Luxury

How Peking duck went from imperial Beijing to Singapore’s kopitiams

Once a delicacy savoured at imperial banquets, Peking duck has shed its exclusivity and reinvented itself for the masses — evolving in style, price and ritual as it finds an unexpected new home in the heartlands. Lianhe Zaobao lifestyle correspondent Tang Ai Wei finds out more.

Tang Ai Wei

15 May 2026

How caviar became China’s most unexpected success story

China’s culinary tradition prized technique over luxury ingredients. Now, rising affluence and innovation are changing that — turning caviar and other premium foods into symbols of status and engines of growth. Economist Li Jingkui looks at how high-end ingredients can play a part in boosting the economy.

Li Jingkui

29 Apr 2026

Why China’s youth are swapping luxury for local brands

With young consumers in China looking beyond established Western luxury brands, homegrown brands are increasingly winning people over with their designs and quality. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu finds out more.

Liu Liu

29 Apr 2026

[Big read] Not just money: Gold carries the weight of memories

Amid global uncertainty, rising inflation and weak consumer confidence, gold has once again come into favour as a safe-haven asset, echoing its role in times of war. Yet while its value can be measured in markets, the true weight of gold is not purely numerical. Beyond price and purity, it carries memories, meanings and emotional significance — as ThinkChina’s Grace Chong discovered in conversations with gold jewellers in Singapore and China, across generations.

Grace Chong

20 Mar 2026

Why China’s fashion boom is still searching for its heart

Runways are thriving, investors are watching — but many in China’s fashion world say what’s missing is something money can’t buy: authenticity, patience and soul. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang speaks to industry players to find out more.

Li Kang

12 Nov 2025

How scammers are tarnishing Singapore’s incorruptible image

Singapore’s spotless reputation as a disciplined financial hub faces a reckoning as luxury property, philanthropy, and family offices become tools for global scam syndicates — testing how incorruptible the city-state truly is, says former journalist Goh Choon Kang.

Goh Choon Kang

11 Nov 2025

Luxury brands close shops across China as domestic demand drops

Once a booming market for high-end fashion, China’s middle class is eschewing luxury goods from designer labels like Louis Vuitton and Chanel, amid economic difficulties such as mass layoffs. Lianhe Zaobao Shanghai correspondent Li Kang tells us more about how these luxury brands are grappling with the downturn.

Li Kang

05 Jun 2025

Why BMW, Audi and Mercedes are losing their shine in China

While BMW, Mercedes and Audi have long owned the luxury car market in China, they have not been able to boost sales this year despite reducing prices. Why are these brands no longer carrying as much weight as they used to in the country?

Caixin Global

29 Nov 2024

How consumption is rebounding in China’s second- and third-tier cities

Lianhe Zaobao journalist Li Kang notes that there is an increase in spending in non-first-tier cities in China, in contrast to people tightening their belts in first-tier cities such as Shanghai. How long will this last, and can the domestic market prop up China’s economy?

Li Kang

09 Sep 2024

[Big read] Big business in little blind boxes

Lianhe Zaobao journalist Lee Kuo Ai takes a look at the trending blind box market, its appeal to Gen Z and millennials, and companies’ forays into the space. From elements of surprise to instant gratifications, even with those involving luxury brands, this lucrative consumer phenomenon seems to be here to stay.

Lee Kuo Ai

06 Jun 2024

Louboutin's famous red-soled heels tread winding path to trademark protection in China

In 2012, Christian Louboutin shoes made their debut in the Chinese market, two years after an application to have their distinctive appearance protected under the Trademark Law sparked a legal tussle that would unfold over the ensuing decade and continues today.

Caixin Global

23 Feb 2024

Pinduoduo's popularity a sign of Chinese consumption downgrading wave

Popular Chinese online shopping app Pinduoduo has done well in terms of profits, outdoing competitors such as Alibaba and JD.com. While a major factor is due to revenue from Pinduoduo's multinational e-commerce platform Temu, it may also be a sign that consumers in China are changing their spending habits and going for cost-effectiveness and value for money.

Wong Siew Fong

06 Dec 2023