Chinese villagers go viral with set-up country scenes, charge tourists to take photos

Chinese villagers go viral with set-up country scenes, charge tourists to take photos

A wizened farmer leads a buffalo through a misty copse of gnarled trees in eastern China, closely followed by a woman in a straw hat heaving pails of water. It is a tranquil image of rural Chinese life – except for the overhead whirr of a drone, the hiss of a smoke machine and the … Read more

Hong Kong cheongsam maker gives the Chinese dress a modern makeover with her funky brand

Hong Kong cheongsam maker gives the Chinese dress a modern makeover with her funky brand

From snake-themed events to whether your luck is in: discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year in our Year of the Snake 2025 series. Chocolate Tsang opens the door to her Hong Kong studio wearing one of her handmade cheongsam, the Chinese-style, form-hugging dress characterised by a high collar, short … Read more

Ying Chang Compestine, Chinese-American author, on her graphic novel Chinese cookbook

Ying Chang Compestine, Chinese-American author, on her graphic novel Chinese cookbook

Whether it is Ants Climbing a Tree, Buddha Jumps over the Wall or a recipe whose name translates to “Ignored by Doggy Stuffed Buns”, some Chinese dishes are notable for their quirky names, as well as their savoury flavours. Luckily, Ying Chang Compestine, a Lafayette, California-based author who grew up in Wuhan, China, is here … Read more

My Take | Mixing Marx with Confucius: the heart of the matter for China

My Take | Mixing Marx with Confucius: the heart of the matter for China

In 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the faithful at the five-yearly Communist Party congress that belief in people’s hearts would give strength to China as a nation. “When people have faith, the country has strength and the Chinese nationality has hope,” he said at the time. The phrase has been cited again and again … Read more

Yeh Chia-ying, China’s ‘daughter of poetry’, dies at the age of 100

Yeh Chia-ying, China’s ‘daughter of poetry’, dies at the age of 100

Yeh Chia-ying, a revered figure in Chinese classical poetry and education, died at the age of 100 in the northern port city of Tianjin on Sunday. Often referred to as the “daughter of poetry”, she dedicated seven decades to researching and promoting classical Chinese poetry across mainland China, Taiwan, the United States and Canada. She … Read more

How Xi Jinping is going back to Confucius to define China’s future

How Xi Jinping is going back to Confucius to define China’s future

For most of the 103-year history of the Communist Party of China, the teachings of the philosopher Confucius were deemed relics of a backwards past, with its leaders looking to Marxism and socialism to modernise China. But under President Xi Jinping’s leadership, Confucianism has made a dramatic comeback as the bedrock of imperial Chinese ethics … Read more

Xi Jinping’s father the subject of new historical drama on state television

Xi Jinping’s father the subject of new historical drama on state television

A historical drama about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s late father, Xi Zhongxun, will be shown on state television from Tuesday – the first time his story has been dramatised for TV. The first episode of Time in the Northwest will make its debut during prime time on CCTV’s main channel, according to a trailer aired … Read more

Involution? The biggest threat to China’s quantum computing field is internal risk: expert

Involution? The biggest threat to China’s quantum computing field is internal risk: expert

China urgently needs to develop elite talent in the field of quantum computing, according to a leading academic, who has warned that the hi-tech sector must avoid internal trends that strangle innovation. Yu Dapeng, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said a lack of ingenuity was hindering China’s quantum computing development, despite the significant public … Read more

Chinese publisher who gave world The Three-Body Problem under corruption cloud

Chinese publisher who gave world The Three-Body Problem under corruption cloud

A Chinese publisher best known for discovering The Three-Body Problem, the award-winning sci-fi novel recently adapted into a hit Netflix series, is under investigation for corruption. Yao Haijun, deputy editor-in-chief of the influential magazine Science Fiction World, is accused of “severe violations of Communist Party discipline and law”, authorities in Sichuan province said, using the … Read more

How to make Hong Kong’s vanishing sweet treats dragon’s beard candy and ding ding tong

How to make Hong Kong’s vanishing sweet treats dragon’s beard candy and ding ding tong

Take a bite out of history with our exclusive series on the delicious ingredients, dishes and techniques behind the unique taste of Hong Kong. At his humble stall in Kingswood Richly Plaza in Tin Shui Wai, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, Tam Tat-ming carries a ring of pliable sugar in his gloved hands. He deftly … Read more