Culture
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The next Shanghai
Kunming is an unpolluted, diverse city offering a high quality of life. New infrastructure projects, including train routes and an international airport, are providing links with south Asia and boosting trade.
Taiwan hit factory
Despite years of turbulence between Taiwan and China, this island's pop culture leaves the mainland standing. From idols to protest singers via television talent shows, Taipei pop is the country's new heavy industry.
Freedom writer
We profile Erick Thohir, founder of Jakarta's Mahaka Media group. After revitalising the failing paper ‘Republika’, he’s now on a mission to modernise media in a freer Indonesia.
Culture
Our pick of the latest cultural highlights. In film, a Palme d’Or winner. In books, a macabre thriller. In art, sculptures from mouse hair. And in music, Emmy the Great’s debut.
Going solo
Frida Hyvönen is a singer-songwriter with an intimate understanding of the grand piano and the great outdoors. Monocle went backstage with the Swedish chanteuse in Paris as she prepared for her new record.
So farsi, so good
The BBC World Service's Persian TV launches as the first dedicated, unbiased Farsi-speaking station for Iran, aiming to put a new spin on the country and break down cultural barriers.
Box fresh
Once just two state-run channels broadcasting propaganda, TV in Pakistan is now a vibrant mix of drag divas and campaigning reporters challenging the old order and reshaping the country's cultural landscape.
Agents of change
The print media market is a mess, largely due to how magazines and newspapers are sold. With other mass brands reinventing themselves, newsagents and kiosks must now follow suit to survive.
We bring you joy
Every new year needs a fresh manifesto. We’ve developed a pick and mix of ideas for a happy 2009, from building a cellar to finding a conference you actually want to attend.
The watch word
As traditional media standards slip in the digital age, a new generation of journalists is emerging, ready to blend old-school ethics with modern, high-tech reporting methods to restore quality and trust.
