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History

History
The latest news, analysis and opinion on History. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Tilda Swinton in Chanel, wearing a diamond brooch at the 2026 EE Bafta Film Awards. Photo: Handout
Jewellery

Why brooches are the jewellery trend taking over red carpets

The ‘bro brooch’ swept awards season and the fall/winter 2026 runways – and Pinterest data confirms searches for brooch styling are surging.

Architecture and design

The tea towel’s luxe transformation, from kitchen staple to Burberry styles

Books and literature

‘Night of Horrors’: LA’s Chinese massacre of 1871 brought to fore in new book

Greece

Greece unveils Parthenon’s facade whole for first time in 220 years

Restoration of the western gable of the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens has been completed.

The Parthenon’s restored west pediment atop the Acropolis in Athens. Photo: AP
Food and Drinks

Think matcha is Japanese? Think again, says this Hong Kong tea brand

Hong Kong bar owner Gavin Yeung founded matcha brand Celadon after being ‘floored’ by its long history in China before reaching Japan.

Britain

1,200-year-old Sherwood Forest tree, linked to Robin Hood legend, is dead

Conservationists say the Major Oak failed to sprout leaves after many years of soil compression caused by visiting fans.

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Science

Our ancient enemy: scientists discover oldest-known plague outbreak

Ancient DNA from Siberian burials reveals prehistoric outbreaks struck hunter-gatherers long before the Black Death.

Yersinia pestis, the bacteria responsible for the plague. New DNA analysis reveals the pathogen was causing deadly outbreaks 5,500 years ago. Photo: Shutterstock
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Palimpsest: The Story of a Name – Mary Stephen’s riveting study of identity

Hong Kong-born director Mary Stephen’s documentary explores her obscure heritage against a background of colonialism and self-reinvention.

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Jewellery

Chokers are back – and the best-dressed men in Hollywood are all in

The close-fitting necklace – as seen on Pharrell Williams at the Grammys – is having a men’s jewellery moment.

Chinese culture

How a Chinese empress shaped her country without ever taking the throne

Empress Xiaozhuangwen secured power, averted crises and deposed enemies while raising and guiding China’s longest-serving emperor.

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A painting of Empress Xiaozhuang (1613-1688), known for most of her life by the title Grand Empress Dowager. After securing power by having her son ascend the throne in 1643, she raised his successor, her grandson Kangxi, who would go on to be China’s longest-ruling monarch, reigning from 1661 to 1722. Photo by: Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Donald Trump

Trump to hold political rally on July 4 to mark US 250th anniversary

US president promises the event, to be held in Washington, will be ‘the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all’.

US President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France on Monday. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

Starbucks’ South Korean staff to receive history lesson after ‘Tank Day’ blunder

The coffee giant will close all stores for half a day so employees can ‘receive education in historical awareness and social sensitivity’.

European travel

What’s under Notre-Dame? History unearthed from 1,700 years ago

Roman artefacts, medieval houses, old latrines – history is being uncovered as the front of Notre-Dame Cathedral gets a revamp.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | The history of weiqi, or go, Chinese board game dating back over 2,000 years

More popularly known as go – its Japanese name – weiqi has for centuries been embraced as a mark of cultivation and refinement.

Weiqi, better known in the West by its Japanese name, go, is played by two opponents using black and white stones on a board marked with a 19-by-19 grid, creating 361 intersections. Its history dates back more than two millennia. Photo: vvoe/Shutterstock
Timepieces

Rolex celebrates 100 years of the Oyster, its first waterproof wristwatch

‘Oyster Story’ traces the history of the brand’s first waterproof wristwatch, from Mercedes Gleitze’s English Channel ‘vindication swim’ to modern horological marvels.

The Octagonal Rolex Oyster from 1926. Photo: Handout
Food and Drinks

What are alkaline rice dumplings, the Dragon Boat Festival sweet treat?

Alkaline rice dumplings, traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat or Tuen Ng Festival, boast a rich history that dates back to ancient times.

Hong Kong society

Board backs proposal to give temple, mosque highest level of heritage protection

Hung Shing Temple in Wan Chai and Stanley Mosque should be classified as statutory monuments, Antiquities Advisory Board says.

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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.

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
Fifa World Cup

Photo book This is Football celebrates the game as the Fifa World Cup kicks off

As the biggest tournament in world football kicks off, this lavish book looks back at seminal moments involving Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pelé and more.

US-China relations

How a US prosecutor’s private diaries documented Nanking Massacre evidence

Disclosure came ahead of Donald Trump’s high-stakes visit to China and amid Japan’s recent attempts to erode lessons of post-WWII tribunal.

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Japan

As I see it | Forget Weimar, it’s Japan’s Taisho period we need to talk about

As analysts warn about the far-right’s gains in Germany, we must also reckon with the historical events that prompted Japanese militarism.

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Protesters hold lights and a placard shaped like the number nine, referring to Article 9 of Japan’s constitution, which renounces war as a sovereign right and prohibits the maintenance of armed forces, during a rally against militarism, in Tokyo, Japan, on May 29. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

‘Attacker would need to say sorry’: South Korea’s Lee rejects Japan defence ties

President Lee Jae Myung says Tokyo must offer a genuine apology before a military logistics pact can move forward.

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung looks on as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a joint press conference in Andong, South Korea, on May 19. Photo: Kyodo
United States

Opinion | US’ 250th anniversary celebrations will put its decline on display

US President Donald Trump’s plans for the country’s 250th anniversary don’t seem to project what makes the American experiment worth honouring.

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Japan

Japan museum under fire for ‘rewriting history’ with Nanking ‘incident’ label

Conservatives force the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum to drop the word massacre, a move critics say downplays Japan’s wartime aggression.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Norman Bethune’s story still holds lessons for China-Canada relations

The Canadian doctor, hailed a hero in China, was driven by personal conviction; there are others today, tilling the soil of Sino-Canadian friendship.

A sculpture of Norman Bethune, a Canadian surgeon and communist, at the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing on August 31, 2025. Photo: Eugene Lee
European Union

In D-Day speech, Hegseth urges Europe to counter ‘invasion’ of migrants

The US defence chief also calls on European countries to do more to contribute to their defence, during a ceremony commemorating D-Day in France.

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (centre) attends a ceremony to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day landings, in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, on Saturday. Photo: AP
Chinese culture

Who was Yang Guifei, the Chinese beauty blamed for toppling a dynasty?

One of ancient China’s ‘Four Beauties’, Yang besotted an emperor, was the target of a rebellion, and in death became a tragic romantic icon.

Food and Drinks

Drink in Focus: Bamboo at Bar Anima

The bar’s signature cocktail, a classic reimagined with dry sherry, vermouth and bitters, also highlights the evolution of Hong Kong mixology.

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