanctuary that reflects her creative maturity and evolving embrace of Chinese flavours.

Luxury Hotels

Review | Upper House Chengdu blends Qing dynasty heritage with modern luxury

Formerly known as The Temple House, Swire’s urban sanctuary in Tai Koo Li pairs historic architecture with Michelin-starred teahouse dining.

Horoscopes

What’s your luck like in August 2026, the Fire Monkey month? Predictions for health, money and love

The Monkey – with famous examples like Celine Dion and Justin Timberlake – possesses a strong drive, but as we enter autumn, the stars are urging us to pause and reflect.

August 2026, the Fire Monkey month, is all about transformation. Illustration: SCMP Graphics
Chinese history

China challenges Western ‘tribute system’ theory in push for narrative control

Article by US billionaire investor Ray Dalio puts spotlight back on English term used to describe Chinese diplomatic and economic posture.

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Illustration: Mario Rivera
China's economic recovery

How China’s Zhangjiajie aims to revive a US$296 million loss-making tourist site

A 150,000-visitor opening offers an early signal, but analysts warn that lasting cash flow will require stronger products, local culture and tighter operations.

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Architecture and design

How the Shenzhen Natural History Museum was designed to reflect its landscape

The architects behind the new museum talk about the Shenzhen landmark’s unique design that reflects its green and water-edged location.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Even Confucius was buff? How ancient China prized strength and fitness

The gentle philosopher was said to possess extraordinary strength, while Chinese military officers long had to pass tough physical tests.

Health and well-being were important in ancient China, while impressive muscles were, at most, a welcome side effect. Photo: Shutterstock
Cantonese

Want to learn Cantonese? These influencers are sparking a Canto revival

Influencers like Uncle Donnie, Andrew Bui and Mihi Matshingana are connecting a Cantonese-speaking diaspora and inspiring learning.

(From left) Donnie Wong, Andrew Bui and Mihi Matshingana are among a surge of Cantonese-speaking influencers making a splash on social media this year. Photos: Donnie Wong, Andrew Bui, Frites Macau
Chinese history

As I see it | The world that made Confucius – and the China he made

China’s most enduring philosophical tradition didn’t merely revere the past; it drew upon history to construct the future.

Chinese overseas

The Chinese sex worker who built an empire in America’s Old West

Ah Toy rose from new immigrant to madam running a chain of successful brothels, fighting racism, sexism and the authorities on the way.

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