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Explore Hong Kong
Tourists stroll around a historical district in Wuxi. The city on the shores of Lake Taihu in China’s Jiangsu province is known for its canals, temples, peaceful gardens and decadent cuisine that reflects its wealthy industrial past. Photo: Shutterstock
Asia travel

Best things to do in Wuxi, China’s lakeside city of gardens and sweet cuisine

Nestled on China’s Lake Taihu, Wuxi, with its industrial heritage, serene gardens, temples and decadent cuisine, is great for a weekend trip.

Tourism

‘It’s a Trojan horse’: how the Obama Presidential Centre is dividing Chicago

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Asia travel

What to do in Furano, a little-known summer haven on Japan’s Hokkaido island

SCMP Highlights

‘Dying’ Chinese takeaway; ex-smoker’s fitness journey: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From a ‘dying’ Edinburgh Chinese restaurant to an ex-smoker joining an ultra-marathon, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Lisa He with her mother Sophie at their family restaurant, China Star. The Edinburgh takeaway is months away from closure, but He’s viral social media post has brought lots of attention, and hope. Photo: courtesy of Lisa He
Lisa He with her mother Sophie at their family restaurant, China Star. The Edinburgh takeaway is months away from closure, but He’s viral social media post has brought lots of attention, and hope. Photo: courtesy of Lisa He
Chinese culture

How China’s ‘Excalibur of the East’ souvenir swords sparked airport warning

Tourists with replicas of the ancient Sword of Goujian, from the Hubei Provincial Museum, were told not to hand-carry them onto planes.

Tourism

James McNeill Whistler’s Asian muse: Chinese ceramics and Japanese fans

Chinese pottery and textiles and Japanese crafts profoundly influenced James McNeill Whistler’s work, as seen in a retrospective at Tate Britain.

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US travel

He got drunk and bought a motel. Stories behind Route 66 motel owners

We meet the owners of three motels who all found themselves running roadside establishments on America’s iconic Route 66.

A vintage Buick parks outside the 86-year-old Blue Swallow Motel on Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Photo: TNS
A vintage Buick parks outside the 86-year-old Blue Swallow Motel on Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Photo: TNS
Art

This digital ‘puppet’ critiques a screen-obsessed world at Venice Biennale

Li Yi-fan, a video artist from Taiwan, is making waves with his creepy and funny avatars that question the way we see the world around us.

Tourism

Great holiday escapes to help you unwind and reset your nervous system

These seven destinations will help you calm your mind and body through nature, science, scenery and a slower pace of life.

United States

Is the US unsafe and unwelcoming? Trump’s tourism chief addresses ‘myths’

Donald Trump’s former pick for ambassador to Malaysia takes the helm of an ambitious US travel recovery effort.

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The Statue of Liberty in New York. American hospitality has faced growing scrutiny. Photo: AFP
Tourism

Checklist tourism trends as travellers go for selfies over ‘real stories’

From Paris to Turkey, tourists blitzing through sites for social media snaps are causing crowding and concerns that they’re missing the point.

Tourists in Paris pose for a selfie with the Eiffel Tower in the background. From France to Aruba, more tourists are treating historical sites as merely boxes to tick off a list and reducing them to social media backdrops. Photo: AP
Tourists in Paris pose for a selfie with the Eiffel Tower in the background. From France to Aruba, more tourists are treating historical sites as merely boxes to tick off a list and reducing them to social media backdrops. Photo: AP
Art

How Asian artists at the 2026 Venice Biennale are making their voices heard

Using everything from baby dolls to tapestries, Asian artists’ perspectives are strongly reflected in a number of memorable exhibitions.

China travel

Saunas, sure. But sleep? A couple stays overnight at a 24-hour spa in Shenzhen

A writer and her husband visit Shenzhen’s Tenz spa to see what it offers besides massages and how easy it is to get a good night’s rest there.

Art

Once an Indonesian guerrilla fighter, she’s now a ‘quantum ghost’ in Venice

Len Karamoy, a leader of an Indonesian rebel movement, is the focus of Natasha Tontey’s video installation at the 2026 Venice Biennale.

A scene from Natasha Tontey’s “The Phantom Combatants and the Metabolism of Disobedient Organs” (2026) multi-panel video installation at the Ateneo Veneto cultural institute in Venice, Italy, for the Venice Biennale. Photo: Jacopo La Forgia
Tourism

From Hong Kong to London, travellers have a plan B lined up for summer 2026

War in the Middle East and the rising cost of air travel and fuel have pushed many to plan shorter, more local and flexible holidays.

The Madrid Chamartin-Clara Campoamor train station in Spain. Some holidaymakers are opting for rail-based trips, because of rising fuel costs. Photo: Getty Images
The Madrid Chamartin-Clara Campoamor train station in Spain. Some holidaymakers are opting for rail-based trips, because of rising fuel costs. Photo: Getty Images
Art

Sex, desire and intimacy explored in Singapore art exhibition for over-18s

‘Passion is Volcanic’ at National Gallery Singapore focuses on the artistic expressions of sexual pleasures.

Tourism

What is China’s luxury Silk Road Express train like? We ride its new route

A three-day return journey straddling Sichuan and Yunnan provinces highlights the best of what this world-class luxury tourist train offers.

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European cinema

Inside The White Lotus season 4’s luxury 5-star hotel in Cannes, France

Guests including Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie have stayed at Hotel Martinez in Cannes, whose top suite goes for up to US$35,000 a night.

The White Lotus season 4 is filming at Hotel Martinez, in Cannes, in the South of France. Photo: Jf Romero/Pa/PA Wire/dpa
The White Lotus season 4 is filming at Hotel Martinez, in Cannes, in the South of France. Photo: Jf Romero/Pa/PA Wire/dpa
Art

When London’s museums started losing visitors, they decided to get creative

Faced with falling visitor numbers, the British capital’s museums – both old and new – have a plan to win back the crowds. But will it work?

Asia travel

Best things to do in China’s Nanjing, from food and architecture to history

Planning a weekend in Nanjing? Here’s an itinerary to consider for visiting the bustling metropolis in eastern China.

China's population

‘It’s a new crowd’: how Shanghai’s expat population is recovering – and changing

Four years ago, Shanghai’s draconian lockdown sparked an exodus of foreigners. Now, there are signs the city’s expat community is slowly bouncing back.

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Tourists from Belarus and Russia pose for photos at Yuyuan Garden in central Shanghai. Photo: Xinhua
Travel news and advice

4 of the best destinations for luxury multi-generational holidays

Booking a holiday for children, parents and grandparents all together can be daunting. Here are some ideas that offer something for everyone.

The best multi-generational holidays, whether beach-based or on a cruise or safari, offer a mixture of group activities and private spaces. Photo: Shutterstock
The best multi-generational holidays, whether beach-based or on a cruise or safari, offer a mixture of group activities and private spaces. Photo: Shutterstock
Asia travel

How Seoul’s strangest subway station made escalator weddings a thing

After plans for it to become a major transport hub fell through, Seoul’s grand Noksapyeong station pivoted. Here’s its fascinating story.

Asia travel

The Irish-American pub helping put a quiet Seoul suburb on the cultural map

Seoul’s Nowon district has never been known for nightlife. Irish-American Brendan Kelly shares how his bar, Kelly’s Pub, is changing that.

Art

Why Lacma’s new US$724 million David Geffen Galleries space flows like oceans

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s new building encourages accidental interactions with artwork that visitors often ignore.

A drone view of the David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 19, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole
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