Music

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

[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

[Big read] Shanghai to Bangkok: The rise of Chinese clubs in Southeast Asia

Chinese nightclub owners are setting their sights on Southeast Asia — a market that holds much potential but also numerous challenges. They hope that the unique experiences they offer will help them stand out, says Lianhe Zaobao news correspondent Lim Zhan Ting.

Lim Zhan Ting

[Big read] Venue closures and talent gaps: Cantonese opera’s battle for survival

With the closure of the iconic Sunbeam Theatre in Hong Kong, audiences have one less venue to watch Cantonese opera. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing speaks to Cantonese opera fans and academics to find out what the future might hold for the industry.

Tai Hing Shing

[Photos] Xie Xin: The superstar bringing Chinese contemporary dance to the world

Shanghai-based writer Kyle Muntz speaks with Xie Xin, a star choreographer in China’s contemporary dance world. He learns about dancers’ commitment to their passion and a dance form that could be called the live equivalent of abstract painting.

Kyle Muntz

The expat bands transforming Shanghai’s independent music scene

It’s all about passion, says Shanghai-based writer Kyle Muntz, for Shanghai bands made up primarily of musicians born outside China. Acts like these are connecting with local audiences and sharing their love of rock, metal, electronica, jazz and much more.

Kyle Muntz

Lang Lang on the future of classical music

If you think that classical music is gradually becoming obsolete, world-renowned pianist Lang Lang begs to differ. In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao associate editor and Fukan editor Woo Mun Ngan as part of Lianhe Zaobao’s Future 365 interview series, he says that classical music is as relevant and important as ever, and that social media and AI technology have made the genre accessible to a wider audience.

Woo Mun Ngan

Taiwan’s romance industry colours Singapore and Malaysia

The passing of Taiwanese legends Chiung Yao and Liu Chia-chang marks the end of an era for an entire generation of ethnic Chinese, not just in Taiwan but also in Singapore and Malaysia. Researcher Phoon Wing Keong looks at the influence of the Taiwanese entertainment industry overseas, as well as its function beyond just entertainment.

Phoon Wing Keong

[Big read] Huangqiao makes 30% of the world’s violins: Can it craft a Stradivarius?

In a Jiangsu town rich with musical heritage from its thriving violin-making industry, Lianhe Zaobao journalist Li Kang interviews industry insiders to uncover the history and challenges of this craft.

Li Kang

Hainan hosts Kanye West: Bold move fuels economic gains and public controversy

Hoping to boost its image as an entertainment centre, Hainan successfully hosted the concert of popular American rapper Kanye West. Lianhe Zaobao China Desk looks into the economic benefits of the event, along with the controversies that followed.

China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao

Art imitates life: The depressive soundscape of northeast China [Eye on Dongbei series]

Hong Kong academic Dino Ge Zhang explores the regional soundscape shaped by art forms like errenzhuan (二人转) and hanmai (喊麦) in northeast China. He discusses how a sense of ambiguous nostalgia emerged from the tension between declining folk culture and the perceived inertia of a population struggling to adapt to the rise of capitalism since the 1990s.

Dino Ge Zhang

[Video] From the Bronx to China: Breaking and street dance get the Chinese grooving 

With its debut at the Paris Olympics 2024, breaking is making its mark on the global stage, sparking excitement among B-Boys (Break-Boys) and B-Girls worldwide. In China, breaking and other street dance genres have gone from niche subculture to mainstream. What’s the charm of street dance? Join ThinkChina’s Yi Jina for an audio-visual immersion into this vibrant art form.

Yi Jina