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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.
Kaiping’s diaolou watchtowers are scattered across the flat countryside of China’s Guangdong province, and with many only accessible along farm tracks and quiet paths, a bicycle tour is the ideal way to see them. Photo: Bruce Foreman
Travel

On a tower trip: a bike tour around China’s Unesco-listed Kaiping watchtowers

Many of the ‘diaolou’ can be reached only by farm tracks and quiet paths, making cycling the ideal way to explore them.

Luxury brands

Eastern aesthetics go global with Chinese brands like Songmont and Bosideng

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

China targets youth with plan to revamp ‘outdated’ heritage products as ‘trendy’

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | From prison and poverty to Chinese emperor: rags-to-riches tale of Liu Bingyi

Spared execution as a baby, imperial family member Liu Bingyi grew up a palace outcast, but this served him well after taking power in 74BC.

Liu Bingyi, who later became Emperor Xuan of the Western Han dynasty, rose to power after being spared execution as an infant. Photo: Baidu
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The wild days of Hong Kong’s Category III era: when sex and gore went mainstream

The adults-only, Category III rating was introduced in 1988, making stars of actresses including Shu Qi and Amy Yip.

Martial arts

How Africa’s first Shaolin Temple shares Chinese martial arts and culture

The temple in Zambia has become one of the most visible symbols of China’s cultural footprint in a country where its influence already runs deep.

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Food and Drinks

How this Hong Kong maker of authentic shrimp roe noodles is leading a comeback

Wing Lok Noodle Factory’s second-generation boss shares how the 50-year-old company is thriving by innovating a dying traditional craft.

Wing Lok Noodle Factory’s second-generation director Angus Chan holds a tray of dried shrimp roe noodles at the company’s base of operations in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong. The company, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026, started as a relatively unknown noodle supplier, but has risen in recent years to become a well-known food brand in its own right. Photo: Sun Yeung
Food and Drinks

What are five-kernel mooncakes? A history of the protein-packed treat

Rich in nuts and seeds, five-kernel mooncakes are making a comeback as a protein-packed alternative to have during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Science

Chinese script evolved like a living organism driven by natural selection: study

Research shows a small set of high-frequency building blocks shaped the writing system through a principle of economy.

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US-China relations

Can Chinese sleeper hit Dear You conquer the US box office next?

After grossing nearly US$300 million in mainland China, its North American release will test its popularity beyond Chinese-speaking diaspora.

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A still from Dear You, the hit Chinese film shot in southern Teochew dialect. Photo: Handout
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | I Know Who You Are: Hu Ge leads Chinese spy drama that falters at the finish

Feng Xiaogang’s drama set during the early years of the People’s Republic of China entertains but is let down by an unsatisfying ending.

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Hu Ge as Feng Jingbo, a spy who becomes embroiled in a years-long cat-and-mouse game with a stubborn Beijing official, in a still from I Know Who You Are (category: IIA Mandarin), directed by Feng Xiaogang. Lei Jiayin co-stars.
Mainland China

23,000 bronzes, 14 years, 60 volumes: China tracks lost heritage held abroad

Peking University study reveals seven times more relics held overseas than previously thought, creating crucial evidence trail.

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China birth rate

Even in the fertility heartland, China can’t stop its birth rate from falling

Economic pressure is outweighing traditional value of having large families in the Chaoshan area of eastern Guangdong.

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Chinese overseas

Being Chinese | A Chinese-American bride says yes to a lucky red dress

The cheongsam I wore to my wedding tea ceremony wasn’t just another outfit. It was my way of celebrating my father and my heritage.

The Hong Kong Wedding Fair at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2025. Photo: Dickson Lee
Communist Party politics

10 years, 1,800 survey sites: how China is using tech to map language diversity

New Hunan Museum hall showcases major Chinese dialects and more than 100 ethnic minority languages, including Mongolian, Tibetan and Uygur.

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A visitor listens to different regional dialects at a new exhibition hall showcasing recordings and other language materials from across China at the Hunan Museum in Changsha. Photo: Xinhua
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How Chinese emperors’ birthdays became national holidays celebrated by all

In 729, Emperor Xuanzong marked his birthday with official ceremonies and festivities across China in a tradition that endured for centuries.

Hong Kong culture

Expanded Mid-Autumn Festival lantern show to light up city. Here’s what to see

International Lantern Spectacular, organised by Hong Kong Tourism Board, among the city’s efforts to entice locals and visitors alike.

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SCMP Highlights

Scotland’s jewellery allure, how a teacher lost 66kg: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From Singaporean designer’s Chinese hanfu to comparing milk and plant-based products, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Rings from Scottish fine jewellery gallery Aetla, which opened in Edinburgh in 2020 and promotes contemporary jewellery made by independent jewellers. Photo: Aetla
Crime in Hong Kong

Monk remanded after alleged theft of Monkey King statue from Hong Kong temple

Court documents state that Zha Jianxin, a Shenzhen-based two-way permit holder, allegedly took the statue from Lung Mo Temple on August 24.

Asian cinema: Chinese films

The Chinese Mulholland Drive? Why ‘so bad it’s good’ film Niu Lai is special

Initially mocked, the low-budget film by a first-time animator and his mum is now being hailed as a bastion of hard work and free expression.

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Food and Drinks

Michelin and Black Pearl young chef awardee opens restaurant in Hong Kong

The Divine Dish star Justin Yang blends his Fujianese heritage with modern flair at Quan, a contemporary Chinese restaurant in Central.

Justin Yang, executive chef at Quan, is pictured at the new contemporary Chinese restaurant in Central, Hong Kong on August 14, 2026. Photo: Sun Yeung
Lunar New Year

Being Chinese | If your elders stop organising Chinese New Year, will you know how to?

For most of my life, festive gatherings seemed to happen automatically. What happens when those quietly maintaining family traditions stop?

Chinese New Year decorations in a shop in Singapore’s Chinatown in January 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Ronny Yu and Jet Li made Fearless (2006) a martial arts masterpiece

Director Ronny Yu put Jet Li’s martial arts skills and acting chops to good use in this classic, blending superb fights and a human story.

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Fashion

This Singaporean designer is reviving Chinese hanfu for the modern era

Chinese-born fashion historian and designer Gong Pan Pan is reimagining the hanfu for the contemporary world.

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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.

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

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

The first crop of Michelin-star Shenzhen restaurants has been unveiled and there are a few surprises for local fine-dining fans.

Blanched Canadian geoduck with chicken broth at The Bay by Chef Fei in Shenzhen. The restaurant was awarded two Michelin stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide Guangzhou & Shenzhen 2026.
Food and Drinks

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

The author, who founded the Southeast Asian food brand in her London home kitchen, cares more about deliciousness than strict authenticity.

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.

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