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Explainers: Culture

An elaborate spirit house at the Dhara Dhevi Resort in Chiang Mai. Photo: Ron Emmons

Explainer | What are Thailand’s spirit houses – and why are they so colourful?

Every visitor to Thailand will have passed a spirit house, but they are a little understood aspect of the local culture – here’s why the san phra phum is so lovingly maintained

Explainer | ‘Teeth playing’: China’s terrifying wild boar tusk art form faces extinction

Explainer | ‘Ghost marriages’: delving into dark world of love after death in China and Asia

Explainer | Why foreigners are flocking to Japan to learn how to become ninjas

The rich history of ninjutsu has captivated many foreigners, drawing them to Japan in pursuit of mastering the art of the ninja.

Ninjas have garnered such immense worldwide fame that individuals from all corners of the globe dedicate themselves to rigorous training in order to master the intricate art of “ninjutsu”. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Instagram

Explainer | How The Omen spawned horror franchise including new prequel The First Omen

Horror classic The Omen, the story of the birth of the Antichrist, started a long-running franchise, including newly released prequel The First Omen, starring Nell Tiger Free, Bill Nighy and Charles Dance.

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What’s the dining etiquette for different Asian cuisines? This expert knows

Etiquette consultant Piano Mok talks about different Asian dining customs and etiquette used in Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisines – from chopsticks to who eats first – and which rules apply to all.

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Explainer | Beyond Bruce Lee: the rise of Hong Kong cinema during the 1970s

In the 1970s, Michael Hui was the box-office champion, Jackie Chan achieved stardom, and kung fu and sex sold movies. What else happened in Hong Kong cinema during that decade?

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Ricky Hui (front) and Michael Hui in a still from “The Contract” (1978). Hui was the box-office champion in the 1970s, but what else happened in Hong Kong cinema during that decade?

Explainer | Who was Satoshi Kon, the genius animator who inspired Darren Aronofsky?

Satoshi Kon only completed four feature films, but his work inspired fellow filmmakers including Darren Aronofsky, whose films Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream were influenced by Kon’s Perfect Blue.

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Ranked: the 15 best high-school Korean dramas of all time

From Boys Over Flowers to The Heirs, Weak Hero Class, Extracurricular and Twenty-Five Twenty-One, we rank the best among the many Korean drama series set in high schools.

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How movies about a cartoon pig called McDull celebrated Hong Kong life

My Life as McDull, animated movie about a humdrum pig, charmed Hong Kong film-goers with the character’s hard work and persistence. Sequels of varying quality followed.

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A still from “My Life as McDull” (2001).

Explainer | How Wong Jing ruled the box office in 1990s Hong Kong

Jet Li, Chow Yun-fat and Stephen Chow were among the leading actors who worked with director-producer Wong Jing, whose crude, sex-filled films dominated the Hong Kong box office. What set him apart?

Stephen Chow Sing-chi (left) and Ng Man-tat in a still from Royal Tramp.

How youth romance Feel 100% captured the spirit of 1990s Hong Kong

Woody Allen and The Wonder Years fan Joe Ma’s youth romance Feel 100% launched the film career of Cantopop star Sammi Cheng and made fellow singer Ekin Cheng a heartthrob.

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Wilson Yip before Ip Man: 5 of the Hong Kong director’s offbeat early films

Famous for directing the Ip Man films, Hong Kong director Wilson Yip started out making quirky comedies, ghost stories and other dramas. We look at five of those films here.

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Ranked: the 15 best romantic K-dramas of all time, including Secret Garden

From Crash Landing on You to Crash Course in Romance, there have been some classic romantic K-dramas over the years. We rank our 15 best ever, and why they deserve a spot in the list.

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Hyun Bin and Ha Ji-won in a still from “Secret Garden”. Photo: SBS

How Gen-X Cops led a new crop of Hong Kong action films in the 1990s

Hong Kong cinema had to reinvent itself in the late ’90s to combat flagging ticket sales. Gen-X Cops led the way, with new young stars Nicholas Tse and Stephen Fung, computerised special effects and a faster pace.

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Nicholas Tse in a still from “Gen-X Cops”.

More than ‘vases’: the complex roles women have in Stanley Kwan’s films

Stanley Kwan’s early films during the 1980s and 1990s centred on women, giving the actresses who played them roles focused on their characters and not just their looks. We take a closer look at four of those films.

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The 10 best films of Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Hong Kong’s most celebrated actor

In The Mood For Love, Hard Boiled, Marvel’s Shang-Chi – Tony Leung has shown his versatility in a career spanning nearly 100 movies. He’s about to receive a Venice Film Festival lifetime achievement award.

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‘Problem kids’: Hong Kong actors Francis Ng and Anthony Wong in the 1990s

Hong Kong film stars Francis Ng and Anthony Wong are well known now, but in the early 1990s when they began appearing in movies they were mainly character actors and still looking for recognition.

Anthony Wong (left) and Francis Ng at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards at the Hong Kong Coliseum in April 2000. The pair had been a breath of fresh air for Hong Kong film-goers in the 1990s with their unconventional style. Photo: SCMP

The 2 sides of Hong Kong director Johnnie To shown in 2 great movies

Johnnie To’s ‘Lifeline’ and ‘The Mission’ show the Hong Kong action director’s two contrasting approaches to making movies: going for box-office glory, and just doing what he wants.

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How early Patrick Tam and Ann Hui films show Hong Kong New Wave’s diversity

The differences between Hong Kong directors Patrick Tam and Ann Hui’s early films Nomad and The Story of Woo Viet exemplify the breadth of style and range of themes of Hong Kong New Wave cinema.

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Explainer | The time Michelle Yeoh stepped away and Cynthia Khan stepped in

With action stars Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock unavailable to film In the Line of Duty 3 and In the Line of Duty 4, Cynthia Khan stepped in. Cast as a new character, she made the role her own.

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Cynthia Khan and Donnie Yen in a still from “In the Line of Duty 4”. Photo: Eureka Entertainment

Ranked: the 15 best K-drama OSTs you should add to your playlist

How many times have you crooned along to a song during a Korean drama viewing marathon? We rank our 15 favourite K-drama soundtracks, from Netflix hit Squid Game to oldie but goody Secret Garden.

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Jo Jung-suk in a still from “Hospital Playlist”.

Explainer | Why Ringo Lam’s films with Jean-Claude Van Damme deserve a reappraisal

Maximum Risk, the 1996 film that marked Hong Kong action director Ringo Lam’s Hollywood debut, lacked many of his characteristic flourishes, but the editing was sharp and there was a memorable sauna scene.

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Explainer | How Olivier Assayas helped actress Maggie Cheung explore her limits

Hong Kong star Maggie Cheung showed her acting abilities in two films directed by Olivier Assayas: Irma Vep, in which she played a version of herself, and Clean, in which she played a recovering heroin addict.

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The 10 most famous K-drama actresses of all time – including Song Hye-kyo

Our pick of the top 10 Korean actresses includes former K-pop star IU, Song Hye-kyo, currently in The Glory on Netflix, and Son Ye-jin, famous for her romantic roles, including global hit Crash Landing on You.

Song Hye-kyo recently starred in the hit drama The Glory. Photo: Netflix

Explainer | 1980s Hong Kong cinema: Chow Yun-fat, mob movies and adults-only films

Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s was a time of change: the big studios’ power was waning, John Woo introduced the genre of bloody gangster films, and martial arts films got a modern update.

From left: Sam Hui, Sylvia Chang and Karl Maka in a still from “Aces Go Places” (1982). Photo: SCMP

Explainer | Hong Kong New Wave cinema: the directors and their ground-breaking movies

Ann Hui, Tsui Hark, Patrick Tam: from the mid-1970s on, Hong Kong New Wave directors shook up the city’s film industry, bringing new techniques and a new style of filmmaking. We recall key players and their films.

Tsui Hark: FAQs about the Hong Kong film director, producer and screenwriter

He made stars of Jet Li and Brigitte Lin, helped John Woo’s directing career take off, and directed classic flims such as Once Upon a Time in China. But there’s a lot you may not know about the legendary Tsui Hark.

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Explainers: Culture
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Explainers: Culture. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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