Asian culture, A to Z.
Anime, manga, drama, gastronomy, traditions, personalities. Browse the encyclopedia of Japanese, Chinese and Korean culture.
Kung Fu Hustle
Hong Kong film directed by Stephen Chow in 2004, a wild action comedy set in 1940s Shanghai. A small-time crook tries to join the fearsome Axe Gang but discovers that the residents of a slum called Pig Sty Alley are actually concealed martial arts masters. An extravagant tribute to classic kung fu films, Looney Tunes cartoons, and Fred Astaire dance movies, the film was an international hit with over $102 million at the worldwide box office.
Hero
Wuxia film directed by Zhang Yimou in 2002, in which a nameless warrior presents himself before the King of Qin, claiming to have eliminated his three most fearsome assassins. Each account offers a different version of events, illustrated by a distinct symbolic color palette (red, blue, white, green). A worldwide hit with over $177 million at the box office, the film is a visually dazzling meditation on sacrifice, power, and national unity.
Fallen Angels
Hong Kong film directed by Wong Kar-wai in 1995, a neo-noir drama set in nocturnal Hong Kong. Five lonely characters live parallel stories of love and disconnection in a dazzling and alienating metropolis: a hitman and his partner who never meet, a mute ex-convict who forces passersby to use his improvised services. Aesthetically flamboyant with its distorted wide-angle photography and hypnotic soundtrack, the film captures the essence of Wong Kar-wai's cinema.
Infernal Affairs
Hong Kong film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak in 2002, a crime thriller in which a cop infiltrates the triad while a triad mole infiltrates the police, each trying to unmask the other before being discovered. This gripping duel between two men trapped in their double identities has become a Hong Kong cinema classic and directly inspired Martin Scorsese's Hollywood remake The Departed, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2007.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Wuxia film directed by Ang Lee in 2000, a co-production between China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States. In Qing dynasty China, warrior Li Mu Bai entrusts his legendary sword 'Green Destiny' to a friend, but it is stolen by a young aristocrat with hidden martial talent. The first Mandarin-language film to surpass $100 million at the worldwide box office, it won 4 Academy Awards including Best Foreign Language Film and introduced the wuxia genre to mainstream Western audiences.
In the Mood for Love
Hong Kong film directed by Wong Kar-wai in 2000, set in 1960s Hong Kong. Two neighbors, Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-zhen, discover that their respective spouses are having an affair and develop a relationship marked by restrained desire and melancholy. Regarded as one of the greatest romantic films ever made, it won the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival and regularly tops lists of the best films of the 21st century.
Begin Again
Chinese romantic drama of 35 episodes aired on Hunan TV in 2020. Lu Fangning, a demanding businesswoman in the luxury sector, and Ling Rui, a talented but rebellious designer, clash in the world of haute couture before falling in love. A corporate romance with polished aesthetics set in the Chinese fashion world.
Word of Honor (Shan He Ling)
Chinese wuxia drama of 36 episodes adapted from Priest's danmei novel Tian Ya Ke, aired on Youku in 2021. Zhou Zishu, a former master assassin of a government organization, meets Wen Kexing, the mysterious leader of Ghost Valley, and the two men travel together through the martial arts world. An international success that strengthened the popularity of the wuxia-danmei genre.
Story of Yanxi Palace
Chinese historical drama of 70 episodes written by Zhou Mo, aired on iQiyi in 2018. Wei Yingluo, a palace maid during Emperor Qianlong's reign, climbs the ranks of the imperial harem to avenge her sister's death. A Chinese cultural phenomenon that became the most searched TV show on Google worldwide in 2018.
Love O2O
Chinese drama of 30 episodes adapted from Gu Man's novel, aired on Jiangsu TV in 2016. A brilliant computer science student meets the number one player of an MMORPG and their virtual romance transforms into a real love story. A pioneering romantic comedy of the 'e-sport romance' genre that launched Yang Yang's international career.
Nirvana in Fire (Lang Ya Bang)
Chinese drama of 54 episodes adapted from Hai Yan's novel, aired on Hunan TV in 2015. Mei Changsu, a brilliant and ailing strategist, orchestrates from the shadows the rehabilitation of his unjustly accused father and the reform of the empire. Considered the absolute masterpiece of the Chinese historical genre, praised for its masterful writing and complex political intrigues.
Beijing
Capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the oldest cities in the world, with over 3,000 years of history and more than 21 million inhabitants. The country's political and cultural center, Beijing houses the Forbidden City (world's largest imperial palace), the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and the Great Wall nearby. The city is a crossroads between millennia-old imperial China and dazzling modernity, illustrated by the Chaoyang business district and the 2008 Olympic venues.
Jackie Chan
Hong Kong actor, director, producer, stuntman, and martial arts master, born Chan Kong-sang in 1954 in Hong Kong. Famous for his unique comedic style blending spectacular stunts performed without doubles, martial arts, and physical humor inspired by Buster Keaton. With over 150 films including the Police Story trilogy, Drunken Master, and the Rush Hour and Shanghai Knights franchises, he is one of the greatest action cinema stars worldwide and a cultural ambassador for Hong Kong.
Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)
The largest traditional Chinese festival, celebrating the start of the lunar calendar and marking the arrival of Chinese New Year. Celebrated over a 15-day period culminating in the Lantern Festival, it is marked by family reunions, red envelopes (hongbao) containing money, fireworks, lion and dragon dances, and traditional feasts. The Spring Festival generates the largest annual human migration in the world (chunyun), with hundreds of millions of Chinese traveling home to reunite with family.
Dim Sum
Cantonese culinary tradition consisting of a variety of small dishes served in bamboo steamer baskets, traditionally enjoyed with tea during yum cha ('drinking tea'). Classics include ha gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai, char siu bao (barbecue pork buns), and cheung fun (rice noodle rolls). Originating from Guangdong province and Hong Kong, dim sum has become a symbol of Cantonese conviviality and has spread worldwide.
Mo Dao Zu Shi (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation)
Chinese web novel written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, published between 2015 and 2016 on the JJWXC platform. The story follows Wei Wuxian, a demonic cultivator who was killed and resurrected thirteen years later, who must solve a series of mysteries with the help of Lan Wangji. A foundational work of the danmei genre (male romance) in China, it has spawned a complete media ecosystem including the donghua (Chinese anime), the live-action drama The Untamed (2019), an audio drama, and a manhua, becoming a worldwide cultural phenomenon.
The Untamed (Chen Qing Ling)
Chinese drama of 50 episodes adapted from Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's danmei novel Mo Dao Zu Shi, aired in 2019 on Tencent Video. Wei Wuxian, an unorthodox cultivator resurrected after thirteen years, reunites with his former companion Lan Wangji to solve a series of supernatural mysteries. A global cultural phenomenon that popularized the xianxia genre with international audiences.