Hong Kong is Haunted by Ghost Signs

Billy PottsMay 20, 2022

There’s a lot to learn from the old hand-painted signs that linger throughout the city...

CultureDesignLanguageProduct DesignTradition0 Comments1194 views 09 min read

The Story Behind Ascot Chang, Hong Kong’s Superstar Tailor

Billy PottsMarch 31, 2022

The Shanghainese roots of Hong Kong tailoring are embodied by the Chang family, whose business has earned worldwide acclaim...

DesignFashionPeoplePortraits0 Comments413 views 010 min read

Hong Kong Recipes: 瀨鑊邊 – Wok Drizzle Soup, A Rare Hakka Delicacy

Ezra CheungMarch 8, 2022

Delicately fried rice noodles are the pièce de résistance in this heartwarming, aromatic Hakka dish...

CultureFoodTradition0 Comments764 views 08 min read

Craving Congee? It’s Good Luck For Chinese New Year

Ezra CheungFebruary 1, 2022

Congee is a staple dish in Cantonese cuisine, but it's also loaded with symbolic significance during the Chinese New Year...

CultureFood0 Comments798 views 06 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 Comments662 views 08 min read

Pop Cantonese: 戴綠帽 – Wearing A Green Hat

Erica FongJanuary 13, 2022

Sporting a green hat? Don't be surprised if you're greeted with a smirk...

CultureLanguageTradition0 Comments1306 views 03 min read

Soy Sauce Christmas: Hong Kong’s Nostalgic Fusion Feasts

Ezra CheungDecember 18, 2021

Massive Christmas feasts at "soy sauce Western" restaurants like Tai Ping Koon were once a Hong Kong tradition. Now that tradition is on the wane – but why?...

CultureFood0 Comments1854 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 Comments692 views 010 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 Comments4038 views 19 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

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 Comments3034 views 09 min read

Pop Cantonese: 點心 – Touching Heart

Zolima CityMagMay 28, 2020

The heart-warming history of an emblematic series of Cantonese dishes. ...

CultureFoodLanguage0 Comments2191 views 06 min read

Black Soup and White Pudding: Hong Kong’s Original Dessert Duo

Zabrina LoMarch 10, 2020

Sesame sweet soup and steamed milk pudding remain Hongkongers’ favourites since sweet soup shops first appeared in the city. Here’s why....

CultureFood0 Comments1188 views 18 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

Video: Watch How Sudo Reiko Makes NUNO Textiles

Zolima CityMagDecember 10, 2019

Inside a fascinating new exhibition at CHAT....

ArtDesignFashionInspring ItinerariesProduct DesignWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments710 views 01 min read

Saam Hui Yaat: Inside a Tea House That Makes Dim Sum With Heart

Zabrina LoNovember 27, 2019

This neighbourhood institution hasn’t changed much since it opened 41 years ago – even as Hong Kong’s dim sum landscape has been reshaped by chain restaurants and industrial food....

CultureFood0 Comments1817 views 110 min read

Reiko Sudo at CHAT: Japanese Textile Ingenuity

Zolima CityMagNovember 27, 2019

A new exhibition explores how a textile artist has revived and reinvented Japan’s textile traditions...

ArtDesignFashionPeoplePortraitsProduct Design0 Comments2006 views 08 min read

Hong Kong Numerology: Lucky Number Eight

Rachel LeungNovember 20, 2019

Four might be unlucky, but double it and you'll get the most auspicious number in the Chinese-speaking world....

CultureLanguage0 Comments3456 views 03 min read

Hong Kong by Foot: A New Generation of Tours is Immersed in Street Life

Christopher DewolfNovember 20, 2019

Walking tours are delving deep into Hong Kong's daily life and culture....

A Little BreakWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments988 views 08 min read

Hong Kong Numerology: Why Is Four So Unlucky?

Rachel LeungOctober 16, 2019

Here's why you won't find the fourth floor in many Hong Kong buildings....

CultureLanguage0 Comments2484 views 03 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 Comments1530 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 Comments2726 views 08 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: Silky Smooth Tofu Pudding at Kung Wo

Zabrina LoAugust 21, 2019

The owner of a historic tofu shop reflects on what makes cold tofu pudding such a classic dessert....

A Little BreakCultureFoodLanguagePeoplePortraitsWhere To Go, To Play, To Rest0 Comments3701 views 08 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 Comments1378 views 09 min read

Serving the Gods: A Day With a Temple Keeper in Hong Kong

Cardin ChanApril 24, 2019

Tung Chung's Hau Wong Temple has stood for more than 250 years – and Hyelyong Tung has the important job of making sure it keeps going....

CultureHeritageHistoryPeoplePortraitsTradition0 Comments548 views 08 min read

Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: The Last Minibus Sign Maker

Billy PottsMarch 19, 2019

Hand-painted signs were once standard in the windows of Hong Kong's minibuses, but as with so many traditional trades, they are at risk of dying out....

DesignPeoplePortraitsProduct DesignTradition0 Comments4604 views 19 min read

Pop Cantonese: 熱氣/寒涼 – Heaty and Cool

Andrea LoFebruary 21, 2019

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

CultureFoodLanguageTradition0 Comments2931 views 03 min read

Reading the Qipao: The Story Behind the Most Iconic Chinese Dress

Karen TsuiAugust 22, 2018

A dress that once defined fashion in China and Hong Kong, the qipao is making a comeback....

DesignFashion0 Comments13150 views 113 min read

Timepiece Diplomacy: Hong Kong Contributes to a Long European Tradition

SponsoredAugust 21, 2018

Western clock technology once charmed Chinese emperors – now Hong Kong watchmakers are taking their product global....

DesignProduct Design0 Comments748 views 08 min read

Forgotten Icon: The Disappearing Art of Dragon Boat Building

Gabriella ZanzanainiJune 13, 2018

Hong Kong's dragon boat festival is going strong – but the industry that once supplied it is fading into obscurity. ...

CultureSportTradition0 Comments2420 views 011 min read

The Immigrant Dragons – Part I: How Australia is Saving a Hong Kong Tradition

Billy PottsMay 23, 2018

The small Australian city of Bendigo is looking for a new dragon – so they've rallied the few remaining masters in Hong Kong....

CultureHeritageHistoryTradition0 Comments1977 views 011 min read

Behind the Screen Doors of Hong Kong’s Pawn Shops, Centuries of Tradition

Cardin Chan and Christopher DeWolfMay 3, 2018

Pawn shops are some of Hong Kong's most distinctive landmarks – but how do they work?...

HeritageHistoryUsual Suspects & Landmarks0 Comments7348 views 112 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 Comments7909 views 07 min read

A Taste of the Sea: How to Make Tai O’s Famous Shrimp Paste

Sin Ting YungNovember 28, 2017

Shrimp paste is a classic ingredient in Cantonese cuisine and Tai O's family shrimp paste factory makes some of the best....

CultureFoodTradition0 Comments1972 views 05 min read

L’ÉCOLE is Back With a Chance to Learn the Secrets of Fine Jewellery

SponsoredSeptember 4, 2017

Learn about the art and craftsmanship of fine jewellery at the latest edition of L'ÉCOLE....

DesignProduct Design0 Comments177 views 03 min read

Laura Cheung is Giving Japanese Obis New Life in Hong Kong

SponsoredAugust 24, 2017

Interior designer Laura Cheung incorporates a traditional Japanese craft into everyday Hong Kong life...

DesignInterior DesignInterviewsPeoplePerforming ArtProduct Design0 Comments975 views 210 min read

Crossing Borders Between Architecture and Jewellery: William Lim in Conversation With Nicolas Bos

Edith TerryAugust 15, 2017

As Van Cleef & Arpels brings L'ÉCOLE School of Jewelry Arts to Hong Kong, its CEO Nicolas Bos joins architect William Lim to explore the lines between architecture and jewellery....

ArchitectureArtDesignInterviewsPeopleProduct Design0 Comments477 views 016 min read

Alan Chan and Stanley Wong Explore Hong Kong’s Design DNA

Sarah KaracsAugust 9, 2017

Very Hong Kong Very Hong Kong digs into the roots of Hong Kong culture and design, laying the groundwork for a future biennale. ...

CinemaCultureDesignFashionProduct Design0 Comments1477 views 110 min read

Made in Hong Kong: A Pioneering Vacuum Flask Finds an Unexpected New Home

Sarah KaracsJune 28, 2017

Camel vacuum flasks have become an emblem of Hong Kong. Now the family-owned brand is expanding in an unusual direction by opening a hotel....

DesignHeritageHistoryProduct Design0 Comments3213 views 07 min read

The End of an Antique Era on Hollywood Road

Edith TerryJune 22, 2017

A legendary family of Hollywood Road antique dealers calls it quits, squeezed by rents and the decline of bricks-and-mortar retail....

HeritageHistoryUsual Suspects & Landmarks0 Comments6733 views 114 min read