A legitimate ruler for 15 years – but de facto leader for years more than that – Wu Zetian is ... - South China Morning Post, SCMP, Long Reads - A legitimate ruler for 15 years – but de facto leader for years more than that – Wu Zetian is ...
LONG READS
Saturday 9th May, 2026
Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history, reigned as a legitimate leader in China during the last 15 years of her life in her short-lived Wu Zhou dynasty (690-705). Photo: Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Chinese culture
Beautiful, power-hungry: how Wu Zetian became China’s only female emperor
5 May, 2026 - 07:15 am

A legitimate ruler for 15 years – but de facto leader for years more than that – Wu Zetian is remembered as a complex character.

Health & Wellness
1 in 4 people are ‘Alzheimer’s gene’ carriers like Chris Hemsworth. What to do
4 May, 2026 - 07:15 am

APOE4 comes with a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease, but the 25 per cent of people who have it can lower that risk with lifestyle changes.

Entertainment
‘I don’t want to be a diva or a billionaire’: Kay Tse’s 20-year Cantopop legacy
8 May, 2026 - 07:26 am

Cantopop singer Kay Tse’s two-decade career has been built on authenticity, a commitment to social issues and her love of Hong Kong.

Food & Drink
Spam musubi? How American flavours were absorbed and adapted in Okinawa
4 May, 2026 - 10:23 am

Okinawa’s post-war food story is a delicious blend of American ingredients given a Japanese spin – think taco rice and Spam musubi.

Health & Wellness
From wine critic to representing Hong Kong in the world’s fastest-growing sport
6 May, 2026 - 12:29 pm

Now one of Asia’s fastest Hyrox athletes, former wine critic Claire Nesbitt helps others achieve their Hyrox and other fitness goals.

Lifestyle & Culture
Penang’s cemetery tours spur interest in pioneers, colonial history
5 May, 2026 - 01:12 pm

While the state receives millions in conservation funding, it faces challenges in preserving the Protestant cemetery due to its climate.

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