At the foot of Zhongnan Mountain in the Chinese city of Xian, the ancient Guanyin Chan Temple is home to a ginkgo tree with a history spanning over 1,400 years. As autumn approaches each year, this ancient ginkgo tree bursts into a spectacular golden display. The tree is said to have been planted by Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang dynasty (618-907) during a ...

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) plans to host a conference next year to foster collaboration with Gulf states, the bodys new head has said, adding that US President Donald Trumps unpredictable policies could result in further changes to its export projections. Frederick Ma Si-hang, who took office on June 1, also said on Sunday that the ...

What do you get when you mix outdated regulation, asset bubbles and an on-demand economy? In Hong Kongs case, a taxi system on life support clinging to the hope of million-dollar medallions (taxi licences) while app-based ride-hailing services quietly reshape the market. The government has finally committed to regulating these ride-hailing platforms, ...

One person is dead and four others injured after a driver allegedly drove into a crowd in Chongqing, a city in southwestern China, on Saturday after onlookers reportedly criticised him for repeatedly sounding the horn on his car. A police statement issued on Sunday by the Banan district branch of the Chongqing Public Security Bureau alleged the driver, ...

Taiwanese actress and singer Joe Chen Chiao-en has caused shock by revealing photos of herself after she underwent an all-over acupuncture treatment. The glaring images have sparked controversy on social media in mainland China. Known as the Queen of Idol Dramas, Chen, 46, first rose to fame in 2013 for her portrayal of Dongfang Bubai in the series ...

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Israels attack on Iran an unacceptable breach of international law and urged measures to de-escalate tensions in phone calls with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts on Saturday. He told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar that China could play a constructive role in the peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear ...

With Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr about halfway through his six-year term, questions are growing over whether his successor will uphold his firmer stance on the South China Sea or, as one senior official has warned, retreat to the symbolic jet ski posturing and softer policies seen under his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. Last months midterm ...

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu marked Fathers Day this year by sharing a photo on social media of himself with his grandson. Lees photo shows the city leader wearing a cap and a polo shirt as he warmly greets his grandson and has the caption: From father to fathers father, paying tribute to fathers all over the world. He said on Sunday that he ...

The grand relaunch of a famous Hong Kong nightclub on Saturday night was marred by a police raid that saw at least one person arrested on suspicion of money laundering. Police and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department officers raided Big Boss Generation (BBG) in Tsim Sha Tsui at around 10pm that night, just hours after the club opened. Photos from the ...

South Koreas recent unveiling of a model of a radical new type of naval drone carrier signalled its intention to become the fourth country to join an exclusive group of militaries, after China, Turkey and Iran, as it bids to influence the future of warfare. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries revealed the model of the 15,000-tonne HCX-23 Plus drone carrier in late ...

Amy Zhang is dressed in full sportswear, with sunglasses and a lightweight hiking backpack. She is one of many visiting Hong Kongs Dragons Back following the social media craze in mainland China over in-depth travels in the city. The beautiful merging horizon and skyline make good photos for my friend circle on WeChat and RedNote, the 30-year-old education ...

Up to 10,000 foreign nationals linked to the controversial Philippine offshore gaming operations (Pogos) remain in the country despite a ban on the sector last year, with calls from lawmakers mounting to track down those at large and quickly deport them. Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC) chief Gilbert Cruz revealed the numbers mostly ...

Stock investors are capitalising on the spending power of Chinas Generation Z consumers, who splurge on everything from gold jewellery to low-priced drinks, delivering multifold returns on so-called new consumer stocks. The ascent of Pop Mart International Group, Mixue Group and Laopu Gold is one of the few bright spots in Chinas sluggish consumer industry, ...

This years escalation of the US-China trade war has led many Chinese companies to rethink their overseas expansion strategies, with accessing the American market no longer their top priority when considering building factories in foreign countries, industry insiders said. There had been a drastic downshift in inquiries from Chinese companies seeking land to ...

Wang Ruoshuo, a 21-year-old student from Hefei, the capital of central Anhui province, is searching for a flat in Hung Hom in southern Kowloon, which is close to her university and the company where she interns. As a first-time renter, however, she has been taken aback by the high prices. Wang and her friends are looking for a two-bedroom unit, budgeting ...

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMPs journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. A No 3 typhoon warning will remain in force in Hong Kong throughout the early afternoon on Sunday, with local winds expected to ease slightly later in the ...

Younger generations of Hong Kong dads are increasingly eager to engage more with their children, but often face challenges due to limited time and parenting skills, an NGO has said ahead of Fathers Day on Sunday. Allen Ha Wing-on, co-founder of the DADs Network, said that traditional expectations and busy schedules posed obstacles for local fathers. ...

A group of tourists who pulled out the hair of a tiger at a zoo in China, thinking it would ward off evil spirits, have sparked outrage online. On June 8, a viral video showed several visitors at a zoo in Liaoning province, northeastern China, pulling hair from the big cats belly and tail through a metal fence. The incident took place in a special zone ...

Goku Technologies, a Shanghai-based quantitative trading fund, is expanding its ambitions beyond finance, looking to artificial intelligence (AI) as a means to overcome challenges faced by humanity, according to CEO Wang Xiao. In an interview with the Post, Wang said the firms AI initiatives were driven by a vision that transcended short-term commercial ...

Newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has signalled a desire to ease tensions with North Korea, halting propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, and he has turned to China for support. In a 30-minute phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, six days after taking office, Lee urged China to play a constructive role in ...

Hong Kong travel agencies have launched cheaper outbound group tours this summer, driven by increased flight capacity amid a shift in tourists preference away from Japan due to increased earthquake concerns. Several tour operators have reported that prices for their summer group tours are either lower or have remained stable, adding that popular ...

The spotlight is back on the so-called Squad minilateral grouping of nations aimed at countering Chinas influence in the Asia-Pacific, after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth hailed the bloc as the most strategically positioned to manifest deterrence. Observers, however, are mixed on such a stance, pointing to Washingtons transactional approach and ...

This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMPs journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. For the first time in more than three decades, the United States is holding a major military parade in the nations capital on Saturday fulfilling ...

Hong Kong authorities should appeal against the light penalties imposed on two property owners for erecting illegal structures at their luxury Redhill Peninsula homes, experts have said, warning that the fines are not hefty enough to deter offenders. The specialists weighed in after the two property owners were told to pay more than HK$110,000 (US$14,015) ...

He Jiankui looked a little tired and worn as he contemplated his future. With no home and no institution to host his research, the 41-year-old biophysicist and self-proclaimed pioneer of gene editing was weighing up what to do next while staying at an upmarket hotel in Beijing late last month. He, who caused a global uproar in 2018 with his announcement of ...