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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.
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

Famous Chinese women in history

In ancient China, women were expected to be obedient and chaste. But throughout millennia, some dared defy traditions with their intellect and ambition. In this series, we profile some of the most powerful and enigmatic female figures in Chinese history.

Art

Gardens of China and Europe juxtaposed in spectacular Hong Kong exhibition

Chinese culture

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

Hong Kong culture

Editorial | Hong Kong’s efforts to commemorate Bruce Lee should pack bigger punch

While the latest move to honour the late kung fu star is welcome, more must be done to acknowledge his standing as a pillar of Hong Kong heritage.

Chinese-American martial artist and actor Bruce Lee is pictured during the early 1970s. Photo: Archive Photos/Getty Images
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.

Taiwan

Why Beijing now wants its spies executed in Taiwan back in the spotlight

Mainland China is seeing a surge in interest over ‘invisible martyrs’ such as Wu Shi, a KMT defector who was executed in Taipei in 1950.

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Trending in China

7,000 years of China stilted houses celebrate human ingenuity, offer insights

Elevated homes have been part of Chinese culture since earliest days, showcasing how intercultural interaction fuelled technology development.

A recent study published in Nature offers an anthropological overview of Chinese stilted houses. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Sohu
Trending in China

China’s ‘most pampered child’ interred with treasures in lavish coffin 1,400 years ago

Though no portraits exist, reconstructions portray her as a noble young girl with twin circular hair buns, delicate, porcelain-like complexion.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | The history of China’s hospitality industry and how its inns evolved over time

Private inns served travelling merchants in ancient China and grew in number and sophistication as the economy and infrastructure expanded.

History

Inside the 14k, the Hong Kong triad that went global

From its roots in mainland China to expansion in Hong Kong and beyond, we look at the history of one of the most notorious triad societies.

Police arrest suspected 14K triad members at a restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, in 1995. The 14K began life as an openly pro-Kuomintang society in mainland China before becoming a global criminal organisation based in Hong Kong. Photo: SCMP
Trending in China

Chinese New Year bamboo greeting cards date back over 2,000 years to Han dynasty

Sending festive messages in ancient times took time and often servants would deliver ‘flying letters’ from their masters to remote friends.

Chinese New Year greeting cards date back over 2,000 years to the Han dynasty. They were initially made of bamboo and later paper. Photo: SCMP composite/Sohu/Weibo
Chinese culture

As I see it | How ancient Chinese philosophers make sense of modern headaches

Scholar Daniel A. Bell has written an entertaining new book, exposing a new generation to ancient Chinese wisdom on the issues of our day.

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Hong Kong society

Over 250 rare Han dynasty relics on display in major Hong Kong showcase

Development chief Bernadette Linn calls exhibition a ‘sequel’ to last year’s Tang dynasty showcase, with 95 per cent of relics shown in city for first time.

Chinese culture

Reflections | What an old Chinese snack can teach people about the ‘proper’ way to eat dishes

The evolution of ‘biluo’ in Tang-dynasty China highlights how there is no unchanging way in which a dish ought to be prepared and enjoyed.

Cherry Biluo. Photo: Sohu
Trending in China

Mastering the shadows: explore lives, extraordinary skills of ancient Chinese thieves

To maintain social order, ancient Chinese dynasties imposed severe punishments for theft – amputation, exile, even death penalty.

Ancient Chinese thieves, known for skills like qinggong and clever tactics, followed a strict code: never stealing from the vulnerable. Photo: SCMP composite/research.sinica.edu.tw/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Chinese culture

Turning walnuts into ‘jade’? Social media goes nuts over old Chinese tradition

You will not actually make jade by rolling walnuts around in your palm, but this Chinese tradition can boost hand strength and calm anxiety.

Trending in China

Celestial craftsmanship: secrets of meteorite axe from China Sanxingdui unveiled

Artefact was made of a particular blend of metal that would have been extremely difficult for the ancient people to create on Earth.

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How gossip spread in ancient China before newspapers reported on scandals

From eavesdroppers in teahouses to ‘inner informants’ in royal palaces, scandal merchants peddled stories of adultery and divorce.

In ancient China, gossip spread through ambitious students spying on the nobility and teahouse storytellers sharing tales. Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu
Belt and Road Initiative

Open Questions | China always a connector, never a coloniser, author says

Sheng-Wei Wang says China’s Belt and Road Initiative echoes the voyages of 15th century Chinese explorer Zheng He, who promoted trade but never stayed.

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Chinese culture

Opinion | Chinese youth are embracing Ching Ming with cultural confidence

Young people visiting the graves of historical figures reflects a cultural shift and the pursuit of a sense of continuity with the past.

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Trending in China

Ancient China lavish toilet routines: nobles used silk, Empress Cixi had 28 maids

During the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), public toilets charged usage fees, and some even featured novels and advertisements to attract patrons.

In ancient China, commoners used scrap paper for toilet hygiene while nobles opted for silk. Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu
Trending in China

Women sumo wrestling was popular in ancient China until rise of Confucian ethics

Grappling partially clothed, sometimes naked, women drew large crowds, emperors but complaints from conservative officials led to sport’s demise.

In ancient China, women’s sumo wrestling was a popular form of entertainment and the country is believed to hold the earliest records of female sumo wrestlers. Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu
Food and Drinks

How Okinawan food evolved with Chinese influences to become ‘truly unique’

Long ago, Okinawa was part of the Ryukyu Kingdom, a trade hub linking Japan to Asia. Today, dishes like goya champuru reflect this history.

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Trending in China

Compound Chinese surnames come from historic figures, ancient states; fewer than 100 remain

From celebrities to ordinary folk, millions of Chinese have such family names, which are considered rare and precious.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | History of Chinese flatbreads reflects how food has echoes of faraway places

How ‘hubing’ came to China is reflected in Hong Kong’s Jenny Bakery cookies smelling like Malaysia’s Rotiboy coffee buns, Wee Kek Koon says.

Today, the descendants of “hubing” Chinese flatbreads survive in everyday foods like “shaobing” (pictured), the ubiquitous flatbread sold at neighbourhood food stalls, and “nang”, the naan-like Xinjiang flatbreads still baked by pressing the dough against the walls of clay ovens. Photo: Shutterstock
Trending in China

Why ‘dung collector’ was a highly lucrative profession in ancient China

Faeces from wealthy commanded higher price due to superior diet as door-to-door ‘night soil’ gatherers sold human waste to farmers.

In ancient China, the profession of “dung collector” was highly lucrative, with fierce competition to gather “night soil.” Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu/Sohu
Chinese culture

As I see it | Why China is always misunderstood and misrepresented

By insisting on the superiority of its own standards of judgment and experience, the West distorts the realities of other societies.

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Trending in China

How emperors and nobles kept warm without quilts during winter in ancient China

While the rich luxuriated using women, dogs, cats to fight off freezing temperatures, the poor slept in manure heaps and death was common.

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