https://www.scmp.com/rss/519633/feed All things contemporary culture: art, music, performance and Hong Kong subcultures en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alexander Mak Alexander Mak Mid-Autumn Festival preparations begin long before the autumn moon appears. Throughout the mid- to late-20th century, gifting mooncakes was an essential gesture of goodwill and familial respect in Hong Kong. However, they were a luxury that few could afford to buy outright, and so neighbourhood bakeries offered instalment plans – known as mooncake clubs – that allowed families to deposit small monthly sums to guarantee a cherished box of the stodgy treats come festival night. Although the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367468/pictures-evolution-hong-kongs-mid-autumn-mooncake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367468/pictures-evolution-hong-kongs-mid-autumn-mooncake?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:07 +0000 Aaina Bhargava Aaina Bhargava It might sound and look like an odd juxtaposition: chef-nun Jeong Kwan, of Netflix documentary series Chef’s Table fame, unearthing kimchi she has been fermenting for 10 weeks next to a new installation by British sculptor Antony Gormley. Yet, set in Bukhara’s 16th century Khoja Kalon Mosque, the two made perfect sense as collaborative highlights of the closing ceremony of the inaugural Bukhara Biennial, which ran from September 5 to November 23 last year. A contemporary art festival, the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367454/bukhara-biennial-spearheads-cultural-blossoming-city-well-wider-uzbekistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367454/bukhara-biennial-spearheads-cultural-blossoming-city-well-wider-uzbekistan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Jing Zhang Jing Zhang I WAS BORN in Hong Kong in 1964. My parents came from Shandong province, in mainland China, arriving illegally, later legalised – a common story for that generation. I went to the all-boys Salesian School, in Chai Wan, and was not a good student. I spent all my time messing around with friends. Then, at 17 or 18, I watched a film called Boat People (1982) and there was a character holding a camera who looked cool. Something happened in me. “I want to be that,” I thought. Not the actor – the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367439/wing-shya-photographer-wong-kar-wai-working-great-and-good-hong-kong-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367439/wing-shya-photographer-wong-kar-wai-working-great-and-good-hong-kong-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Hei Kiu Au Hei Kiu Au On the scenic drive east from Almaty, in Kazakhstan, along the old corridor of the A351 highway, towards the Charyn Canyon National Park, and the Xinjiang border beyond that, sits an unassuming museum run by an unlikely duo. Nurbol Baimukhanov, 50, is an independent, published researcher of shezhire – traditional Kazakh genealogies, historically memorised and passed down through generations – and an award-winning documentary producer who speaks in equal parts archaeology and mysticism. His son... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367421/ode-horse-5000-years-equine-domestication-display-new-kazakh-museum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367421/ode-horse-5000-years-equine-domestication-display-new-kazakh-museum?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Fionnuala McHugh Fionnuala McHugh On a recent afternoon, Paul French – British author, broadcaster, blogger but definitely not, as he always stresses, an academic – is explaining his technique. “My trick, which I suppose is reasonably successful, is to try and write Chinese history linked to a genre that lots and lots of people read, [because] there’s that many people” – his finger and thumb indicate a space so narrow you’d hardly be able to pass a sliver of paper between them – “who read books on China. And there’s this many... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367403/paul-french-lifts-veil-final-months-chinas-last-emperor-forbidden-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367403/paul-french-lifts-veil-final-months-chinas-last-emperor-forbidden-city?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:06 +0000 Beimeng Fu Beimeng Fu The global landscape for LGBTQ culture has shifted dramatically since the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (HKLGFF) debuted in 1989. Over the past 37 years, queer art and media have stepped out of underground venues into a vibrant scene, immortalised locally by icons such as Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing. The festival’s enduring run attests to the community’s resilience, proving how the transformative power of cinema continues to push the envelope while creating a sanctuary for generations to... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367192/hong-kong-film-festival-celebrates-37-years-queer-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367192/hong-kong-film-festival-celebrates-37-years-queer-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Kamala Thiagarajan Kamala Thiagarajan When civil servant Jackel Wan Chak-kui, 28, first heard a guqin being played, he was a young boy wandering through Chi Lin Nunnery, in Diamond Hill. He remembers being entranced by the instrument’s music, at once subtle and comforting. It seemed to envelop him like a warm embrace, complementing the natural beauty of the gardens, melding with stone, water, wood and stillness. Years later, as a student at Baptist University, Wan chanced upon the sound again, while scrolling through YouTube. He... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367028/hong-kong-guqin-devotees-embrace-ancient-zithers-history-philosophy-and-craft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3367028/hong-kong-guqin-devotees-embrace-ancient-zithers-history-philosophy-and-craft?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Lu-Ann Ong Lu-Ann Ong Every visitor to China eventually has the same conversation. Someone asks if you have been to the Great Wall. You say, “Yes”, and they ask which bit. You realise, often for the first time, that the question is more pointed than it sounds. There is, in the end, one Great Wall: a 2,000-year building project begun by competing kingdoms before China was unified, linked and extended by the first emperor after unification, Qin Shi Huang, and rebuilt in the Ming period, from 1368 onwards, into the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3365848/have-you-been-great-wall-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3365848/have-you-been-great-wall-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Faye Bradley Faye Bradley To many, Nancy Kwan Ka-shen is the actress who rose to international stardom for her role in the 1960 film The World of Suzie Wong, based on the book of the same name, about a sex worker in Wan Chai who meets a wealthy American (played by William Holden). Kwan’s story, however, is far richer than any single role. From breaking barriers for Asian actors in Hollywood and standing her ground in an industry that was rigid and often prejudiced, to founding her own ballet studio, producing films and... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3365826/nancy-kwans-enduring-legacy-six-decades-after-release-world-suzie-wong-interview?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3365826/nancy-kwans-enduring-legacy-six-decades-after-release-world-suzie-wong-interview?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Doris Lam Doris Lam If a good pint is what you’re after, Matt Richardson may have a solution. As one of the brains behind The Boar, a new British public house (where the shortened form and better-known term, “pub”, comes from) and restaurant in Central, he has been working to bring an authentic watering-hole experience to Hong Kong – even travelling to Ireland to perfect the Guinness pour in time for the establishment’s September 1 opening. “I’m going to Dublin in two weeks, just to study it,” Richardson tells me... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3366069/exclusive-boar-brings-authentic-british-pub-experience-hong-kongs-central?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3366069/exclusive-boar-brings-authentic-british-pub-experience-hong-kongs-central?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:55:30 +0000 PostMag Reporter PostMag Reporter DO THIS Afternoon Dim Sum Paw-ty On September 6, from 3pm to 5pm, four-legged friends can join their paw-rents at Sichuan Verandah for afternoon delights. While humans tuck into a six-course set menu, pups can enjoy a basket of gourmet “doggy dim sum”. After the meal, head to the adjoining Garden Terrace for fun and games, including a Best-Dressed Dog contest with toy prizes from Wooffoo, photo ops, an etiquette class for canine dining and a mini market. 2/F, West Tower, Hyatt Centric Victoria... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3365469/our-cheat-sheet-best-things-do-hong-kong-august-29-september-12?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3365469/our-cheat-sheet-best-things-do-hong-kong-august-29-september-12?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:00:18 +0000 PostMag Reporter PostMag Reporter Once a year, the Jellicle cats gather for their annual ball, and this year, Hong Kong is the stage. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-breaking musical Cats is touring the world once more, making a stop in the city for the first time since 2018. With a dramatic set, dynamic choreography and fur-ocious costumes, alongside a local surprise to ground the production, this promises to be a captivating spectacle. Cats’ latest residence in Hong Kong is a testament to the show’s enduring appeal. More than... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3365465/andrew-lloyd-webbers-cats-musical-returns-hong-kong-cantonese-twist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3365465/andrew-lloyd-webbers-cats-musical-returns-hong-kong-cantonese-twist?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Alexander Mak Alexander Mak Before digital screens offered instant previews, taking photographs was an exercise in patient precision. Miscalculating exposure or framing – or later in the process, mishandling rolls of film – could ruin a cherished memory. Through the 1960s and 70s, residents and visiting tourists alike rationed every shutter click, gradually shifting from classic black-and-white to vivid colour stock as film remained a costly luxury. In the 90s, compact cameras – both still and video – became the norm,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3364394/pictures-film-smartphone-how-hong-kong-has-been-photographed-through-decades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3364394/pictures-film-smartphone-how-hong-kong-has-been-photographed-through-decades?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:16 +0000 David Ho David Ho Lights, music, 54 horses. Add a dash of spectacular acrobatics and a captivating storyline, and you’ll end up with one of the most exciting shows in town. Some might even say it’s the mane event of the season. After wowing European audiences (more than nine million of them in more than 30 cities, apparently), Cavalluna – Gate to the Otherworld arrives in Hong Kong for a run of eight performances. Held at Kai Tak Arena from September 8 to 13, it’s fitting that the city gets an equestrian... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3364051/cavallunas-equestrian-spectacular-gallops-hong-kong-september?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3364051/cavallunas-equestrian-spectacular-gallops-hong-kong-september?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Jen Paolini Jen Paolini DRINK THIS Mother Pearl Home-grown boba brand Mother Pearl is expanding – but not just in terms of space. Its new flagship in the heart of Central spans two floors and also introduces a mixology component, with artisanal cocktails and mocktails, each concoction blending botanicals with luxurious spirits and other ingredients. Consider the striking Fountain of Youth, a gin-infused apricot tipple with notes of mint leaf and lime, presented in a tower reminiscent of an absinthe fountain. The... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3364037/our-cheat-sheet-best-things-do-hong-kong-august-15-29?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3364037/our-cheat-sheet-best-things-do-hong-kong-august-15-29?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Alexander Mak Alexander Mak Few rituals capture the soulful beat of Hong Kong life quite like yum cha. The city’s traditional teahouses and dim sum halls have served as vibrant communal living rooms for generations. Inside these welcoming spaces, the steam from bamboo baskets and the easy hum of morning chatter offer a gentle escape from the fast pace of urban life. While early teahouses catered primarily to working-class men, the past four to five decades have seen these spaces modernise and menus expand. Today, yum cha... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362809/pictures-50-years-hong-kongs-yum-cha-teahouse-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362809/pictures-50-years-hong-kongs-yum-cha-teahouse-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Aug 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Doris Lam Doris Lam I WAS BORN in Tsan Yuk Hospital, in Sai Ying Pun, in 1967. My mum was born in Hong Kong and my dad had been in the city for a long time by then. My dad, Leung Tim, opened the cleaver store before I was born. I’ve been the store supervisor since my dad passed away 10 years ago, but he is still the boss. MY GRANDPA was a knife-maker and taught my dad the craft. My dad opened this store because knife-making was the only thing he knew how to do. He opened his first shop in Sham Shui Po’s Pei Ho... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362887/generations-craftsmanship-legacy-hong-kong-cleaver-store?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362887/generations-craftsmanship-legacy-hong-kong-cleaver-store?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:00:07 +0000 David Ho David Ho The Australian artist Catherine Jenna Hendry, best known to the world as CJ Hendry, first entered the public consciousness through social media, by sharing her hyperrealistic interpretations of luxury items on Instagram. The ink drawings gained Hendry a following of almost a million, and celebrity collectors of her works include Kanye West, Vera Wang, Floyd Mayweather and Pharrell Williams – an impressive feat for someone without formal training or gallery representation. The New York-based... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362768/cj-hendry-brings-juju-world-hong-kong-exclusive-collectibles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362768/cj-hendry-brings-juju-world-hong-kong-exclusive-collectibles?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:09 +0000 David Ho David Ho These days, the idea of games might be tied to our phones or consoles. But “The Power of Play: History, Art, Technology and Impact of Games” exhibition at City University (CityU) is showcasing games as artefacts of cultural importance. The exhibition is divided into six sections, exploring what games are, challenging common misconceptions about them and tracing the evolution of play, from early civilisation through to modern technological breakthroughs, including the printing press and... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362541/cityus-power-play-exhibition-explores-5000-years-games-senet-esports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362541/cityus-power-play-exhibition-explores-5000-years-games-senet-esports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:18 +0000 P Ramakrishnan P Ramakrishnan At its best, Hong Kong cinema has always been about more than the box office. It’s about a city showing the world what it is – tough, funny, romantic, contradictory and alive. What Hong Kong cinema is not, however, is inclusive. It never has been. Three young men working on the margins of the industry are quietly trying to change that and, in the process, prove that the city is more colourful than its films have been letting on. They might be taking a long shot, but fortune favours the bold in... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362525/3-south-asian-actors-challenge-hong-kong-cinemas-casting-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362525/3-south-asian-actors-challenge-hong-kong-cinemas-casting-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:00:17 +0000 Hei Kiu Au Hei Kiu Au Ask a Hongkonger where the city’s tea story begins, and they will probably point to the British – the colonial traders who funnelled Chinese leaves through Victoria Harbour to the world. Only, they would be off by about eight centuries. Most Hongkongers today don’t know the city ever had its own tea plantations, let alone that tea had been growing here long before the British arrived in the mid-19th century. Li In, a co-founder of the Hong Kong Tea Production Institute (HKTPI) who has practised... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362422/hong-kongs-800-year-old-tea-heritage-being-rediscovered-and-rehabilitated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3362422/hong-kongs-800-year-old-tea-heritage-being-rediscovered-and-rehabilitated?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:28 +0000 Reem Khokhar Reem Khokhar An inky darkness blankets the road as I step out of the car. I blink to get my bearings, the silhouettes of trees slowly forming beneath a startling canopy of stars. “Sorry to make you walk in the dark, but this is a shortcut,” says Rashidullah Khan, our companion and guide for the evening. He leads the way up through the trees, our phone torches illuminating pebbled, muddy slopes. After 10 minutes, we reach a narrow lane flanked by stone walls punctuated with wooden doors. A sculpture of a... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361324/discover-indias-last-village-hub-balti-culture-pakistan-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361324/discover-indias-last-village-hub-balti-culture-pakistan-border?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Annemarie Evans Annemarie Evans I WAS BORN in Shanghai in 1932 and lived there until after the (second world/Sino-Japanese) war. I lived with my family in both the British and French Concessions and then under Japanese military occupation; that was a tough time. I remember military action in the concession. Rice was very hard to get and a lot of people starved. In the winter, walking to school, I remember seeing corpses on the streets. I understand what misery is. We got rice, we were lucky, but it had a lot of maggots in... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361316/darwin-chen-doyen-hong-kong-culture-talks-turning-misery-purpose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361316/darwin-chen-doyen-hong-kong-culture-talks-turning-misery-purpose?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Ellis Ng Ellis Ng On the northeastern fringes of Shenzhen, standing among the low-rise tile houses of Longgang district, is a monolith that refuses to explain itself. Erected during the late 1970s and 80s, the seven-storey building towers over the market town, a monument to something known only to its long-gone creator. Vegetation grows wild on the roof. Iron fencing and rusty cages crown its top. At night, it stands unlit; by day, its bare concrete facade looms over the narrow surrounding streets with the air of... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361248/mystery-one-mans-fortress-longgang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361248/mystery-one-mans-fortress-longgang?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:07 +0000 Alexander Mak Alexander Mak When the summer heat envelopes Hong Kong, the city’s collective instinct is to head to the coast and the cooling embrace of the ocean. Hong Kong is lined by easily accessible shores. While iconic spots such as Repulse Bay, on Hong Kong Island, have long drawn the crowds, the pristine sands of Sai Kung, in the New Territories, and the laid-back charm of Mui Wo, on Lantau Island, are also appealing. Here’s a look back at how South China Morning Post photographers captured the seaside excitement... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361234/pictures-how-generations-hongkongers-beat-summer-heat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361234/pictures-how-generations-hongkongers-beat-summer-heat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:00:15 +0000 David Frazier David Frazier On an idyllic, dragonfly-buzzing summer afternoon nearly 25 years ago, Jimmy Mills was manning the bar at a ski lodge just outside the gates of the Fuji Rock Festival, at the Naeba Ski Resort, in Yuzawa, Niigata prefecture, Japan. It was 2002, and the sixth edition of the event was in full swing. From behind the taps, Mills watched as a pack of merrymakers approached with an unusual demand. “They brought over this big, crazy, 20 litre jug – the kind used in office water coolers,” recalls Mills,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361222/joe-strummers-enduring-legacy-japans-fuji-rock-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361222/joe-strummers-enduring-legacy-japans-fuji-rock-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Faye Bradley Faye Bradley “This is where my bed was.” Katie Aung stands at the centre of Tai A Chau, an uninhabited island south of Lantau, with former marine police officer Les Bird, pointing to a spot on the ground. “This is where I lived.” She turns slightly, and gestures again. “My bed faced this way. Head this end, feet down here. I lived right here for many years of my childhood.” In the 1990s, it was to this 1.2 sq km speck of land in the South China Sea that Aung, a former Vietnamese refugee, was confined. Tai A... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361183/vietnamese-refugee-returns-hong-kong-island-where-echoes-lost-childhood-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3361183/vietnamese-refugee-returns-hong-kong-island-where-echoes-lost-childhood-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:08 +0000 David Ho David Ho This year, Tai Kwun’s annual summer show puts the spotlight on a specific aspect of Hong Kong cinema: partnership. Running until October 4 at Tai Kwun’s Duplex Studio, the exhibition, titled “Better Together – Partnering Up for Hong Kong Movies”, is run in association with the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers. A portion of this year’s ticket sales will go to the federation to support the local film industry. “Tai Kwun’s annual summer show has become a kind of love-letter to this city as we... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3360941/tai-kwuns-better-together-8-hong-kong-film-classics-celebrate-cinematic-partnerships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3360941/tai-kwuns-better-together-8-hong-kong-film-classics-celebrate-cinematic-partnerships?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:09 +0000 David Ho David Ho EAT THIS The Orient We love brunch, even more so when it comes with a Victoria Harbour view. The Orient steakhouse has a weekend brunch set priced at HK$348 per person and includes three sharing starters (pomelo rujak salad, tuna in betel leaf with spicy sambal, Hokkaido scallops in calamansi and coconut sauce), a choice of main course, a side dish and three sharing desserts. A Southeast Asian influence can be seen in the mains: spice lovers can opt for the sea bass fillet topped with sambal;... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3360930/our-cheat-sheet-best-things-do-hong-kong-july-19-26?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3360930/our-cheat-sheet-best-things-do-hong-kong-july-19-26?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:06 +0000 Lu-Ann Ong Lu-Ann Ong The first time I ate proper Sichuan food in Chengdu, my mouth went numb. Not spicy-numb. Anaesthetised numb, like a dentist had been at my tongue with lignocaine. The waiter saw my face and laughed. “Málà,” he said. Numbing spicy: the specific sensation of Sichuan peppercorn meeting chilli oil, a flavour combination so particular to this basin-locked province that there’s no English word for it. I look Chinese and I should appreciate this, except I am not quite. What I didn’t understand then,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3360883/chinas-survival-strategies-written-flavours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3360883/chinas-survival-strategies-written-flavours?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jul 2026 06:00:07 +0000 Jing Zhang Jing Zhang It is barely light when Liu Heung-shing starts the day in his art-filled Happy Valley apartment. But then, the photojournalist has always believed in getting to the story before everyone else. Liu, 74, wakes at 5am to spend three hours reading the news, coffee in hand. Despite being “long retired”, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer takes note of where he might want to visit next. “There are so many ways to tell a story. Sometimes, the most difficult decision is when not to press the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3360742/human-faces-chinas-belt-and-road-strategy-through-liu-heung-shings-lens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3360742/human-faces-chinas-belt-and-road-strategy-through-liu-heung-shings-lens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:10:05 +0000 Lu-Ann Ong Lu-Ann Ong I visited China after the pandemic. The thing that struck me was how different it sounded, and then, once I started paying attention, how different it moved. Every Didi I called in Shanghai was a different make. A BYD, then a Zeekr, then an Avatr I had never heard of. I started waiting for the app to reveal its hand, a small thrill each time, and got a quiet burst of joy whenever it was a Hongqi. The variety of electric vehicle (EV) brands is in every first-tier Chinese city, but Shanghai is... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359619/rail-and-road-benefits-chinas-full-system-transport-makeovers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359619/rail-and-road-benefits-chinas-full-system-transport-makeovers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jul 2026 05:00:05 +0000 Annemarie Evans Annemarie Evans I WAS BORN in 1960 in Kwong Wah Hospital, where my late father, Gordon Ho, was also born. I have one younger brother and two younger sisters. My mother’s name was Leung Yuk-chun. She was a housewife. We grew up in Yau Ma Tei. We moved many times within the district. I am the last of four generations of master carpenters in Hong Kong. I will buy you dinner if you can find me another one! Our business, Sze Cheung, goes back more than 100 years. When I was born, we had the shop in Reclamation... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359610/hong-kong-master-carpenter-louis-ho-being-last-his-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359610/hong-kong-master-carpenter-louis-ho-being-last-his-line?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:07 +0000 Alexander Mak Alexander Mak Long before Hong Kong transformed into a global financial hub, its economic heartbeat thrived on factory floors and in small workshops. Between the 1960s and 80s, everyday craftsmen were the city’s backbone. Whether they were hand-carving small pieces, painting delicate designs or constructing ships, they helped build our city. Here’s a look back at how South China Morning Post photographers captured that craftsmanship. Plastic-flower manufacturing Handmade mahjong tiles Stamp... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359601/pictures-made-hong-kong-craft-industries-built-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359601/pictures-made-hong-kong-craft-industries-built-city?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Hei Kiu Au Hei Kiu Au For centuries, Chinese cuisine was a gatekept world where old masters hoarded knowledge, passing down recipes only to those deemed worthy – or taking them to the grave. Celebrated Cantonese dishes, such as Mythical Crane and Magical Needle, stuffed crab shell and Gold Coin Chicken, were among them. Known as heritage “kung fu” dishes, these labour-intensive classics once defined Hong Kong’s kitchens. Now, the ageing masters are retiring, machines are replacing the apprentices who never got... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359590/masters-hong-kongs-kung-fu-cuisine-struggle-save-cantonese-classics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359590/masters-hong-kongs-kung-fu-cuisine-struggle-save-cantonese-classics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:09 +0000 David Ho David Ho DO THIS Waterfall Sports & Wellness This Olympic City One fitness centre has undergone a revamp, bringing fresh options for the city’s active crowd. Tennis fans can test their serves against Hong Kong’s first AI robot tennis machine in the outdoor court and the feeding machines indoors. There are also indoor and outdoor court options for pickleball and basketball players. Golfers get to work on their swings in the PGA Golf Zone, complete with Top Tracer technology. As a sign of the times, it... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3359570/our-cheat-sheet-best-things-do-hong-kong-july-12-18?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3359570/our-cheat-sheet-best-things-do-hong-kong-july-12-18?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Low Shi Ping Low Shi Ping “There’s a snake.” Shinya Kobayashi points his phone camera at a sleek, black reptile, creating a trinity of S-shapes in the dirt, before calmly walking on. It is a remarkably cheerful day, with blue skies overhead and dense, emerald forest all around. The 39-year-old designer, artist and father is taking me on a virtual tour of his own mountain, in Japan’s Shimane prefecture, along Honshu island’s western fringe. Nearby are a recently built blacksmith’s forge, sawmill, woodworking workshop,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359559/mujun-planet-one-mans-quest-revive-japans-artisanal-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359559/mujun-planet-one-mans-quest-revive-japans-artisanal-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:07 +0000 David Ho David Ho Some books stay with us for a lifetime, such as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved tale of The Little Prince. If you read it as a child, you’ll remember a whimsical adventure to different planets. If you return to it as an adolescent, you’ll find meaning in it about the relationships you’ve “tamed” in your life. If you rediscover it as a grown-up, you’ll unearth powerful allegories and lessons about love and loss. The book was published in the United States in 1943, but because Saint-Exupéry’s... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359321/exhibition-sheds-new-light-little-prince-and-its-author-antoine-de-saint-exupery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359321/exhibition-sheds-new-light-little-prince-and-its-author-antoine-de-saint-exupery?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:07 +0000 Mark Footer Mark Footer Happy birthday to the US of A! As the United States turns 250 years old, it is a fitting time, perhaps, to honour the enduring spirit of American ingenuity. From native crafts to iconic vehicles, the nation’s heritage is deeply etched into its material culture. For tourists looking to experience this living history, these working factories, studios and preservation sites offer an immersion into more than two-and-a-half centuries of craftsmanship. Indigenous Arts and Cultural Demonstration... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3359306/journey-through-landmarks-us-craftsmanship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3359306/journey-through-landmarks-us-craftsmanship?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:00:07 +0000 Jen Paolini Jen Paolini Bhutan today doesn’t look quite like the Bhutan of even just four years ago. In monasteries, laminated QR codes for digital payments are displayed next to worn donation boxes. In Thimphu, the capital, there are solar panels on roofs, Chinese-made electric cars on roads, construction projects just paces apart – six storeys sprouting from the ground in humdrum blocks. Even the hand-painted road signs, once quippy rhymes and memorable alliterations, have become mundane: “No hurry, no worry”... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359198/bhutans-heritage-arts-hang-balance-modernity-comes-knocking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3359198/bhutans-heritage-arts-hang-balance-modernity-comes-knocking?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Annemarie Evans Annemarie Evans I WAS BORN in Hong Kong in January 1945, during the Japanese military occupation. My parents were from Hong Kong, but my (paternal) grandfather was a general serving in the military in Guangxi. He had three wives and six children. During the civil war, he lost his command, retired to Guangzhou and then came south as the Japanese invaded. It was very tough. In fact, I read in my mother’s diary that when I was a baby, they had no money and she went to her father’s house to ask for a loan. Her... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357937/philip-chan-singing-inspector-hong-kong-cinema-legend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357937/philip-chan-singing-inspector-hong-kong-cinema-legend?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:06 +0000 Cheung Hok-hang Cheung Hok-hang Famed for crafting a US$200 million, 11,551-diamond necklace for Hong Kong jewellery giant Chow Tai Fook in 2015, Wallace Chan has, for decades, been synonymous with jewellery-making. He invented the Wallace Cut, a three-dimensional carving technique, in 1987, and Wallace Chan Porcelain, notable for being five times stronger than steel, in 2018. After an illustrious career working with gemstones, the septuagenarian artist is now walking down a different path. Last month, in the historic chapel... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3357902/wallace-chans-70th-birthday-marks-monumental-venice-biennale-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3357902/wallace-chans-70th-birthday-marks-monumental-venice-biennale-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Mark Footer Mark Footer Fourteen, 18, 30, 36, 40 and 42, with an extra one, were the numbers that won one lucky punter a record Mark Six payout of HK$193,762,620 in February last year. Who was that newly minted millionaire? It is likely that only they and their many new best friends will ever know, the Hong Kong Jockey Club having strict privacy policies to protect lottery winners from public scrutiny. Half a century earlier, in 1975, the government had founded the Lotteries Board to conduct licensed lotteries in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357896/pictures-50-years-hong-kong-lottery-mark-six?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357896/pictures-50-years-hong-kong-lottery-mark-six?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:06 +0000 David Ho David Ho Long before K-dramas, Japanese anime and Bollywood movies became instruments of modern soft power, Hong Kong films were the leading Asian force on the big screen. In the 1980s and 90s – the golden age of Hong Kong cinema – the city was the world’s third-largest film producer, with more than 200 releases annually, and the second-largest film exporter. But there’s a lot more to our cinematic history, which stretches all the way back to the “flickers” of the 20s. To mark its 25th anniversary, the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357887/silver-screen-exhibition-marks-hong-kong-film-archives-silver-jubilee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357887/silver-screen-exhibition-marks-hong-kong-film-archives-silver-jubilee?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:06 +0000 Aaina Bhargava Aaina Bhargava You may not be familiar with the term “LAM convergence”, but it is a significant trend in civic architecture and urban planning. From the under-construction Barack Obama Presidential Centre, in Chicago, in the United States, to The Library at the Dock in Melbourne, Australia, and the Oodi Central Library and Amos Rex in Helsinki, Finland, the meshing of libraries, archives and museums (LAM) is gathering momentum, driven by the breaking down of barriers between mediums in the digital age,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357885/taichungs-green-museumbrary-putting-civic-spaces-under-one-striking-roof?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357885/taichungs-green-museumbrary-putting-civic-spaces-under-one-striking-roof?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:07 +0000 Lu-Ann Ong Lu-Ann Ong I don’t “do” Beijing the way I do other cities. Beijing doesn’t invite browsing. It asks for attention. It’s not a collection of attractions to check off a list – it’s a lesson in how a civilisation arranged power so deliberately that you can still feel the weight of it centuries later, standing in courtyards designed to make you small, walking through gates that were built to make authority feel inevitable. The first time I stepped through the Meridian Gate into the Forbidden City, I felt... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357689/forbidden-city-how-china-projected-power-through-architecture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357689/forbidden-city-how-china-projected-power-through-architecture?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jun 2026 05:00:05 +0000 David Ho David Ho EAT THIS Pici x Napoli Matfia Pasta joint Pici is marking its 10th anniversary with a collaboration with the series one winner of Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, Kwon Sung-jun, aka Napoli Matfia. The South Korean chef will be at Pici Central on June 26 and 27 but if you can’t make it, no worries – the featured dishes will be available in all Pici locations throughout July. They include: tagliolini Sicilian prawn tartare e bottarga, a take on aglio olio e peperoncino; Pici white poultry ragu with... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357605/our-cheat-sheet-best-things-do-hong-kong-june-21-27?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357605/our-cheat-sheet-best-things-do-hong-kong-june-21-27?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:06 +0000 David Ho David Ho Closing her eyes as the music swells, Sophia gives herself to her song, the lyrics urging the audience to “not be afraid”. She has performed before but this appearance at a gala concert with the Hong Kong Baptist University Symphony Orchestra marks her classical music debut. In between performing three songs that she co-wrote, Sophia explains her creative process to the crowd. “I worked with my music coach, Jovanka [von Wilsdorf], and collaborated with many different musicians on my music. And... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357588/meet-sophia-singing-robot-hong-kong-leads-way-musical-machinery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3357588/meet-sophia-singing-robot-hong-kong-leads-way-musical-machinery?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Annemarie Evans Annemarie Evans I WAS BORN in Macau in 1962. My parents had moved there from Fujian province after the second world war and that’s where my two elder sisters, elder brother and myself were born. We moved to Hong Kong when I was less than two years old and my little sister was born soon after. My father worked as a salesman for a trading company, importing canned food and drinks from mainland China. We moved into a two-storey, pre-war building with a big roof in Pok Fu Lam that we shared with a few other... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3356724/meet-michael-lau-conservationist-and-saviour-hong-kongs-romers-tree-frog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3356724/meet-michael-lau-conservationist-and-saviour-hong-kongs-romers-tree-frog?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:07 +0000 John Brunton John Brunton Experiencing ancient rainforest in Malaysia usually means planning a lengthy excursion from the capital, Kuala Lumpur: be it a drive to the Taman Negara national park, in the centre of the peninsular, or a flight to Langkawi or to the states of Sarawak and Sabah, on the island of Borneo. But on a recent visit, I am let in on a secret: Janda Baik, an eco-destination surrounded by tropical rainforest and less than an hour’s drive from the skyscrapers of downtown KL. It takes a cool head and the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3356397/discover-janda-baik-rainforest-retreat-near-malaysian-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3356397/discover-janda-baik-rainforest-retreat-near-malaysian-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:07 +0000