Society

People gather to burn incense sticks and offer prayers at the Lama Temple, in Beijing, China, on 19 February 2023. (Jade Gao/AFP)

More Chinese youths visiting temples to seek solace

As Chinese youths face pressures on all fronts, from education to job hunting and even finding love, they are finding some solace in prayers to gods. But a recent article from state media denouncing such behaviours has sparked uproar among the youths, claiming that the authorities are far removed from the problems young people face today.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew reacts during a session for him to testify before a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, 23 March 2023. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

What Singapore can learn from the Chew Shou Zi phenomenon

Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH Chinese Media Group, observes that the spotlight cast on Singaporean TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi at a US Congress hearing recently is a good entry point for us to think about the role that Singapore can play in the new world order, besides the larger topics such as TikTok and China-US relations.
Mainland Chinese travellers on low-cost tours walk to a tourist bus after lunch at To Kwa Wan in Hong Kong, China, 30 March 2023. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Are mainland China tourists discriminated against in Hong Kong?

The reopening of borders between mainland China and Hong Kong has led to heightened tensions between people on the ground, as each side has their own complaints against the other. The authorities will have to handle the situation carefully to prevent it from boiling over.
A general view of rush hour traffic in Taipei, Taiwan, 17 January 2023. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Are Hong Kong immigrants welcome in Taiwan?

Zaobao correspondent Woon Wei Jong speaks with academics, professionals and consultants about the difficulties Hong Kongers have in gaining residency in Taiwan, which was previously an easy and straightforward process. Why have some Hong Kongers given up and why are some still set on staying in Taiwan despite the arduous process?
A farmer fills pesticide in a drone before spraying a wheat field in Taizhou, Jiangsu province, China, on 28 February 2023. (AFP)

China's declining farmland and food self-sufficiency: Should we worry?

China’s food self-sufficiency ratio has plummeted to 76% in 2020, sparking worries of a food shortage. While the government reassures the people that food reserves are plentiful, China is highly dependent on imported food and its area of arable land is declining. China clearly needs to come up with innovative economic, social, environmental and agricultural policies if it hopes to become an “agricultural power” and avoid a food crisis.
A child is carried along Nanluoguxiang alley in Beijing, China, on 22 January 2023. (Noel Celis/AFP)

Why a sperm bank drive is fuelling fears of infertility in China

The drive in China to get more sperm donations have triggered concerns of a shortfall in supply and rising male infertility rates, but it also plays into the wider national anxiety over a population decline in the country.
A Be@rbrick exhibition in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China, 14 March 2023. (CNS)

'A wall full of Be@rbricks is worth as much as an apartment in China’

A Be@rbrick figure, named after auteur Stanley Kubric and first created by Japanese toy maker Tatsuhiko Akashi, can be worth thousands of dollars and finds fans from Japan to China to Singapore. Even celebrities like Jay Chou, JJ Lin, Lee Chong Wei, Z Tao, and G-Dragon are avid collectors. Chances are that you have seen these bears sporting their portly bellies without paying them much attention. In fact, these adorable and fashionable bears have become collectibles and an alternative investment. So, what makes Be@rbrick figures so highly sought after?
People walk past shops in a hutong alley in Beijing, China, 31 December 2022. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

What has changed in Beijing post-pandemic?

Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong shares her observations of a post-pandemic Beijing, noting the subtle differences in consumer habits and the people’s reluctance to talk about politics. How will China continue to change on its path of 'China-style modernisation'?
A publicity image of the Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems performance. (iSING! Festival/Twitter)

When the arts is more than politics: Reflections on the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s China tour

Learning of a recent performance in the US by Suzhou musicians, SPH Chinese Media Group editor-in-chief Lee Huay Leng muses on the role that the Philadelphia Orchestra’s visit to Beijing had played in US-China relations in the 1970s. While no substitute for hard diplomacy, cultural exchanges can sow seeds of friendship among different peoples, and help the world reap something beautiful in the future.