In his first column, Injae Lee lays out his thoughts upon reading Pachinko, the novel by Korean-American author Min Jin Lee. He relates the novel to his own studies in Orientalism at university and the way Orientalism continues to influence perceptions of Korean culture, exposing a darker side to the Hallyu that is exposing the world to Korean culture—and Korean culture to the world.

In this two-part article, Hannah Kang Wolter reviews Lee Chang Dong’s Peppermint Candy (2000), a masterful tale of disillusionment and loss of innocence told in reverse chronology.

In this first instalment of her column, Ella Eagle Davies focuses in on the bluesy notes of environmental rock from Hebei province, China, and what they reveal about a landscape under siege.

In this article, Tabitha Rubens considers Zhang Xu Zhan’s 2022 solo exhibition, Jungle Jungle, and the tussle between tradition and modernity in Taiwan's contemporary art scene.

In this highly relevant article, Joe Rowan discusses the importance of learning Mandarin in post-Brexit Britain, with a key focus on why learning the language is key to the future of Sino-British relations.

East Asia columnist Liam Elliott Brady, currently on his year abroad in Taiwan, looks at the development of the Taiwanese legend Liao Tianding (1883-1909). From his death at the hands of Taiwan’s Japanese occupiers in 1909 to his deification in online gaming, Liao Tianding remains a potent symbol of Taiwanese independence. As popular discontent with the current Taiwanese president’s ‘soft China policy’ grows, the revival of Liao Tianding reflects a hallmark Taiwanese culture: the turn to folklore as a source of hope in an era defined by unprecedented uncertainty.

The egg tart is one of Hong Kong’s cultural trademarks, and a staple of Cantonese local cuisine. However, this sweet treat is not wholly unique to the city, and has its origins halfway across the world. Stephanie Jat delves into the history of the dish that marked her childhood, and details the remarkable journey which brought egg tarts to the table of the masses in Hong Kong.

Remake after remake concerning the role played by China’s northwestern guerrilla fighters during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-45) show a cinematic tradition that is still going strong in the 70 years since its inception: in this article, Staff Writer Bingbing Shi reviews Railway Heroes (2021), a remake of Zhao Ming’s 1956 classic, Railway Guerrilla, as well as the evolution of the Chinese ‘resistance genre’ as a whole.

Staff Writer for East Asia, Hannah Kang Wolter, explores the technique of negative space in Chinese art and the corresponding notion of emptiness in East Asian philosophy. Her medium for doing so - a comparison of the 2008 blockbuster film, Kung Fu Panda, and Huang Gongwang’s traditional Chinese landscape paintings from the 14th century.

Staff Writer Hannah Kang Walter reimagines how we should define Studio Ghibli films in terms of their so-called ‘environmentalism’, reflecting on Hayao Miyazaki’s self-ascribed status as a ‘lover of nature’ rather than a staunch environmentalist.

Staff Writer for East Asia, Bingbing Shi, writes about the blurring of fact and fiction in Lou Ye’s Saturday Fiction (2019), starring Gong Li. Set in Shanghai during the war, Lou Ye’s espionage thriller is proving to be both popular and controversial in China.

Staff Writer for East Asia, Hannah Kang Wolter, uncovers the true appeal of the West’s latest obsession - Squid Game.