Advertisement
Advertisement
Goldthread
Goldthread is a culture publication exploring trends and human interest stories in China. More stories on goldthread2.com.
Yim Tin Tsai was once a thriving place known for its salt collection; village head Colin Chan hopes to turn it into a ‘living museum’.
Decades ago, the village was abandoned, but now, its former villagers are returning to preserve their traditional way of life – and the traditional way of making salt.
Typically found in southern China, ciba is often eaten as a dessert. Few places still make it by hand, but this man in Dafang has been doing it the traditional way for over a decade.
Tea eggs are a popular snack across mainland China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, characterised by dark-brown lines that cross the egg white. Making them is a time-consuming process that can take anywhere from a few hours to a whole day.
Advertisement
Banlangen made headlines last year when it was touted as a possible coronavirus remedy. But in southwestern China, the herb is mostly used as a dye for clothing
There are more than 50 million antique books in China, but only a handful of people are trained to repair them.
For generations, Tibetans have been using yak milk and butter to protect their skin from the harsh conditions of the plateau
Lin Yonghua learned how to make watches by taking them apart. Now, he is one of China’s few Swiss-accredited watchmakers
The giant pastry is called a guobing, which literally means ‘pot biscuit’ because it resembles the mouth of a giant pot.
Pot-lid noodles are a speciality of Zhenjiang, where shopkeepers insist their particular cooking method makes a difference
It is made by stretching dough to over 30 metres, which is why some people consider it the longest noodle in China.
Thirty years ago, Du Yaying went to prison for her part in running a gambling den. Finding her passion for food, she is today the chef and owner of a popular restaurant in Xiamen, China.
Siu mai is popular street snack in Hong Kong, but its origins can be traced further north to Inner Mongolia.
For thousands of years, farmers have used the Chinese calendar to figure out the best times to plant and harvest crops.
Oyster omelettes, or pancakes, are a street food staple in Taiwan and Xiamen. Legend has it that the dish originated in the throes of battle.
The fiddle-like xianzi has been part of Tibetan folk culture for centuries. But the number of people who can make the traditional instrument is dwindling.
From Minnan - a part of southern China - the snack spread all over Asia, to Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and beyond.
Punk is still not a common sight in China, but if you do find a scene, chances are you’re in Wuhan.
It’s a stereotype played out on the big screen and the presidential campaign trail. But how much truth is there to it? Some students and teachers in Asia say there is something to it: ‘All my Chinese students are just the next level above.’
Known as jinsimian in Chinese, gold thread noodles are thin as hair and reserved for important occasions. To achieve the effect, chefs carefully run a heavy knife back and forth across dough – a technique that takes a career to perfect.
While talking about money can be taboo in the West, many Chinese people discuss money with candour. Apart from religious practices and ancient superstitions, booming private wealth in recent decades helped remove social taboos around openly talking about money.
For many outsiders, the Chinese love affair with hot water is perplexing – it is one of the most searched questions about Chinese people on Google.
When Paul Eng of Fong On decided to reinvent his family’s rice cake and tofu business, there was one problem: he didn’t know the recipes.
Boba might be Taiwan’s most famous cultural export, but there’s one drink that says even more about the island’s history and unique climate. Topped with a slight froth, papaya milk is creamy, mildly sweet and refreshing to its fans, while others might find it pungent and intolerable.
The city is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used as a building material. It remains a viable yet threatened industry, with few companies specialising in the craft. Those that do have trouble finding new blood.
The region’s harsh winters have created some of the world’s best comfort food.
For her millions of fans, Dianxi Xiaoge’s soothing cooking videos offer a glimpse into life in rural China. But how did she get started, and is her life really as idyllic as it seems?
Reganmian is so tied to the city’s identity that natives who emigrate often open hot dry noodle shops wherever they settle.
Known as Liuxianren online, he became famous on China’s TikTok for modelling outfits made from tarp, leaves and even an air-conditioner. His videos have given him international attention, landing him a spot at London Fashion Week and a photo shoot in Hong Kong.
Liu Shichao, known as Hebei Pangzai, won over Twitter with videos of himself chugging six beers in under a minute and smashing bricks with his bare hands. How did a man from rural China break through the Great Firewall to become a global internet sensation?
