Busy Needles: CHAT Explores Hong Kong’s Maximalist Textiles
How cottage industries, Christian missionaries and homespun craftwork combined to create something truly unique...
Billy Potts
Did You Know About Hong Kong’s Million-Object Design Collection?
How designer John Wu amassed an enormous collection of objects that tell the story of Hong Kong...
The Last Dim Sum Carts: Metropol Restaurant
We visit Metropol, a Cantonese restaurant with Japanese roots that was one of the first — and now last — to use dim sum carts...
Steel Beams and Lots of Danger: How John Nye Photographed Hong Kong’s Building Boom
Known for his work with Henry Steiner, John Nye was also a sky-high architectural photographer ...
Explore the Magic of Cinematic Qipao
Curator and designer Edith Cheung brings a collection of on-screen qipao, or cheongsam, to the Hong Kong Film Archive...
The Steiner Series: The Demise of Hong Kong Telephone
How a brand identity that could have been timeless fell victim to the vagaries of telecommunications...
The Steiner Series: Building Hongkong Land
Henry Steiner defined the corporate identity of a historic and influential property developer, and in the process part of Hong Kong itself...
The Steiner Series: Dairy Farm – Communicating Without Words
It turns out the Dairy Farm logo reveals multitudes about Henry Steiner’s approach to design...
The Steiner Series: In the Jockey Club, a Reflection of Hong Kong
One of Hong Kong's most recognisable logos says a lot about how the city has — and hasn't — changed...
The Steiner Series: How the HSBC Logo Was Made
Henry Steiner's visual identity for HSBC was a passion project in more ways than one...
The Steiner Series: Lane Crawford and Shui Hing
Henry Steiner's work on logos for two department stores, one British and one Chinese, reflects two ends of Hong Kong's multicultural spectrum...
Tang Clan: Hong Kong’s Oldest Family Looks to the Future
The Tang have been settled here for more than 900 years. We visit as they update their clan records for the first time in decades...
Hong Kong’s Ghost Signs: The Toxic Legacy of Cigarette Ads
In this unsentimental city, ghost signs give the briefest of glimpses into the past, flattering it with the soft focus of nostalgia. It is easy to question how anybody could treat these treasures with so little care if one forgets that the past was never ideal. Ghost signs can reveal far more complex truths. Fading […]...
Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: Tai Hang’s Last Garages
Stories from tight-knit Tai Hang, an old Hakka village turned trendy urban neighbourhood...
Hong Kong’s Ghost Signs: A Long-Gone Barbershop
The Hollywood Barber Company once operated in the heart of Causeway Bay. Now the classic calligraphy of its ghost sign is all that remains...
Hong Kong Patterns, Part III: Africa, Europe and the Cosmopolitan City
An exhibition at CHAT explores Hong Kong’s links to Africa, reflecting the city’s emergence as a global hub...
Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: Painting Movie Posters by Hand
A billboard painter looks back at a trade that once enlivened the streets of Hong Kong...
Hong Kong Patterns, Part II: Silk City
The arrival of Japanese department stores led to a boom in silk manufacturing – and some strange cultural blends...
Hong Kong Patterns, Part I: Daimaru’s Distinct Style
When the Japanese department store opened a flagship branch in Hong Kong, its gift wrap became a local icon...
Hong Kong’s Ghost Signs: The Lost Legacy of the Urban Council
An unassuming car park sign reveals a bauhinia logo that tells the story of Hong Kong's erstwhile city council...
Hong Kong’s Ghost Signs: The Shanghainese Fortune Teller
The legacy of a Shanghainese fortune teller looms over Hennessy Road...
How a Precocious Hongkonger Became a Master Scottish Bagpiper
Chris Lee began learning bagpipes at the age of 12 – and it took him on an unexpected journey around the world...
Hong Kong is Haunted by Ghost Signs
There’s a lot to learn from the old hand-painted signs that linger throughout the city...
Scottish Hong Kong: The Uncertain Future of Hong Kong’s Bagpipes
Bagpipes have become a part of Hong Kong culture – but now their associations with British rule means their legacy is at risk...
Scottish Hong Kong: Symbols All Around
Scotland’s national imagery has become so ingrained in Hong Kong’s visual landscape, most people don’t even notice...
The Story Behind Ascot Chang, Hong Kong’s Superstar Tailor
The Shanghainese roots of Hong Kong tailoring are embodied by the Chang family, whose business has earned worldwide acclaim...
Scottish Hong Kong: A Visit to Yuen’s, the Expert Kiltmakers
Hong Kong’s original kiltmaker is still going strong more than two decades after the last Scottish regiments departed...
Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: The Luthier of Sui Fai Factory Estate
As a factory block in Fotan is slated to be redeveloped into public housing, a master Chinese luthier considers his fate...
Scottish Hong Kong: A Red-White-Blue Tartan Especially for Hong Kong
Tartan has a long history and each example of the chequered patterns is loaded with meaning, including a new tartan designed just for Hong Kong...
Scottish Hong Kong: A Legacy Hidden in Plain Sight
Scots culture has had a profound influence in Hong Kong. In this new series, we explore its impact and influence...
Modern Before Its Time: A Hong Kong Gallery Embraces Ming Dynasty Furniture
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....
What Will Save Hong Kong’s 700-Year-Old Oyster Farms?
An oyster industry has thrived on the shores of Deep Bay for too many generations to count. Will pollution finally wipe it out?...
Meet the Young Master Keeping Hong Kong’s Neon Heritage Alive
Hong Kong's neon heritage is fading away – but Karen Chan is doing her best to keep the tradition alive. ...
Meet the Plumber King, Hong Kong’s Unexpected Graffiti Icon
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....
Young Bruce Lee, Part II: The Man Before the Legend
Final years in Seattle. Bruce Lee matures and develops his unique vision of kung fu – and the world....
Young Bruce Lee, Part I: Street Brawling and Cha-Cha Dancing in Seattle
Before he became an international star, Bruce Lee was a young man in Seattle. This is his story....
Hong Kong’s King of Commercial Calligraphy
Forced out of his bastion in the State Theatre, Hong Kong's most influential signboard calligrapher isn't giving up....
Not Just For Triads: Hong Kong’s Unique Style of Tattoos
As tattoos finally cast off their seedy reputation, we look into the history of Hong Kong's distinctive version of skin art....
Sunset Days for a Classic Hong Kong Dim Sum Parlour
After nearly three decades, a renowned tea house finally calls it quits...
Lucky Embroidery: The Story Behind Hong Kong’s Intricate Kua Wedding Dresses
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. ...
Billy Potts
Writer
Billy Potts is a writer and designer born and raised in Hong Kong. He trained as a lawyer and then started a design consultancy with a special emphasis on local heritage. Hong Kong has always captured his imagination. As a writer, Billy is interested in the city's esoteric folk traditions, design, culture, art and environment.