The Origin of Hong Kong’s Mexico Bun: A Story of Exile and Return

Christopher DewolfMarch 13, 2019

How exactly did the Mexico bun get its name? The answer is found across the Pacific at a time when Mexico banished its Chinese population....

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Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part IV: The Rock That Built Hong Kong

Christopher DewolfMarch 6, 2019

How generations of Hakka quarry workers and stonemasons provided the granite that built the city as we know it....

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Neighbourhood Guide: The Underrated Charm of North Point

Christie LeeFebruary 27, 2019

Overshadowed by flashier Hong Kong neighbourhoods, North Point is filled with hidden treasures....

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Ghana Must Go: The Surprising Global Journey of Hong Kong’s Red-White-Blue Bag

Christopher DewolfFebruary 21, 2019

A symbol of Hong Kong's grassroots spirits turns out to have a world of other meanings and associations. ...

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Hong Kong’s Wartime Hike: Stage Two of the Wilson Trail

Viola GaskellFebruary 13, 2019

This underrated trail features spectacular natural scenery and a lesson in World War II history....

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Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part III: Squatter Factories

Christopher DewolfFebruary 6, 2019

Hong Kong became an industrial powerhouse thanks in part to informal factories run out of shantytowns and residential flats....

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Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part II: Mining

Christopher DewolfJanuary 2, 2019

Hong Kong was once home to dozens of mines. What happened to this overlooked part of its industrial history?...

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The Last Remnant of Kai Tak: Inside the Half-Destroyed Airport Fire Station With HK Urbex

Christopher DewolfDecember 19, 2018

Zolima CityMag teams up with a crew of urban explorers to survey the last remnant of Kai Tak Airport before it is redeveloped....

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On the Hunt for Hong Kong’s Missing Bankers’ Lions

Justina Chong and Billy PottsDecember 11, 2018

Two Art Deco lions stood outside the main entrance to the Bank of China Building until they were banished without ceremony. What happened to them?...

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Neighbourhood Guide: Sham Shui Po is Hong Kong’s Most Quintessential Neighbourhood

Janice ChenNovember 7, 2018

Sham Shui Po captures Hong Kong's industrious spirit, both past and present. ...

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Hong Kong’s Train to China: A Brief History of the Kowloon-Canton Railway

Christopher DewolfNovember 7, 2018

As Hong Kong opens its new high-speed rail link to mainland China, we look back at its original cross-border railway....

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Inside the Famously Haunted Nam Koo Terrace With HK Urbex

Christopher DewolfOctober 25, 2018

A group of urban explorers seek out and document Hong Kong's abandoned buildings. ...

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Neighbourhood Guide: A Sense of Community in To Kwa Wan

Janice ChenSeptember 6, 2018

To Kwa Wan has long been off the radar – but not for long. As the MTR builds a new line, we explore the nooks and crannies of this underrated corner of Kowloon....

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Ding Ding Stories: Who is Riding Hong Kong’s Trams?

Zolima CityMagSeptember 3, 2018

Hong Kong's oldest form of transport may not be its fastest, but its daily commuters value it for something else. ...

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Island Stories, Part III: Hong Kong’s Outcast Islands

Ryan KilpatrickAugust 15, 2018

Islands have always been a dumping ground for society's unwanted people and objects – and Hong Kong is no exception....

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The Cryptozoology of Hong Kong, Part II: How Dancing Lions Came to Be

Billy PottsAugust 14, 2018

How Hong Kong's famous lions — and lion dances — came to be....

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Neighbourhood Guide: Treasures Between the Concrete Blocks of Kwun Tong

Janice ChenJuly 25, 2018

An industrial neighbourhood with a surprisingly long pedigree, Kwun Tong is a mix of new creative ventures and family-run businesses....

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Island Stories, Part II: Hong Kong’s Disappearing Islands

Ryan KilpatrickJuly 25, 2018

Hong Kong is made up of 263 islands – but that number is smaller than it once was, and it may shrink even more in the future....

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The Cryptozoology of Hong Kong, Part I: Qilins

Billy PottsJuly 17, 2018

How much do you know about qilins, one of the most common of Hong Kong's mythical creatures?...

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Island Stories, Part I – On the Far Edge of Hong Kong, Unexpectedly Thriving Coral Reefs

Ryan KilpatrickJuly 4, 2018

Tung Ping Chau is Hong Kong's most remote island, with only five inhabitants and no electricity. But its spectacular natural environment is worth the journey....

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A Rural Escape Just Steps from One of Hong Kong’s Busiest MTR Stations

Christopher DewolfJune 27, 2018

In Pai Tau Village, historic stone houses, Buddhist temples and one of the city's best bee farms overlook the high-rises of modern Hong Kong....

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Hong Kong’s Vanished Beaches

Christopher DewolfJune 20, 2018

Some of Hong Kong's most popular beaches were once located in the heart of the city....

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No Mixed Blood, No Mixed Bones: The Ongoing Saga of Hong Kong’s Eurasian Cemetery

Ryan KilpatrickJune 7, 2018

Discrimination against Eurasians in Hong Kong once extended to the afterlife. Now the heritage of a cemetery dedicated to this once-marginalised group is under threat. ...

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Hong Kong’s War Ruins, Hidden in Plain Sight

Christopher DewolfMay 11, 2018

The last remnants of Hong Kong’s bloodiest day of fighting are now hidden behind an Esso station on Wong Nai Chung Gap Road. Walk past the fuel dispensers and the mini-mart and you’ll notice a weather-worn path leading up to a group of concrete bunkers tucked into the thick vegetation of the hillside. When Japanese […]...

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An Artistic Journey into Chuen Lung, Hong Kong’s Misty Mountainside Village

Sarah KaracsApril 26, 2018

A group of artists reflect on the history and culture of a centuries-old village perched on the slopes of Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong's tallest peak....

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Hong Kong’s Lighthouses and Their Eurasian Sentries

Ryan KilpatrickApril 18, 2018

For much of its history, Hong Kong's lighthouse keepers were a band of Eurasians who were at home in neither British nor Chinese society. ...

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The Jamia Mosque, an Unexpected Oasis in Central Hong Kong

Christopher DewolfApril 18, 2018

Inside the lush historic compound that is home to Hong Kong's oldest mosque – and a surprising community of squatters. ...

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How the Blue House is Keeping Hong Kong’s Heritage Alive

Christopher DewolfMarch 7, 2018

After years of renovations, a landmark tenement building in Wan Chai is once again home to a close-knit community. ...

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Hong Kong’s Skyline Gets Dressed Up for Christmas

Christopher DewolfDecember 20, 2017

Thousands of people once flocked to Tsim Sha Tsui East to see the Christmas lights. While the crowds have thinned, the displays still shine....

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A Plague, a Cure and Some Art: the Museum of Medical Sciences

Christopher DewolfNovember 30, 2017

Founded as a laboratory to prevent disease, the Museum of Medical Sciences is now dedicated to the history of medicine in Hong Kong – with some surprising art exhibitions on the side, including a new show by artist Daphné Mandel....

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Waterfall Bay, Where Ghosts, Gods and Speedo-Clad Swimmers Converge

Christopher DewolfOctober 26, 2017

Hidden on the edge of Hong Kong Island is one of the city's most spectacular — and spiritually significant — stretches of shoreline....

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Take a Peek Inside King Yin Lei, Hong Kong’s Chinese Renaissance Landmark

Christopher DewolfSeptember 27, 2017

With no plans for its future, the historic King Yin Lei mansion sits empty – but visitors are allowed inside on a few rare occasions....

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Hong Kong’s Salty History: Rebellion, Smuggling and Shrimp Paste

Christopher DewolfSeptember 7, 2017

Salt was power in ancient China – and Hong Kong's illicit salt fields kept imperial armies on their toes....

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In Pictures: The Depot Where Hong Kong’s Historic Trams Are Being Rebuilt by Hand

Christopher DewolfAugust 2, 2017

Inside the Whitty Street Depot, Hong Kong's fleet of unique double-decker trams are being completely rebuilt for a new generation....

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The Ghost Villages: A Guide to Hong Kong’s Abandoned Hakka Settlements

Jessie LauJuly 27, 2017

Just a short minibus ride from the MTR, the rich history of Hakka villages lies in ruins along the Starling Inlet. ...

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Slow Hong Kong: Seaside Contemplation in Kennedy Town

Alice MiquelJune 22, 2017

A fresh Look at Hong Kong's urban poetry...

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Waterworld: A Short History of Ferries, Kaitos and Walla-Wallas in Hong Kong

Christopher DewolfJune 1, 2017

Hong Kong has gotten around by ferry for more than a hundred years – but for how much longer?...

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Hong Kong’s Other Peak – and the City’s Overlooked History of Segregation

Christopher DewolfMay 24, 2017

Hong Kong actually has two Peaks: the famous Victoria Peak and the lesser-known Cheung Chau Peak. In the early 20th century, both were reserved for Hong Kong's European elite....

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Shanghai Street in Four Scenes

Christopher DewolfMay 4, 2017

A window into one of Hong Kong’s most storied streets...

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Haw Par Mansion and Hong Kong’s Lost Chinese Fantasyland

Christopher DewolfMarch 8, 2017

Tiger Balm Garden is gone forever, but its spirit remains. Work is underway on restoring Haw Par Mansion, the only surviving portion of a vast estate that included the renowned theme park, which was demolished in 2004. At the same time, artist Adrian Wong is finishing work on an installation based on one of the […]...

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