Chinese New Year is not just about red packets, puddings and dumplings. Commonly seen in people’s houses during the festival, the chuen hup, also known as the togetherness box, is a veritable feast of tiny sweet treats that also carries rich cultural connotations and many beautiful and auspicious meanings. Chinese New Year, also known in … Read more
A Chinese wedding has many of the trappings of a Western marriage and in addition rituals, traditions and matters of etiquette to follow. In our series on Chinese weddings, we break these down and tell you how to get everything right. Gold symbolises fortune, power and longevity in Chinese culture, so it is no surprise … Read more
During a tour of temples and other establishments built in his honour, the group was tailed by secret agents throughout its entire trip, the Taipei-based China Times reported on Monday. An unnamed host of the group told the newspaper that religious exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait had been going on for … Read more
Both enthusiasts and novices realised that there were gloriously scenic routes in their own back garden, rides of up to 200km (125 miles) that could be completed between dawn and dusk. Beijing residents Brendan Mason and Sean Gallagher (right) are keen cyclists and often head out of the city on their bikes. Brendan Mason, 61, … Read more
Tokyo claims the Diaoyus belong to the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, which includes the area once known as Ryukyu. However, Beijing has long disputed the notion that the Diaoyus were part of the Ryukyu kingdom. Okinawa or Ryukyu? The prefecture on the front line of China-Japan ties Liu Chengyong, director of the China National Archives … Read more
The Great Wall of China, a marvel of human engineering and a symbol of ancient resilience, is facing a modern challenge: erosion. However, a natural phenomenon, known as biocrusts, is emerging as an unexpected protector of this iconic structure. A recent study in ‘Science Advances’ has shed light on an unexpected ally in the preservation … Read more
