Culture

As a challenging year in China draws to a close, Paul french rounds up some of the year’s best Chinese fiction in translation to get stuck into over the holidays Among all the new non-fiction, history and business books, it’s easy to forget that contemporary fiction can provide a window into a country, its consumers and its culture. It’s fair to say the last few years have been a slightly …

A free exhibition at the British Library, supported by Blick Rothenberg, explores the active role Chinese communities have played in British society in the 300 years since the first recorded Chinese person arrived in the UK up until the present day, writes CBBC’s Juliette Pitt Tracing back the origins, exploits and stories of the British Chinese community, who can trace their heritage to regions across East and Southeast Asia, ‘Chinese …

The Amur River, also known as the Heilong River, forms the border between Russia and China and has been a point of contention and exchange for hundreds – if not thousands – of years. A new book by Colin Thubron offers a unique traveller’s perspective on the present and future of a region where two of the world’s superpowers face each other Colin Thubron has long been one of Britain’s …

The story of the return of two priceless Ming artefacts to the Shanghai Museum demonstrates the challenges – and importance – of getting it right when shipping museum pieces and fine art to China In late 2021, two Ming dynasty terracotta clay figurines returned to China after residing in a private collection in the United States for nearly a century. The figurines were presented to the Shanghai Museum for inclusion …

A new book by former BBC correspondent and novelist Adam Brookes describes the daring rescue of ancient treasures from the Forbidden City, and how British ships played a small but important role in making sure the treasures survived their journey. Paul French finds out more Adam Brookes is a former BBC Beijing correspondent who then turned his hand to writing China-set spy fiction with the trilogy Night Heron, Spy Games …

Can James Bond and Paddington beat out Marvel et al? Might Hollywood’s current fractious relationship with China be a chance for British movies to grab more screen time? And if it is, how can other industries cash in? Paul French speaks to author Erich Schwartzel to find out It’s no secret that Hollywood’s romance with China is over. Despite trying to find the Secret Sauce recipe for success at the …

Perhaps the most astonishing news in the global travel industry in 1977 was the announcement by Thomson Holidays that they were launching package trips to China, writes Paul French. The story of how it came about is just as surprising. This is just one of the many key events that have taken place during the 50 years since the establishment of ambassadorial relations between China and the UK Thomson’s all-inclusive …

The 50th anniversary of ambassadorial relations between the UK and China presents us with a chance to both celebrate and reflect. Here, former Chinese Ambassador to the UK (2010-2021), Liu Xiaoming, discusses the evolution of diplomatic relations during his 11-year tenure Can you tell us about some of your most enjoyable moments during your time as ambassador to the UK? I served as the Chinese ambassador to the UK for …

The 50th anniversary of ambassadorial relations between the UK and China presents us with a chance to both celebrate and reflect. Here, former Chinese Ambassador to the UK (2007-2010), Madam Fu Ying, discusses the most significant diplomatic moments between the two countries during her tenure Can you tell us about some of your most enjoyable moments during your time as ambassador to the UK? During my term, I took every …

Half a century of ambassadorial relations between the UK and China presents us with a chance to both celebrate and reflect, writes Chris Boobier For six years, Chris Boobier led the Chevening Programme in China – the UK government’s international awards programme aimed at developing global leaders. Through this, he met hundreds of inspiring industry professionals from every province across the country working to bridge the UK and China, build …