Walter Koditek: Exploring Hong Kong’s Modern Heritage

Christopher DewolfFebruary 1, 2023

A German urban planner shines a light on the vulnerable heritage of Hong Kong's modern architecture...

ArchitectureArtDesignHeritageHistoryPhotographyUrbanism0 Comments14 views 08 min read

Hong Kong’s Vintage Treasures Are Overseas

Christopher DewolfDecember 23, 2022

The fruits of Hong Kong’s industrial history can be found in second-hand shops around the world...

DesignHeritageHistoryProduct DesignSmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments401 views 09 min read

Meet Two Collectors Whose Works Are On Show at HKMoA

Oliver GilesDecember 9, 2022

Leo Wong and Anthony Cheung have dedicated years to collecting Chinese art. Now it’s available to the public...

ArtCultureDesignExhibitionHeritageHistoryProduct DesignTraditionVisual ArtWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments278 views 09 min read

Hong Kong’s Ghost Signs: The Lost Legacy of the Urban Council

Billy PottsDecember 6, 2022

An unassuming car park sign reveals a bauhinia logo that tells the story of Hong Kong's erstwhile city council...

CultureHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesTradition0 Comments536 views 09 min read

Hong Kong’s Ghost Signs: The Shanghainese Fortune Teller

Billy PottsNovember 2, 2022

The legacy of a Shanghainese fortune teller looms over Hennessy Road...

CultureHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesTradition0 Comments730 views 06 min read

Where Did Jumbo Go? Hong Kong’s Heritage Conservation Challenge

Christopher DewolfOctober 13, 2022

There's something wrong with heritage conservation in Hong Kong. How can it be fixed?...

DesignHeritageHistory0 Comments780 views 016 min read

A City in the Sky: Hong Kong’s Aviation History, Part I

Christopher DewolfSeptember 9, 2022

How Hong Kong became one of the world’s most important air hubs...

Big StoriesHeritageHistory0 Comments1242 views 012 min read

Scottish Hong Kong: The Uncertain Future of Hong Kong’s Bagpipes

Billy PottsMay 4, 2022

Bagpipes have become a part of Hong Kong culture – but now their associations with British rule means their legacy is at risk...

ArtCultureHeritageHistoryMusicTradition0 Comments2687 views 010 min read

Hong Kong’s Skyline Icons: Rooftop Billboards

Christopher DewolfApril 28, 2022

Neon signs once dominated Hong Kong's skyline, but they are quickly being replaced by LED video screens...

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistoryUrbanism0 Comments690 views 07 min read

Scottish Hong Kong: Symbols All Around

Billy PottsApril 14, 2022

Scotland’s national imagery has become so ingrained in Hong Kong’s visual landscape, most people don’t even notice...

CultureDesignHeritageHistory0 Comments2208 views 06 min read

The Arts and Heritage: A Perfect Combination?

Christopher DewolfApril 8, 2022

With the right design approach, heritage buildings can be used to support arts and culture...

ArchitectureArtDesignHeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments928 views 011 min read

Scottish Hong Kong: A Visit to Yuen’s, the Expert Kiltmakers

Billy PottsMarch 16, 2022

Hong Kong’s original kiltmaker is still going strong more than two decades after the last Scottish regiments departed...

DesignFashionHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments1192 views 010 min read

Hong Kong’s Skyline Icons: The Faded Glory of Tsim Sha Tsui East

Christopher DewolfMarch 15, 2022

Once famous for its holiday displays and over-the-top nightlife, TST East has fallen on hard times – but it's still a Hong Kong icon...

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistoryUrbanism0 Comments1218 views 08 min read

Three Photographers, Three Visions of Hong Kong

Christopher DewolfFebruary 25, 2022

The photos of Lee Fook Chee, Hedda Morrison and Brian Brake come together to form a compelling portrait of Hong Kong – and the photographers themselves....

ArtEventExhibitionHeritageHistoryPhotographyWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments3147 views 06 min read

Scottish Hong Kong: A Legacy Hidden in Plain Sight

Billy PottsJanuary 28, 2022

Scots culture has had a profound influence in Hong Kong. In this new series, we explore its impact and influence...

CultureHeritageHistoryTradition0 Comments2116 views 07 min read

What Does the Future Hold? Hong Kong’s Fortune Tellers Have the Answers

Ilaria Maria SalaJanuary 27, 2022

We visit Wong Tai Sin to understand fortune telling traditions that have descended from a web of complex influences stretching back thousands of years...

CultureHeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments1493 views 08 min read

Why You Should Care About Brutalist Architecture

Christopher DewolfJanuary 14, 2022

A spotlight is being shone on Hong Kong's few examples of a controversial form of architecture...

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistoryUrbanism0 Comments3007 views 014 min read

The Man Who Fought for Public Education in Hong Kong: Hilton Cheong-Leen

Christopher DewolfJanuary 10, 2022

Hilton Cheong-Leen was one of the postwar civic activists who helped shape modern Hong Kong. Now 94 years old, he still takes an active interest in the city's well-being....

CultureHeritageHistoryPeoplePortraits0 Comments2840 views 07 min read

Jingle Bells: The Surprising Story Behind TST’s Silent Clock Tower

Ilaria Maria SalaDecember 22, 2021

There’s a bell inside Hong Kong’s most famous clock tower, but it hasn’t been used in 71 years. Why not? ...

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistory0 Comments525 views 13 min read

The Castle Peak Dragon Kiln: A Hidden Reminder of Hong Kong’s Ceramics History

Ilaria Maria SalaDecember 8, 2021

Tuen Mun’s soil once provided the raw material for a thriving pottery industry. Now, a single disused kiln is all that is left...

CultureDesignHeritageHistoryProduct DesignTradition0 Comments864 views 06 min read

Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part XV: The Chinese YMCA’s Chicago Roots

Christopher DewolfNovember 16, 2021

A handsome brick landmark on Bridges Street is a testament to the global spread of a Christian health and wellness movement....

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments1465 views 08 min read

Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part XIV: The Rural Decay of Yu Yuen

Christopher DewolfOctober 28, 2021

The country estate of Heung Yee Kuk founder Tsoi Po-tin has fallen into ruin, despite its remarkable history....

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments2908 views 09 min read

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 Comments907 views 010 min read

Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part XIII: Pun Chun Yuen, a Buddhist Oasis

Christopher DewolfOctober 7, 2021

Thanks to the success of the Wing Lee Wai distillery, the Wong family built a tranquil estate that now serves as a Buddhist retreat. ...

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistory0 Comments1549 views 06 min read

Tea, Roasted to Order Over Charcoal: The Story of Ming Heung

Ilaria Maria SalaOctober 7, 2021

Ming Heung Tea Shop has been sitting in exactly the same position in Kowloon City since 1963. Chen Dak, the founder, had been in Hong Kong and in the tea business for about 10 years when the shop was established, following in the footsteps of his father, with whom he fled to Hong Kong in […]...

A Little BreakCultureFoodHeritagePortraitsTraditionWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments858 views 09 min read

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

Tom BillingeSeptember 19, 2021

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 Comments1887 views 28 min read

Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part XII: Fat Tat Tong, a Window Into Rural History

Christopher DewolfSeptember 8, 2021

Hidden in a seemingly unremarkable village, Fat Tat Tong is one of Hong Kong's few declared monuments...

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments2943 views 07 min read

Lo Ting: The Legend of Hong Kong’s Rebellious Human-Fish Hybrid

Ilaria Maria SalaJuly 28, 2021

For centuries, a tribe of merpeople called Lo Tings have been said to inhabit Hong Kong's waters. They are increasingly becoming a symbol of the city's contentious relationship with power....

ArtCultureHeritageHistoryPerforming ArtTraditionVideo artVisual Art0 Comments3874 views 012 min read

Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part XI: Cassels Block and Hong Kong Park

Christopher DewolfJuly 19, 2021

What is now vA!, the Visual Arts Centre, was once part of a 19th century British military barracks. How did it end up as Hong Kong Park?...

ArchitectureArtDesignHeritageHistoryVisual Art0 Comments1265 views 08 min read

Michael Rogge’s Hong Kong: A 1950s Time Capsule

Christopher DewolfJune 29, 2021

After moving to Hong Kong in 1949, Dutch expat Michael Rogge spent his free time filming everything he could. Now those clips form a remarkable YouTube collection...

CinemaCultureHeritageHistoryPeoplePortraits0 Comments3822 views 111 min read

Amazing Images of Old Hong Kong – in Full Colour

Christopher DewolfJune 24, 2021

A group of academics is using its Instagram account, Old HK in Colour, to share an incredible collection of painstakingly enhanced and colourised photos from Hong Kong's past....

CultureHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesUsual Suspects & Landmarks0 Comments3842 views 06 min read

Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part X: Maryknoll Convent School

Christopher DewolfJune 17, 2021

How the beguiling architecture of this prestigious girls' school makes it one of Hong Kong's most exceptional educational institutions...

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistoryUsual Suspects & Landmarks0 Comments12383 views 09 min read

How Epidemics Shaped Hong Kong, Part II: The Scars of SARS – and Covid

Christopher DewolfApril 22, 2021

SARS left deep scars on Hong Kong – but it also led to positive reforms in public hygiene, healthcare and urban planning. What will Covid bring?...

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistoryUrbanism0 Comments799 views 010 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 Comments2189 views 09 min read

How Epidemics Shaped Hong Kong, Part I: The “Fatal City”

Christopher DewolfApril 12, 2021

Today's Hong Kong is a reflection of the epidemics it has faced. In the first of a two-part article, we look at the legacy of the plague, malaria and the flu....

HeritageHistoryUrbanism0 Comments2015 views 011 min read

L’ÉCOLE Shares 3,000 Years of Chinese Treasures in The Art of Gold

Partner ContentMarch 30, 2021

Extraordinary gold objects from the Mengdiexuan Collection come to light in a new exhibition....

A Little BreakArtDesignHeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesProduct DesignWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments1789 views 03 min read

The Home Nobody Knows: Vivienne Chow Explores the Soko Islands

Partner ContentMarch 12, 2021

In preparation for a project with Oi!, writer Vivienne Chow dives into her family’s history on two little-known islands on the edge of Hong Kong....

CultureHeritageHistory0 Comments2715 views 08 min read

Why Nobody Knew About the Spectacular Bishop Hill Reservoir

Christopher DewolfJanuary 22, 2021

How a quirky hill became the latest flashpoint in Hong Kong's fight to save its heritage....

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments5165 views 112 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 Comments1188 views 09 min read

Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part IX: Kom Tong Hall, the Sun Yat-sen Museum

Christopher DewolfNovember 19, 2020

Sun Yat-sen never visited the building that houses a museum dedicated to him – but there are plenty of other reasons why this grand structure is worth a visit....

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistorySmall Stories & Secret Stories0 Comments1560 views 08 min read