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Art Basel
Chinese knots have a long history, and are especially popular at Lunar New Year because they are believed to bring good luck. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese culture

Why now is the best time of the year to get tangled with Chinese knots

We explore the rich history and symbolism of Chinese knots, which signify good luck and are displayed during Lunar New Year festivities.

Art

Review | Art shows at former Hong Kong prison examine liberty and boundaries

United States

Late US president Jimmy Carter wins posthumous Grammy for best audiobook

Art

Restoring Rubens painting a tall order for Antwerp museum team

A painting taller than an adult giraffe is undergoing restoration at a museum in Belgium, requiring yoga-like contortions from conservators.

Art conservator Kayla Metelenis works on a section of Enthroned Madonna Adored by Saints, painted by Rubens. Photo: AP
Art conservator Kayla Metelenis works on a section of Enthroned Madonna Adored by Saints, painted by Rubens. Photo: AP
Books and literature

Review | Asian-American woman literally moulds her perfect man in Blob: A Love Story

Author Maggie Su’s surreal new novel offers a unique look at humanity as a woman creates her own very handsome Frankenstein’s monster.

Music

John Williams taught video game composer patience. The rest was up to him

For music composer Olivier Deriviere, whose games include Assassin’s Creed IV and South of Midnight, being a gamer gives him an edge.

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European cinema

The Wallace and Gromit fans getting evil Feathers McGraw tattoos

Tattoos of the evil silent penguin from the Wallace and Gromit animated films are going viral as fans share photos on social media.

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A tattoo of Feathers McGraw, the villain from the Wallace & Gromit animated films. Fans around the world are getting tattooed with images of the evil silent penguin character. Photo: Instagram/lefthandpathtattoos
A tattoo of Feathers McGraw, the villain from the Wallace & Gromit animated films. Fans around the world are getting tattooed with images of the evil silent penguin character. Photo: Instagram/lefthandpathtattoos
Music

Ukrainian folk band fights back against Russia in their own special way

Ukraine’s DakhaBrakha ensemble takes their country’s traditional folk music across the world to combat Russian cultural ‘assimilation’.

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Art

In Korean artist’s ‘Black Paintings’, the unseen is just as important

New ‘Black Paintings’ are among works at Hong Kong’s Yuz Flow by Lee Jinju, who uses traditional art techniques to convey contemporary ideas.

Lunar New Year

Women in this Chinese lion dance troupe also fling around the men

The Lingdong troupe from Shantou in China includes around 20 female performers, but there has been some mockery amid the positive reactions.

This photo taken on January 22, 2025 shows female lion dancers taking part in a practice session at an ancestral temple in Shantou, in southern China’s Guangdong province. Sporting furry sequinned trousers and a black training top, Lin Xinmeng flings her male teammate into the air -- part of China’s world-renowned lion dance that is shrugging off centuries of patriarchal norms. Performed across China and around the world, at weddings or during business openings, it is a mainstay festivity for the Lunar New Year which which falls on January 29 this year. (Photo by Jade GAO / AFP) / TO GO WITH: China-culture-LNY-dance-lion, REPORTAGE by Ludovic EHRET
What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, Jan 31-Feb 2

Slip on a pair of embroidered slippers, watch a Lunar New Year film, mix yoga with art, tuck into a tempting brunch and more this weekend.

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King’s Slippers in North Point, Hong Kong, has been selling embroidered shoes since it opened in 1960. Photo: Kylie Knott
King’s Slippers in North Point, Hong Kong, has been selling embroidered shoes since it opened in 1960. Photo: Kylie Knott
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Stunning moments in Beyond Dance Theater’s riff on Shakespeare

Kelvin Mak’s brilliantly original choreography illuminates The Night Before Tempest, but the narrative could flow better.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Passion and schmaltz in Hong Kong chamber music festival finale

Titled ‘La Belle Epoque’, the finale of the 2025 Beare’s Premiere Music Festival brought out the best from an acclaimed line-up of musicians.

Books and literature

Onyx Storm author Rebecca Yarros meets superfans as new book tops charts

Yarros was interviewed by Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez, answered fan questions and took photos with them in Manhattan.

Rebecca Yarros (right) takes photos with audience members who attended a fan event at The Town Hall in Manhattan, New York, about Yarros’ new book Onyx Storm, on January 24, 2025. Photo: CJ Rivera/Invision/AP
Hong Kong society

McDonald’s Hong Kong says worker sacked for sharing sensitive information online

Activist artist Luke Ching had called for company to resume paying employees for mealtime breaks.

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Luke Ching says he was informed on Sunday morning his contract had been terminated. Photo: Instagram/ @lukechinghk
Luke Ching says he was informed on Sunday morning his contract had been terminated. Photo: Instagram/ @lukechinghk
Books and literature

100 years after The Great Gatsby’s release, novel makes ‘new connections’

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel has inspired social movements and a Leonardo DiCaprio film. The author’s hometown is marking its centenary.

Art

How a Hong Kong seal carver keeps an ancient Chinese art alive

Third-generation seal engraver Yam Man-hong talks about preserving the craft at his tiny Hong Kong stall, and keeping up with the times.

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Art

Rescued Ukraine artworks on display in Germany, free for Ukrainian refugees

The Berlin show consists of 60 works from the Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art, including by Frits Thaulow and Francesco Granacci.

Visitors stand in front of the painting Ecce Homo (circa 1625), by Italian painter Bernardo Strozzi, at the exhibition “From Odesa to Berlin: European Painting of the 16th to 19th Century” at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, Germany, on January 22, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
Visitors stand in front of the painting Ecce Homo (circa 1625), by Italian painter Bernardo Strozzi, at the exhibition “From Odesa to Berlin: European Painting of the 16th to 19th Century” at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, Germany, on January 22, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
Chinese culture

Designer on why Hong Kong red packets need to be ‘universal’

A designer of lai see envelopes given out at Lunar New Year talks about adding novelty to them while still satisfying traditionalists.

Hong Kong culture

Her 1,000-piece collection of Hong Kong memorabilia tells the city’s story

From dolls, ceramics and vintage textiles to posters, books and souvenirs, Tarlan Amigh is on a mission to tell the real story of Hong Kong.

Food and Drinks

British-Chinese author’s hopes for her A to Z of Chinese food

In An A to Z of Chinese Food (Recipes Not Included), London writer Jenny Lau picks apart food clichés to explore what it means to be Chinese.

Jenny Lau of Celestial Peach at the launch of her book An A-Z of Chinese Food, in London. The British-Chinese writer hopes it inspires East and Southeast Asians around the world. Photo: Ming Tang-Evans
Art

Portuguese dressage school preserves a ‘source of collective identity’

At Lisbon’s Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, riders and a unique breed of horses are guardians of dressage recently listed by Unesco.

A dressage performance at the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art. Photo: AFP
A dressage performance at the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art. Photo: AFP
What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, January 24-26

Stock up on festive food, shop for panda-themed jewellery, do an outdoor hatha yoga class and more this weekend in Hong Kong.

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Art

Weekend art getaway to Foshan, China – a 2-day itinerary for unique event

Just over an hour’s train ride from Hong Kong, Foshan is holding an art biennial that encourages people to explore its villages and islands.

Art

Hong Kong museums take tours for disabled people to the next level

A museum’s free accessible tours for the hearing-impaired use Hong Kong Sign Language, while M+ and the Palace Museum offer new options.

Tactile artefacts are some of the key features of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority’s new “WestK Inclusive Sharing Month” in January 2025. Photo: WKCDA
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM
2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake, as celebrated in this limited edition plaque by Royal Selangor. Photo: Royal Selangor

How to prepare your home for the Year of the Snake with positive feng shui

Feng shui designer Thierry Chow shares top tips for arranging your personal space in time for the Lunar New Year.

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Dylan So in a scene in Papa, in 2024. Photo: Golden Scene

Dylan So debuts in Papa as a young murderer troubled by voices

Reading Time:2 minutes
Jia Zhangke, a Chinese film and television director, screenwriter, producer, actor and writer. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

How director Jia Zhangke captures China’s rise in his gritty films

Reading Time:6 minutes
Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress Anita Mui wore a wedding gown at one of her last concerts in Hong Kong in November 2003. She died the following month on December 30. Photo: Reuters

When Hong Kong lost Cantopop superstar Anita Mui

Reading Time:2 minutes
Muslim volunteers in Ahmedabad prepare food for a fast-breaking Iftar party during Ramadan. Photos: AFP

In India, caste system ensures you are what you eat

Reading Time:9 minutes
Jesse Hao Lap-hang (left) and Charis Mok Shu-wai from Zou Mat. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

The artisans behind Hong Kong’s woodworking revival

Reading Time:9 minutes
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