Architecture
History
[Photos] A tale of two homelands: Fujian and Taiwan [Eye on Fujian series]
Fujian, a historic maritime gateway and strategic frontier in China, has played a defining role in China’s past. Taiwanese historic photo collector Hsu Chung-mao takes us on a pictorial journey that explores the rich history and culture of his ancestral homeland, while reflecting on his personal ties to the region.
Hsu Chung-mao
27 Mar 2026
Culture
Fuzhou: Where every street tells a story and every bite delights
Fuzhou is a city rich in history, connected to well-known figures throughout time. Yet today, it beautifully bridges past and present — preserving its historic architecture and beloved culinary traditions for all to experience. Former Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Chia Yei Yei takes us through this charming city.
Chia Yei Yei
03 Oct 2025
Culture
Glass towers, German villas and the ghosts of empire: This is Qingdao [Eye on Shandong series]
Once a German colony and now a vibrant Chinese coastal city, Qingdao blends red-roofed European villas with gleaming skyscrapers. Despite its rich history, stunning seascapes and iconic beer, it remains curiously overlooked by foreign visitors. Kennie Ting, author of The Great Port Cities of Asia: In History, gives us the highlights.
Kennie Ting
02 Oct 2025
Culture
Tsingtao beer is reinventing itself for a new generation [Eye on Shandong series]
Amid Qingdao’s quaint streets brimming with history and heritage, Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd. is taking the city’s proud beverage, Tsingtao beer, to greater heights. Distinguished Professor of Shandong University Edmund Li Sheng tells us more.
Edmund Li Sheng
30 Sep 2025
Culture
Chengdu, where the everyday becomes art [Eye on Sichuan series]
Chengdu is a metropolis interwoven with tradition and modernity, embodying the paradoxical yet balanced relationship between “nature” and “construction”. Sichuan academic Zhang Jinyao takes us on a walk along the picturesque ancient alleys and streets of Chengdu, exploring how the everyday has shaped the city’s life, art and architecture.
Zhang Jinyao
29 May 2025
Culture
[Photos] From the balcony: A writer’s love letter to Xiamen
In the seaside city of Xiamen, old and new — as well as Eastern, Western and Southeast Asian influences — coexist seamlessly. This coexistence manifests itself in Xiamen’s unique cuisine, culture and architecture, says writer Ng Kong Ling, who tells us more about what the vibrant city has to offer.
Ng Kong Ling
14 Mar 2025
Culture
Water towns of Jiangnan: An architectural perspective [Eye on JiangZheHu series]
Architecture professor Ho Puay Peng points out the unique charm of water towns in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai — a testament to centuries of creative endeavours as many an artist or writer strolled past their waterways, seeking inspiration.
Ho Puay Peng
24 Jan 2025
Culture
Remembering Xiaohei, the Capricorn dog of Taipei [Part 1]
Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun remembers long walks in New York City, Paris, and along the river in Taipei, where he came across a little puppy that he dubbed Xiaohei, or Little Black. Despite a conscious effort to walk away and not get attached, perhaps it was destiny that brought them together?
Chiang Hsun
03 Jan 2025
Culture
[Video] Pengzhen Old Teahouse in Chengdu: People, tea and connections
Possibly China’s oldest teahouse, Pengzhen Old Teahouse offers patrons a nostalgic retreat from modern chaos and an experience that is as much about human connection as it is about tea. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina takes you on a visual journey into this historic gem.
Yi Jina
06 Dec 2024
Culture
Venice Biennale 2024: Troubled worlds on art’s stage
Keong Ruoh Ling decodes the 60th Venice Biennale 2024, seeing it as a framework of understanding the world. The stories of those on the margins — the migrants, the outsider artists, the global south — come together in a patchwork of artworks. In the theatre of the geopolitics of art that is the Venice Biennale, one sees the different acts playing out.
Keong Ruoh Ling
16 Aug 2024