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Repulse Bay Hotel in Hong Kong, in the 1920s. Photo: courtesy of The Repulse Bay

This Hong Kong hotel was the stars’ gateway to the city

Once the pinnacle of opulence and grandeur, the Repulse Bay Hotel hosted guests like Ernest Hemingway, George Bernard Shaw and Wallis Simpson.

Uncovering Hanoi, Vietnam’s rich culture and cuisine

Japan’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine vandalised with kanji for ‘death’

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Opinion | How feng shui can inspire China’s quest for environmental justice

China’s efforts to mitigate climate change and protect nature reveal a modern commitment to principles embodied by an ancient discipline.

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An offshore wind farm in Tangshan City in north China’s Hebei province. After the city began promoting the construction of wind and solar power plants, installed capacity of clean energy has reached 3.242 million kilowatts. Photo: Xinhua

British chef pulls children’s book from sale after causing offence in Australia

Jamie Oliver’s ‘Billy and the Epic Escape’ was criticised for employing tropes and stereotypes about Indigenous Australians.

Chinese women wore tank tops, transparent clothing 800 years ago: study

Digital reconstruction of treasure trove found in 800-year-old tomb reveals forward-thinking fashion of the day, according to scientists.

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Berlin Wall divide that once shaped German women’s lives still echoes today

Women’s lives that have diverged so starkly under communism and capitalism have become much more similar again.

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Claudia Huth poses next to a painting showing herself. Photo: AP

Reflections | The wells where a Chinese scholar and emperor’s consort met their ends

In 1900 a scholar jumped in a Beijing well out of shame. A palace consort died in a Forbidden City well too. Was she ‘martyred’ or killed?

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How Japan’s innovative Nakagin Capsule Tower is finding new life

The Tokyo structure’s dismantling in 2022 saw a number of its capsules repurposed globally – even at Hong Kong’s M+ – fulfilling designer Kisho Kurokawa’s vision.

Editorial | Much to gain and lose at Hong Kong’s Choi Hung Estate

Renewal of ageing Kowloon site will provide an extra 9,200 public housing flats, but remove a colourful social media hotspot.

Sprawling Choi Hung Estate is home to 7,400 households in 11 seven- to 20-storey blocks built between 1962 and 1964. Photo: Sam Tsang

Open Questions | Historian on why we aren’t heading towards WWIII yet and how wars have changed

US historian Jay Winter explains how the nature of war shifted after WWI and WWII, and the impact it has on the world today.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

How Hong Kong’s tailoring industry has evolved through the ages

Whether British, Shanghainese or Indian, Hong Kong’s legions of tailors have been a world-famous source of affordable, high-quality bespoke attire for generations.

Hougang hearts and minds: the story of a politically peculiar Singapore town

How an unexpected Workers’ Party victory in 1991 laid the foundation for an enduring opposition stronghold in PAP-dominated Singapore.

We skipped Guilin’s karst hills and visited Longzhou in Guangxi, China instead

Guangxi’s little-visited Longzhou is a former French treaty port that offers all the karst peak sights and historic insight of far-more crowded locales.

An aerial shot of the Zuo River in Longzhou, Guangxi, China. Photo: VCG

Reflections | How ‘dragon bones’ shed a whole new light on China’s ancient history

With the news that dinosaur fossils were found in Hong Kong, here is how China’s oracle bones changed our understanding of the Shang dynasty.

Oracle bone, The engraved characters are the earliest known examples of Chinese script. The bones originally used for divination also provide information about rulers, battles, folk religion and religious rites. China. Chinese. Shang dynasty c 1766 1122 BC. An yang, Honan. (Photo by Werner Forman/Universal Images Group/Getty Images) Photo: Getty Images

China’s answer to Concorde, N Korea defectors try to join Ukraine: 7 highlights

From North Korean defectors wanting to join Ukraine’s efforts to China’s answer to Concorde, here are highlights from recent SCMP reporting.

What was Hong Kong’s telephone system like before smartphones?

The numerical prefixes used to indicate where callers were dialling from – New Territories, Hong Kong Island, Kowloon or outlying islands.

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Meet a real-life Mr Miyagi based in Fuzhou – but what is Incense Shop kung fu?

Unlike his Karate Kid counterpart, Lin Shan Quan doesn’t do discretion – instead he’s going all out to bring his particular martial art to the uninitiated masses.

Lin Shan Quan, Fuzhou-based master of Incense Shop kung fu. Photo: Jambo Hui

This small ground beetle is rekindling debate on Darwin’s theory of evolution

A tiny insect that survived the extinction event which killed the dinosaurs throws up questions for evolutionary theory.

Commonwealth leaders: ‘time has come’ for slavery reparations discussion

Leaders said it was time to discuss whether Britain should commit to reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.

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Reflections | Only Hong Kong sex symbol Amy Yip should be offended over bubble tea

Accusations of cultural appropriation aimed at a Canadian brand’s boba tea don’t sit right in Asia, where ‘borrowing’ cuisines is normal.

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Actress Amy Yip on a film set.

What is XO sauce? All you need to know about the Chinese condiment

Chefs talk about the sauce’s ingredients, uses, how to make it and why it’s called ‘XO’, plus its Hong Kong origins and link to Lee Kum Kee.

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XO sauce is typically made with expensive ingredients such as dried scallops, shrimp roe, dried shrimps and Jinhua ham. Photo: Catty & Tael

Meet the little-known columnist who wrote about Hong Kong history and society

Until recently, writing about local history was the sole preserve of hobbyists whose work went largely unrewarded – just look at Lo Kam.

Hong Kong dinosaur fossil exhibit debuts to fanfare, but leaves some wanting more

Fossils believed to be from Cretaceous period on display at Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui.

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‘Work priorities’ delayed identifying Hong Kong dinosaur fossils by 11 years

Commissioner for Heritage Ivanhoe Chang reveals fossils were found in geological study and left for over a decade due to ‘work priorities’.

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A rock containing fossils is shown at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre. The government announced the discovery of the fossils on Port Island on Wednesday. Photo: Dickson Lee

3 unusual Chinese musical instruments that have experts confused

Shaped like a fish, tiger and box respectively, the muyu, yu, and zhu are percussion instruments that all fall under the wood classification.

The muyu is a Chinese musical percussion instrument that falls under the wood category. It originated in China and is to this day used by Buddhist monks and followers across Asia. Photo: Shutterstock

The Korean Chinatown that set the path of Chinese food in Korea

Immigrants from China’s Shandong province to Incheon sparked a boom in Chinese cuisine in Korea, resulting in dishes like jjajangmyeon.

‘This is not your land’: Australian senator accuses Britain’s king of ‘genocide’

Britain’s King Charles was berated by an indigenous senator on Monday, who told him ‘you committed genocide against our people’.

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