Inkstone

Wang Fuchun, who garnered worldwide attention for his sensitive portraits of life on Chinese railways, died in Beijing on Saturday at the age of 79 of an undisclosed illness. Wang, who worked on the railways in the 1970s, won domestic and international awards in photography for taking pictures of people from different walks of life as they traveled across China via trains.  Covering the decades when China rose from an economic backwater to a global superpower, his work also offers an insightful portrait of Chinese society during a time of radical transformation.  From steam locomotives to bullet trains, images taken by Wang showcased the cultural, economic, and social changes that took plac

Throughout one of the most difficult years in collective memory, thanks to the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, Asia’s women have proved time and again that they can rise to the challenge . Women were leading figures in landing a spacecraft on Mars, fighting on the front lines of the pandemic or transcending gender roles to become a driving force for change. Let’s take a look back at some of the top stories from Inkstone and our colleagues at the South China Morning Post celebrating women from the region who have triumphed over adversity. Victories in space One of China’s major victories of 2020 was the successful landing of the Chang’e 5 probe on the moon.  Three women who were instr

Nigel Ng’s dumpling drama shows no signs of going cold with the Malaysian-born ‘Uncle Roger’ star telling his online detractors that he made “zero dollars from Chinese social media” and “just wanted to make people laugh.” The British-based comedian made the comments after receiving major backlash from followers for taking down a video from his YouTube channel that featured another internet star, Mike Chen, from the Strictly Dumpling channel. Chen has been vocal in his repeated criticism of the Chinese government, a fact Ng claimed to be unaware of. Ng was then accused of bowing to pressure from China for removing the video, although no anti-China sentiments had been made in it. In a new vid

Crazy Rich Asians was a global sensation for its fictional portrayal of Singapore's one-percenters.  Now, a new show on Netflix wants to follow real-life Crazy Rich Asians. Named Bling Empire, the reality show is set to premiere on the streaming service on January 15. The series shows the shenanigans of wealthy Asian-American and Asian frenemies living the high life in Los Angeles. Expect over-the-top parties, fabulous clothes, glamorous escapades and major drama. Here's a look at four key players in the show. Christine Chiu         View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Christine Alexandra Chiu (@christine_chiu88) Chiu is a high fashion afici

French fashion designer Pierre Cardin, who died on December 29, 2020 at the age of 98, was a pioneer for Western fashion in China.  In 1979 he became the first Western fashion designer to stage a fashion show in China, soon after the country adopted its reform and opening-up policy. In 1983, he opened a Beijing outpost of his Parisian restaurant Maxim’s about 3km from Tiananmen Square. The high-end establishment is where many Beijingers had their first taste of authentic French food without having to set foot in France. After his death, the China team of Pierre Cardin hosted a memorial service at the restaurant to honor the entrepreneurial designer. The dining hall was arranged with festive

This 2020 compilation of viral videos from China provides a unique insight into the country, showing us a window into what made people laugh, how they changed their lives and some of the unique skills of the Chinese people.

The year 2020 will be everyone’s to remember, no matter how much we would like to forget.  Living through a pandemic that has changed lives and the course of history, and the ripple effects will be felt for years to come.  But it also reminded us of our core humanity, be it racing to save our beloved pets, some whimsy in the form of a camel or our willingness to get outraged over minor slights.  As a holiday treat, we have selected five stories that reminded us of the complexity and audacity of life in an unusual year.  In late January and early February, after the Chinese government locked down Wuhan, pet owners who couldn’t return to their homes begged for help to make sure their furry lo

Ugly Christmas sweaters just got an upgrade for 2020, and they are made for a socially distant holiday. American home security company SimpliSafe has tackled the Christmas restrictions with a Social Distancing Sweater prototype, rigged with motion sensors that set of a “screeching” alarm and flashing lights when someone steps closer than six feet of the wearer. According to a company press release and advertisement, the sweater will help wearers say, “‘happy holidays’ and “‘back off!’” all at once. SimpliSafe creative director Wade Devers said in a statement:  “As the experts on protection, albeit home protection, we wanted to give people a playful way to protect themselves during this year

The Covid-19 pandemic has turned face masks into an essential part of life for human beings and then some.

Weddings, birthdays and celebrations have been canceled around the world because of the coronavirus pandemic. In the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus first appeared, they are finally resuming as authorities relax a strict lockdown that separated families, friends and lovers for over two months. Now the city is trying to get back to normal. One sign? The reappearance of wedding photoshoots.