Billy Potts, Author at Zolima City Magazine

Modern Before Its Time: A Hong Kong Gallery Embraces Ming Dynasty Furniture

Billy PottsOctober 27, 2021

Once overlooked, the elegant simplicity of Ming Dynasty furniture is now highly coveted – and a Hong Kong gallery was at the front lines of its renaissance....

DesignHeritageInterior DesignInterviewsPeopleProduct DesignTradition0 Comments565 views 010 min read

What Will Save Hong Kong’s 700-Year-Old Oyster Farms?

Billy PottsSeptember 21, 2021

An oyster industry has thrived on the shores of Deep Bay for too many generations to count. Will pollution finally wipe it out?...

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Meet the Young Master Keeping Hong Kong’s Neon Heritage Alive

Billy PottsJune 3, 2021

Hong Kong's neon heritage is fading away – but Karen Chan is doing her best to keep the tradition alive. ...

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Meet the Plumber King, Hong Kong’s Unexpected Graffiti Icon

Billy PottsJanuary 29, 2021

For decades, a plumber has advertised his services by painting on the city's surfaces. We meet the man behind thousands of remarkably stylish advertisements....

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Young Bruce Lee, Part II: The Man Before the Legend

Billy PottsDecember 6, 2020

Final years in Seattle. Bruce Lee matures and develops his unique vision of kung fu – and the world....

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Young Bruce Lee, Part I: Street Brawling and Cha-Cha Dancing in Seattle

Billy PottsNovember 19, 2020

Before he became an international star, Bruce Lee was a young man in Seattle. This is his story....

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Hong Kong’s King of Commercial Calligraphy: Au Yeung Cheung of King Wah Signboard

Billy PottsOctober 22, 2020

Forced out of his bastion in the State Theatre, Hong Kong's most influential signboard calligrapher isn't giving up....

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Not Just For Triads: Hong Kong’s Unique Style of Tattoos

Billy PottsJuly 16, 2020

As tattoos finally cast off their seedy reputation, we look into the history of Hong Kong's distinctive version of skin art....

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Sunset Days for a Classic Hong Kong Dim Sum Parlour

Billy PottsJune 23, 2020

After nearly three decades, a renowned tea house finally calls it quits...

A Little BreakCultureFoodTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments1794 views 010 min read

Lucky Embroidery: The Story Behind Hong Kong’s Intricate Kua Wedding Dresses

Billy PottsJune 11, 2020

Traditional brides in Hong Kong don't wear white – they wear a kua. We visit one of the last local workshops that makes these intricate gowns. ...

CultureDesignFashionTradition0 Comments2665 views 09 min read

Seattle’s Chinatown-International District: Lion Dances, Bruce Lee and a Long History

Billy PottsApril 29, 2020

We take a journey through Seattle's historic Chinatown, where generations of Asian immigrants came together, including martial arts master Bruce Lee....

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Dragons and Rabbits: Inside Hong Kong’s Lantern-Making Workshops

Billy PottsSeptember 18, 2019

We revisit two cryptozoological masters to see how they make lanterns for Mid-Autumn Festival...

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Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: Crafting Cantonese Opera Headdresses by Hand

Billy PottsSeptember 4, 2019

A veteran costume maker for Cantonese opera explains the intricacies of an under-appreciated craft...

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A Master Puppeteer Gives an Ancient Chinese Art a 21st-Century Update

Billy PottsMay 22, 2019

Wong Fai helped Chinese puppeteering thrive in 1970s Hong Kong – and now he is ushering in its 21st-century rebirth...

CulturePeoplePortraitsTradition0 Comments696 views 010 min read

The Immigrant Dragons, Part IV: Generations United in Bendigo

Billy PottsMay 8, 2019

Back home in Australia, the world's largest imperial dragon joins his predecessors – and so do the citizens of Bendigo, united by Chinese tradition....

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Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: The Last Minibus Sign Maker

Billy PottsMarch 19, 2019

Hand-painted signs were once standard in the windows of Hong Kong's minibuses, but as with so many traditional trades, they are at risk of dying out....

DesignPeoplePortraitsProduct DesignTradition0 Comments4338 views 19 min read