#Art

Erhai Lake in Dali, China, is one of the country’s most beautiful lakes, and has long been a top tourist attraction as well. However, the lake is also the receptacle of runoff from pesticides from nearby farms, and sewage from local restaurants and hotels also end up in it, causing massive pollution to the lake.  […]

In an article for BBC News, Professor Rana Mitter shows five ways how China’s past has shaped the country into what it is today. The author’s premise is that in order to understand how China approaches such issues as internet censorship, trade or foreign policy, we must look into the country’s past.  Key to understanding […]

All eyes were on Prince Harry and his fiancee, Meghan Markle, at the Queen’s 92nd birthday concert last Saturday, April 21. The pair both wore stylish navy blue outfits that elicited much praise on social media. In less than a month, Prince Harry and Ms. Markle are scheduled to get married at St. George’s Chapel, […]

There are three trends that dominate the weddings of China’s brides and grooms, which are: destination weddings, customization and quality. More and more of China’s young betrothed couples are personalizing their weddings and combining traditional wedding details with more modern and Western elements. For example, some couples are now choosing to have two weddings. One […]

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is in the US for a three-day state visit, has made much of his “special relationship” with US President Donald Trump. In a recent interview with Fox News Sunday, Mr. Macron attributed their bond to the fact that they are both “mavericks of the system.” Mr. Macron told Chris Wallace, […]

Admiral Philip Davidson, the nominee to head the United States Pacific Command, has said that China’s military now has control over the South China Sea. Mr. Davidson is also urging the swift bolstering of US defenses in the area through more medium range and hypersonic missiles to stand up to China’s threats. Mr. Davidson was […]

North Korea’s state-run media has reported that it has stopped the testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles and atomic weapons. The media reports that according to Kim Jong Un, the country has already met its goal of building up a nuclear arsenal. The Korean Central News Agency has reported Kim Jong Un as saying that their […]

Now that it no longer plays a leading role in regional development, people are wondering what’s next for Hong Kong. The answer lies in Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau all to take advantages of their unique strengths as they find their places in the enormous “Greater Bay Area” plan. Once upon a time, Hong Kong […]

Korean pop music, known as “K-pop” to millions of fans around the world, has opened the door for a wave of migration into the country.  Fans from all over the world find their interest in Korea sparked by the music, which has found tremendous popularity in different, and rather unexpected, parts of the globe, including […]

There’s a persistent urban legend going around since 2017 that China “invented” four modern innovations that have impacted modern times, namely: mobile payment, bike sharing, e-commerce and high speed railways. Here’s the plain truth: none of the above innovations were invented in China, although China did pave the road for all of them to be […]

Just as the long-standing rift between the Vatican and China seems to be about to heal, Beijing jailed popular Catholic bishop, Guo Xijin. Bishop Guo was detained shortly before Easter for declining to celebrate mass with another bishop, one who had received government approval. The Catholic Church in China has faced an interesting situation since […]

Remarks made by Pope Francis, the Catholic Church’s highest leader, seems to suggest that he believes there is no hell. These remarks, published in an Italian newspaper, have caused the Vatican to scramble in walking back the Pope’s statements. Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari, an atheist and a longtime friend and intellectual sparring partner of the […]

The world continues to be in decline, democracy-wise. More than fifty percent of countries around the globe show an alarming downward trend when it comes to democratic health. Earlier this year, The Economist published its tenth annual Democracy Index, which shows that Larry Diamond’s prediction of a global “democratic recession” is indeed a reality. A […]

China’s announcement of new tariffs on more than one hundred goods from the US caused stocks to take a tumble on Monday, April 2. Losers include large technology companies, which have long been the favorite of investors. The retaliatory tariffs from China are considered to be a step toward a full scale trade war between […]

After the United States imposed additional taxes on steel and aluminum from China, Beijing retaliated by enforcing tariffs worth a total of 3 billion dollars on more than one hundred goods imported from the US. China protested against the higher steel and aluminum taxes when they were recently announced by officials of the Trump government, […]