Opinion | Some of China’s best cultural ambassadors are foreign vloggers

Opinion | Some of China’s best cultural ambassadors are foreign vloggers

I was impressed that a couple from Britain and Italy, on their YouTube channel, said that people in China completely blew them away because they “never expected anyone could be so lovely, so friendly, so helpful, so welcoming and so patient”, and “so nice”. It was the first time I had seen someone put so … Read more

5 film set superstitions in Hong Kong, from rites to lucky red envelopes for death scenes

5 film set superstitions in Hong Kong, from rites to lucky red envelopes for death scenes

Learn the ins and outs of feng shui, villain hitting, and fortunetelling as well as the dos and don’ts for cultivating good luck in our series on Chinese superstitions. In Chinese culture, show business is thought of as an “informal” trade because of the lack of a stable income and how you have to rely … Read more

China’s ethnic policy chief slams ‘ignorance of history’ in Xinjiang assimilation claims

China’s ethnic policy chief slams ‘ignorance of history’ in Xinjiang assimilation claims

“There is an inaccurate narrative in the international community that separates Xinjiang culture from Chinese culture and even sets them against each other. But a large amount of archaeological evidence tells us that Xinjiang has been an important part of the Chinese cultural sphere since ancient times,” Pan said. “There is also an international narrative … Read more

Dragon Boat Festival 2024: 10 Hong Kong restaurants’ creative sticky rice dumplings

Dragon Boat Festival 2024: 10 Hong Kong restaurants’ creative sticky rice dumplings

Whatever you may think of their origin story, sticky rice dumplings remain a staple of the Dragon Boat Festival, and come with a range of fillings. Jade Garden’s sea urchin and fish maw rice dumpling. Photo: Jade Garden In Hong Kong, the most common zongzi are Cantonese-style dumplings with traditional fillings such as marinated pork … Read more

5 of the greatest Chinese cultural exports, from foods and tea to calligraphy and Confucianism

5 of the greatest Chinese cultural exports, from foods and tea to calligraphy and Confucianism

Chinese history has produced many cultural exports, particularly to East and Southeast Asia. Here are five of the most significant: 1. Hanzi (Chinese characters) Calligraphy dates back 3,000 years in China, and was exported to Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Photo: Shutterstock The logographic system of Chinese languages is widely accepted by world scholars as one … Read more

Young women in China abandon traditional beauty standards to ‘imitate’ Western habits like wearing yoga pants, eating ‘white people’s food’

Young women in China abandon traditional beauty standards to ‘imitate’ Western habits like wearing yoga pants, eating ‘white people’s food’

The phrase “white women aesthetic” recently emerged as a buzzword on the Xiaohongshu social media platform, accompanied by the slogan – “Question white women, understand white women, become white women” which is gaining currency online. The lifestyle switch is characterised by Lululemon yoga pants, Stanley thermos and “white people’s food” which is considered to be … Read more

‘Shameless’: controversy over cuts to classical Chinese content in Taiwan’s schools heats up presidential race

‘Shameless’: controversy over cuts to classical Chinese content in Taiwan’s schools heats up presidential race

Ko Wen-je, the candidate and head of the smaller opposition Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), set off the debate during a campaign rally in Taipei on December 8, saying he strongly opposed teaching less classical Chinese literature in the island’s high schools. “I studied Tang dynasty poetry [618-907 AD],” Ko told the rally. He said there … Read more