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History

History
The latest news, analysis and opinion on History. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Chinese actress Sun Li plays Xiang Yu during a stage production of Farewell My Concubine in New York in 2008. Xiang Yu is known for his demolition of the Qin dynasty capital in 206BC, during which his forces destroyed libraries and the thousands of books within them. Photo: Getty Images
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | When centuries of Chinese knowledge were destroyed by warlord who burned a city

Xiang Yu’s razing of the Qin capital Xianyang, which left libraries full of vital texts in ruin, was echoed centuries later in Warsaw.

2026 Xi-Trump summits

How China’s wartime cooperatives gave us ‘gung-ho’

Chinese culture

Who was Wang Zhenyi? Chinese female scientist who defied gender expectations

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.

(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
Art

Fan Ho’s poetic photos of mid-20th century Hong Kong show in an unlikely place

An Italian palace in Turin is hosting a new exhibition of Fan’s works that capture everyday human activity in 1950s and 60s Hong Kong.

Travel

Tapestry depicting England’s ‘most important event’ back in UK after 1,000 years

The Bayeux Tapestry is expected to draw 1 million visitors to the British Museum before its exhibition ends in July 2027.

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Japan

Crouching dragons: the suicide divers Japan never sent to war

Sealed in diving suits with mines attached to poles, Japan’s ‘fukuryu’ frogmen waited beneath the waves for an invasion that never came.

A photograph obtained by Japanese broadcaster CBC Television shows a diving suit used by the “fukuryu” suicide diver units in WWII. Photo: YouTube/NextTVCBC
Lessons from China's history

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

In 1651, the embattled Ming court, which included several Christian converts, sent Michal Boym to seek the Pope’s aid. It never came.

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Cinema

New book peeks behind the scenes of Sofia Coppola’s 2006 cult classic Marie Antoinette

Photographer Andrew Durham documents life on and off the lavish set of Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning cult classic, shot on location at the Palace of Versailles.

Hong Kong

As I see it | Why mainland Chinese despise the British – but Hongkongers don’t

Whereas Hong Kong people experienced a milder form of colonialism, mainland Chinese were subjected to the extremes of Western imperialism.

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Heritage statues on Shamian Island in 2010. The district in Guangzhou was once controlled by the British and the French. Photo: Edward Wong
Wellness

He trained Jet Li. Wu Bin, 89, shares his secrets to great health in old age

Martial arts legend Wu Bin talks about mentoring Jet Li and other wushu stars, and how building good habits is key to health in older life.

90-year-old Wuxia master Wu Bin, in Wan Chai. 17AUG26 SCMP/Jonathan Wong
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.

Jewellery

The rise of the double-finger ring, from Hermès to Dior

Jewellery houses everywhere, including Cartier, Rick Owens and Jean Paul Gaultier, are turning the design into a statement of scale and attitude.

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?

Fan Bingbing (left) as Daji, one of the most famous women in Chinese folklore, and Tony Leung Ka-fai as King Zhou of Shang in League of Gods, a 2016 film adaptation of the 16th century Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group
United States

Americans mark 25 years since 9/11 attacks amid enduring grief, reflection

Nearly 3,000 people were killed on the day that has shaped US society for decades, influencing its foreign policy and domestic politics.

Switzerland

‘Angel of Death’: Switzerland publishes 200-page dossier on Nazi doctor

The war criminal was infamous for carrying out horrific medical experiments on inmates at Auschwitz.

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Special Reports

Hong Kong’s push for human infrastructure beyond ports and railways

Beyond physical trade routes, the city’s museums, universities and orchestras are cultivating the personal relationships needed to sustain international cooperation.

Exhibitions like the recent one of Ancient Egyptian treasures at the Hong Kong Palace Museum are not just about ‘soft power’ but can establish meaningful and lasting links between professionals, academics and institutions. Photo: Karma Lo
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.

South Korea

Can Japan, South Korea move past the ‘comfort women’ issue?

The issue is set to continue rattling ties between Tokyo and Seoul even as they seek to find common ground on security and trade issues.

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Britain

Jamaica to petition UK king over slavery reparations in landmark legal test

Culture minister seeks Privy Council opinion on the legality of the transatlantic slave trade and UK liability for redress.

Jamaica’s Culture Minister Olivia Grange. Photo: dpa
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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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.

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong proposes grade 2 heritage status for Kennedy Town selfie spot sea wall

Heritage assessment panel proposes listing New Praya’s century-old sea wall as historic structure amid plans to build new pedestrian walkway.

New Praya’s historic sea wall in Kennedy Town, a popular selfie spot, has been proposed for grade two status. Photo: Dickson Lee
Mainland China

Have you been to the Great Wall of China?

Why the answer to the question of whether you have been to the Great Wall of China is trickier than it might seem.

Clouds over a section of the Great Wall in Luanping County, in China’s Hebei province. Photo: Xinhua
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.

United Nations

Countries must consider reparations for slave trade, UN committee says

At least 12.5 million Africans were ‌taken and sold between the 15th and 19th centuries, according to the committee.

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