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H.C. Lu

84 articles published

Soong sister artifacts to be shown in Hong Kong

AN EXHIBITION OF ARTIFACTS from the life of Madam Soong Ching-ling (宋慶齡), the wife of Dr Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), open in Hong Kong next week, with items put on display in the city for the first time. A qipao (Chinese dress) she wore, historical photos with leaders, news clippings and other items will be on…

September 7, 20230Comments ByH.C. Lu

Chinese history Culture

The Chinese king who wrote 43,000 poems

ONE OF THE MOST charming things about historical Chinese officials is their reverence for poetry, and the incorporation of that fact into hiring practices. A love of literature was not seen as a dilletante interest, but a necessary qualification for high rank in the Chinese government. And perhaps the most extreme example is the famous…

August 31, 20230Comments ByH.C. Lu

Chinese history Culture

Misty Taoist mountains inspired so many books and movies

YOU MAY NEVER have been anywhere near the Wudang Mountains (武當山) in the northwestern part of Hubei, China, but it will probably still be very familiar to you. And that’s true, whether you are from the east or the west. That’s because it is the archetypal location of so many books and movies and television…

August 24, 20230Comments ByH.C. Lu

Chinese history Culture

Laozu’s Tao Te Ching: ancient philosophy for modern times

THREE DECADES AGO, Chinese archeologists found an ancient book written on 800 strips of bamboo. It was more than 23 centuries old. The text was identified as a partial copy of the Tao Te Ching (道德經), the book on which Taoism (or Daoism) is based—and which introduced the world to the classic Chinese sage Laozu…

August 15, 20230Comments ByH.C. Lu

Chinese history Culture Hong Kong News

Zodiac relics from destroyed Summer Palace now in Hong Kong

SURVIVING ZODIAC HEAD STATUES from a glorious imperial garden destroyed by British and French soldiers in the Opium War in 1860 are on show at City University of Hong Kong. The Old Summer Palace, known as Yuanmingyuan (圓明園), was a huge area, covering more than 3.5 square kilometres of land in Beijing. Historians say it…

August 10, 20230Comments ByH.C. Lu

China news Chinese history

Forbidden City cats become celebrities in their own right

CATS AT THE FORBIDDEN CITY in Beijing have become celebrities. They now regularly appear in TV programs and on social media. They also count as part of the historical tale of the complex. In ancient times, emperors and other royal family members owned cats which they pampered, just like modern cat-lovers. In the Ming…

August 1, 20230Comments ByH.C. Lu

Culture

Palace Museum’s cool gifts take art to the young

ASK A GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE whether they want to learn about ancient Chinese art, and they will politely reply: “No, thank you, Uncle.” Now ask them whether they want purple lipstick or the coolest smartphone case EVER and watch them suddenly become interested! Such has been the strategy of the keepers of the Palace…

July 4, 20230Comments ByH.C. Lu

News

China’s first home-grown cruise ship is readying for launch

CHINA'S FIRST HOME-BUILT cruise liner set sail from a Shanghai port for a trial voyage early this month, marking the country’s big stride into the floating holidays sector. Today’s cruise liners are depicted as floating cities where passengers can enjoy relaxing vacations at sea. It is not easy to build such a thing. Creating an…

June 21, 20230Comments ByH.C. Lu

China news

Joy as China’s endangered ‘smiling dolphin’ seen growing

THE SMILING DOLPHINS are back! This critically endangered marine mammal is breeding in China’s legendary Yangtze river, new studies say. Scientists are cautiously optimistic that the tiny group of finless porpoises (江豚), has grown slightly, reversing a decades-long shrinkage in its numbers. The tiny group of finless porpoises has grown in Yangtze River in…

June 14, 20230Comments ByH.C. Lu

Culture

The hidden feng shui of the Forbidden City

FOR SEVERAL DECADES NOW, the Chinese art of feng shui has been recognized worldwide as a valuable tool in the design of everything from workplaces to homes. Feng shui is an ancient system focusing on placement of objects and the layout of buildings with the aim of creating positive effects on the humans using such…

June 1, 20230Comments ByH.C. Lu

H.C. Lu

Soong sister artifacts to be shown in Hong Kong

The Chinese king who wrote 43,000 poems

Misty Taoist mountains inspired so many books and movies

Laozu’s Tao Te Ching: ancient philosophy for modern times

Zodiac relics from destroyed Summer Palace now in Hong Kong

Forbidden City cats become celebrities in their own right

Palace Museum’s cool gifts take art to the young

China’s first home-grown cruise ship is readying for launch

Joy as China’s endangered ‘smiling dolphin’ seen growing

The hidden feng shui of the Forbidden City

Starmer meets Xi today, hopes to rebuild UK’s relationship

Treasures from 800-year-old sunken vessel exhibited in Hong Kong

At the Great Wall, I learned how the Chinese dealt with their enemies