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Chinese history

Chinese history
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Chinese history. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Breaking imperial tradition, the Hongzhi Emperor stands out as China’s only monogamous ruler, bypassing a customary harem to remain fiercely dedicated to his wife. Photo: Wikipedia
Trending in China

How murder and secrecy helped create China’s only monogamous emperor

While Emperor Hongzhi certainly loved his wife, his traumatic childhood likely played a decisive role in his unique monogamy.

US-China relations

Chinese art takes long march home from US museums

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | The surprising history of beer in China, from li to Tsingtao

Science

Online claims revive mercury mystery around tomb of first Chinese emperor

A Weibo hashtag about ancient cinnabar sites has reignited debate over the ‘rivers and seas’ in Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum.

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The Archaeological Site Park of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, in Xian, Shaanxi province, encompasses Qin Shi Huang’s still-unopened tomb, along with burial pits containing the terracotta warriors. Photo: Xinhua
Chinese culture

China’s ‘mountain of immortals’: why millions flock to the peaks of Wudang

The sacred mountain range dotted with ancient Taoist temples attracts pilgrims and visitors praying for everything from peace to good weather.

China’s Communist Party

Shows, tours and film as China marks 90 years since the end of the Long March

Communist Party has rolled out a series of commemorative activities to promote the historic trek and revive its ‘spirit’.

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

Why did Trump and Xi seal a deal on World War II soldiers’ missing remains?

Reviving the decades-long effort is one of the ‘least controversial’ ways the two nations can cooperate, observers say.

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A US representative carries a casket during the handover ceremony for the remains of US pilots in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan province, on October 22, 2015. Photo Xinhua
Science

4-winged fossil found in Liaoning challenges single origin of dinosaur flight

While both birds and some winged dinosaurs could fly, they built their ‘flying kit’ in a different order.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | When centuries of Chinese knowledge were destroyed by warlord who burned a city

Xiang Yu’s razing of the Qin capital Xianyang, which left libraries full of vital texts in ruin, was echoed centuries later in Warsaw.

Chinese culture

Who was Wang Zhenyi? Chinese female scientist who defied gender expectations

Wang shot for the stars with her work in astronomy and mathematics at a time when learned women did little more than write poetry.

Qing dynasty astronomer and mathematician Wang Zhenyi defied societal norms and the expectations set upon her gender to study and demystify complex scientific and mathematical concepts. Illustration: Huy Truong
Trending in China

Chinese archaeologists find 2,200-year-old ancestor of Dragon Boat Festival treat

When we eat zongzi or other leaf-wrapped food, we can clearly appreciate that this tradition existed since ancient times, says researcher.

Chinese scientists have unearthed an ancient precursor to zongzi, proving the leaf-wrapped tradition dates back at least 2,200 years. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Yong Ge
Food and Drinks

History of mooncake moulds and their designs, and those preserving the craft

Mooncake artistry flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties, carved onto wooden moulds depicting flowers, birds and even deities.

Trending in China

Chinese scientists find first proof of nose-chopping penalty for cattle thieves

Under the rule of the King of Qin (247 BC–221 BC), severed noses accumulated like mountain peaks, and carts overflowed with amputated feet.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | A Polish priest’s perilous mission to save a doomed Chinese dynasty

In 1651, the embattled Ming court, which included several Christian converts, sent Michal Boym to seek the Pope’s aid. It never came.

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Michal Boym, also known as Bu Mige, was a 17th century Jesuit missionary dispatched to Europe to seek papal aid for the struggling Qing dynasty. Although his diplomatic endeavour failed, the knowledge he spread helped demystify China for European audiences. Photo: Wikipedia
Chinese culture

Being Chinese | The unspoken reason my Chinese friends choose America

When friends say they can just ‘exist’ in the US, they mean they can stop performing to the Confucian expectations that define Chinese life.

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A noodle restaurant along a largely deserted pavement in Arcadia, California. Outside the Confucian system, there is no perpetual appraisal of your earning power, your waistline or your marital status. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Chinese culture

The tragic Qing politician whose legacy lives on in descendant’s new novel

The life of Duanfang inspires E.L. Shen’s novel Foreigners, about identity, queer awakening and the immigrant experience in modern America.

From our archives

On This Day | Hong Kong mourns Mao Zedong’s death in 1976 – SCMP archive

Fifty years ago, Mao Zedong’s death sent shock waves around the world.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Amid ‘Lake America’ stink, the Chinese emperor whose renaming campaign backfired

Two thousand years ago, Wang Mang’s renaming of places, peoples and titles fuelled rebellions that ended both his regime and his life.

People take photos in front of a sign reading “Lake Ontario Now and Always” on August 29, 2026. The sign was unveiled by Ontario Premier Doug Ford at Fifty Point Conservation Area in the Canadian city of Hamilton after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming the lake as Lake America. Photo: Reuters
Chinese culture

Famous Chinese women in folklore, from Mulan to a dynasty-toppling consort

These women have inspired countless poems, books, movies and TV shows over the centuries, but what are their stories and why do they endure?

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.

Mainland China

Rewriting history puts China’s image and sense of self at risk, party warns

Article warns that claims ancient Greece was a hoax or the Industrial Revolution originated in China have already hurt the country’s image.

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Some pseudo-historians claim Mount Emei (pictured) in China's Sichuan province “is the Alps” because their Chinese names are similar. Photo: Xinhua
American cinema

How 1969 oddity The Chairman pitted Gregory Peck against Mao at ping-pong

The Cold War thriller starring Gregory Peck features a surreal encounter with Chairman Mao and a prescient warning about climate change.

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Actor Gregory Peck in a scene from the movie ‘The Most Dangerous Man in the World’, 1969. (Photo by Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty Images) Actor Conrad Yama as ‘The Chairman’, in a scene from the movie ‘The Most Dangerous Man in the World’, 1969. (Photo by Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty Images)
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.

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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Researchers say Chinese characters combine core structural components, like sun, moon and human, following an evolutionary pattern shaped by frequency of use. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese culture

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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Professor Zhu Fenghan is the lead editor of a 60-volume compendium documenting more than 23,000 ancient Chinese bronze artefacts lost abroad. The Collection of Chinese Bronzes in Overseas Collections is the product of a painstaking 14-year investigation. 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.

Science

China sends archaeologists to South America to trace ancestral links

Joint project with Peru will start with field surveys in the Caral zone, which is home to the oldest known urban centre in the Americas.

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