Latest news with #SummerPalace
Condé Nast Traveler
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
Summer Palace — Restaurant Review
What were your first impressions when you arrived? Summer Palace is a Singapore institution; a fine-dining Cantonese establishment that has consistently earned accolades since it opened in 1982. In 2024, as part of a larger renovation of Conrad Singapore Orchard, it had its biggest makeover yet. Now a striking example of modernity-meets-classic Oriental elegance, details like silver travertine paving, oak screens, and wallpaper hand-painted with scenes from Beijing's imperial gardens accent the sunlit space. At the entrance, a gallery showcasing refined Chinese art and rare artefacts sets the tone for the meal ahead. The entire effect is of a jewel box in the middle of the hotel. What's the crowd like? This is one of those places where the tables are perpetually fed by loyal regulars, many of them ladies of leisure from the luxury condos in the surrounding neighborhood. During lunch, it's also popular with corporate executives, who come for the refined dim sum and indulgent set menus. What should we be drinking? Tea, tea, and more tea. The highlight of the drinks menu is a tea-forward beverage program featuring more than 30 types of top-tier tea, sourced from across China. Have a cup brewed for you at a tableside traditional tea ceremony, or order what the tea sommeliers here call a 'tea-tail'—cocktails crafted with tea and Oriental flavors like goji berry liqueur or ginger syrup. Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss. Hong Kong-born chef Liu Ching Hai and his team specialize in elevated Cantonese classics—think sweet-and-sour pork garnished with gleaming fresh pomegranate seeds instead of the usual canned pineapple, and double-boiled soups simmered for 12 hours until crystal clear (try the popular Chen Yu Luo Yan, made with fish maw, sea whelk, and garoupa). All of it is soul-warming, though you may want to leave room for the impeccably crafted dim sum and roast meats. There are also gluten-free and vegetarian dishes. And how did the front-of-house folks treat you? Service here is professional and as crisp as the veggies. No ask is too small, whether you need an extra spoon or a tea recommendation. What's the real-real on why we're coming here? It's exquisite food in a beautiful, restorative environment. Dining in this Palace makes you feel—at least for a while—that all is right with the world.
Sydney Morning Herald
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Confused by this movie? That's the idea
AN UNFINISHED FILM Directed by Lou Ye 106 minutes, rated M Selected cinemas Reviewed by JAKE WILSON ★★★½ The intriguing thing about Lou Ye's film is that at first, there's no way to be sure what you're looking at. Some kind of combination of fiction and documentary, it would appear: a caption tells us that the year is 2019, and a Chinese film crew is gathered around a studio monitor looking at footage from a film abandoned a decade earlier. Just why the plug was pulled is open to speculation, but we can take a guess, given the story centres on a gay couple, an increasingly taboo subject in Chinese media since the 2000s (Lou has a history of battles with censors, and was officially banned from filmmaking for five years following his release of his 2006 Summer Palace, which deals with the Tiananmen Square massacre). The unflappable director Xiaorui (Mao Xiaorui) still feels an obligation to complete the film, even if it can't be shown publicly. His leading man, Jiang Cheng (Qin Hao), isn't so sure. Time has moved on, he argues, and he has to focus on making a living, especially as he's recently married with a child on the way. The casual, handheld style might lead you to suppose all this is happening for real – and even when the penny drops that Xiaorui and Jiang are fictional characters, it wouldn't be illogical to think Lou has devised this framework as a way of making use of footage from a project he himself was unable to complete. In fact, there was no actual 'unfinished film'. The older material being recycled consists of outtakes and rehearsals from Lou's previous features, including the 2009 Spring Fever, in which Qin did play a gay character named 'Jiang Cheng' (and which was made without the Chinese government's approval, officially as a co-production between Hong Kong and France). This is tricky stuff, and it gets trickier. Jiang was planning to take some time off following the birth of his child, but reluctantly agrees to be available for reshoots around the time of the new year, which is to say late January 2020, going by the Western calendar. Let's see, what else was happening around then? Perhaps it'll jog your memory if I mention that the cast and crew wind up staying in a hotel in the city of Wuhan in central China. This is roughly a quarter of the way into An Unfinished Film, after which it becomes a story about the pandemic. Once lockdown is imposed, the focus shifts from Xiaorui to Jiang, who's understandably desperate to get home to his family. He's stuck in his hotel room for much of the central portion of the film, speaking tenderly with his wife (Qi Xi) on the Chinese equivalent of FaceTime.
The Age
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Confused by this movie? That's the idea
AN UNFINISHED FILM Directed by Lou Ye 106 minutes, rated M Selected cinemas Reviewed by JAKE WILSON ★★★½ The intriguing thing about Lou Ye's film is that at first, there's no way to be sure what you're looking at. Some kind of combination of fiction and documentary, it would appear: a caption tells us that the year is 2019, and a Chinese film crew is gathered around a studio monitor looking at footage from a film abandoned a decade earlier. Just why the plug was pulled is open to speculation, but we can take a guess, given the story centres on a gay couple, an increasingly taboo subject in Chinese media since the 2000s (Lou has a history of battles with censors, and was officially banned from filmmaking for five years following his release of his 2006 Summer Palace, which deals with the Tiananmen Square massacre). The unflappable director Xiaorui (Mao Xiaorui) still feels an obligation to complete the film, even if it can't be shown publicly. His leading man, Jiang Cheng (Qin Hao), isn't so sure. Time has moved on, he argues, and he has to focus on making a living, especially as he's recently married with a child on the way. The casual, handheld style might lead you to suppose all this is happening for real – and even when the penny drops that Xiaorui and Jiang are fictional characters, it wouldn't be illogical to think Lou has devised this framework as a way of making use of footage from a project he himself was unable to complete. In fact, there was no actual 'unfinished film'. The older material being recycled consists of outtakes and rehearsals from Lou's previous features, including the 2009 Spring Fever, in which Qin did play a gay character named 'Jiang Cheng' (and which was made without the Chinese government's approval, officially as a co-production between Hong Kong and France). This is tricky stuff, and it gets trickier. Jiang was planning to take some time off following the birth of his child, but reluctantly agrees to be available for reshoots around the time of the new year, which is to say late January 2020, going by the Western calendar. Let's see, what else was happening around then? Perhaps it'll jog your memory if I mention that the cast and crew wind up staying in a hotel in the city of Wuhan in central China. This is roughly a quarter of the way into An Unfinished Film, after which it becomes a story about the pandemic. Once lockdown is imposed, the focus shifts from Xiaorui to Jiang, who's understandably desperate to get home to his family. He's stuck in his hotel room for much of the central portion of the film, speaking tenderly with his wife (Qi Xi) on the Chinese equivalent of FaceTime.
Express Tribune
12-04-2025
- Climate
- Express Tribune
Flights canceled, millions ordered to stay indoors as severe winds batter China
Chinese emergency team members cut off tree branches following strong winds that damaged a power pole in Beijing. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article Hundreds of flights were grounded, parks closed, and millions urged to stay indoors as strong winds swept across northern China, with Beijing issuing its second-highest gale alert for the first time in a decade. Driven by a cold vortex from neighbouring Mongolia, gusts toppled trees and crushed vehicles across the capital, prompting authorities to warn the city's 22 million residents to avoid non-essential travel. Meteorologists warned that wind speeds could break April records dating back to 1951. As of Saturday afternoon, Beijing Capital and Daxing international airports had cancelled 693 flights. Severe weather conditions also impacted other regions, leading to further flight and train cancellations nationwide. In parts of northern and coastal China, wind speeds reached up to 148 km/h (92 mph)—the strongest recorded in over 75 years. The extreme weather also brought rare April snowfalls in Inner Mongolia and hailstorms in the south. In Beijing, iconic landmarks such as the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Temple of Heaven were closed to the public, while Universal Studios suspended operations until at least Sunday. Outdoor sporting events, including football matches and a high-profile half-marathon featuring humanoid robots, were also cancelled. Online, residents expressed concern for delivery workers operating in the treacherous conditions. 'In weather like this, we can choose not to order delivery – it's too hard for them,' one user wrote on Weibo. Meanwhile, sandstorms stretching from Inner Mongolia to the Yangtze River region disrupted road travel in at least eight provinces, with state media warning Shanghai would also be affected between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. China's dry northern regions, flanked by the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts, are particularly prone to high winds and sandstorms due to their arid landscapes, surrounded by grasslands, mountains, and forests. Authorities continue to monitor the weather system, with warnings of further disruption as the cold front moves eastward.
Al Jazeera
12-04-2025
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
Flights cancelled, millions told to stay indoors as strong winds lash China
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and public parks are closed in Beijing, as strong winds driven by a cold vortex from neighbouring Mongolia felled hundreds of trees and crushed cars across the Chinese capital. Beijing issued its second-highest gale alert on Saturday, the first time in a decade, warning 22 million residents to avoid non-essential travel as winds could potentially break April records dating from 1951. The city's two vast international airports, Beijing Capital and Daxing, cancelled 693 flights on Saturday afternoon with warnings of more violent weather on its way, especially in the country's north and along coastal areas. More flights and trains were also cancelled as some parts of the country recorded their most powerful winds in more than 75 years, registering at up to 148km/h (92mph). The winds brought late snowfalls in Inner Mongolia and hailstones in southern China. In Beijing, the Universal Studios theme park was forced to shut operations at least through Sunday, while historic sites such as Beijing's Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven were closed. Football matches and other outdoor events have also been suspended. A half-marathon set for Sunday featuring humanoid robots competing with humans in a bid to showcase China's technological advances was also cancelled. The winds dominated social media chats, with many people expressing concern for food delivery workers braving the conditions. 'In weather like this, we can choose not to order delivery – it's too hard for them,' one Weibo user wrote. Sandstorms raging over a stretch from Inner Mongolia to the Yangtze river region also crippled road travel in eight other provinces, Xinhua and state broadcaster CCTV said. Sandstorms were also expected to affect Shanghai from Saturday afternoon through to Sunday morning. High winds and sandstorms are generated in China's dry north, where the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts sit surrounded by grasslands and, mountains and forests. China has fought a decades-long battle to lessen the impact of sandstorms, especially in Beijing, which sits on the edge of an arid region, and where such storms can reduce visibility to practically zero, send sand into buildings and clothing and cause severe discomfort to the eyes, nose and ears.
