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Explainers: Culture

Explainers: Culture

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Explainers: Culture. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

A Hmong woman stands among the ancient stones of the Plain of Jars (Site 1),
outside Phonsavan. The Hmong New Year celebration in Phonsavan, the largest of its kind in Laos, sees young Hmong men and women mix and match traditional attire with modern accessories. Photo: Nicolas Bosoni

What is Hmong New Year – and how is it celebrated in the modern day?

For the Hmong ethnic group, the New Year festival in northern Laos’ Phonsavan is the perfect time to don your finest, honour your clan and go in search of The One.

6 Feb 2025 - 6:15PM

Asian cinema: Japanese films

Explainer | All you need to know before watching Attack on Titan: The Last Attack

14 Jan 2025 - 7:22PMvideocam

Trending in China

China Yiche ethnic minority embrace open marriage, first to wear mini-shorts

27 Dec 2024 - 9:00AM

Explainer | What are Thailand’s spirit houses – and why are they so colourful?

Every visitor to Thailand will have passed a spirit house, but they are a little understood aspect of the local culture – here’s why the san phra phum is so lovingly maintained

5 Aug 2024 - 1:15PM

An elaborate spirit house
at the Dhara Dhevi Resort in Chiang Mai. Photo: Ron Emmons

Chinese culture

Explainer | ‘Teeth playing’: China’s terrifying wild boar tusk art form faces extinction

One of China’s oldest, most terrifying, and painful forms of performance art is facing near extinction. The Post explains why.

25 Jun 2024 - 8:00PM

Trending in China

Explainer | ‘Ghost marriages’: delving into dark world of love after death in China and Asia

The Post uncovers the secrets that lie behind the ancient Chinese custom of ghost marriages.

22 Jun 2024 - 2:00PM

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Explainer | Why foreigners are flocking to Japan to learn how to become ninjas

The rich history of ninjutsu has captivated many foreigners, drawing them to Japan in pursuit of mastering the art of the ninja.

13 Jun 2024 - 3:15PM

Ninjas have garnered such immense worldwide fame that individuals from all corners of the globe dedicate themselves to rigorous training in order to master the intricate art of “ninjutsu”. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Instagram

European cinema

Explainer | How The Omen spawned horror franchise including new prequel The First Omen

Horror classic The Omen, the story of the birth of the Antichrist, started a long-running franchise, including newly released prequel The First Omen, starring Nell Tiger Free, Bill Nighy and Charles Dance.

3 Apr 2024 - 4:15PMvideocam

Food and Drinks

What’s the dining etiquette for different Asian cuisines? This expert knows

Etiquette consultant Piano Mok talks about different Asian dining customs and etiquette used in Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisines – from chopsticks to who eats first – and which rules apply to all.

7 Mar 2024 - 12:45PM

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Explainer | Beyond Bruce Lee: the rise of Hong Kong cinema during the 1970s

In the 1970s, Michael Hui was the box-office champion, Jackie Chan achieved stardom, and kung fu and sex sold movies. What else happened in Hong Kong cinema during that decade?

24 Dec 2023 - 6:15PMvideocam

Ricky Hui (front) and Michael Hui in a still from “The Contract” (1978). Hui was the box-office champion in the 1970s, but what else happened in Hong Kong cinema during that decade?

Asian cinema: Japanese films

Explainer | Who was Satoshi Kon, the genius animator who inspired Darren Aronofsky?

Satoshi Kon only completed four feature films, but his work inspired fellow filmmakers including Darren Aronofsky, whose films Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream were influenced by Kon’s Perfect Blue.

28 May 2024 - 5:05PMvideocam

A still from “Perfect Blue”.

Korean drama reviews

Ranked: the 15 best high-school Korean dramas of all time

From Boys Over Flowers to The Heirs, Weak Hero Class, Extracurricular and Twenty-Five Twenty-One, we rank the best among the many Korean drama series set in high schools.

18 Nov 2023 - 9:14AMvideocam

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How movies about a cartoon pig called McDull celebrated Hong Kong life

My Life as McDull, animated movie about a humdrum pig, charmed Hong Kong film-goers with the character’s hard work and persistence. Sequels of varying quality followed.

29 Oct 2023 - 5:34AMvideocam

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Explainer | How Wong Jing ruled the box office in 1990s Hong Kong

Jet Li, Chow Yun-fat and Stephen Chow were among the leading actors who worked with director-producer Wong Jing, whose crude, sex-filled films dominated the Hong Kong box office. What set him apart?

15 Nov 2023 - 4:58PM

Stephen Chow Sing-chi (left) and Ng Man-tat in a still from Royal Tramp.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How youth romance Feel 100% captured the spirit of 1990s Hong Kong

Woody Allen and The Wonder Years fan Joe Ma’s youth romance Feel 100% launched the film career of Cantopop star Sammi Cheng and made fellow singer Ekin Cheng a heartthrob.

15 Oct 2023 - 4:15AMvideocam

(From left) Eric Kot, Gigi Leung, Sammi Cheng and Ekin Cheng in a still from “Feel 100%“. Woody Allen fan Joe Ma’s 1996 movie that launched the film career of Cantopop star Sammi Cheng, turned fellow singer Ekin Cheng into a heartthrob and became one of the most popular Hong Kong movies of the 1990s.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Wilson Yip before Ip Man: 5 of the Hong Kong director’s offbeat early films

Famous for directing the Ip Man films, Hong Kong director Wilson Yip started out making quirky comedies, ghost stories and other dramas. We look at five of those films here.

8 Oct 2023 - 5:15PMvideocam

Korean drama reviews

Ranked: the 15 best romantic K-dramas of all time, including Secret Garden

From Crash Landing on You to Crash Course in Romance, there have been some classic romantic K-dramas over the years. We rank our 15 best ever, and why they deserve a spot in the list.

30 Sep 2023 - 7:15PMvideocam

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Gen-X Cops led a new crop of Hong Kong action films in the 1990s

Hong Kong cinema had to reinvent itself in the late ’90s to combat flagging ticket sales. Gen-X Cops led the way, with new young stars Nicholas Tse and Stephen Fung, computerised special effects and a faster pace.

12 Sep 2023 - 9:53AMvideocam

Nicholas Tse in a still from “Gen-X Cops”.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

More than ‘vases’: the complex roles women have in Stanley Kwan’s films

Stanley Kwan’s early films during the 1980s and 1990s centred on women, giving the actresses who played them roles focused on their characters and not just their looks. We take a closer look at four of those films.

3 Sep 2023 - 4:15AMvideocam

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The 10 best films of Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Hong Kong’s most celebrated actor

In The Mood For Love, Hard Boiled, Marvel’s Shang-Chi – Tony Leung has shown his versatility in a career spanning nearly 100 movies. He’s about to receive a Venice Film Festival lifetime achievement award.

3 Sep 2023 - 8:17AMvideocam

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

‘Problem kids’: Hong Kong actors Francis Ng and Anthony Wong in the 1990s

Hong Kong film stars Francis Ng and Anthony Wong are well known now, but in the early 1990s when they began appearing in movies they were mainly character actors and still looking for recognition.

27 Aug 2023 - 8:47AM

Anthony Wong (left) and Francis Ng at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards at the Hong Kong Coliseum in April 2000. The pair had been a breath of fresh air for Hong Kong film-goers in the 1990s with their unconventional style. Photo: SCMP

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The 2 sides of Hong Kong director Johnnie To shown in 2 great movies

Johnnie To’s ‘Lifeline’ and ‘The Mission’ show the Hong Kong action director’s two contrasting approaches to making movies: going for box-office glory, and just doing what he wants.

20 Aug 2023 - 8:24AMvideocam

Roy Cheung in a still from “The Mission” (1999).

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How early Patrick Tam and Ann Hui films show Hong Kong New Wave’s diversity

The differences between Hong Kong directors Patrick Tam and Ann Hui’s early films Nomad and The Story of Woo Viet exemplify the breadth of style and range of themes of Hong Kong New Wave cinema.

13 Aug 2023 - 11:08AMvideocam

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Explainer | The time Michelle Yeoh stepped away and Cynthia Khan stepped in

With action stars Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock unavailable to film In the Line of Duty 3 and In the Line of Duty 4, Cynthia Khan stepped in. Cast as a new character, she made the role her own.

9 Aug 2023 - 11:33AMvideocam

Ranked: the 15 best K-drama OSTs you should add to your playlist

How many times have you crooned along to a song during a Korean drama viewing marathon? We rank our 15 favourite K-drama soundtracks, from Netflix hit Squid Game to oldie but goody Secret Garden.

5 Aug 2023 - 4:15AMvideocam

Jo Jung-suk in a still from “Hospital Playlist”.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Explainer | Why Ringo Lam’s films with Jean-Claude Van Damme deserve a reappraisal

Maximum Risk, the 1996 film that marked Hong Kong action director Ringo Lam’s Hollywood debut, lacked many of his characteristic flourishes, but the editing was sharp and there was a memorable sauna scene.

9 Aug 2023 - 11:32AMvideocam

Jean-Claude Van Damme and Ringo Lam.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Explainer | How Olivier Assayas helped actress Maggie Cheung explore her limits

Hong Kong star Maggie Cheung showed her acting abilities in two films directed by Olivier Assayas: Irma Vep, in which she played a version of herself, and Clean, in which she played a recovering heroin addict.

9 Aug 2023 - 11:32AMvideocam

The 10 most famous K-drama actresses of all time – including Song Hye-kyo

Our pick of the top 10 Korean actresses includes former K-pop star IU, Song Hye-kyo, currently in The Glory on Netflix, and Son Ye-jin, famous for her romantic roles, including global hit Crash Landing on You.

8 Jul 2023 - 5:08AM

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