A Broken Chinese Seal Brings History to Life

Edith TerryJune 17, 2021

Sotheby’s Asia chairman Nicolas Chow explores the iconoclastic hand of history in a unique collection of imperial Chinese seals....

CultureDesignHistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesTradition0 Comments3 views 014 min read

Tin Hau Festival: Celebrating the Birthday of Hong Kong’s Supreme Goddess

Tom BillingeApril 29, 2021

From a Fujianese fishing village to the streets of Hong Kong: the story behind Tin Hau, Hong Kong's most popular deity. ...

Big StoriesCultureHistoryTradition0 Comments3433 views 19 min read

Telling History with Objects: The Mengdiexuan Collection

Edith TerryApril 12, 2021

An impactful new exhibition showcases China's overlooked gold treasures in a spectacular setting. ...

ArtCultureDesignHeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesProduct DesignTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments1386 views 09 min read

What’s Essential for Chinese New Year? Peach Blossoms

Erica FongFebruary 11, 2021

The lucky nature of China’s homegrown fruit....

CultureNatureTradition0 Comments478 views 13 min read

Keeping Hakka Culture Alive, Part II: Hats and Songs

Annemarie EvansJanuary 14, 2021

There's a link between the distinctive hats worn by Hakka women and the songs they sing in the fields – one a young enthusiast is trying to keep alive....

CultureHeritageHistoryLanguagePeopleTradition0 Comments1087 views 09 min read

Neighbourhood Guide: The Star Street Precinct, a Quietly Fashionable Enclave

Brian MokDecember 17, 2020

The stars, sun and moon align in a stylish, laid back corner just beyond the bustle of Wan Chai....

ArtBooksCultureDesignFashionFoodHistoryInspring ItinerariesSmall Stories & Secret StoriesTraditionVisual ArtWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments1761 views 022 min read

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....

CultureDesignLanguageProduct DesignTradition0 Comments881 views 010 min read

This Mid-Autumn, Walk Over Hot Coals for the Monkey King

Tom BillingeSeptember 30, 2020

Long overshadowed by the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Monkey King Festival is a unique slice of Chiu Chow culture that includes shamans, trances and incredible feats of endurance....

A Little BreakCultureTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments1588 views 06 min read

Video: Watch A Hong Kong Dragon Take Australia By Storm

VideoSeptember 24, 2020

A unique dragon has connected Hong Kong and Australia for more than a century. See how it comes to life. ...

CultureDesignInterviewsPeopleProduct DesignTradition0 Comments111 views 00 min read

Keeping Hakka Culture Alive, Part I: The Story of Hong Kong’s Mountain Pioneers

Annemarie EvansSeptember 15, 2020

Hakka people are an integral part of Hong Kong history and heritage, but their culture and language is at risk of being lost. ...

CultureHeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesLanguageTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments1094 views 012 min read

The Fertility Goddess: A Visit to Hong Kong’s Golden Flower Temple

Ilaria Maria Sala and Guo TingAugust 19, 2020

An unusual temple is a must-visit destination for Chinese Valentine's Day...

CultureInspring ItinerariesTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments1467 views 07 min read

Unswerving Loyalty: Kwan Tai, Hong Kong’s God of Brotherhood

Tom BillingeAugust 4, 2020

How a warrior revered for his loyalty became one of Hong Kong's most respected deities. ...

CultureHeritageHistoryTraditionUsual Suspects & LandmarksWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments3752 views 08 min read

Video: How We Saved a Classic Hong Kong Neon Sign

Zolima CityMagJuly 23, 2020

When a renowned Happy Valley dim sum parlour closed its doors, its vintage neon sign was headed for the landfill – until Zolima CityMag stepped in....

CultureDesignHeritageHistoryProduct DesignTraditionUrbanism0 Comments1186 views 11 min read

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....

CultureDesignTradition0 Comments6060 views 012 min read

An Extraordinary Temple and a Master Builder: Hong Kong’s Lo Pan Festival

Tom BillingeJuly 2, 2020

This July, construction workers will gather at one of Hong Kong's most extraordinary temples – one of only two in the world dedicated to Lo Pan....

A Little BreakCultureHeritageHistoryTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments1069 views 08 min read

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 Comments1596 views 010 min read

Enter the Dragon Boat: A New Spirit Hits Hong Kong Waters

Cardin ChanJune 18, 2020

On the eve of Tuen Ng, a dragon boat club considers the spiritual and cultural meaning of these quintessential Hong Kong vessels. ...

CultureHeritageHistoryTradition0 Comments1299 views 09 min read

Dragon Boats from the Past: A Festive Chapter from Gwulo’s New Book

Zolima CityMagJune 18, 2020

We present an excerpt from the latest book published by David Bellis, founder of the popular Hong Kong history website Gwulo....

CultureHeritageHistorySportTradition0 Comments701 views 06 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 Comments2239 views 09 min read

Video: Watch How a Classic Alleyway Barbershop Survives Against the Odds

VideoMay 13, 2020

The snip of scissors and the buzz of clippers have resonated in a Wan Chai alley for more than half a century....

CulturePeoplePortraitsTradition0 Comments707 views 20 min read

Meet the Masters Behind Hong Kong’s Most Extraordinary Bamboo Theatre

Cardin ChanApril 16, 2020

Our heritage writer Cardin Chan joins a tight-knit crew of workers as they build an unusual theatre perched on the edge of a cliff on Po Toi....

ArchitectureArtCultureDesignHeritageHistoryPerforming ArtTradition0 Comments3936 views 016 min read

Video: Watch the Tofu Masters at Kung Wo Make Silky Smooth Pudding

VideoApril 2, 2020

A neighbourhood shop in Hong Kong turns bean curd into crave-worthy delights...

A Little BreakCultureFoodPeopleTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments703 views 00 min read

Video: Watch How Saam Hui Yaat Makes Classic Dim Sum

VideoMarch 5, 2020

Saam Hui Yaat has been making dim sum by hand since 1978. Watch how it's done...

CultureFoodInterviewsPeopleTradition0 Comments789 views 00 min read

Neighbourhood Guide: Shek Tong Tsui is Full of Surprises

Zabrina LoFebruary 19, 2020

Often overlooked in favour of its more popular neighbours, the hilly streets of Shek Tong Tsui are packed with historical and cultural delights...

CultureDesignFoodHistoryInspring ItinerariesProduct DesignSmall Stories & Secret StoriesTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments2990 views 024 min read

Hong Kong Numerology: Nine for Eternity

Zabrina LoFebruary 4, 2020

You don’t need nine lives, but the number nine is useful for leading a long life....

CultureLanguageTradition0 Comments278 views 04 min read

The Story of Kwun Yum, Hong Kong’s Mother Goddess

Tom BillingeJanuary 30, 2020

One goddess is worshipped above the rest: Kwun Yum, the Goddess of Mercy. But how did she achieve her exalted position?...

CultureTradition0 Comments7437 views 09 min read

Baked Together: The Long History of Chinese Bridal Pastries

Zabrina LoJanuary 22, 2020

A look inside a traditional Chinese bakery that makes wedding pastries with a very long history....

CultureFoodTradition0 Comments3137 views 07 min read

Why Mandarin Oranges Are So Popular for Chinese New Year

Zabrina LoJanuary 22, 2020

How can the petite fruit enhance your auspiciousness this Chinese New Year?...

CultureFoodTradition0 Comments5469 views 03 min read

Bamboo Theatres: A New Documentary Explores These Hong Kong Marvels

Elizabeth KerrJanuary 16, 2020

Documentarian Cheuk Cheung chronicles Chinese opera traditions, a passion that has led him to bamboo theatres. ...

ArchitectureArtCultureDesignPerforming ArtTradition0 Comments1445 views 110 min read

Char Siu and Cocktails: Can a New Generation Save Montreal’s Chinatown?

Christopher DewolfOctober 10, 2019

One of Canada's oldest Chinatowns is feeling the pinch of gentrification and redevelopment – but a wave of young entrepreneurs hopes they can keep the neighbourhood's spirit alive....

CultureFoodHeritageHistoryTradition0 Comments439 views 011 min read

Farewell My Concubine Is Rekindling Hong Kong’s Interest in Cantonese Opera

Zabrina LoOctober 3, 2019

Can a radical new take on a classic opera attract new fans to Hong Kong's traditional form of entertainment?...

ArtCulturePerforming ArtTradition0 Comments401 views 09 min read

Chop Suey Canada: Karen Tam is Turning Chinese Restaurants Into Art

Christopher DewolfOctober 3, 2019

How a Montreal artist has turned a childhood spent in her family's Chinese restaurant into a lifelong investigation of Chinese-Canadian spaces...

ArtCultureFoodTraditionVisual Art0 Comments815 views 07 min read

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...

CultureDesignInspring ItinerariesProduct DesignTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments794 views 010 min read

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...

CultureDesignFashionPeoplePortraitsTradition0 Comments1228 views 09 min read

Why Sugarcane Juice Is a Summertime Favourite in Hong Kong

Zabrina LoAugust 27, 2019

Central landmark Kung Lee has been making fresh sugarcane juice since 1948 – but it needs to adapt to keep up with the times...

A Little BreakCultureFoodPeoplePortraitsTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments2274 views 08 min read

How Did Christianity Become So Influential in Hong Kong?

Christopher DewolfAugust 21, 2019

A foreign religion has come to play an outsized role in Hong Kong's civic life....

CultureHeritageHistoryTradition0 Comments3818 views 012 min read

Forgotten Icon: How a Letterpress Workshop Keeps Hong Kong Heritage Alive

Cardin ChanJuly 3, 2019

After Hong Kong's printing industry went into decline, one shop owner decided to turn his family's business into a living museum....

CultureHeritageHistoryLanguageTradition0 Comments1569 views 09 min read

Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part VI: Indigo

Christopher DewolfJune 27, 2019

Indigo dyeing is making a comeback decades after the artisanal industry died out....

CultureDesignFashionHeritageHistoryTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments715 views 06 min read

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 Comments601 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....

CultureTradition0 Comments1171 views 09 min read