Love

[Big read] From Egypt to Russia: Chinese men looking overseas for love

Facing steep bride prices and mounting pressures at home, some Chinese men are finding wives abroad. Three men share how marriages with women from Egypt, Indonesia and Russia reshaped their lives. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei speaks to the couples about their journeys.

Sim Tze Wei

Taiwanese art historian: My Aquarian friend Hualing who embraced everyone [Part 2]

Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun continues reminiscing about his time in Iowa, US, with Hualing Nieh Engle, as well as other prominent literary figures such as Wang Zengqi and Ah Cheng. Through ups and downs, Nieh’s Aquarian character shines through, strong and resilient.

Chiang Hsun

Taiwan art historian: My Aquarian friend Hualing who embraced everyone [Part 1]

Taiwan art historian Chiang Hsun remembers his time in Iowa, US, with Hualing Nieh Engle, reminiscing on her ability to embrace people from all walks of life — a perfect example of an Aquarian. Such is the breadth and depth of the Aquarius’s rushing waters, endlessly flowing, with the water bearer’s energy always being given away to all living creatures.

Chiang Hsun

A Taiwanese boy named Thomas and the faith he made his own

Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun reflects on his spiritual journey, from youthful devotion to quiet estrangement, contemplating the place of Catholic faith in modern life in the wake of Pope Francis’s passing.

Chiang Hsun

[Big read] Love is hard to find for millions of rural Chinese men

The gender imbalance in China, especially in the rural areas, has resulted in many men not being able to find a partner. Some are still looking; others have given up and are resigned to being single. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang speaks to some of these single men about their views.

Li Kang

[Video] Boys’ Love in China: From fan fiction to cultural soft power

Once a niche subculture, China’s danmei (耽美), or Boys’ Love fiction, has grown into a global phenomenon adored by millions of young women. But after a wave of crackdowns and tighter online controls, questions are rising over danmei’s future, both within China and as a vehicle of global soft power.

Yi Jina

Red banners and tea ceremonies: Inside the world of a Chinese wedding planner in Singapore

Despite Western influences, many young Singaporean couples choose to incorporate traditional Chinese customs into their wedding. Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Lee Geok Hoon speaks with Jenny Zheng, who has borne witness to marital unions in Singapore for the past 27 years. Beyond her role as a shopkeeper of wedding paraphernalia, Zheng is a guardian to this cultural heritage.

Lee Geok Hoon

[Vox pop] Chinese parenting: Tough love or just tough?

Chinese parenting is often seen as strict and demanding, yet it is also rooted in profound love. As a new generation reaches adulthood and reflects on how they were raised, many are beginning to understand their parents’ choices and redefine what good parenting truly means.

Yi Jina

Scam meals and broken hearts: The hidden cost of love in Hong Kong

A recent luxury dining scam in Hong Kong — where a man ditched a woman with a hefty bill — highlights a bigger story: a striking gender imbalance that is shaking up relationships and sparking unexpected twists in the city’s social scene. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing examines the issue.

Tai Hing Shing

[Big read] Marrying without love? China’s youth say yes to new marriages 

Amid Chinese women’s rising economic status and youth’s need for individual freedom, traditional forms of marriage are giving way to new arrangements such as cooperative marriages, AA marriages and two-sided marriages. Lianhe Zaobao China news correspondent Lim Zhan Ting speaks with couples and experts to find out the pros and cons of these modern forms of marriage.

Lim Zhan Ting

Love in the age of filters: My struggle with modern romance

In China, rates of birth and marriage are now at their lowest since the 1980s. Engineer and commentator Qin Pengfei — who is a bachelor himself — offers his thoughts on why fewer young adults in China are getting married today. 

Qin Pengfei

Chinese screenwriter sets example, fends off controversies

Chinese screenwriter Yu Zheng is an industry veteran of 20 years, and is no stranger to various controversies and real-life drama. He tells Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Wang Yingmin about taking things in his stride and not letting noise get in the way.

Wang Yingmin