Culture

The eight "aquatic immortals". (Photo taken by Jin and provided by Chiang Hsun)

Heavenly dishes in a little Shanghai restaurant

Chiang Hsun ruminates on a myriad of ingredients, marvelling most at the eight vegetable ‘aquatic immortals’ in Chinese cuisine, which showcase the pure and delicious flavours of the season. Best of all, he enjoyed the heavenly dishes during autumn, in a little Shanghai restaurant that feels like home.
People tour the Jinxi Ancient Town in Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China, on 4 March 2023. (CNS)

Song dynasty poet Su Shi's appetite for exotic foods

While he is credited for creating the famed Dongpo pork dish, Song dynasty poet Su Shi actually savoured several exotic feasts while he was exiled in Huangzhou, Hubei. Chinese bamboo partridge, masked palm civet — you name it, he’s tried it.
Cover of the book on the exhibition “Soo Bin: Life of Art, Art of Life”. (Photo provided by Teo Han Wue)

The significance of Singaporean photographer Chua Soo Bin’s work

Teo Han Wue tells us more about the life and work of Singapore’s veteran photographer, Chua Soo Bin, who took striking profile shots of leading Greater China artists and went on to make fellow Singapore artists the subject of his portraiture.
The rich historical tradition of the Chinese tea ceremony must not be forgotten. (iStock)

More than one road to ‘the way of tea’

Cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai asserts that it is erroneous and even arrogant to think that the Japanese way is the only true “way of tea”. Those that do forget that the Japanese tea ceremony originated from China and that different historical traditions make up varied but no less authentic paths to the way of tea.
Worshippers wearing face masks make their first offerings inside the Wong Tai Sin Temple, in Hong Kong, China, 21 January 2023. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage and the preservation of Lingnan culture

Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage is a mix of Lingnan culture and influences from British colonial rule, says cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai. This is what makes Hong Kong’s cultural treasures unique, and fortunately, the people of today are able to discern what to keep and what to discard.
In the olden times, a fortress could be built among the lush mountains, where the Bandit Chief of the Mountain could peacefully reside. (iStock)

I could be a bandit chief on Ma On Shan: Hiking in Hong Kong [Part 6]

In the last of a six-part series on hiking in Hong Kong, cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai shares the wonders of Hong Kong’s hiking trails. As he rediscovers the hidden splendour of Ma On Shan on a difficult hike, he marvels at the ingenuity of the gods, keeping the pristine away from the evil world. Only the most determined will glimpse unparalleled beauty.
Visitors at the National Gallery of Singapore, 2015. (SPH Media)

This is what Nanyang art looks like

Following up on his article tracing the origins of Nanyang art and its influence in Southeast Asia, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre CEO Low Sze Wee explains the characteristics of Nanyang art, highlighting the unique integration of Chinese and Western art in their compositions.
People buy Lunar New Year decorations in Hong Kong, China, on 9 January 2023 for the upcoming Year of the Rabbit. (Peter Parks/AFP)

Not sweating the small stuff: Blessings for a happy Chinese New Year

Recalling a Chinese New Year feast where he was ruffled by feelings of injustice, cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai returns to equanimity with the wise words a friend gifted him: stay true to the values of the Chinese heart and mind, and days of peace and simple joys can unfold all through the year.
A yellow Wedelia prostrata flower. (Photo: Alpsdake/Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)

Every plant a medicine: Hiking in Hong Kong [Part 5]

In the fifth of a six-part series on hiking in Hong Kong, cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai shares the wonders of Hong Kong’s hiking trails. With the nagging feeling that the city’s development is slowly encroaching on nature’s bounty, Cheng traces the sights and sounds on a stroll on the beach in Wu Kai Sha, discovering plants of beauty with medicinal properties too.