SCHOLARSHIP HAS BEEN valued in China for thousands of years – so why don’t scholars dress in local style? On graduation day at Jiangsu Normal University, thousands of students wore classical Chinese costumes instead of standard western suits, reports Olala, a popular Chinese-Vietnamese voice on Twitter. This has become a tradition at that university in…
Culture
PRINCE YIREN OF QIN had a horrible job. He was a hostage. He had been assigned to that role by his own parents.
That may sound strange, but that was often the case in China during the Warring States period, more than 2,200 years ago. The young man was a member of the royal family…
Every military man is trained to charge into battle brandishing weapons. But one real life soldier became famous for his willingness to put his weapons down when his family needed him. At a young age, Yue Fei won the admiration of his country for his incredible feats in battle against a terrifying enemy - but…
A SURPRISE HIT movie in China tells the true story of the first man who decided to try making a TV advertisement in that country, more than 40 years ago. It may sound like a trivial thing, but in another way it was huge – his success or failure would signify the transition of China…
EIGHTEEN CENTURIES AGO, two princes fell in love with the same woman, Zhen Mi. But only one could have her.
Circumstances led Zhen Mi to marry the older one, although she preferred the younger, who had been sent into temporary exile during the chaotic Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history.
When the exiled brother finally…
Attempts are being made to tell what is arguably the most important story of the modern era: how a huge proportion of humanity has recently been raised from starvation level poverty to health and dignity. And, finally, someone has told the story really well – and in a suitably modern way, as an exciting, episodic…
SMILE PLEASE! Archeologists have found toothbrushes more than a thousand years old – and they are remarkably similar to modern ones. They had the same shape, although were made of bone, not plastic. And instead of the nylon brushes of today’s equivalents, the ancient ones had hog bristles. There were different varieties, just like today.…
TEMPTED TO CHUCKLE at Hong Kong women who have pampered dogs which they hand-carry to expensive grooming and manicure services? Historians have discovered that such activities have a long history—and in ancient times there were even centers where Chinese noblewomen could get their pets’ fur trimmed and their claws dyed.
How do we know this?…
THE POSTMAN’S AT THE DOOR. Is he holding a bundle of letters? No. He hands you a week’s worth of choi sum, some gai laan and a bag of onions. During difficult periods of Covid-19, China Post started providing a hassle-free home delivery service of vegetables for local communities.
But that’s not all. If you…
Teenage reporter Aleesha Naqvi interviewed non-Chinese youngsters in Hong Kong to ask if they felt they belonged here - and discovered that despite the differences, they're proud to call this city home.
WHO CARES WHAT COLOR your passport is? Or your skin, come to that! Despite having foreign passports, many non-Chinese children identify as Hong…