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Chinese history

Assorted Chinese wedding cakes. Photo: May Tse

Why is there a cake voucher with your Chinese wedding invite? We explain

A cake voucher often accompanies an invitation to a Chinese wedding, part of a practice that dates back centuries.

Video art shows Chinese migrants’ struggle in 1800s New Zealand

Chinese women wore tank tops, transparent clothing 800 years ago: study

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Scholars debunk myth of Roman settlement in China with DNA tests, tourists undeterred

Roman culture intrigues China, inspiring TV dramas, novels about a legion’s journey to the East.

In the 1990s, the Romanesque architecture and European traits of the villagers in Liqian, Gansu province, led to speculation about potential connections. Photo: SCMP composite/Sohu/Wikipedia

Chinese horoscopes: how’s your luck in November 2024, Water Pig month?

If you are a Pig like billionaire Elon Musk or royal Queen Camilla, November is all about being humble – but what about the other 11 Chinese astrological signs?

Palace of Versailles, Beijing Palace Museum loan relics for Hong Kong exhibition

Exhibition at Hong Kong Palace Museum to run from December 18 until May 4 of next year to celebrate 60 years of Sino-French diplomatic ties.

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Artist Huang Yongyu showed his ‘relaxed’ side in new docu-film by Yonfan

Hong Kong director and photographer Yonfan is finally getting the recognition he deserves, with mainland censors deeming his Crossing Years docu about the late artist fit for the public.

Hong Kong Director and writer Yonfan, holds the award for Best Screenplay for the film No. 7 Cherry Lane at the closing ceremony of the Venice Film Festival in 2019. Photo: AP

We skipped Guilin’s karst hills and visited Longzhou in Guangxi, China instead

Guangxi’s little-visited Longzhou is a former French treaty port that offers all the karst peak sights and historic insight of far-more crowded locales.

Reflections | How ‘dragon bones’ shed a whole new light on China’s ancient history

With the news that dinosaur fossils were found in Hong Kong, here is how China’s oracle bones changed our understanding of the Shang dynasty.

China’s answer to Concorde, N Korea defectors try to join Ukraine: 7 highlights

From North Korean defectors wanting to join Ukraine’s efforts to China’s answer to Concorde, here are highlights from recent SCMP reporting.

North Korean soldiers during a mass rally in Pyongyang. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

What was Hong Kong’s telephone system like before smartphones?

The numerical prefixes used to indicate where callers were dialling from – New Territories, Hong Kong Island, Kowloon or outlying islands.

A telephone operator transfers a call from Hong Kong to mainland China in 1972. Photo: SCMP Archive

Why there’s a bittersweet side to Chinese wedding drink ‘bride wine’

Nu’er hong, or huadiao, is rice wine traditionally drunk at Chinese weddings. Matured 18 years, its opening marks a daughter’s leaving home.

‘Work priorities’ delayed identifying Hong Kong dinosaur fossils by 11 years

Commissioner for Heritage Ivanhoe Chang reveals fossils were found in geological study and left for over a decade due to ‘work priorities’.

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3 unusual Chinese musical instruments that have experts confused

Shaped like a fish, tiger and box respectively, the muyu, yu, and zhu are percussion instruments that all fall under the wood classification.

The muyu is a Chinese musical percussion instrument that falls under the wood category. It originated in China and is to this day used by Buddhist monks and followers across Asia. Photo: Shutterstock

Reflections | When officials in drought-prone part of China committed huge fraud

In a case that shocked China 250 years ago, officials were punished for fraud involving donations in return for university places.

A culprit before a magistrate in 18th century China in an 1801 engraving for a British magazine. Photo: Getty Images

Yum bui! How different cultures toast to good health through the ages

‘Yum bui’ were among the first Chinese words taught to Europeans arriving in Hong Kong, while ‘Bottoms Up’ is also the name of a Tsim Sha Tsui bar.

The imperfect value of digital facial reconstructions of our ancient ancestors

Digital facial reconstructions are looking increasingly realistic, but do they add equal scientific value?

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Forgotten friendship between US and China on display in WWII photo exhibition

An exhibition of photos from the China-Burma-India theatre in WWII shows Chinese and American soldiers fighting side by side.

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An exhibition of photos taken during WWII of Chinese and US soldiers serving side by side - including this image of US soldier Edward McNamara being taught to use chopsticks - has opened in Beijing. Photo: Zou Dehuai

Chinese artefacts thousands of years old in new Hong Kong exhibition

The Hong Kong Palace Museum exhibition includes more than 100 artefacts dating back to the earliest traces of Chinese civilisation.

Sacred Lion of Venice was made in China, new research suggests

It is the emblem of the Italian city. But now scientists say this ancient statue originated much further east.

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From kicked ball sport to earliest golf, 4 China sports leave lasting legacy

Chinese sports have existed for as long as civilisation has existed, some games were strikingly similar to today’s competitions.

In ancient China, numerous games from thousands of years ago continue to influence modern sports. Photo: SCMP composite/Sohu

How two imperial heirs of the Song dynasty sought refuge in Hong Kong

As the Mongols rampaged across China in the 13th century, two young heirs to the imperial throne fled to Lantau – but how did they end up there and what happened to them?

Created by local artists, the murals in Tai O, Hong Kong, give tourists insight into the village’s history and culture. Photo: Mabel Lui

Reflections | Official corruption isn’t new, but first recorded case in China was unusual

Yangshe Fu, Chinese history’s first recorded corrupt official, was killed after accepting a nobleman’s daughter as a bribe in a court case.

When former Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau made a pioneering trip to China

In 1973, Trudeau became the second Western leader to visit China in a month – then went on a whirlwind personal visit to Hong Kong with his wife and son, current Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

How ancient Chinese wore make-up more than 1,000 years ago

China cosmetic industry during Tang dynasty was vibrant, featuring impressive diverse options with a wide range of ingredients.

Tombs from ancient China reveal insights into the creation of early cosmetics and beauty rituals. Photo: SCMP composite/shenyunperformingarts.org/Sina

Director on making Puccini opera Turandot authentically Chinese

Director Jia Ding explains why his Opera Hong Kong production of rare Western work ‘that talks about China’ has to be historically accurate.

Detail from the set of Opera Hong Kong’s new production of Turandot. Designer Jia Ding is aiming for authenticity in his sets for Puccini’s only opera set in China. Photo: Opera Hong Kong

Meet the world’s leading Ming furniture collector

Grace Wu, the world’s No 1 Ming furniture expert, traces her journey ahead of her upcoming exhibition at Christie’s Hong Kong.

Chinese horoscopes: how’s your luck in October 2024, Wood Dog month?

If you’re a Dog like Prince William or Donald Trump, October is all about maintaining good ties – but what about the other 11 Chinese astrological signs?

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Chinese history
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Chinese history. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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