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Chinese history

A glimpse of Tang prosperity from murals

As I walk up Wyndham Street in Central on the last day of April, the iconic red brick building of the Fringe Club catches my eye: and the display seen through the glass differs from the modern art panels more commonly seen there. Exterior of the Fringe Club. I push open the door to Anita Chan…

May 9, 20240Comments ByEmily Zhou

Chinese history Culture

How rock, paper, scissors started in ancient China

THE GAME OF rock, paper, scissors started in China, historians believe. The Ming Dynasty writer Xie Zhaozhe wrote in the 1600s that it date back to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). But the three elements weren’t rock, paper and scissors. The game was called shoushiling (手勢令), or hand gesture command. The original elements…

March 4, 20240Comments ByNury Vittachi

China news Chinese history Culture

Fall in marriage numbers reminds the Chinese of the ‘comb sisters’

WHEN SHOULD A WOMAN GET MARRIED? Maybe never! The benefits or otherwise of marriage has suddenly become a hot topic in China, after a viral media interview in which mothers were asked to list the benefits of being a married woman—and could not think of any. This was a bit of a shocker, since the…

January 17, 20240Comments ByEmily Zhou

China news Chinese history News

When Giganto walked the earth – and why he disappeared

A GIANT PRIMATE called Giganto walked the earth for millions of years, but died out when its food source became scarce, scientists said this week. The massive creature was twice the height of humans, at three meters tall, and weighed as much as three or four people, at 200 to 300 kilograms. Details emerged from…

January 11, 20240Comments ByNury Vittachi

Chinese history Culture

The quiet Taoist who stood up to legendary slaughterer Genghis Khan

AS CHINESE AND other diplomats urge a halt to brutal wars raging in Israel and elsewhere today, this may be a good time to remember one of the most extraordinary meetings between a peacemaker and a ruthless warrior. The two characters in this story are Qiu Chuji (丘處機), a Taoist master, and Genghis Khan, the…

December 28, 20230Comments ByEmily Zhou

Chinese history Culture News

Business cards found, 18 centuries old

ARCHAEOLOGISTS FOUND wooden business cards 18 centuries old, it was revealed this week. Searching in ruins and abandoned wells in Chenzhou, Hunan province, they located nearly 10,000 thin wooden strips. These would have been ordinary throwaway documents at the time they were written—but today provide a priceless window into how people lived 1,800 years ago,…

December 28, 20230Comments ByNury Vittachi

Chinese history Culture

Will BRI change the world as much as the old Silk Road did?

THE ORIGINAL SILK ROAD quietly crept into existence over many years, but ended up transforming much of the world. China’s new Silk Road is already doing the same. A total of 151 countries were represented at the Belt and Road Initiative gathering last week—and 215 new BRI projects were announced for the coming months.…

October 30, 20230Comments ByJoshua Cheung

Chinese history

Soong Ching Ling: a survivor of momentous times

MADAM SOONG CHING LING, the wife of modern China’s founder Dr Sun Yat Sen, was a woman of charisma who served the underprivileged women and children of the country. Her life spanned many momentous events in modern China’s development. As the daughter of a missionary Charlie Soong, Madam Soong was in the first batch of…

October 11, 20230Comments ByH.C. Lu

Chinese history Hong Kong News

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

A glimpse of Tang prosperity from murals

How rock, paper, scissors started in ancient China

Fall in marriage numbers reminds the Chinese of the ‘comb sisters’

When Giganto walked the earth – and why he disappeared

The quiet Taoist who stood up to legendary slaughterer Genghis Khan

Business cards found, 18 centuries old

Will BRI change the world as much as the old Silk Road did?

Soong Ching Ling: a survivor of momentous times

Soong sister artifacts to be shown in Hong Kong

The Chinese king who wrote 43,000 poems

Scientists in China create chip that bridges optic and wireless systems

Scientists find treasure trove of antibodies in paediatricians’ blood

Toilet troubles cause problems on Iran-bound warship