Era names were first adopted by emperors in ancient China, later by the countries that came under the nation’s sphere of influence, including Korea, Vietnam and Japan.

Xu Fu is said to have sailed east in search of the elixir of life for China’s first emperor. Accounts of his adventures vary greatly, but most agree on one thing – that he never ultimately returned to his homeland. So, where did he end up?

In Singapore, Chinese Singaporean schoolchildren must learn Mandarin as a second language.

Queen Min was fiercely opposed to Japan’s designs on her country. Her brutal murder galvanised a nation against its oppressors, a sentiment that continues to this day

From Singapore’s nameless German Girl Shrine to Tin Hau in Hong Kong, religious followings began when the faithful found their prayers answered. But what about China’s Dried Fish Lord-Deity?

As the Philippine president considers a name change, a look back at the national naming conventions

Bubble tea has proliferated from Taiwan to Instagram feeds across the globe, but it is not the first example of a brewed beverage with added ingredients

Although the Chinese word for incest literally means ‘to bring disorder to normal human relationships’, there were instances when it occurred, some legally

Removing one’s footwear upon entering a house is often perceived as a pan-Asian custom. But it wasn’t always the case for the imperial Chinese

Hanfu clothing, worn in pre-Manchu China, has enjoyed a recent revival among hobbyists who believe Chinese should have a national dress, but which style is appropriate from a dynastic history going back 3,500 years?

In imperial China, the Han Chinese assimilated with rulers and subjects through intermarrying, a history that is largely ignored by labels that overlook the complexities of what came before.

Our columnist recalls how even foreign pupils at his school in Singapore showed basic courtesy when Majulah Singapura was played

Malaysians were surprised by the sudden resignation of Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan as their 15th king, but Chinese history is peppered with emperors who abdicated, voluntarily and otherwise.

The popular winter dish, recently slammed by Hong Kong food critic Chua Lam for requiring little skill in its preparation, has been bringing people together over its boiling broth from some 900 years in China

The Palace Museum in Beijing recently released a line of lipsticks, recalling how fashion and cosmetic trends were started by the ladies of the Forbidden Palace.

• Pigs have played an important cultural and culinary role in China for 8,000 years

The 19th century Christians who produced a definitive Mandarin translation of the Bible, the Chinese Union Version, introduced to China phrases such as sacrificial lamb and a tooth for a tooth whose biblical origins are forgotten today.

The Japanese government is being sued by plaintiffs who argue that the enthronement ceremony planned for the new emperor is ‘highly religious’ and goes against the separation of church and state. What would they have said about the elaborate annual Jitian ritual in imperial China?

The utensils at the centre of a fashion firestorm are an integral part of Chinese culture and cuisine, but how did they get their name?

In ancient China, naming conventions were even more complex, with the titles of emperors and elders to be avoided at all costs

There is no denying that hawker centres play an integral role in Singapore’s national identity, but they are not singular to the city state

The exchange of goods and capital across international borders is not a new phenomenon, but it has never been without complications, whether in the ancient or modern world.

Produced in the town of Maotai, Kweichow Moutai is the best known brand of baijiu and one of the most valuable liquor companies in the world. But less is understood about the tipple’s ancient origins, which some claim can be traced back two millennia.

Malaysia’s ethnic and linguistic diversity has had an impact on how the Cantonese language has evolved in the country

For Cantonese speakers, writing and reading Modern Standard Chinese requires additional effort

Leading a nation is no easy task, and nor is everyone suited to it, as certain US presidents and Chinese emperors have showed

For centuries, Catholics in China have been dogged by disputes with Confucian rites and Communist beliefs, as well as issues of infighting, imperial opposition and politics

Powerful winds are nothing new, but the way that we respond to them has changed

The great ‘gweilo’ debate continues – a look at China’s history reveals how bloody battles led to its application