Literati
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
I want to write you a letter, Singapore
SG, You’ve Got Mail (信说新语), now on at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, captures a collection of artists’ personal reflections about Singapore expressed through traditional artistic forms such as ink painting, calligraphy and seal carving. Writer Teo Han Wue shares his thoughts on the letters he read.
Teo Han Wue
15 Aug 2025
Culture
[Big read] Guqin doctorate holder holds firm to qin principles
Dr Kee Chee Koon is the first Singaporean to earn a doctorate in qin studies in China. He also has plenty of thoughts to offer on the way of the qin. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Heyang speaks to the guqin master.
Zhang Heyang
20 Jun 2025
Culture
Taiwanese art historian: What do Su Shi, Mao Zedong and Jesus have in common?
Defamed by villains, ostracised by the imperial court and repeatedly demoted to barren lands — was Song dynasty poet and essayist Su Shi’s dire fate truly dictated by the stars of Capricorn? Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun muses on the rumblings and trivialities in Su Shi’s life.
Chiang Hsun
17 Apr 2025
Culture
Beneath the plum tree: A Chinese culinary romance
From plum brine to plum blossom porridge, there is no stone left unturned in terms of exploring plum blossoms as an ingredient in Chinese cuisine. Writer Shen Jialu takes us on a sweet and savoury gastronomic journey to discover the versatility of plum blossoms.
Shen Jialu
11 Apr 2025
Culture
Jiangnan cuisine: How the ancient literati wrote about it [Eye on JiangZheHu series]
Jiangnan cuisine shot to literary prominence in the 11th and 12th centuries when Song dynasty elites moved from the capital of Bianliang to Lin’an, today’s Hangzhou. Since then, Jiangnan cuisine has captivated many literati epicures including Qing dynasty poet, Yuan Mei. Academic and food writer Thomas DuBois explores the gastronomical charm of that era.
Thomas DuBois
24 Jan 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
Wuxia novelist Jin Yong’s legacy minus the Hong Kong factor
On the centenary of his birth, Jin Yong the wuxia writer extraordinaire is respected and remembered for his contribution to the wuxia genre of novels, film and television. At the same time, note researcher Ng Kum Hoon and academic Lian-Hee Wee, the Jin Yong canon is increasingly becoming a cherished “classic” for generations growing old, and yet more distant to the post-millennials.
Ng Kum Hoon, Lian-Hee Wee
17 May 2024
Culture
Shakespeare, Su Shi and Tang Xianzu: The dates of birth and death of literary greats
The dates of birth and death of literary greats - especially those who lived centuries ago when the calendar used may not have been the same as we use today - can be confusing and difficult to pin down. Cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai looks at the example of William Shakespeare and several Chinese poets, noting that in the end, perhaps it is not so important whether or not we have an exact date.
Cheng Pei-kai
15 Dec 2023
Culture
China's 'latte art' from a thousand years back
As cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai continues on his Changzhou intangible cultural heritage extravaganza, he retraces the steps of ancient literati like Song dynasty poet Su and Qing dynasty scholar Lü Gong who spent days of idyll in artistic pursuits. There was even an artist-monk who could write poetry with tea foam. This is the second article of a four-part series on Changzhou food and drink.
Cheng Pei-kai
19 May 2023
Culture
A taste of Changzhou: Best from the rivers and lakes
Situated between Zhenjiang and Wuxi, Changzhou belongs to the Wu-speaking (吴语) region of Jiangnan. As the city sits in the Jiangnan circle comprising Nanjing, Yangzhou and Suzhou, its food and lifestyle patterns are influenced by Yangzhou and Suzhou culture. As cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai embarks on his Changzhou food extravaganza, will he get to taste the much-anticipated Tianmu Lake claypot fish head? This is the first article of a four-part series on Changzhou cuisine.
Cheng Pei-kai
12 May 2023