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Chinese history

The visible success of Hong Kong’s ‘one country, two systems’ policy

Hong Kong’s political-economic journey since 1997 has not been smooth. The SAR would be in a better place today had this experience been less tempestuous. Nevertheless, it is clear that coping with and recovering from many challenges has, despite what a range of Western critics may assert, durably strengthened the “One Country Two Systems”…

October 20, 20260Comments ByRichard Cullen

Chinese history Features Hong Kong News

Tung Chee-hwa: Hong Kong’s first post-colonial leader served his people well

Hong Kong is mourning the loss of Tung Chee-hwa, the bridge-building first post-colonial leader of the city. Prof Herman Hu recalls the man and his achievements, which were many THE LATE TUNG CHEE-HWA and my late father, Mr. Hu Fa-kwong, were lifelong friends bound by their shared Shanghainese heritage. Our families gathered regularly, giving me…

September 14, 20260Comments ByHerman Hu

Chinese history

A shipwreck, a massacre and an excuse to invade Taiwan island

FOR CENTURIES, Asian and Western sailors shipwrecked in Chinese waters got a nice surprise. The Chinese government had a rescue policy. Sailors would be given free food and clothing. They would be helped with ship repairs, or even transported home. This applied to everyone in China’s coastal waters and around Chinese islands such as Taiwan—but…

July 7, 20260Comments ByNury Vittachi

China news Chinese history Culture

The first wizard’s first invention

“HUNGRY? I HAVE SOMETHING to show you,” the white-haired man says to the young fellow hunter he is training. “Come.” They walk into a deep cave in a cliff wall jutting out of the forest and sit on the floor. The older man opens the leather pouch he uses as a bag and pulls out…

May 13, 20260Comments ByNury Vittachi

China news Chinese history Culture

Harm caused by the ‘western lens’ interpretation of China

Richard Cullen looks at a fascinating new book: Understanding China: Governance, Socio-Economics, Global Influence (by Chandran Nair and others, Routledge, Abingdon, 2026). Strongly recommended: Richard's Substack Newsletter: https://substack.com/@richardcullen376919 Routledge in the UK recently published an important new book, authored by Chandran Nair, Jorgen Randers, Jinfeng Zhou and Frederick Charles Dubee, entitled: “Understanding China: Governance, Socio-Economics,…

April 13, 20260Comments ByRichard Cullen

China news Chinese history Opinion

Japan election: Recycling the past to ruin the future

Nostalgia for your country's past military adventures is a common tool used by politicians. But when those adventures included the killing of tens of millions of people in neighboring countries and the use of rape as a weapon, that's different. And when you propose reviving that army, that's a serious concern for the world. A…

March 7, 20260Comments ByRichard Cullen

Chinese history Culture

China revives sky lantern tradition, after making them safe and non-polluting

THE BEAUTIFUL TRADITION of flying lanterns has been revived in China. To avoid pollution and fire hazards, the lanterns contain LED "candles" and are tied to the users. This 27 Dec 2025 video (below) is from Gexian Village in Jiangxi province, home of a mountain immortal from the Taoist faith. China developed the first hot…

January 6, 20260Comments ByNury Vittachi

China news Chinese history Culture

I worked at a law firm on the Chinese mainland – here’s what I learned

A young law student from Hong Kong took a working journey deep into mainland China’s Shanxi province. Tang Chun-man found extraordinary reminders of the country’s dramatic history – but he also found himself taking an internal journey to gain an appreciation of two legal systems, different in many ways, but both grounded in the universal…

December 10, 20250Comments ByTang Chun-man

Chinese history Culture News

Scientists find ‘feminist paradise’ existed more than 4 millennia ago

SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED a female-led society that was so successful that it lasted for more than 10 generations in ancient China. Women-led clans existed for 250 years at a place called Fujia more than four millennia ago, DNA evidence showed. The late stone age community lived in Shandong province from 2750 BC onwards, a study in…

October 13, 20250Comments ByNury Vittachi

Chinese food Chinese history Culture Hong Kong News

How to see the rabbit on the moon: and 7 other ways to mark mid-autumn festival

CHINESE PEOPLE OFTEN celebrate the west’s Christmas traditions—so it’s nice if foreigners join in with Chinese holiday rituals too. Here are eight ways anyone can mark the Mid-Autumn Festival—and our image shows how to “see” the rabbit on the moon (details below). If you're a purest eat an salted egg yolk mooncake -- but other…

October 6, 20250Comments ByNury Vittachi

Chinese history

The visible success of Hong Kong’s ‘one country, two systems’ policy

Tung Chee-hwa: Hong Kong’s first post-colonial leader served his people well

A shipwreck, a massacre and an excuse to invade Taiwan island

The first wizard’s first invention

Harm caused by the ‘western lens’ interpretation of China

Japan election: Recycling the past to ruin the future

China revives sky lantern tradition, after making them safe and non-polluting

I worked at a law firm on the Chinese mainland – here’s what I learned

Scientists find ‘feminist paradise’ existed more than 4 millennia ago

How to see the rabbit on the moon: and 7 other ways to mark mid-autumn festival

The visible success of Hong Kong’s ‘one country, two systems’ policy

Stop the delays! Golf club land should be used for public housing: Litton

Oh no! Now the Chinese are making hi-spec affordable fire trucks