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History

History
The latest news, analysis and opinion on History. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A Japanese soldier watches the suburbs of Shanghai ablaze in this undated colourised photograph. Photo: Getty Images
Japan

Japan set to revive WWII military titles in controversial shift

While some argue the change aligns Japan with global norms, others say better pay – not historical titles – is what soldiers really need.

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Greenland

Language Matters | How Greenland’s language is just as invaluable as its minerals and oil

Macau

Scandals, shidaiqu and fedora-clad concierges – a Macau institution returns

China economy

Opinion | US-China rivalry: great powers that don’t make things won’t be great for long

As globalisation falters, it is countries that focus on building productive capacity, not financial excess, that will come out on top.

Children play next to The Bund Bull sculpture in Shanghai on April 9, 2025. Photo: AFP
Singapore

A tale of two cities: Singapore, Hong Kong and their contrasting paths

Historian Wang Gungwu reflects on how political legacies have shaped Hong Kong and Singapore, two of Asia’s economic ‘tigers’.

Art

How a residency in Ireland changed everything for this artist

The Macau-born, New York-based artist makes ceramic sculptures, paying tribute to her late mother and Macau’s architectural history.

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Trip Inspiration

From devil-mouth caves to deer-filled parks, these sites deserve more love

From ancient temples in Bali to royal tombs in Korea, Asia’s World Heritage sites reveal rich histories beyond the spotlight.

The lavish stonework and proximity to other landmarks have long drawn tourists to the 17th century Ruins of Saint Paul, in Macau. Photo: Ronan O’Connell
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How Chinese new year cards went from elites’ greetings to bribery instruments

Wishing someone a happy new year was a highly formal affair among people of status in imperial China and some cards were even collected.

Singapore

In his Singapore book launch, Wang Gungwu recounts own journey through history

Wang says in his book that there are no borders between civilisations and that the past provides the ‘guideposts to the future’.

TV shows and streaming video

Mostly unseen footage shows the crazy year building world’s first Disneyland

The new documentary Disneyland Handcrafted on Disney+ reveals just how fragile the creation of California’s Disneyland was.

Workers construct the front gates of California’s Disneyland in a still from Disneyland Handcrafted, a new documentary on Disney+. Photo: TNS
Science

Composite tool find puts China in tech revolution up to 160,000 years ago: paper

Team says discovery of 2,600 stone tools, including hafted tools, reshapes understanding of human evolution in eastern Asia.

A new paper published in Nature Communications says the presence of hafted stone tools among discoveries in China shows “an understanding of how to enhance tool performance”. Image: Handout
Food and Drinks

What is makhan malai, Lucknow’s favourite winter street food?

Known by many different names across northern India, makhan malai is made from hand-churning milk and cream into an airy froth.

Art

‘Love letter to my sons’: artist explores motherhood in Hong Kong exhibition

‘No Man’s Land’ reflects how Marian Ang feels about motherhood, as viewed through paintings about her grandmother, family items and more.

Macau

His mother stuffed zebras. He broke the biggest story in Macau’s history

Having moved from colonial conflicts in Africa to the mean streets of the Pearl River Delta, Gonçalo César de Sá has witnessed Macau’s modern history.

Journalist Gonçalo César de Sá at his home in Macau. Photo: Eduardo Leal
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Gezhi Town: Chinese war drama with Xiao Zhan dares to entertain

Civilians try to fend off Japanese soldiers in this thrilling drama that focuses on character dynamics rather than patriotic grandstanding.

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Xiao Zhan in a still from Gezhi Town (category IIB, Mandarin), co-starring Peng Yuchang and Zhou Yiran, and directed by Kong Sheng.
My Life

He planned to only stay in Macau for a year. Now he runs the literary festival

The Mozambique-born journalist once chose Stanley Ho for his magazine’s cover instead of Gong Li, and later bought the Portuguese Bookshop.

Tourism

Exhibition of love letters from history, from spies to poets and royalty

The London exhibition includes a letter from Oscar Wilde’s lover asking Queen Victoria for a pardon and King Edward VIII’s abdication letter.

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Editor's Letter

This week in PostMag: the many layers of Macau

This issue explores the profiles, places and passions that capture Macau’s past and present – from off-duty chefs to indefatigable storytellers.

The Ruins of Saint Paul’s in Macau feature on the cover of the January 25 print edition of PostMag. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Was Chinese princess sent to marry a Malaysian sultan a real person?

Hang Li Po’s 15th-century marriage allegedly sealed Malacca and China’s friendly relations. Proof of her existence is scant. Does it matter?

From our archives

In pictures: Hong Kong’s coldest days from the 1970s to 2010s

It doesn’t happen often, but Hong Kong occasionally experiences frost and ice during cold snaps, as these images from our archives capture.

Chinese culture

World’s first Chinese rosewood cello stars in Hong Kong exhibition

Made over six months from a 200-year-old piece of Chinese rosewood, or huanghuali, the cello is now on show at Sheung Wan’s Liang Yi Museum.

The Chinese rosewood cello that stars in “The World’s First Huanghuali Cello” is seen at the exhibition at the Liang Yi Museum in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. The exhibition, which runs until January 28, showcases the masterpiece alongside other items made from Chinese rosewood. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Japan

Japan weighs disturbing grave of over 700 children to recover WWII relics

A US submarine attack in 1944 claimed 1,484 lives, and officials are now consulting families on whether to raise artefacts or let them lie.

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The Tsushima Maru, a Japanese vessel carrying more than 1,700 civilian evacuees, including schoolchildren, was en route to Nagasaki on August 22, 1944, when it was sunk by a US submarine. Photo: Handout
Archaeology and palaeontology

Italy uncovers ancient basilica designed by the ‘father of architecture’ Vitruvius

Mayor calls archeological find in the central Italian city of Fano the ‘discovery of the century’.

Chinese culture

This remote Chinese minority uses horsetail hair to create beautiful embroidery

A craft passed down for thousands of years, the horsetail embroidery of China’s Shui people is deemed a local intangible cultural heritage.

Science

Chinese team restores legendary Tang dynasty ‘golden’ armour from Tibetan tomb

Tomb’s occupant confirmed to be a Tuyuhun king and the golden armour is likely to have been among his prized possessions, conservators say.

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For centuries, the splendour of the Tang dynasty gold-plated armour lived only in poetry and imagination. Photo: Handout
Style Edit

Style Edit: The story behind the Louis Vuitton Monogram

Designed to defeat counterfeiters 130 years ago, the motif has become one of the most recognisable in all of fashion, seen on everyone from Audrey Hepburn to Zendaya.

The story behind the now famous Louis Vuitton Monogram that has adorned the luxury brand’s luggage for 130 years. Photo: Handout
Timepieces

Horology’s most storied addresses: watch museums, workshops and archives

These locales, from museums to brands’ own premises, are hallowed grounds for watch fans, giving them insights and a peek into timekeeping history.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | What a Chinese hero’s fatal love of raw fish warns us about uncooked food

The recent sale of the most expensive tuna in Tokyo reflects sushi’s popularity, but an episode in Chinese history shows raw food’s dangers.

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