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A rattan suitcase from the Sojourning in Gold Mountain exhibition in Hong Kong.
Asian diaspora

Chinese stories of California gold rush told in Hong Kong exhibition

Sojourning in Gold Mountain at Hong Kong Museum of History shines a light on migrants’ journeys from China to San Francisco in the 1800s.

Japan

Japanese descendants of former Iwo Jima residents yearn to live on WWII island

Old Hong Kong

Then & Now | How reverse migration turned pigeon into a culinary staple in Hong Kong

Natural disasters

Mount Vesuvius eruption turned man’s brain into glass. Here’s how it happened

The disaster that obliterated two cities also created the intense heat and rapid cooling behind the one-of-a-kind transformation.

A fragment of organic glass was found inside the skull of a man killed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Photo: Pier Paolo Petrone via Reuters
Old Hong Kong

Then & Now | Has Hong Kong ever truly been home to any famous writers?

In his 1959 book The Road, Austin Coates’ protagonist is a successful writer in Hong Kong who gives an explosively well-received lecture – but the reality was different, and still is.

Explore Hong Kong

Unveiling the stories of early Japanese residents in Hong Kong Cemetery

Meiji-era prostitutes, whose names are etched in stone, find a voice in a new book by Georgina Challen and Yoshiko Nakano.

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Chinese culture

Beijing’s Palace Museum taps its storage for relics to restore

The museum of imperial relics founded in the Forbidden City in 1925 has retrieved stored artefacts to restore and eventually put on show.

A conservator restores a scroll at the Palace Museum in Beijing. Photo: Reuters
Obituaries

Clint Hill, Secret Service agent who tried to shield JFK, dies at 93

Hill was praised for his actions in Dallas on November 22, 1963 but for decades blamed himself for Kennedy’s death.

Hong Kong

This week in PostMag: from HKILF and new books to Zuma’s alumni

From Hong Kong to Marrakech, explore art and culinary success stories – and rediscover the joy of reading at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival.

Egypt

Egypt announces first discovery of pharaoh’s tomb in over 100 years

Archaeologists uncover Thutmose II’s tomb near Luxor, marking Egypt’s first royal tomb discovery since Tutankhamun’s in 1922.

The entrance to the tomb of King Thutmose II in Luxor in southern Egypt. Photo: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities via AFP
Asia travel

6 top urban heritage tours in Asia, from Kyoto and Seoul to Singapore

Explore Asia’s rich heritage with city tours that offer a glimpse into the history and culture of these vibrant urban centres.

A photo op on On-A-Roll-Tours’ Historic Chinatown walking tour in Singapore. Photo: On-A-Roll-Tours
Art

How a Hong Kong neon artist is making new waves in a sunset industry

A bright spark in a dimming world, Jive Lau – the artist behind Kowloneon – is preaching the gospel of neon lights to a new generation.

Asia travel

Hailing a taxi in Kolkata means a hulking yellow one. Not for much longer

A bustling city is losing its beloved yellow taxis, and it’s not New York. Why the days are numbered for Kolkata’s Hindustan Ambassador cabs.

Japan

Japanese father who never gave up on daughter abducted by North Korea dies at 96

Akihiro Arimoto’s relentless efforts on behalf of his daughter helped keep the North Korean abduction issue in the spotlight.

Akihiro Arimoto, whose daughter Keiko was taken to North Korea in 1983 at age 23, pictured in 2020 with her photo. Photo: Kyodo
Old Hong Kong

Why the elegant male cheongsam became something of a forgotten garment

Now sadly out of favour, the male cheongsam was once an elegant sartorial addition to the streets of China.

Chow Yun-fat wears a changshan, aka a male cheongsam, in 2012 movie The Last Tycoon. Photo: MediAdvertising (HK) Limited.
Archaeology and palaeontology

Archaeologists unearth remains of Roman basilica at new London skyscraper site

‘Significant’ discovery provides a glimpse into early Roman London and its governance.

Hong Kong culture

Manuscripts, letters of writer Eileen Chang given to university in Hong Kong

Thousands of documents donated to Hong Kong Metropolitan University include items of Chang’s friends, Stephen Soong and his wife Mae Fong Soong.

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From our archives

In pictures: Spring Lantern Festival in Hong Kong, through the years

To mark the end of Chinese New Year, Hong Kong comes alive with colourful lanterns on the 15th day of the first lunar month – here’s a look back at celebrations from the 1980s to 2024.

Visitors trying to solve lantern riddles during the Spring Lantern Festival in Tiger Balm Gardens in Tai Hang, Hong Kong, in 1988. Photo: David Wong
Asia travel

Best things to do and see in Qingdao, handsome Chinese port city

A vibrant coastal city and popular tourist destination, Qingdao’s natural beauty and interesting architecture make it a photography hotspot.

Science

Tibetan tree rings link climate change and fall of major Chinese dynasties

Study tracking climate patterns across thousands of years found that periods of lower rainfall coincided with some major political upheavals.

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From our archives

Recap | Hong Kong triad attacks see firebombings, murders and gang wars from Kowloon to Macau

Discover gripping stories of Hong Kong’s dark history of triad violence down the years, highlighting the city’s struggles with organised crime.

A Hong Kong restaurant and mahjong club was firebombed in 1990, after refusing to pay local gangsters. Six men, including three shareholders in the King Ford Moon Restaurant and Mahjong Club (above) were killed. Photo: SCMP Archives
Tourism

Indiana Jones’ Petra has a worthy rival in Hegra, Saudi Arabia

With none of the crowds but much of the mystique of Jordan’s Petra facades, Hegra is a history-rich highlight in newly accessible Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi man walks in front of tombs in the al-Hijr archaeological site at Hegra, also known as Mada’in Saleh. Photo: Getty Images
Art

Wallis Simpson a sexual and criminal deviant in China? A rethink

Famous for a British king abdicating to wed her, Simpson spent a year in China tainted by vicious rumours. Paul French has a different story.

Asia travel

What is Hmong New Year – and how is it celebrated in the modern day?

For the Hmong ethnic group, the New Year festival in northern Laos’ Phonsavan is the perfect time to don your finest, honour your clan and go in search of The One.

From our archives

When Hong Kong asked for men to be birth-control-pill guinea pigs

‘A male pill would also promote male responsibility for contraception,’ the Family Planning Association said when calling for trial volunteers in 1977.

Hong Kong Family Planning Association put out a plea in 1977 for men to test a new male contraceptive pill. Photo: Shutterstock
Architecture and design

Microphone of the stars? The story of the ‘Elvis Mic’, or Shure Unidyne 55

The Shure Unidyne 55 microphone has been a favourite of musicians and public speakers since 1939 – from Elvis Presley to Metallica, and from John F. Kennedy to Martin Luther King.

Elvis Presley, pictured on stage in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1956, relied on the quality of the Shure Unidyne 55 microphone for performances so much that it became known as the Elvis Mic. Photo: Getty Images
Tourism

Huge new British tourist attraction to centre on World War II tunnels

Project to turn London tunnels built during The Blitz estimated to cost about US$150 million, with hopes for up to 3 million visitors a year.

From our archives

Recap | Hong Kong horse racing, including Bill Benter’s billion-dollar bet

The history of Hong Kong horse racing, from the 1971 professional launch at Happy Valley to the rise of Sha Tin Racecourse, and the impact of Bill Benter’s stunning betting system.

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