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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.
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)
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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Lessons from China's history

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

Food and Drinks

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

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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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.

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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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The team will soon start work in the Caral archaeological zone in Peru’s Supe Valley. Photo: Shutterstock
China’s soft power

Why Chinese media says US historians are giving ‘ammunition’ to separatists

As ethnic issues grow ever more sensitive, Beijing is alleging the New Qing History movement seeks to fracture the nation.

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China’s narrative war

Gaokao reforms could leave Chinese vulnerable to pseudo-history, academic warns

University dean’s cautionary words come as Beijing is increasingly on guard about historical views at odds with the official line.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Like Trump, China’s first emperor survived various assassination attempts

Would-be assassins came close to ending Ying Zheng’s life on at least four occasions, including one whose weapon was a musical instrument.

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Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in the US state of Maryland on August 11, 2026, about his recent decoy flight from Turkey to the UK after intelligence uncovered a credible Iranian threat to assassinate him. Photo: TNS
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.

A gold-inked manuscript from the Tibetan Dragon Canon, which is on show as part of the “Tibetan Dragon Canon: A Symphony of Imperial Power, Belief and Art in a Golden Age” exhibition at Taiwan’s National Palace Museum until November 8, 2026. The 357-year-old text has recently gone viral for apparently granting those who view it seven lifetimes of good karma. Photo: NPM
Chinese culture

Being Chinese | Rice has a place in Chinese hearts, whether we eat it or not

The importance of rice is reflected in our language and assumptions. As abundance becomes the norm, will we forget what hunger taught us?

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Trending in China

Evidence of earliest silkworm farming outside China found, upending Silk Road timeline

4,000-year-old cocoons found in Uzbekistan likely made their way to the region 2,000 years before the Silk Road even existed.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How Chinese society’s resilient moral framework has lasted nearly 3,000 years

The Zhou-dynasty ideals of family responsibility, propriety and self-cultivation remain woven into the very fabric of China today.

The family has long lay at the centre of Chinese society’s moral universe, with respect for parents, harmony between siblings and the fulfilment of family obligations elevated from private virtues to the very foundations of society. Photo: Shutterstock
China’s internet censorship

China targets pseudo-history conspiracists who claim civilisations were stolen

Zhejiang agency says pseudo-historical claims – made worse by AI – reflect ignorance and fracture social cognition.

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The Acropolis in Athens. A social media account linked to a Chinese provincial government has criticised pseudo-historical theories denying the existence of figures such as Aristotle. Photo: EPA
Trending in China

How Chinese culture links 4 cardinal directions to life’s natural cycle – and why

In a primarily agricultural society, sunset signifies the end of the day, leading to the metaphor ‘going west’ to represent death.

Chinese culture

China challenges Western ‘tribute system’ theory in push for narrative control

Article by US billionaire investor Ray Dalio puts spotlight back on English term used to describe Chinese diplomatic and economic posture.

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China's economic recovery

How China’s Zhangjiajie aims to revive a US$296 million loss-making tourist site

A 150,000-visitor opening offers an early signal, but analysts warn that lasting cash flow will require stronger products, local culture and tighter operations.

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People await entry into Dayong Ancient City during its reopening last month. Photo: Handout
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Even Confucius was buff? How ancient China prized strength and fitness

The gentle philosopher was said to possess extraordinary strength, while Chinese military officers long had to pass tough physical tests.

Mainland China

As I see it | The world that made Confucius – and the China he made

China’s most enduring philosophical tradition didn’t merely revere the past; it drew upon history to construct the future.

China’s Communist Party

Open Questions | Wang Gungwu on lessons of Chinese history and Cold War

Historian says the past holds the keys to the future, both for Chinese as they seek further socioeconomic progress and for US as it looks to undermine China.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China-Japan relations

‘Ghosts of the 20th century’: how China and Japan clash over post-WWII narrative

In quest to win trust of Asian neighbours, Beijing is intensifying its rhetoric against Tokyo’s changing defence posture.

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Amid an escalating diplomatic crisis, China and Japan are trying to define each other’s international identity. Photo: Shutterstock
Trending in China

Escape artist: Chinese cup depicts ‘swimming’ crab inspired by ‘dancing fairy cup’

Many view the ‘floating crab cup’ as a celebration of their ancestors’ ability to enjoy life’s pleasures.

Britain

As I see it | How ‘evil’ was the British Empire? Centuries of theft and destruction

From Indian colonisation to the opium trade, an empire of avarice and brutality was powered by the East India Company.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | As Jolie-Pitt kids change their surname, why ancient Chinese did the same

From an emperor who demanded no one share his surname to personal protection and punishment, the reasons for name changes in China were many.

Angelina Jolie with her and Brad Pitt’s daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt at the Tony Awards at New York’s Lincoln Centre on June 16, 2024. Several of Jolie and Pitt’s children recently announced their decision to drop Pitt from their surname, following their parents’ drawn-out divorce, which was finalised in 2024. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
Accidents and disasters in China

On This Day | 1976 earthquake in China’s Tangshan kills over 240,000 people – SCMP archive

On this day 50 years ago, the deadliest earthquake in recorded history razed the mining town of Tangshan in China’s Hebei province.

Survivors search for their loved ones and belongings on July 30, 1976 among the ruins in Tangshan City after an earthquake struck the city in the early morning of July 28, 1976. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

How America’s 250-year China dream became its greatest strategic challenge

Historians trace how US hopes of trade, reform and friendship gave way to rivalry with the power it once sought to transform.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | When Chinese emperors and prime ministers fell out, the results could be deadly

Imperial China relied on officials to run government affairs under the emperor, but as history shows, this power dynamic was a fragile one.

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