How a Catholic Village in Hong Kong Was Saved From Extinction – and Won a UNESCO Award in the Process

Christopher DewolfApril 6, 2017

The tranquil island village of Yim Tin Tsai was abandoned for decades, but the efforts of a determined chief have brought it back to life....

A Little BreakCultureHeritageHistoryTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 07 min read

Pak Tai, Mysterious Black God of the North

Tom BillingeMarch 29, 2017

On the third day of the third lunar month, enigmatic temples around Hong Kong will be alive with worshippers making offerings to the so-called Black Deity....

A Little BreakCultureHeritageHistoryTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 08 min read

Jade Culture, Part III: Woman of Jade

Edith TerryMarch 3, 2017

How Angelina Kwan, a tough Chinese-American businesswoman, discovered her soft side through jade. ...

CultureHeritageHistoryPeoplePortraitsTradition0 Comments 010 min read

Jade Culture, Part II: A Place for Modern Mandarins in the City of Jade

Edith TerryFebruary 7, 2017

"They told me I was crazy to be interested in jade": How three friends forged an unexpected friendship through ancient Chinese stones....

ArtCultureHeritageHistoryInterviewsPeopleTradition0 Comments 014 min read

An Unexpected Monastery: The Birthplace of Hong Kong Buddhism

Tom BillingeJanuary 25, 2017

Just past the drab apartment blocks of Tuen Mun, an eclectic Buddhist monastery has emerged around an ancient hermit's cave. ...

CultureInspring ItinerariesTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 011 min read

Hong Kong Bites: Cantonese New Year Cake – Nin Gou 年糕

Gabriella ZanzanainiJanuary 25, 2017

Hong Kong is gearing up for Chinese New Year and special holiday food is showing up everywhere from supermarket shelves to wet market stalls. There’s one thing you absolutely can’t miss: nin4 gou1 (年糕), the sweet, chewy glutinous rice cake that is essential to the Cantonese celebration of the lunar new year. Literally meaning New Year Cake, this […]...

CultureFoodTradition0 Comments 05 min read

Meet Hong Kong’s Ten Thousand Buddhas – A Journey to a Spectacular Monastery

Tom BillingeJanuary 5, 2017

Overloaded with Buddhist icons yet surrounded by tranquil greenery, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is a window into Hong Kong's contrasts....

CultureInspring ItinerariesTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 011 min read

Jade Culture, Part I: Why Hong Kong’s Freedom is Cherished By Jade Collectors

Edith TerryDecember 13, 2016

Critical of China's government but fascinated by its history and culture, Renee Chiang and Bao Pu have taken advantage of Hong Kong's freedom to explore their passion for jade. ...

ArtCultureHeritageHistoryPeoplePortraitsTradition0 Comments 012 min read

Picture Hong Kong: The Vanishing Landscape of Queen’s Road West

Christopher DewolfNovember 30, 2016

The changes started years ago, but it was only when the giant cow disappeared that it became clear what was happening. In 2015, the bovine emblem of Queen’s Road West restaurant Sammy’s Kitchen was removed, an iconic piece of neon scrubbed from the street it had dominated for 40 years. The cow was taken away […]...

CultureFoodHistoryInspring ItinerariesPeopleTraditionUrbanismWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 07 min read

Why Close-Knit Shek O Erupts in Celebration Once Every Ten Years

Gabriella ZanzanainiNovember 8, 2016

How a small village community at the southeastern tip of Hong Kong Island has stayed true to itself for centuries. ...

A Little BreakCultureHeritageHistoryTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 011 min read

A Close Look at Hong Kong’s Rare, Extravagant Spiritual Purification Festivals

Tom BillingeNovember 8, 2016

The Chinese calendar is packed with holidays, but there is one type of festival that every village decides when and how to celebrate, Tai Ping Ching Chiu. This year, it's Shek O's turn....

CultureTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 08 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: The Revival of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Gabriella ZanzanainiOctober 12, 2016

Traditional Chinese medicine is making a comeback – and one doctor, Michelle Law, is using it to make life easier for pregnant women....

CulturePeoplePortraitsTradition0 Comments 07 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: The Kung Fu Master of Lions

Gabriella ZanzanainiSeptember 14, 2016

How the Master of Lions is keeping kung fu alive by teaching youngsters the most famous lion dance in the world.  ...

ArtCulturePeoplePerforming ArtPortraitsTradition0 Comments 08 min read

Unity Under a Full Moon: Mid-Autumn Reading for Children

Michaela FultonSeptember 14, 2016

Five books in English, Chinese and French teach kids about the meaning behind Mid-Autumn Festival....

BooksCultureTradition0 Comments 08 min read

Dish of the Month: Mooncakes

Gabriella ZanzanainiSeptember 8, 2016

Mid-Autumn Festival is the time to indulge in Hong Kong's most decadent — and legendary — seasonal treat: mooncakes....

CultureFoodTradition0 Comments 06 min read

When the Fire Dragon Dances Under the Full Moon: Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong

Tom BillingeSeptember 6, 2016

Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the liveliest and most cherished holidays in Hong Kong. Its history stretches back thousands of years....

CultureHeritageHistoryTraditionUncategorizedUsual Suspects & Landmarks0 Comments 18 min read

How to Avoid Hong Kong’s Hungry Ghosts This August

Tom BillingeJuly 31, 2016

Why you should forget about taking a selfie this month – and other tricks to survive Hong Kong's Hungry Ghost Festival. ...

CultureTradition0 Comments 06 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: The Juice Doctor’s Cure for Summer Heat

Gabriella ZanzanainiJuly 7, 2016

Mixing fresh juices for health and pleasure in Aberdeen....

A Little BreakCultureFoodPeoplePortraitsTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 06 min read

Fishballs Worth Fighting For: A Brief History of Hong Kong Street Hawkers

Christopher DewolfJune 10, 2016

Why street hawkers have been around as long as Hong Kong. ...

CultureFoodHeritageHistoryTradition0 Comments 010 min read

A Tree Worthy of Worship: Hong Kong’s Banyans

Christopher DewolfJune 1, 2016

Why are banyan trees so ubiquitous in Hong Kong? ...

CultureNatureTradition0 Comments 07 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: Mahjong from Another Era

Gabriella ZanzanainiJune 1, 2016

The evolution of mahjong, Hong Kong's favourite way to kill time....

CulturePeoplePortraitsProduct DesignTradition0 Comments 08 min read

Dragons and Rice Dumplings: The Origins of the Dragon Boat Festival

Tom BillingeJune 1, 2016

Hong Kong's favourite summertime sporting event has ancient origins....

CultureHistorySportTradition0 Comments 08 min read

Hong Kong Dish: Sweet, Savoury, World-Famous Char Siu

Zoe LiMay 25, 2016

The dish on char siu, quite possibly the most iconic dish in Hong Kong....

CultureFoodTradition0 Comments 06 min read

Hong Kong in Miniature: Douglas Young, G.O.D. and the Street Culture Gallery

Christopher DewolfMay 24, 2016

The Goods of Desire Street Culture Gallery is a window into the mind of provocative designer Douglas Young....

A Little BreakCultureDesignFashionFoodInterviewsPeopleProduct DesignTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 07 min read

Slow Hong Kong: Stationery Shops

Alice MiquelMay 17, 2016

Exploring the stationery shops that offer more thoughtful way of communicating....

A Little BreakCultureTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 15 min read

Neighbourhood Guide: Aberdeen, the Seaside Town That Gave Hong Kong Its Name

Christopher DewolfMay 12, 2016

We team up with Urban Discovery to bring you our favourite places in Aberdeen. ...

ArtCultureFoodHeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesSmall Stories & Secret StoriesTraditionUsual Suspects & LandmarksVisual ArtWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 122 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: The Wan Chai Paper Collector

Gabriella ZanzanainiMay 11, 2016

How Hong Kong really recycles its paper. ...

CulturePeoplePortraitsTradition0 Comments 06 min read

Inside Kowloon’s Last Walled Village – and the Lucky Tin Hau Temple That Will Escape Demolition

Christopher DewolfApril 28, 2016

Nga Tsin Wai has survived for nearly 700 years – but now the last walled village in Kowloon is slated for redevelopment. ...

CultureHistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments 09 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: Bamboo Scaffolder to the Gods

Gabriella ZanzanainiApril 27, 2016

Hong Kong's bamboo scaffolders keep the gods — and the people — happy with pop-up theatres for Cantonese opera....

ArtCulturePeoplePerforming ArtPortraitsTradition0 Comments 09 min read

Urban Fabric: Hong Kong Seen Through Paper Art

Christopher DewolfApril 21, 2016

7-Paperholic brings paper art into an historic setting to reflect on urban change. ...

ArtCultureTraditionVisual Art0 Comments 05 min read

Vegetable Farms in the Sky: How Rooftop Republic is Greening Hong Kong’s Skyscrapers

Zoe LiApril 7, 2016

Can Rooftop Republic's vertical farms give Hong Kong a stronger connection to nature?...

CultureFoodPeoplePortraitsTradition0 Comments 07 min read

Hong Kong’s Crafty New Generation

Christopher DewolfMarch 31, 2016

Young artists and designers are picking up the tools of Hong Kong's traditional trades. ...

ArtCultureDesignProduct DesignTradition0 Comments 08 min read

All About Ching Ming, Hong Kong’s Tomb-Sweeping Day

Tom BillingeMarch 30, 2016

What's the story behind Ching Ming, one of the most important holidays on the Chinese calendar? ...

Big StoriesCultureHistoryTradition0 Comments 09 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: Burning iPhones for the Afterlife

Gabriella ZanzanainiMarch 24, 2016

Where paper effigies bring a happier future...

CulturePeoplePortraitsTradition0 Comments 07 min read

Hong Kong’s Disappearing Signscape

Christopher DewolfMarch 7, 2016

Hong Kong’s distinctive signs are quickly disappearing. A visit to Sham Shui Po reveals what’s left....

ArtCultureStreet ArtTradition0 Comments 08 min read

Why So Red? The Visual Culture of Hong Kong Taxis

Christopher DewolfFebruary 11, 2016

Hong Kong's taxis aren't just a way to get around – they define the city's visual landscape....

ArtCultureDesignProduct DesignTraditionVisual Art0 Comments 012 min read

Pop Cantonese: 大掃除 – The Big Cleanup

Gabriella ZanzanainiFebruary 5, 2016

Ever wonder where some of the words we use everyday in Hong Kong lingo come from? ...

CultureLanguageTradition0 Comments 03 min read

Slow Hong Kong: The Red City

Alice MiquelFebruary 4, 2016

Why is red so common in Hong Kong?...

CultureTradition0 Comments 07 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: The Reinvention of the Bamboo Steamer

Gabriella ZanzanainiFebruary 3, 2016

There is just one workshop left in Hong Kong that makes bamboo steamers by hand – but don't expect these iconic cooking vessels to disappear anytime soon....

CultureFoodPeoplePortraitsTradition0 Comments 07 min read

What You’ll Be Eating This Chinese New Year in Hong Kong

Janice Leung HayesFebruary 3, 2016

Wherever Chinese people are, you can count on Chinese New Year being celebrated. Every region has its traditions and in Hong Kong, they’re quickly changing too. ...

CultureFoodLanguageTradition0 Comments 010 min read