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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.
The Snow Garden Restaurant in North Point, which brought Shanghai-Huaiyang dishes usually reserved for private clubs to the general public, opened in the 1980s and served as the chain’s flagship until 2009. Photo: SCMP
Food and Drinks

The story of Snow Garden, Hong Kong restaurant loved by the rich and famous

Frequented by people such as Run Run Shaw, Jet Li’s wife Nina Li Chi and Macau’s Stanley Ho, Snow Garden continues to delight Hongkongers.

Food and Drinks

A food critic’s top Hong Kong restaurants for sushi, Cantonese and Chiu Chow

Books and literature

She rejected her Chinese heritage as a child. Now, she writes about it

Performing arts in Hong Kong

East meets West in melodic concert blending the suona with the organ

Organist Eric Chan will make his Hong Kong debut in a programme that marries the Western pipe organ with the suona, a Chinese woodwind.

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Organist Eric Chan (second left) and suona players Guo Yazhi (left) and Chrysoberyl Chan (right) are joined by Kerry Stevens, chairman of the Auckland Town Hall Organ, before a performance at the New Zealand venue under Chan’s “Pipe Organ Through East and West” programme in May 2026. Photo: courtesy of Eric Chan
Style Edit

Style Edit: Hermès’ revamped Elements store is a cosmology-inspired escape

The maison’s revamped boutique in West Kowloon layers phoenix-inspired ceramics, stylish salons and curated art into a calm, fable-inspired setting.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Alex Law and Mabel Cheung’s nostalgic films are among their finest

Two of the most poignant movies by life partners Law and Cheung explore migration and memory, and star the likes of Sammo Hung and Simon Yam.

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Chinese zodiac predictions

Is the Year of the Horse’s fourth 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.

How’s your luck in the Year of the Horse’s fourth month? Feng shui master Andrew Kwan gives his predictions for all 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs. Photo: Shutterstock
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How the Chinese did laundry before washing machines: ash ‘soap’, stone beatings

Before chemical detergents and modern equipment, Chinese people kept their clothes clean with little more than river water, wood and ash.

Icons and Influencers

Couture craft meets whimsical walls in Laura Cheung’s Lala Curio

Craft traditions inform bespoke wall coverings and collectable objects for the contemporary home at the brand’s Peninsula Hong Kong showroom.

China’s film industry

How a tiny indie movie sparked a major tourist boom in southern China

Made on a shoestring budget, the hit drama Dear You has triggered a surge of interest in the history of southern China’s Teochew diaspora.

A poster for Dear You, an independent film set in Chaoshan, Guangdong province, which has become an unexpected box office hit in China. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

Being Chinese | How to deal with this ‘very Chinese time’ in Western lives

The question is not whether outsiders are getting China or Chinese culture right, but what we choose to do with their attention.

Foreign tourists in traditional Chinese costumes take photos near the Forbidden City in Beijing on April 16. Photo: AP
2026 Xi-Trump summit

Video | Executive chef offers insight into Xi-Trump banquet

The state banquet menu blended Chinese cuisine and Western favourites, with a nod to the US president’s personal tastes.

Asian diaspora

Why Chinese-Canadian Derek Kwan is so much more than a ‘token Asian’ actor

As Hallmark’s mahjong movie faces a backlash, actor Derek Kwan talks about championing authentic Asian narratives by making his own films.

Horoscopes

Horoscopes: what’s your luck like in May and early June 2026, Water Snake month?

Snakes will have to work harder, Dragons can play to their strengths, and Rabbits should pay attention to health this month.

What’s your luck like in the Water Snake month from May 6 to June 4? Illustration: SCMP Graphics
2026 Xi-Trump summit

The message China wants to send by hosting Trump at Temple of Heaven

Beijing urges US president ‘to hold the line on peaceful coexistence’ as it prepares to host him at heritage site.

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US President Donald Trump is expected to tour Beijing’s historic Temple of Heaven on Thursday as part of his state visit to China. Photo: Xinhua
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | A Man and a Woman: Hong Kong-set quarantine drama is a tough watch

Neighbouring hotel guests develop a relationship over the course of their 21-day quarantine in Hong Kong in Guan Hu’s pandemic-set drama.

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Food and Drinks

‘Liquid yin and yang’? How Hong Kong bartenders work with Chinese chefs

Leading mixologists from Duddell’s, Vea and Mott 32 share their tips on curating ideal flavour pairings between cocktails and courses.

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Wellness

Why tai chi and qigong are great for health, and English classes in Hong Kong

The Chinese ‘internal’ arts of tai chi and qigong offer a host of health benefits and are slowly becoming more accessible to English speakers.

Lawrence Tse leads a class outside the tea museum in Hong Kong Park. Photo: Lawrence Tse
Asia travel

Best things to do in China’s Nanjing, from food and architecture to history

Planning a weekend in Nanjing? Here’s an itinerary to consider for visiting the bustling metropolis in eastern China.

Food and Drinks

Mandarin peel ice cream? Chun pei, a TCM ingredient, is gaining favour

Dried mandarin peel was first used in dishes to impress Chinese emperors. Today, it can be found in everything from drinks to desserts.

What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this Mother’s Day weekend, May 8-10

From an artisan Mother’s Day market to food, fashion and music, check out our recommendations for things to do around the city this weekend.

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Sapphire Shen (front), a lupus patient and founder of My Lupus Diary, is pictured at The Lupus Revolution, an inspiring awareness and fundraising event, in May 2024. This weekend, Shen will hold The Lupus Revolution Vol. 2 in Hong Kong’s Central neighbourhood. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Style Edit

Style Edit: Chow Tai Fook’s Dawn collection, where elegance meets artistry

Tang dynasty Baoxiang florals, classy enamel hues and fluid gold craftsmanship make for a timeless collection of rings, bangles and necklaces.

Chow Tai Fook’s Dawn collection refines tradition. Photo: Handout
Trending in China

In China, number of clothing buttons holds meaning; specific counts assigned for the dead

According to Chinese tradition, the manner in which a person does their garment up can have consequences, from bad luck to taking a beating.

Art

Gardens of China and Europe juxtaposed in spectacular Hong Kong exhibition

A new exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art features works including Monet’s water lilies and Qing dynasty masterpieces.

Chinese history

Beautiful, power-hungry: how Wu Zetian became China’s only female emperor

A legitimate ruler for 15 years – but de facto leader for years more than that – Wu Zetian is remembered as a complex character.

Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history, reigned as a legitimate leader in China during the last 15 years of her life in her short-lived Wu Zhou dynasty (690-705). Photo: Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Angela Mao, aka ‘the new Bruce Lee’, was a better fighter than Michelle Yeoh

Angela Mao, star of hits like Hapkido and Lady Whirlwind, was billed as the ‘new Bruce Lee’ by Golden Harvest after his death.

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Angela Mao (right) and Carter Wong in a still from The Tournament (1974). Mao learned martial arts at a Peking opera school in Taiwan. Photo: Fortune Star Media
China’s soft power

Why are modern Chinese audiences shying away from dubbed films?

Greater subtitle literacy among streaming viewers is among factors chipping away at enthusiasm for dubbed movies in China.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Ancient Chinese sleep advice, from bedtimes and body positions to state of mind

For premodern Chinese people, sleep was much more than daily rest – it was a cultivated discipline and a medical necessity.

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