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Chinese history

Chinese history
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Chinese history. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
(Left) Wooden mooncake moulds for sale at Man Kee Chopping Board in Hong Kong; and (right) mooncakes from Lung King Heen, which makes only small batches of its handmade artisanal mooncakes each year. We look at others helping preserve the ancient craft and how the design of the snacks has changed over the centuries. Photos: Charmaine Mok/Four Seasons Hong Kong
Food and Drinks

History of mooncake moulds and their designs, and those preserving the craft

Mooncake artistry flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties, carved onto wooden moulds depicting flowers, birds and even deities.

Trending in China

Chinese scientists find first proof of nose-chopping penalty for cattle thieves

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | A Polish priest’s perilous mission to save a doomed Chinese dynasty

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Chinese culture

Being Chinese | The unspoken reason my Chinese friends choose America

When friends say they can just ‘exist’ in the US, they mean they can stop performing to the Confucian expectations that define Chinese life.

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A noodle restaurant along a largely deserted pavement in Arcadia, California. Outside the Confucian system, there is no perpetual appraisal of your earning power, your waistline or your marital status. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Chinese culture

The tragic Qing politician whose legacy lives on in descendant’s new novel

The life of Duanfang inspires E.L. Shen’s novel Foreigners, about identity, queer awakening and the immigrant experience in modern America.

From our archives

On This Day | Hong Kong mourns Mao Zedong’s death in 1976 – SCMP archive

Fifty years ago, Mao Zedong’s death sent shock waves around the world.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Amid ‘Lake America’ stink, the Chinese emperor whose renaming campaign backfired

Two thousand years ago, Wang Mang’s renaming of places, peoples and titles fuelled rebellions that ended both his regime and his life.

People take photos in front of a sign reading “Lake Ontario Now and Always” on August 29, 2026. The sign was unveiled by Ontario Premier Doug Ford at Fifty Point Conservation Area in the Canadian city of Hamilton after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming the lake as Lake America. Photo: Reuters
Chinese culture

Famous Chinese women in folklore, from Mulan to a dynasty-toppling consort

These women have inspired countless poems, books, movies and TV shows over the centuries, but what are their stories and why do they endure?

Travel

On a tower trip: a bike tour around China’s Unesco-listed Kaiping watchtowers

Many of the ‘diaolou’ can be reached only by farm tracks and quiet paths, making cycling the ideal way to explore them.

Mainland China

Rewriting history puts China’s image and sense of self at risk, party warns

Article warns that claims ancient Greece was a hoax or the Industrial Revolution originated in China have already hurt the country’s image.

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Some pseudo-historians claim Mount Emei (pictured) in China's Sichuan province “is the Alps” because their Chinese names are similar. Photo: Xinhua
American cinema

How 1969 oddity The Chairman pitted Gregory Peck against Mao at ping-pong

The Cold War thriller starring Gregory Peck features a surreal encounter with Chairman Mao and a prescient warning about climate change.

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Actor Gregory Peck in a scene from the movie ‘The Most Dangerous Man in the World’, 1969. (Photo by Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty Images) Actor Conrad Yama as ‘The Chairman’, in a scene from the movie ‘The Most Dangerous Man in the World’, 1969. (Photo by Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty Images)
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | From prison and poverty to Chinese emperor: rags-to-riches tale of Liu Bingyi

Spared execution as a baby, imperial family member Liu Bingyi grew up a palace outcast, but this served him well after taking power in 74BC.

Food and Drinks

What are five-kernel mooncakes? A history of the protein-packed treat

Rich in nuts and seeds, five-kernel mooncakes are making a comeback as a protein-packed alternative to have during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Science

Chinese script evolved like a living organism driven by natural selection: study

Research shows a small set of high-frequency building blocks shaped the writing system through a principle of economy.

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Researchers say Chinese characters combine core structural components, like sun, moon and human, following an evolutionary pattern shaped by frequency of use. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese culture

23,000 bronzes, 14 years, 60 volumes: China tracks lost heritage held abroad

Peking University study reveals seven times more relics held overseas than previously thought, creating crucial evidence trail.

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Professor Zhu Fenghan is the lead editor of a 60-volume compendium documenting more than 23,000 ancient Chinese bronze artefacts lost abroad. The Collection of Chinese Bronzes in Overseas Collections is the product of a painstaking 14-year investigation. Photo: Xinhua
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How Chinese emperors’ birthdays became national holidays celebrated by all

In 729, Emperor Xuanzong marked his birthday with official ceremonies and festivities across China in a tradition that endured for centuries.

Science

China sends archaeologists to South America to trace ancestral links

Joint project with Peru will start with field surveys in the Caral zone, which is home to the oldest known urban centre in the Americas.

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China’s soft power

Why Chinese media says US historians are giving ‘ammunition’ to separatists

As ethnic issues grow ever more sensitive, Beijing is alleging the New Qing History movement seeks to fracture the nation.

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Women dressed in traditional costumes brave sub-zero temperatures during a visit to Beijing’s Forbidden City on March 5. Photo: Robert Ng
China’s narrative war

Gaokao reforms could leave Chinese vulnerable to pseudo-history, academic warns

University dean’s cautionary words come as Beijing is increasingly on guard about historical views at odds with the official line.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Like Trump, China’s first emperor survived various assassination attempts

Would-be assassins came close to ending Ying Zheng’s life on at least four occasions, including one whose weapon was a musical instrument.

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Art

The Buddhist text in Taiwan said to bring lifetimes of luck with one glimpse

The Tibetan Dragon Canon, a huge 17th century scripture on show at Taiwan’s National Palace Museum, has set social media ablaze.

A gold-inked manuscript from the Tibetan Dragon Canon, which is on show as part of the “Tibetan Dragon Canon: A Symphony of Imperial Power, Belief and Art in a Golden Age” exhibition at Taiwan’s National Palace Museum until November 8, 2026. The 357-year-old text has recently gone viral for apparently granting those who view it seven lifetimes of good karma. Photo: NPM
Chinese culture

Being Chinese | Rice has a place in Chinese hearts, whether we eat it or not

The importance of rice is reflected in our language and assumptions. As abundance becomes the norm, will we forget what hunger taught us?

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A farmer carries harvested rice in Daoxiang village, Heilongjiang province, in October 2024. In China, rice occupies a special place in the national imagination, somewhere between food and faith. Photo: Xinhua
Trending in China

Evidence of earliest silkworm farming outside China found, upending Silk Road timeline

4,000-year-old cocoons found in Uzbekistan likely made their way to the region 2,000 years before the Silk Road even existed.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How Chinese society’s resilient moral framework has lasted nearly 3,000 years

The Zhou-dynasty ideals of family responsibility, propriety and self-cultivation remain woven into the very fabric of China today.

China’s internet censorship

China targets pseudo-history conspiracists who claim civilisations were stolen

Zhejiang agency says pseudo-historical claims – made worse by AI – reflect ignorance and fracture social cognition.

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The Acropolis in Athens. A social media account linked to a Chinese provincial government has criticised pseudo-historical theories denying the existence of figures such as Aristotle. Photo: EPA
Trending in China

How Chinese culture links 4 cardinal directions to life’s natural cycle – and why

In a primarily agricultural society, sunset signifies the end of the day, leading to the metaphor ‘going west’ to represent death.

In Chinese tradition, the four cardinal directions symbolise the natural cycle of life. For example, the east is associated with ownership, meaning a landlord is referred to as a “house-east” and a shareholder as a “share-east.” Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu/Zhihu
Chinese culture

China challenges Western ‘tribute system’ theory in push for narrative control

Article by US billionaire investor Ray Dalio puts spotlight back on English term used to describe Chinese diplomatic and economic posture.

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China's economic recovery

How China’s Zhangjiajie aims to revive a US$296 million loss-making tourist site

A 150,000-visitor opening offers an early signal, but analysts warn that lasting cash flow will require stronger products, local culture and tighter operations.

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