Seasons

[Photos] Northern Xinjiang: A kaleidoscope of vivid colours and rich culture

A trip to northern Xinjiang in the fall is an unforgettable experience, replete with captivating scenery, lush nature, a vibrant cultural heritage and delicious cuisine. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Hedy Yang and photojournalist Ngoh Shian Bang give us a glimpse of the region’s beauty and appeal.

Hedy Yang, Ngoh Shian Bang

14 Feb 2025

Remembering Xiaohei, the Capricorn dog of Taipei [Part 2]

Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun remembers the dog that he dubbed Xiaohei, or Little Black. From walks to feeding to encounters with other dogs (including potential suitors), to the day she disappeared with her puppies, Xiaohei was a stray, and yet not a stray.

Chiang Hsun

10 Jan 2025

The Japanese colonial-era principal and his wooden house in rural Chishang, Taiwan

As Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun sits by the window of a restored wooden building in Chishang, Taiwan, he watches the shadows under the moonlight. He muses: is there a story behind every old building? Are stories an important part of an old building?

Chiang Hsun

07 Jun 2024

[Video] China's Harbin pampering visitors to win tourism battle

Harbin has seen an explosion of tourists this Chinese New Year season, and it is pulling out all the stops to welcome them, sometimes to the chagrin of locals. However, can this wave of tourism be sustained, and improve Harbin's economy? Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Daryl Lim takes a trip to China's land of snow and ice.

Daryl Lim

21 Feb 2024

Taiwanese art historian: What my mother taught me about blessings in life

Ordinary is beautiful, says art historian Chiang Hsun. That's what the frenzy of war taught his mother; that's what the simplicity of home cooking reminds us.

Chiang Hsun

14 Apr 2023

Heavenly dishes in a little Shanghai restaurant

Chiang Hsun ruminates on a myriad of ingredients, marvelling most at the eight vegetable 'aquatic immortals' in Chinese cuisine, which showcase the pure and delicious flavours of the season. Best of all, he enjoyed the heavenly dishes during autumn, in a little Shanghai restaurant that feels like home.

Chiang Hsun

10 Mar 2023

[Photo story] A cold start to the Year of the Rabbit

Since China entered winter late last year, temperatures have plunged to record lows in various Chinese cities entering the Year of the Rabbit. ThinkChina brings you on a pictorial journey into these snowclad places in China, and how the Chinese people are spending the festivities.

ThinkChina

27 Jan 2023

The cultivation of Christmas trees

Former journalist Lim Jen Erh writes of Christmas traditions and the spirit of the season, and the little things that make us happy amid the chaos of the rest of the year. Perhaps it is good to remind ourselves that we also deserve cultivating.

Lim Jen Erh

23 Dec 2022

When a Singaporean tries fighting mosquitoes in Beijing

Beijing-based Singaporean Jessie Tan recounts her experience in keeping her residential compound safe from potentially harmful mosquitoes. While mosquito-borne diseases are prevalent in some countries such as Singapore, the local Chinese would find it rather unusual in their part of the world, leaving one to reflect how different environments breed different concerns.

Jessie Tan

12 Aug 2022

My longing for the elusive fish of spring

Cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai was looking forward to sampling seasonal dishes during his recent visit to Hangzhou. Alas, not all restaurants are well prepared enough to serve up every seasonal dish a diner desires. Better luck next time.

Cheng Pei-kai

06 May 2022

What does Zhuangzi have to do with goldfish in a Suzhou winter pond?

Wintry scenes of snow-clad landscapes make one in the mood for poetry. One look at Suzhou's Tiger Hill Pagoda or the Humble Administrator's Garden blanketed in snow and ancient poets would have been lost in their reverie, producing great works. Cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai remembers the year 2018 when there was heavy snow in China's southern Jiangnan region.

Cheng Pei-kai

18 Feb 2022

Taiwanese art historian: What colour is the scent of autumn?

Strolling in the autumn light, Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun remembers that his mother always requested for fabrics in the colour of "autumn's scent". If fragrance sets a mood, and that mood can be captured in a mood board, what would that scent look like? Perhaps at the very least, it'd be a rich, mellow shade of dust settling on the seasons.

Chiang Hsun

10 Sep 2021