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 Comments539 views 010 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....

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Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part VIII: Shanghai Street Shophouses

Christopher DewolfOctober 15, 2020

Hong Kong's largest intact cluster of shophouses has been preserved and restored – but only in part. ...

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesUrbanismWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments702 views 010 min read

Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part VII: The Pedder Building

Christopher DewolfAugust 27, 2020

The Pedder Building is known as a hub for art galleries, but that is just the latest chapter in a long life....

ArchitectureArtDesignHistoryInspring ItinerariesUrbanismUsual Suspects & LandmarksWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments1562 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 Comments1145 views 11 min read

In the Midst of a Pandemic, Walk DVRC Wants to Give Hongkongers More Space

Christopher DewolfMay 20, 2020

Cities around the world are responding to Covid-19 by giving pedestrians and cyclists more space. Why not Hong Kong?...

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Hong Kong’s Colonial Heritage, Part IV: The Western Market

Christopher DewolfMay 6, 2020

Hong Kong's oldest surviving market building has a history even older than its Edwardian façade....

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistoryUrbanismUsual Suspects & LandmarksWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments2254 views 08 min read

Hong Kong’s Modern Heritage, Part XII: Breeze Blocks

Christopher DewolfDecember 19, 2019

Air conditioning transformed Hong Kong – but there are still reminders of a breezier era....

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Hong Kong’s Modern Heritage, Part X: Corner Buildings

Christopher DewolfOctober 31, 2019

Well liked but disappearing quickly, Hong Kong's corner buildings embrace the street....

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The Unexpected Link Between Hong Kong’s Urban Spaces and the Global Climate Crisis

Christopher DewolfJuly 25, 2019

A new project by the Canadian Centre of Architecture examines the link between Hong Kong's financial district and environmental damage around the world....

ArchitectureDesignUrbanism0 Comments990 views 09 min read

Hong Kong’s Modern Heritage, Part VII: The Monster Building

Christopher DewolfJuly 11, 2019

An enormous block of shops and housing was conceived as an affordable place to live – but now it has also become a tourist attraction....

ArchitectureDesignHeritageHistoryUrbanism0 Comments17113 views 08 min read

Neighbourhood Guide: Tai Ping Shan, An Old Soul With a Trendy Heart

Zabrina LoJuly 9, 2019

A traditional neighbourhood is thriving thanks to an infusion of fresh energy....

ArtBig StoriesBooksCultureDesignFashionFoodHeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesProduct DesignSmall Stories & Secret StoriesStreet ArtUrbanismUsual Suspects & LandmarksVisual ArtWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments7583 views 032 min read

Hong Kong’s Most Beloved Public Space is Under Threat

Christopher DewolfJune 6, 2019

The Western District Public Cargo Working Area, also known as the Instagram Pier, is a rare open space on the waterfront. But government plans could soon carve it up into smaller pieces – or worse....

A Little BreakArtPhotographyUrbanismWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments3638 views 09 min read

One of a Kind: The Kowloon Walled City Through the Eyes of Photographer Greg Girard

Christopher DewolfApril 25, 2019

A unique quirk of history created one of the strangest and most fascinating urban settlements the world has ever seen. ...

ArtHistoryPhotographyUrbanismUsual Suspects & Landmarks0 Comments13695 views 012 min read

Hong Kong’s Modern Heritage, Part III: Choi Hung, the Rainbow Estate

Christopher DewolfMarch 20, 2019

Choi Hung changed the way Hong Kong built public housing – and its unique appearance has given it a second life as a tourist attraction....

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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 Missing Trees

Christopher DewolfJanuary 24, 2019

The destruction of Typhoon Mangkhut underscored the precarious nature of Hong Kong's urban forest. ...

CultureNatureUrbanism0 Comments1538 views 012 min read

Neighbourhood Guide: Wong Chuk Hang, a Factory for Creativity

Zabrina LoJanuary 17, 2019

An old industrial area on the south side of Hong Kong Island has been reborn as an art and design district....

ArtCultureDesignFoodHistoryInspring ItinerariesMusicPhotographyProduct DesignUrbanismVideo artVisual ArtWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments3554 views 132 min read

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....

HistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesUrbanism0 Comments3974 views 09 min read

A French Design Duo Daydream About How to Improve Hong Kong’s Urban Space

Catherine ShawNovember 28, 2018

Designers Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec offer a greener vision of urban life, one that is particularly relevant in city where nature is relegated to the periphery....

ArchitectureDesignPeoplePortraitsProduct DesignUrbanismWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments457 views 011 min read

ESKYIU PLAYKITS: A Shape-Shifting Exhibition That Changes Every Day

Christopher DewolfNovember 15, 2018

Bringing together sports, dialogue and music, ESKYIU PLAYKITS is an architectural retrospective unlike any other...

ArchitectureDesignUrbanism0 Comments303 views 04 min read

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. ...

CultureFoodHistoryInspring ItinerariesSmall Stories & Secret StoriesTraditionUrbanismWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments7559 views 030 min read

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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Hong Kong’s Industrial History, Part I: A City That Made Things

Christopher DewolfOctober 11, 2018

A group of amateur historians is investigating Hong Kong's long and diverse industrial past....

HeritageHistoryUrbanism0 Comments2591 views 07 min read

What Does the Future Hold for Victoria Harbour?

Christopher DewolfOctober 4, 2018

Millions of people live within a 10-minute walk of Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong’s most important natural asset and the very reason the city exists in the first place. But most of them would have a hard time finding their way to the shore past the roadways and fences that divide it from the city. Even […]...

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Two Australian Photographers are Capturing Old Hong Kong Before it Disappears

Christopher DewolfSeptember 26, 2018

A new series of photographs captures the lively scene of Hong Kong's old shops and hawker stalls – before they disappear....

ArtCultureHistoryPhotographyTraditionUrbanism0 Comments6450 views 09 min read

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....

HeritageHistoryInspring ItinerariesSmall Stories & Secret StoriesUrbanismWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments5328 views 025 min read

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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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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Hong Kong Wants You to Hang Out at the Recycling Depot

Christopher DewolfJune 13, 2018

A new network of Community Green Stations bring together neighbourhood recycling facilities, public gathering spaces and attractive design – all in a bid to reduce Hong Kong's wastefulness....

ArchitectureDesignUrbanism0 Comments809 views 07 min read

The Vertical City, Part VI: A Hundred Hong Kong Towers at the Venice Biennale

Christopher DewolfMay 31, 2018

Hong Kong brings its skyscrapers to the world’s largest architecture exhibition, asking how high-rise living can become more humane...

ArchitectureDesignHistoryUrbanism0 Comments730 views 19 min read

Sham Shui Po: The Future of Hong Kong’s Maker Hub is Rooted in the Past

Christopher DewolfMay 18, 2018

Sham Shui Po has always been a neighbourhood that made things – and a new generation of businesses is tapping into that legacy, if redevelopment doesn't get in the way....

HistoryInspring ItinerariesUrbanismWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments1300 views 09 min read

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. ...

HistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesUrbanism0 Comments7450 views 07 min read

Hong Kong’s Jewish Governor and the Road that Bears His Name

Christopher DewolfFebruary 28, 2018

There's a surprising history behind the concrete façades of Kowloon's most famous street....

HistoryPeoplePortraitsUrbanismUsual Suspects & Landmarks0 Comments16409 views 17 min read

The Shenzhen Village That Once Ruled Hong Kong

Christopher DewolfJanuary 31, 2018

The latest edition of the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture is shining a spotlight on Nantou, a 1,700 village that was once a regional capital....

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Mak Man Kee Wins a Michelin Star – and Loses its Famous Neon Sign

Cardin Chan and Christopher DeWolfJanuary 31, 2018

Hong Kong's neon signs are disappearing at an astonishing rate. The latest victim: a distinctive pair of soup bowls in Jordan....

DesignHistoryProduct DesignUrbanism0 Comments3770 views 05 min read

Grey Metal Fences Are Taking Over Hong Kong

Christopher DewolfJanuary 18, 2018

They're everywhere – and they're becoming more common. As roadside fences proliferate around Hong Kong, some people have come up with ingenious ways to make them useful....

HistoryUrbanism0 Comments10378 views 07 min read

How to Live in Extreme Density: Hong Kong’s Architecture Biennale Has Some Ideas

Christopher DewolfJanuary 9, 2018

This year's edition of the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture looks at innovative ways Hong Kong designers and architects have responded to the city's high density. ...

ArchitectureDesignHistoryUrbanism0 Comments687 views 06 min read

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....

ArtHistorySmall Stories & Secret StoriesUrbanismVisual Art0 Comments1086 views 07 min read