Global Pulse

分类： entertainment

  • What’s changed since Harry and Meghan last visited Australia in 2018?

    What’s changed since Harry and Meghan last visited Australia in 2018?

    When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first touched down in Australia for an official royal tour in 2018, the atmosphere crackled with public excitement. The pair, newly married just months earlier, were still core working members of the British royal family, and their visit drew massive crowds eager to catch a glimpse of the popular new royal couple. Six years on, as speculation grows about a potential return visit, BBC News royal correspondent Simon Atkinson has broken down the dramatic shifts that separate any 2024 trip from that 2018 tour.

    The most profound change, Atkinson notes, lies in Harry and Meghan’s official status. Back in 2018, every engagement they attended was on behalf of the Crown and the British monarch, coordinated closely with Buckingham Palace and Australian government officials. Their itinerary was packed with formal royal commitments: meeting Indigenous community leaders, attending events for the Invictus Games (a veteran support organization founded by Harry), and carrying out public duties aligned with royal protocol. Today, the couple stepped back from senior royal roles in 2020, relocated to North America, and operate independently of the palace, free from the formal constraints and expectations that shaped their 2018 visit.

    Public perception has shifted dramatically as well. In 2018, the couple enjoyed widespread popularity across Australia, with their youth and fresh image resonating with the Australian public. Polling from the period showed broad approval of their role as working royals. In the years following their exit from the royal family, however, opinions have divided. While a core base of supporters still hold affection for the couple, high-profile interviews, tell-all documentaries, and public criticism of the royal institution have alienated many other Australians, creating a far more mixed public mood than the unbridled enthusiasm of 2018.

    The purpose of any upcoming visit would also differ sharply from 2018. Their last tour was an official state-related royal visit, funded and organized by official bodies. A potential return today would likely center on the couple’s private philanthropic work, including Harry’s continued involvement with the Invictus Games, which is scheduled to host its 2025 edition in Perth. Any official engagements with government or royal representatives would be minimal, if they happen at all, marking a stark departure from the structured, protocol-heavy 2018 schedule.

    Finally, the broader political context in Australia has shifted since 2018. Debates over whether Australia should become a republic, cutting formal ties with the British monarchy, have gained momentum in recent years, with current government leaders openly supporting a move away from the Crown. Any visit by Harry, who remains a British prince, would play out against this evolving political backdrop, a context that was far less prominent during the 2018 tour.

  • Irish musician Moya Brennan dies aged 73

    Irish musician Moya Brennan dies aged 73

    The global Celtic music community is mourning the loss of one of its most influential voices, with news that Moya Brennan, the legendary lead singer of award-winning Irish folk group Clannad, has passed away at the age of 73 in her native Donegal.

    Born and raised in Gaoth Dobhair, an Irish-speaking Gaeltacht region in Donegal, Brennan built a decades-long career that defined modern Celtic music for audiences around the world. A multi-talented artist, she worked not only as a vocalist but also as a celebrated songwriter and harpist, building an extensive discography that spans roughly 25 studio albums. Her work with Clannad and as a solo artist drove total global record sales into the millions, cementing her status as one of Ireland’s most successful musical exports.

    As the eldest of nine children in the Brennan musical family, Brennan rose to public attention as a core founding member of Clannad when the group launched in 1968 (gaining its formal lineup in 1970). Built around performances with her siblings and extended family, the group quickly carved out a unique space in the global music industry, blending traditional Irish folk sounds with contemporary production to create a genre-defining style. Over the decades, Clannad earned some of the entertainment industry’s highest honors, including both Grammy and BAFTA awards, and grew to become one of the most prominent traditional Irish acts on the international stage. Today, the group’s name is widely recognized as synonymous with Celtic music itself, a legacy that begins and ends with Brennan’s distinctive haunting vocals and artistic vision.

  • Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Australia for a low-key, privately funded visit

    Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Australia for a low-key, privately funded visit

    MELBOURNE, Australia — More than six years after their headline-grabbing 2018 official royal tour as newlyweds, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, have returned to Australian soil for their first visit since stepping down as working senior members of the British royal family. The four-day, intentionally low-profile trip, which will take the couple from Melbourne to Canberra and finally Sydney, comes four years after their 2020 announcement that they would step away from senior royal duties, relocate to California, and pursue full financial independence.

    Unlike their 16-day 2018 tour that included massive public gatherings across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga — where thousands of well-wishers turned out to greet the newlyweds — this visit will not feature large-scale public events. A core point of contention that led to this scaled-back schedule is the ongoing debate over who should cover the couple’s additional security costs for Australian law enforcement agencies. The couple have emphasized that the entire trip is privately funded, and they traveled on a commercial Qantas Airways flight from Los Angeles in business class, but public pushback over unplanned taxpayer security expenses has shaped the visit’s low-key format. Their two young children, 6-year-old Prince Archie and 4-year-old Princess Lilibet, did not accompany them on the trip; notably, Meghan announced Archie’s pregnancy during the couple’s 2018 stop in Sydney.

    Criticism has mounted from multiple corners over the purpose of the visit. Local outlet the *Herald Sun* framed the trip as a “faux royal tour” designed to boost the couple’s personal “Brand Sussex”, while other commentators have pushed back against their schedule of paid ticketed public events. The Sussexes’ team has rejected claims that this is a publicity-driven promotional tour. In an official statement, their office noted the itinerary centers on long-standing work the couple has prioritized, with a core goal of amplifying charitable organizations that deliver proven community impact. The visit, the statement added, is focused on listening, learning, and supporting local communities rather than self-promotion, while also confirming it includes a small number of private engagements to support both charitable and commercial goals.

    Opinions among royal observers are split on the controversy surrounding the trip. Afua Hagan, a media commentator who specializes in coverage of the British royal family, noted that mainstream media has long framed Harry and Meghan as public “villains”, leaving the couple in a no-win situation. “This is a privately funded trip. To pay for that, they’re going to have to have some commercial interest,” Hagan told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “If they didn’t have commercial interest, the problem would be: ‘Oh my goodness, these people are leeching off the Royal Family and the taxpayers whether or not they’re making their own money. How dare they make their own money.’ They can’t do right for doing wrong.”

    On the other side of the debate, Giselle Bastin, a British royal studies expert at Australia’s Flinders University, argued that the couple’s choice to leverage their royal titles to advance private commercial interests creates a clear conflict of interest for many observers. “It’s well known that the Sussexes are in dire need of income and so a staging of a quasi-royal tour to Australia is being regarded as a rather desperate attempt to monetise their status as royalty,” Bastin explained.

    The couple marked their first public engagement of the trip at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, a venue with personal ties to Harry: his parents, then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana, visited the same facility back in 1985. As the pair entered the hospital foyer, they shook hands with dozens of waiting well-wishers, while hundreds of onlookers captured the moment on personal mobile devices. When a reporter asked what Harry was most looking forward to during his time in Australia, he simply replied: “Everything,” adding, “It’s good to be back.”

    The remainder of the itinerary aligns with causes Harry and Meghan have long championed. In Melbourne, Meghan is scheduled to visit a local women’s shelter, while Harry will tour a veterans’ art museum. From there, the couple will travel to Canberra, where Harry will visit the iconic Australian War Memorial, before wrapping up the trip in Sydney with a sailing event hosted by Invictus Australia. The Invictus Games, the international sporting competition for ill and injured military personnel and veterans, was founded by Harry in 2014, and the couple hosted the opening of the 2018 Invictus Games during their last visit to Sydney.

  • Hollywood stars unite to oppose Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery merger

    Hollywood stars unite to oppose Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery merger

    A growing coalition of more than 1,400 actors, directors, and filmmakers, including dozens of A-list Hollywood names, have united to publicly oppose the proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing the deal would deliver lasting damage to a U.S. entertainment industry already grappling with multiple crises. High-profile signatories ranging from Oscar winners Javier Bardem and Emma Thompson to comedy icon Ben Stiller and Australian star Rose Byrne have put their names to the open letter, which lays out a stark case against further media consolidation.

    The core argument of the letter centers on the already highly concentrated nature of the global media landscape, with signatories warning that combining two major studios would shrink competition at exactly the moment the industry and its audiences can least afford reduced market variety. If the merger goes forward, it would cut the number of major U.S. film studios from five to just four, narrowing opportunities for creators, eliminating jobs across the entire production ecosystem, raising content costs for consumers, and leaving global audiences with less choice in the entertainment they consume, the document reads.

    Other prominent industry figures adding their unequivocal opposition include Oscar nominee Kristen Stewart, Academy Award winner Glenn Close, and celebrated British actress Kristin Scott Thomas, with the BBC confirming that new names continue to be added to the signatory list days after the letter was published. The coalition closes its appeal with a formal call for California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other federal and state regulators to formally block the merger from moving forward.

    One high-profile signatory, Damon Lindelof — the acclaimed co-creator of *Watchmen* and *Lost* who holds an existing overall deal with Warner Bros. Discovery — expanded on his opposition in public posts on social media. “Hollywood mergers mean fewer movies and fewer TV shows and that means fewer jobs,” Lindelof wrote. “When two storied backlots are owned by the same company, the outcome is intuitive — one becomes a Ghost Town. I’m scared. But I’m not a ghost. And a fight is already lost if it’s never fought.”

    The proposed merger traces back to late February, when Paramount Skydance secured a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery after streaming giant Netflix withdrew its months-long acquisition bid for the company, which controls a vast portfolio of iconic media brands including *Harry Potter*, *Friends*, Looney Tunes, and hit HBO series such as *Succession*, *Sex and the City*, and *Game of Thrones*, alongside cable news outlet CNN. Paramount Skydance itself is the product of a 2025 merger between David Ellison’s Skydance Media and the historic Paramount Pictures. Ellison, the company’s CEO and son of tech billionaire Larry Ellison, has already pushed back against critics’ claims, stating his plan is to keep Paramount and Warner Bros. as separate stand-alone film studios while increasing annual theatrical output to at least 30 high-quality feature films.

    In an official response to the open letter published Monday, Paramount Skydance reiterated its stance that the merger would strengthen, rather than reduce, opportunities for creators. “As creators we know firsthand that this is also a moment when the industry has been facing significant disruption—and the need for strong, creative-first and well-capitalized companies that can continue to invest in storytelling has never been greater,” the company said. The statement added that the merged entity would be able to greenlight more original projects, back ambitious creative ideas, support talent throughout all stages of their careers, deliver content to global audiences at an unprecedented scale, and ultimately strengthen industry competition. Echoing an earlier response from Paramount, the company reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining independent creative leadership for its iconic brands and licensing existing content, saying the deal would “ensure creators have more avenues for their work, not fewer.”

    The merger plan still faces two key remaining hurdles: it must first receive approval from Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders later this month, before clearing review and receiving formal approval from U.S. government antitrust regulators. The BBC has reached out to Warner Bros. Discovery for additional comment on the open letter and the ongoing merger process.

    Industry analysts frame the proposed merger as the latest symptom of a sector still struggling to recover from overlapping shocks in recent years: the lasting economic aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 dual work stoppages by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA that shut down most Hollywood production for months, growing disruption from large tech companies entering the content space, and rapid shifts in consumer viewing habits that have upended traditional revenue models for studios.

  • Harry and Meghan arrive in Australia for four-day tour

    Harry and Meghan arrive in Australia for four-day tour

    Nearly eight years after their high-profile 2018 royal honeymoon tour, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have returned to Australian soil for a four-day visit that blends charity outreach with paid commercial engagements – and already draws mixed reactions from local communities and lingering questions over public security costs.

    The couple, who stepped down as full-time working British royals in early 2020 and relinquished their official HRH titles, touched down at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport just after 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday local time, flying commercial on a Qantas jet from their current home in Los Angeles. This marks their first trip to Australia since the 2019 Invictus Games, and a stark contrast to their 2018 tour, which drew massive public crowds and a packed schedule of open royal engagements. This time around, no public meet-and-greet events are on the official agenda.

    The couple’s representatives frame the lack of public appearances as an intentional choice to minimize disruption for local communities and host organizations. But the visit’s structure, which pairs non-profit work with for-profit paid appearances, has already sparked scrutiny. The itinerary opens with charity-focused stops: the pair will meet pediatric patients and medical staff at a Melbourne children’s hospital, spend time with Australian military veterans and their families, and connect with survivors of domestic family violence across the three cities they are visiting: Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney.

    Alongside these charitable engagements, however, are two high-ticket paid events that will net the couple personal income – figures that have not been disclosed to the public. Prince Harry is set to deliver a keynote address at the Invictus Psychosocial Safety Summit in Melbourne, where general admission tickets range from AU$1,000 to AU$2,400 per person. A portion of ticket proceeds is earmarked for Australian suicide prevention charity Lifeline, but there has been no confirmation from event organizers whether Harry will receive a speaking fee for his appearance.

    For Meghan’s part, she is scheduled to lead an exclusive in-person conversation at a women-only “girls weekend” wellness retreat hosted by the Her Best Life podcast at a five-star Sydney beachside hotel on the Saturday following the official close of the tour. Attendees pay up to AU$3,199 for access, with premium VIP packages offering a group photo opportunity with the duchess. As of the arrival date, the event has not sold out, with organizers still advertising a small number of remaining spots, and no details have been released about Meghan’s compensation for the appearance.

    Industry observers also note the trip doubles as an exploratory visit for Meghan’s upcoming lifestyle brand, As Ever. Trademark records from the Australian government’s intellectual property database show the brand registered trademarks for 12 different product categories across the country last year, and the brand has already been heavily featured in a Netflix docuseries produced by the couple’s own production company.

    Beyond the commercial aspects of the private visit, one of the biggest unanswered questions centers on who will cover the cost of security. Both Victoria Police and New South Wales Police have confirmed they will deploy additional officers to maintain public safety during the couple’s stay, but neither force has confirmed whether Australian taxpayers will be on the hook for the extra security expenses. “Police routinely assess events and visits and will deploy resources as necessary to ensure community safety,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said, echoing a similar statement from New South Wales Police that emphasized minimizing disruption to local residents.

    Security is already a contentious issue for Prince Harry, who is still fifth in line to the British throne. Just last month, he lost a high-profile court appeal in the UK over the decision to downgrade his publicly funded police protection when he is in the country. The Australia trip also marks Harry’s first public appearance since news broke last week that he is being sued for defamation by Sentebale, the African children’s charity he co-founded more than 15 years ago.

    Many ordinary Australians have expressed confusion over the purpose of the visit, with no clear public mandate for the couple’s trip as private citizens. Unlike their 2018 tour, which was an official royal visit with widespread public engagement, this low-key, commercial-charity hybrid trip has left many locals questioning what the pair hope to accomplish, and why they have chosen to visit now.

  • Hainan entering a golden era for the fashion industry

    Hainan entering a golden era for the fashion industry

    As China’s southern tropical island province gears up to launch its latest major fashion gathering, veteran industry figure Hu Bing has outlined an ambitious vision to cement Hainan’s place as a rising global fashion capital, positioning the destination as a dynamic bridge connecting emerging Chinese designers with the international stage.

    Hu, a celebrated Chinese model who holds multiple prestigious fashion ambassador roles ranging from the British Fashion Council to London Fashion Week and China International Fashion Week, shared his outlook in an interview ahead of the 2026 Hainan Funteen Fashion Week, which opens Sunday at Haikou’s historic Qilou Old Street. The event comes just ahead of this year’s China International Consumer Products Expo, where Hu serves as fashion lifestyle officer, kicking off Monday.

    Central to Hu’s optimism is the transformative impact of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) development, which has already reshaped the island’s economic and industrial landscape. He emphasized that the fashion sector is inherently intertwined with cross-border economic openness and expanding trade volumes. The FTP policy framework has supercharged Hainan’s duty-free consumer market, unlocked new growth in international trade, and drawn hundreds of global premium brands to establish a local presence, steadily lifting the island’s profile as a fashionable, globally connected destination.

    On the critical topic of helping indigenous Chinese design gain traction on the global stage, Hu drew an insightful parallel between two distinct performance art forms: Peking Opera and Western opera. Just as both art forms retain their unique cultural identities while resonating with audiences across borders, Hu argued that local Chinese designers must hold fast to their deep cultural roots, while also mastering the universal visual and narrative language of global fashion that allows international audiences to connect with and embrace their work.

    The choice of Qilou Old Street, a protected cultural heritage site, as the main venue for 2026 Funteen Fashion Week is a deliberate decision that Hu praised as a masterstroke. Top-tier international fashion weeks from Paris to Milan have long leveraged historic architecture to add one-of-a-kind character to their events, and Haikou’s Qilou district delivers an unparalleled combination of textured facades, natural lighting, and organic spatial flow that weaves centuries of local history with a contemporary global aesthetic. Hu noted that the opening show’s venue design intentionally echoes Hainan’s signature ocean breezes and the open, welcoming spirit that defines the FTP’s mission.

    For emerging design talent, Hu stressed that the Hainan FTP offers a uniquely powerful launchpad: the policy framework cuts through red tape for cross-border industry exchanges, enabling young Chinese creators to showcase their work to global buyers and audiences while making it far easier for international fashion talent to access the huge Chinese market.

    Drawing on his decades of industry connections, Hu laid out his personal commitment to advancing Hainan’s fashion ambitions: he will leverage his extensive global networks to help emerging Chinese designers use Hainan as a stepping stone to showcase at London Fashion Week, while also attracting leading international designers to bring their work to Hainan’s growing roster of fashion events.

    Hu pushed back against the narrow view that fashion is solely about apparel, arguing that the sector is a reflection of the zeitgeist, the changing spirit of the times. With its fast-growing economy, unique geographic advantages, and growing global attention, Hainan is perfectly positioned to build a world-class international fashion week, he said. He added that deepening partnerships with established events like China International Fashion Week will help the island build an inclusive platform that nurtures young designers from every corner of the globe.

    When asked to sum up Hainan’s emerging international fashion identity in just a few words, Hu chose two terms: nurturing and regeneration. He highlighted Hainan’s early embrace of sustainable fashion practices, which aligns fully with the most important global industry trends today. With nearly 40 years of experience working across every segment of the global fashion industry, Hu said he is fully committed to helping build a high-quality Hainan International Fashion Week that can one day stand alongside the “Big Four” global fashion hubs of Paris, New York, London and Milan as a fifth iconic global fashion landmark.

  • Bocuse d’Or China Selection highlights Yantai ingredients

    Bocuse d’Or China Selection highlights Yantai ingredients

    On Saturday, one of China’s most prestigious culinary competitions, the 2026 Bocuse d’Or China Selection, kicked off in Yantai Huang-Bohai New Area, Shandong Province, drawing the country’s most talented professional chefs to celebrate and elevate the global profile of the region’s signature agricultural and seafood produce.

    Established as the Chinese qualifying round for the world-renowned Bocuse d’Or — often called the ‘Olympics of cooking’ — this year’s national competition introduced a unique creative mandate: all competing teams were required to craft completely original dishes centered on ingredients sourced directly from Yantai. Contestants had just five hours to complete their culinary creations from prep to plating, pushing chefs to balance technical precision, innovative flavor pairings, and respect for the natural qualities of Yantai’s famous food products.

    Among the staple local ingredients that chefs integrated into their works were Yantai’s crisp, sweet apples and plump, briny scallops, two of the region’s best-known exports. Beyond these, Yantai boasts a long roster of protected national geographical indication products that have earned the region a reputation as a leading food hub in northern China. These premium products include wild-caught sea cucumbers, wild abalone, and fragrant, juicy Yantai pears, all of which grow or thrive thanks to Yantai’s unique coastal climate and fertile soil.

    By centering the competition around local ingredients, event organizers have created a powerful platform to connect world-class culinary talent with regional producers, opening new opportunities for Yantai’s food products to gain recognition on the international stage when the winning team represents China at the global Bocuse d’Or final. The event also highlights Yantai’s growing profile as a destination for food tourism and culinary innovation, bridging traditional local agriculture with modern global gastronomy.

  • Celebrities and fans pay tributes to Asha Bhosle

    Celebrities and fans pay tributes to Asha Bhosle

    The global entertainment community is in mourning this week after news broke that iconic Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle passed away in Mumbai on Sunday. The 90-year-old musical legend was rushed to a Mumbai hospital earlier last weekend after suffering an acute heart attack, where medical teams worked desperately to stabilize her condition. Despite their best efforts, Bhosle succumbed to the cardiac event, leaving behind a decades-long legacy that transformed Indian film music and captivated audiences across generations.

    Within hours of the official announcement of her death, tributes began pouring in from across the Indian film industry and beyond. A-list celebrities, fellow musicians, and political figures took to social media to share personal memories of Bhosle, praising her unparalleled vocal range, innovative contributions to South Asian music, and warm, generous personality that endeared her to everyone she worked with. Fans from around the world also flooded social platforms with messages of grief, sharing their favorite Bhosle tracks and recounting how her music shaped their own lives.

    Born in 1933, Bhosle began her singing career in the 1940s and went on to record more than 12,000 songs for over a thousand Hindi films over her seven-decade career. She collaborated with some of India’s most famous composers and artists, and her work spanned genres from romantic ballads to upbeat folk and pop tracks, earning her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in music history. Her influence extended far beyond India, with her samples featured in popular Western music tracks by artists like Boy George and Black Eyed Peas, introducing her work to a whole new global audience.

    As the news of her passing spreads, fans are already organizing virtual listening parties and memorial events to celebrate her life and legacy, with many industry leaders calling for permanent tributes to honor her indelible mark on global music.

  • Britney Spears goes into rehab after driving under the influence arrest

    Britney Spears goes into rehab after driving under the influence arrest

    Global pop superstar Britney Spears has voluntarily admitted herself to an addiction and wellness treatment facility, exactly one month after her arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and controlled substances. Her representative confirmed the news to multiple major U.S. media outlets in a public statement issued Sunday.

    The 44-year-old hitmaker was taken into custody on March 4 following a report to California law enforcement of a BMW being operated erratically at excessive speeds on a state highway. According to official statements from the California Highway Patrol, officers pulled Spears over and observed clear signs of impairment during the stop. She agreed to complete a full battery of field sobriety tests before being taken into custody on DUI charges.

    In the immediate aftermath of her arrest, Spears’ representative described the incident as “completely inexcusable” in comments to the BBC, noting that the pop star’s close family had begun assembling a long-overdue support plan to prioritize her long-term health and well-being. That plan culminated in her voluntary entry into rehab, which comes three weeks ahead of her scheduled California court appearance for the DUI charge. “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in the long-overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life,” the representative shared shortly after the arrest. “Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time. Her boys are going to be spending time with her, and her loved ones are committed to putting a plan in place that sets her up for long-term wellness.”

    Spears remains one of the most commercially successful and culturally influential pop artists of all time, with a decades-long career that has produced dozens of chart-topping hits including *Baby One More Time*, Toxic, Everytime, Gimme More, Womanizer, and Stronger. The star’s personal life has been the subject of intense global public attention in recent years, particularly due to the 13-year conservatorship that controlled her personal decisions, finances, and medical care until the arrangement was terminated in 2021.

    Jamie Spears, Britney’s father, who served as the conservator of her estate and personal affairs for most of the arrangement, has defended the legal structure in public comments. He has stated that the conservatorship was necessary at the time because Britney’s life was “in shambles and she was in physical, emotional, mental and financial distress.” He added, “Through the conservatorship, Britney has been able to return to a path towards stability in all of these phases of her life. The mission has been successful and it is now time for Britney to re-take control of her life.”

  • Industrial heritage inspires new creative outlooks

    Industrial heritage inspires new creative outlooks

    Beneath the first clear skies after weeks of unbroken spring rain, French-German artist Alexandre Dupeyron wandered through the weathered corridors and crumbling staircases of the long-shuttered Wumuchong coal mine in Ningxiang, Hunan province. With every step, clouds of fine dust, undisturbed for decades, rose from the broken debris scattered across the facility’s concrete floors.

    Stopping amid the remnants of the mine’s once-bustling operations, Dupeyron bent to pick up a small, dense lump of coal left behind when the mine closed. Not far from where he stood, the rusted frame of an old coal conveyor jutted toward the sky, its metal beams forming a skeletal, weathered monument to the site’s industrial past. In that quiet moment, that ordinary chunk of coal — its surface glinting faintly in the rare spring sunlight — transformed from a forgotten relic of heavy industry into the core raw material for a new body of art.

    Arriving at the Wumuchong site in early March 2026 for a month-long artist residency, the 43-year-old creator has centered his practice here on working with locally sourced crushed coal, blending hand-drawing and photography to create site-specific works. Inside his makeshift studio, set within one of the mine’s repurposed original buildings, Dupeyron grinds collected coal chunks and broken brick fragments from the site into fine powder, running the mixture through multiple rounds of filtering to refine it. Using a custom blending recipe he developed over years of experimental work, he turns this locally sourced material into natural pigments for his drawings, photographic pieces, and mixed-media works that draw directly from the mine’s own physical identity.

    Dupeyron explained that the connection between human activity and the natural world is a persistent throughline in all his creative work. As an artist who has spent his career focusing on shifting urban and post-industrial landscapes, he had long sought the opportunity to create work on location at a decommissioned industrial site. “This place is amazing,” he shared of the former mining hub, which has been reinvented as the Wumuchong Art Zone, a creative space that attracts artists from across China and around the world.

    Dupeyron’s residency is just one example of a growing trend across China: repurposing abandoned industrial heritage sites — from retired mines and shuttered factories to obsolete steel mills and disused warehouses — into dynamic public cultural spaces. What were once symbols of 20th-century industrial expansion have been reborn as art centers, public museums, community sports facilities, and creative hubs that draw visitors and creators alike, breathing new economic and cultural life into former industrial hubs while preserving the region’s industrial history for future generations.