https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/505442/feed In-depth interviews with celebrities, chefs, lawmakers, writers, and other leaders of their fields. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Korean actor Kim Jae-young and his signature locks are back on screen in the currently airing romcom Make Me Tingle, where he takes on the daring role of a sex toy entrepreneur. Since his 2013 acting debut, Kim has played a variety of brooding characters that take advantage of the lithe, imposing frame that helped him start in entertainment as a model. However, Kim was not initially aiming for a career in front of the camera. Rather, he harboured an ambition to be a chef and has said in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3371920/who-kim-jae-young-imposing-star-k-dramas-make-me-tingle-and-judge-hell https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3371920/who-kim-jae-young-imposing-star-k-dramas-make-me-tingle-and-judge-hell Sat, 24 Oct 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 88th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. With her signature polka dot gowns, umbrella skirts and velvet-deep contralto voice that defied the high-pitched norms of her era, Paula Tsui Siu-fung did not just become a Cantopop superstar; she defined the very archetype of the Hong Kong diva. Over a career spanning more than five decades, her record-shattering live performances and unprecedented album sales have cemented her... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371486/how-cantopop-diva-paula-tsui-defined-era-her-contralto-voice-and-polka-dot-dresses https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371486/how-cantopop-diva-paula-tsui-defined-era-her-contralto-voice-and-polka-dot-dresses Thu, 22 Oct 2026 23:15:06 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu This is the 87th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. For Hong Kong’s culture enthusiasts, sitting just a few seats away from Anthony Wong Yiu-ming at an art-house film screening or standing steps from him at an underground gig has long been a serendipitous staple of the city’s arts scene. He is legendary for his ubiquitous presence as an ordinary spectator. Beyond his genuine enthusiasm as a fellow audience member, the 64-year-old... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3369981/how-cantopop-pioneer-and-avid-arts-lover-anthony-wong-yiu-ming-shaped-hong-kong-culture https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3369981/how-cantopop-pioneer-and-avid-arts-lover-anthony-wong-yiu-ming-shaped-hong-kong-culture Thu, 08 Oct 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 86th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Few figures are as synonymous with Hong Kong horror films as Helena Law Lan, who has been a household name for over half a century. Unlike the typical “scream queens” who gain popularity playing damsels in distress, 91-year-old Law has been the city’s on-screen spirit medium for over three decades and for years served as Hong Kong theme park Ocean Park’s Halloween... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3368350/how-91-year-old-helena-law-lan-became-hong-kong-cinemas-grand-dame-horror https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3368350/how-91-year-old-helena-law-lan-became-hong-kong-cinemas-grand-dame-horror Fri, 25 Sep 2026 04:15:06 +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.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/culture/article/3367439/wing-shya-photographer-wong-kar-wai-working-great-and-good-hong-kong-cinema https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/culture/article/3367439/wing-shya-photographer-wong-kar-wai-working-great-and-good-hong-kong-cinema Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Rebecca Lo Rebecca Lo Hong Kong’s five-star hotels can come across as intimidating, with more conservative properties wanting to shield their well-heeled visitors with ornate decor, black-uniformed staff and chintz seat cushions that ask: “Are you worthy?” For Dirk Dalichau, general manager of Mondrian Hong Kong in Tsim Sha Tsui, a hotel’s message should be welcoming – not only for guests but the wider community in the city. “I have been involved in so many projects that changed the hospitality landscape,” says the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3367017/real-experiences-mondrian-hong-kong-general-manager-why-community-matters https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3367017/real-experiences-mondrian-hong-kong-general-manager-why-community-matters Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Following her head-turning role in Climax earlier this year, K-pop idol turned actress Nana is back on screens this month in the hotly anticipated Netflix period drama The Scandal. A new adaptation of the famed French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the series sees Nana share the screen alongside Son Ye-jin and Ji Chang-wook. A native of Cheongju in central South Korea, Nana was born in 1991 and first came to national prominence in 2009, when she stepped onto the stage as a model and debuted in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3367157/who-nana-k-pop-idol-and-star-netflix-k-dramas-scandal-and-mask-girl https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3367157/who-nana-k-pop-idol-and-star-netflix-k-dramas-scandal-and-mask-girl Sat, 12 Sep 2026 10:15:05 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung This is the 85th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. For lovers of Cantopop music, Wyman Wong Wai-man is a pre-eminent architect of modern Hong Kong’s emotional landscape. Through the classic songs he has written for top singers from Eason Chan Yick-shun to Miriam Yeung Chin-wah, the 57-year-old has chronicled the loves and heartbreaks of a generation. Yet to define him strictly as a lyricist is to ignore a sprawling, multi-hyphenate... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3366866/how-cantopop-lyricist-wyman-wong-pushed-hong-kongs-lgbtq-style-and-emotional-boundaries https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3366866/how-cantopop-lyricist-wyman-wong-pushed-hong-kongs-lgbtq-style-and-emotional-boundaries Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:15:06 +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.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/culture/article/3365826/nancy-kwans-enduring-legacy-six-decades-after-release-world-suzie-wong-interview https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/culture/article/3365826/nancy-kwans-enduring-legacy-six-decades-after-release-world-suzie-wong-interview Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu This is the 84th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Josie Ho Chiu-yee has spent her career dismantling assumptions and forging her own identity through unbridled creativity. When it came to pursuing a music career, the daughter of the late Macau casino magnate Stanley Ho Hung-sun rejected the easy path of Cantopop ballads and blockbuster fluff, instead favouring 1980s-inspired punk rock and genre movies. Today, at age 51, Josie Ho is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3365132/how-josie-ho-rejected-her-billionaire-heiress-destiny-punk-rock-and-indie-filmmaking https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3365132/how-josie-ho-rejected-her-billionaire-heiress-destiny-punk-rock-and-indie-filmmaking Thu, 27 Aug 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung By the time chef Justin Yang Yanbin took part in the reality cooking show The Divine Dish (also known as Chef of China) in 2025, he was already a culinary star, having received the Michelin Guide Chengdu’s young chef award the previous year – despite having nearly two decades of training under his belt. Then, six months after achieving first runner-up on the cooking show, he received another young chef award – this time from the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide 2026. Trained under legendary Min... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3364758/michelin-and-black-pearl-young-chef-awardee-justin-yang-opens-restaurant-hong-kong https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3364758/michelin-and-black-pearl-young-chef-awardee-justin-yang-opens-restaurant-hong-kong Sun, 23 Aug 2026 04:45:06 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee When Lo Chun-yip turns 40 this December, he will celebrate the milestone as one of the most recognisable faces of a new generation in Hong Kong cinema – an unthinkable development when he shifted his focus to acting 11 years ago. Yet for a performer whose melancholic gaze has anchored several of the city’s most poignant recent films, his breakthrough as a leading man feels decidedly different from those of many of his contemporaries, who tend to be either natural-born comedy actors or... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3364261/how-hong-kong-actor-siuyea-lo-chun-yip-went-indie-film-director-leading-man https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3364261/how-hong-kong-actor-siuyea-lo-chun-yip-went-indie-film-director-leading-man Mon, 17 Aug 2026 08:22:52 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran South Korea has been experiencing record temperatures this summer, but also enjoying a hot streak is Kim Hye-jun. The Korean actress is currently gracing our screens in two series that showcase very different sides of her: season 2 of the Disney+ action-thriller A Shop for Killers and her first romantic comedy, My Bias, My Boss. Born in Seoul in 1995, Kim initially dreamed of becoming a designer or a nurse, but caught the acting bug after taking part in a middle-school talent show. Despite... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3364012/who-kim-hye-jun-lead-actress-k-dramas-shop-killers-and-my-bias-my-boss https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3364012/who-kim-hye-jun-lead-actress-k-dramas-shop-killers-and-my-bias-my-boss Sat, 15 Aug 2026 11:15:04 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Just over a year ago, Hong Kong-born fashion designer Alvin Ho was ready to pack his bags and leave his dreams behind in London for good. Yet with rigorous ambition – and many sleepless nights of sewing – he defied the odds in an era dominated by fast fashion and launched his independent couture label in the style capital. Today, the 23-year-old is the creative force behind House of Alvin, a company that creates gowns of fantastical glamour. Think Marie Antoinette, the Swan Lake ballet and the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3363765/how-hong-kong-designer-stunning-gowns-went-intern-his-own-couture-label https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3363765/how-hong-kong-designer-stunning-gowns-went-intern-his-own-couture-label Sat, 15 Aug 2026 04:45:06 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau At one of the world’s biggest electronic dance music festivals in Belgium, entranced revellers recently found themselves dancing to sounds more often heard on a Singapore commute than a Tomorrowland stage. They included the MRT warning to “Sila berhati-hati di ruang platform” (“Please mind the platform gap” in Malay), familiar to millions who ride the city state’s metro system, and the piercing, repetitive call of the Asian koel, a bird whose cry is instantly recognisable in many Singapore... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3364059/meet-singaporean-dj-taking-local-sounds-global-stage https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3364059/meet-singaporean-dj-taking-local-sounds-global-stage Sat, 15 Aug 2026 03:00:11 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 83rd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Long before he packed out the Hong Kong Coliseum for his 40th-anniversary Get Up concerts last October, Alex To Tak-wai was busy changing the fundamental rhythm of the city’s pop music. Emerging from the nightclub circuit in the mid-1980s with a kinetic, Michael Jackson-inspired stage presence, To eschewed the standard ballads of his contemporaries to introduce R&B and Western funk... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3363724/alex-tos-40-year-cantopop-career-rb-origins-defiant-comebacks-acting-triumphs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3363724/alex-tos-40-year-cantopop-career-rb-origins-defiant-comebacks-acting-triumphs Thu, 13 Aug 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Winnie Chung Winnie Chung For the better part of two decades, Helen Goh has existed at a rare culinary and clinical intersection: the quiet intimacy of the psychotherapist’s consulting room and the exacting, warm chemistry of the pastry kitchen. While these disciplines might seem worlds apart, they share a fundamental core. Both are obsessed with process, both search for connection and both seek to answer a deceptively simple question: what brings comfort and meaning to a human life? Those tracks ran parallel, never to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3363597/how-baker-and-psychologist-helen-goh-aims-create-recipes-make-your-life-better https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3363597/how-baker-and-psychologist-helen-goh-aims-create-recipes-make-your-life-better Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu This is the 82nd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Eight years after her sudden death shook music fans across Hong Kong, Taiwan and beyond, Ellen Joyce Loo Hoi-tung’s legacy as a cultural trailblazer continues to grow. Shifting effortlessly between vulnerable lyricism and distorted power chords, the fierce guitarist lived boldly in an industry demanding conformity. An outspoken advocate for mental health and LGBTQ visibility, she... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3362246/legacy-ellen-joyce-loo-trailblazing-hong-kong-guitarist-who-spoke-her-truth https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3362246/legacy-ellen-joyce-loo-trailblazing-hong-kong-guitarist-who-spoke-her-truth Thu, 30 Jul 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Between 1984 and 2010, Hong Kong superstar Maggie Cheung Man-yuk appeared in 79 films – though, by her own admission, she disliked many of them. She often felt at odds with the city’s commercially driven cinema industry, yearning instead for serious art-house projects. “I have nothing against commercial films, but if you’re in a movie [and] you feel the script and everything else about it has no meaning – it’s just another production that the boss can add to his list – I don’t think you should... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3360793/how-hong-kong-actress-maggie-cheung-went-commercial-film-eye-candy-art-house-legend https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3360793/how-hong-kong-actress-maggie-cheung-went-commercial-film-eye-candy-art-house-legend Sun, 19 Jul 2026 04:45:05 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran One of Korea’s brightest young stars makes a long-awaited comeback to the screen after stepping away to complete his mandatory military service. Model-turned-actor Nam Joo-hyuk, now well over a decade into his screen career, headlines the Netflix show The East Palace, which begins streaming this week. He features alongside Roh Yoon-seo in this glossy, supernaturally tinged period drama, his first screen credit since leading the punchy 2023 action thriller Vigilante on Disney+. A native of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3360676/who-nam-joo-hyuk-twenty-five-twenty-one-star-back-netflixs-east-palace https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3360676/who-nam-joo-hyuk-twenty-five-twenty-one-star-back-netflixs-east-palace Sat, 18 Jul 2026 04:45:05 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu This is the 81st instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Celebrities who reach their mid-nineties have usually long since traded the spotlight for a rocking chair, but not Bowie Woo Fung, who, at 94 years old, is likely still practising his footwork. On June 7, 2026, he took the stage for his sixth concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum, and in doing so set the Guinness World Record as the oldest Chinese artist to hold a solo concert. It is a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3360737/how-bowie-woo-94-became-hong-kongs-ultimate-evergreen-entertainer-over-7-decade-career https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3360737/how-bowie-woo-94-became-hong-kongs-ultimate-evergreen-entertainer-over-7-decade-career Thu, 16 Jul 2026 23:15:04 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 80th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Surviving Hong Kong’s ruthless entertainment industry is a rare feat; doing so while wholly redefining your public image is nearly unprecedented. Yet, Charlene “Ah Sa” Choi Cheuk-yin has managed to do both. Debuting in 2001 as one half of the Cantopop duo Twins alongside Gillian Chung Yan-tung, Choi became a household name overnight. But her journey from teenage pop idol to respected... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3358840/how-twins-charlene-choi-went-cantopop-teen-idol-top-hong-kong-actress https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3358840/how-twins-charlene-choi-went-cantopop-teen-idol-top-hong-kong-actress Thu, 02 Jul 2026 23:15:06 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu This is the 79th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. “Are Hongkongers forgetful? Not when there’s a scandal,” Andy Hui Chi-on told HK Magazine in 2006. It was a casual, tongue-in-cheek observation at the time, but the Hong Kong pop singer could not have known that those words would come to define the darkest chapter of his life 13 years later. With a career spanning four decades, 58-year-old Hui has survived the entire spectrum of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3357364/how-andy-hui-went-hong-kong-cantopop-star-bombshell-cheating-scandal-redemption https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3357364/how-andy-hui-went-hong-kong-cantopop-star-bombshell-cheating-scandal-redemption Thu, 18 Jun 2026 23:15:04 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Park Ji-hyun is kicking off the summer in style with two projects: the buzzy K-pop comedy film Wild Sing and the glossy workplace drama series See You at Work Tomorrow! She displays considerable range across these projects, which is of little surprise to those who have been paying attention. Despite seeming like a veteran of the screen, Park only took on her first leading role two years ago in the series Flex X Cop. Although she knew she wanted to be an actress by the time she was a teenager,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3356903/meet-park-ji-hyun-rising-star-k-dramas-flex-x-cop-and-see-you-work-tomorrow https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3356903/meet-park-ji-hyun-rising-star-k-dramas-flex-x-cop-and-see-you-work-tomorrow Sat, 13 Jun 2026 04:45:05 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 78th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. At a press conference on April 20 at Hong Kong’s MacPherson Stadium, the warm, easy banter onstage between veteran Hong Kong actors Michelle Yim Wai-ling and Ricky Lau Wai-man was the kind that can only be produced by decades of shared history. Yim ­– better known by her stage name, Mai Suet, which phonetically inspired her English moniker – was there to announce a June music... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3355768/how-hong-kongs-wuxia-drama-princess-michelle-yim-has-kept-her-star-shining-55-years https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3355768/how-hong-kongs-wuxia-drama-princess-michelle-yim-has-kept-her-star-shining-55-years Thu, 04 Jun 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Paul Kay Paul Kay As he prepares to celebrate his 80th birthday on June 10, it is fair to say that Anders Nelsson has witnessed more of Hong Kong’s evolution than most. Since arriving in the city in 1950 aged four, the California-born son of Swedish missionaries has found fame as a musician, singer-songwriter, composer, concert promoter, record producer and actor, all against the backdrop of a city emerging from post-World War II gloom to become a vibrant global metropolis. Along the way, he has helped shape Hong... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3355632/fascinating-life-hong-kong-musician/actor-anders-nelsson-who-once-fought-bruce-lee https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3355632/fascinating-life-hong-kong-musician/actor-anders-nelsson-who-once-fought-bruce-lee Wed, 03 Jun 2026 04:45:05 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso For much of human history, seasonal changes have inspired behavioural ones, altering our biological rhythms and brain chemistry, and affecting the way we eat, conserve energy and sleep. Today, in modern times, much of this happens unconsciously, fading into the background as we embrace outdoor temperature changes with our wardrobe choices and suffer from bouts of seasonal allergies or seasonal depression. Beijing-born, Brooklyn-based artist Juno Shen suffered through many seasons before a bad... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3354351/artist-juno-shen-has-built-song-dynasty-teahouse-todays-new-yorkers https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3354351/artist-juno-shen-has-built-song-dynasty-teahouse-todays-new-yorkers Fri, 22 May 2026 04:00:06 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung This is the 77th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. If your radar picked up even a blip of K-pop in the mid-2010s, you probably encountered Jackson Wang Ka-yee long before you realised he was a Hong Kong native. To overseas fans, he was first known as the magnetic, mischievous rapper of Got7, a boy band that debuted under JYP Entertainment in 2014 and quickly amassed a loyal international following. Among the seven members, Wang was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3354172/how-got7s-jackson-wang-went-hong-kong-fencing-prodigy-global-music-icon https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3354172/how-got7s-jackson-wang-went-hong-kong-fencing-prodigy-global-music-icon Thu, 21 May 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Divia Harilela Divia Harilela Historic names like de Gournay and Gracie may dominate the market when it comes to couture wallpaper, but newcomer Lala Curio is following closely in their footsteps. Founded by Laura Cheung, the lifestyle and home decor brand has been courted by luxury fashion and hospitality brands such as Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental and Cartier, and is a mainstay at design fairs like Paris’ Maison&Objet fair thanks to its bespoke creations that blend couture craftsmanship with a sense of whimsy. “My mission... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/lifestyle/design/article/3353691/ancient-asian-crafts-come-life-modern-interiors-home-and-lifestyle-brand https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/lifestyle/design/article/3353691/ancient-asian-crafts-come-life-modern-interiors-home-and-lifestyle-brand Sat, 16 May 2026 07:00:05 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Cha Eun-woo fans had to temporarily bid farewell to their beloved idol in July 2025, when he began his obligatory military service. Fortunately, the star completed one show before heading off to the barracks – the superhero comedy-drama The Wonderfools, which launched worldwide on May 15. While the Netflix series can rely on the rest of its cast to market it to fans, including lead Park Eun-bin, losing access to Cha’s Instagram account – which boasts more than 46 million followers and has... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3353644/who-cha-eun-woo-handsome-k-pop-idol-starring-netflix-k-drama-wonderfools https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3353644/who-cha-eun-woo-handsome-k-pop-idol-starring-netflix-k-drama-wonderfools Sat, 16 May 2026 04:45:05 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 76th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Over the past decade, many Hong Kong entertainers have ventured across the border into the lucrative mainland Chinese market. Kay Tse On-kay, however, remains anchored in her hometown. The Cantopop singer launched her “Tidal” world tour in late 2025 to mark her 20th anniversary in the industry, and there are plans to bring the celebrations back to Hong Kong in the near... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3352712/why-cantopop-star-kay-tse-chose-hong-kong-over-lucrative-mainland-chinese-market https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3352712/why-cantopop-star-kay-tse-chose-hong-kong-over-lucrative-mainland-chinese-market Thu, 07 May 2026 23:15:11 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso Everyone wants to be a “Gong girl” these days. Parsons-trained, Shanghai-based designer Mark Gong’s pieces have been everywhere lately, spotted on the likes of Margot Robbie during the Wuthering Heights press tour, Jennie and Lisa on Blackpink’s Deadline world tour, and Jenna Ortega promoting season two of Wednesday. One celebrity, however, stands above the rest in Gong’s memory. “Rihanna is a goddess for me, no matter what,” he says with a laugh outside his Shanghai Fashion Week showroom,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3351696/mark-gong-loved-rihanna-lisa-and-jenna-ortega-designing-modern-woman https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3351696/mark-gong-loved-rihanna-lisa-and-jenna-ortega-designing-modern-woman Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam At 15, most Hong Kong teenagers are fretting over exams. At that age, Kan Wong, the newly appointed executive Chinese chef at Celestial Court at the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers, was up to his elbows in a wok, learning a lesson his father never intended to teach. “I started helping my dad out in the kitchen when I was only nine years old,” he says. “He thought it would teach me a lesson so I would study harder at school. But I fell in love with the work.” Born into a working-class family in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3351539/how-hong-kong-chef-cooks-old-style-tastes-city-using-innovative-techniques https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3351539/how-hong-kong-chef-cooks-old-style-tastes-city-using-innovative-techniques Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:16:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee This is the 75th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. When Tony Leung Ka-fai took to the stage of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s Grand Theatre on April 19 to accept the best actor prize at the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA), he became the only person to win that honour across five consecutive decades. Yet for the 68-year-old veteran, his accolades are a by-product of his endurance – he has previously admitted to keeping his... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351095/how-tony-leung-ka-fais-hong-kong-film-awards-record-caps-wild-journey-actor https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351095/how-tony-leung-ka-fais-hong-kong-film-awards-record-caps-wild-journey-actor Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso Yves Saint Laurent famously once said that fashion fades, but style is eternal. For designer Filippo Sorcinelli, who fashions garments for one of the world’s most revered religious figures, that statement carries even greater weight. Having dressed three popes – Benedict, Francis and now Leo – for some of their most notable appearances for the better part of two decades, Sorcinelli, 50, is now affectionately known as the pope’s tailor, his intricately embroidered liturgical vestments akin to the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3349975/designer-filippo-sorcinelli-dressing-last-three-popes-interview https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3349975/designer-filippo-sorcinelli-dressing-last-three-popes-interview Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:00:09 +0000 Vincenzo La Torre Vincenzo La Torre When Undercover founder Jun Takahashi travelled to Hong Kong for the opening of a store last month, he didn’t just mingle with fans and sit down for a bunch of interviews, the things fashion designers normally do when promoting a new boutique. At the event, held at the beachside enclave of Repulse Bay, Takahashi held a doll-making session while his rock band – which he co-founded with long-time friend Nobuhiko Kitamura, the man behind fellow Japanese label Hysteric Glamour – performed live. Not... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3349880/undercovers-jun-takahashi-chaos-and-balance-and-his-debt-fellow-japanese-designers-interview https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3349880/undercovers-jun-takahashi-chaos-and-balance-and-his-debt-fellow-japanese-designers-interview Tue, 14 Apr 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Byeon Woo-seok’s star has been on a sharp rise over the past few years. After sitting out last year’s drama release schedules, he returns this weekend in what is arguably his most hotly anticipated role to date: Grand Prince Ian in the alternate-history fantasy romance Perfect Crown opposite K-pop idol IU (aka Lee Ji-eun). Born in Bucheon, a satellite city southwest of Seoul, in 1991, Byeon spent his early childhood there before relocating to the capital. Influenced by his older sister, he... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3349509/who-byeon-woo-seok-model-turned-actor-starring-opposite-iu-perfect-crown https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3349509/who-byeon-woo-seok-model-turned-actor-starring-opposite-iu-perfect-crown Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 74th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. When a young Joey Yung Cho-yee was dropped by her first record label for her supposedly ordinary looks, few would have bet she would one day stand atop Cantopop as one of its most decorated performers. Yet nearly three decades later, the 45-year-old Hong Kong singer has outlasted her critics and claimed, among other accolades, a dozen most popular female singer trophies from TVB’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349329/not-pretty-enough-joey-yung-became-one-hong-kongs-biggest-cantopop-idols-anyway https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349329/not-pretty-enough-joey-yung-became-one-hong-kongs-biggest-cantopop-idols-anyway Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso Behind the scenes at menswear brand Feng Chen Wang’s 10th anniversary show at Shanghai Fashion Week, amid the sound of camera flashes going off every second and the overpowering smell of hairspray, the first thing that strikes me is the vibrant range of hair colours on display. One model’s hair is white as snow; another is of a fiery red hue. A third one has strands in an electric shade of blue. Everyone looks eccentric, but no one feels out of place. The intimate backstage moments are somehow... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3349482/feng-chen-wang-10-years-fashion-and-chinamaxxing-it-was-cool-interview https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/fashion/trends/article/3349482/feng-chen-wang-10-years-fashion-and-chinamaxxing-it-was-cool-interview Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:54:38 +0000 Aaina Bhargava Aaina Bhargava In preparation for her first trip to Hong Kong, artist Nicole Eisenman has been watching a lot of 1990s Wong Kar-wai films. One in particular, Fallen Angels (1995), fully captivated the artist. “It’s the night time … the whole movie feels so dark,” says Eisenman of the neo-noir crime drama. “I know it sounds ridiculous, trying to learn about a city by watching a movie, but my idea of Hong Kong is very tied up with Wong Kar-wai right now. Everything seems to take place at night, and this darkness... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/special-reports/article/3348600/how-wong-kar-wais-noir-films-inspire-nicole-eisenmans-hong-kong-view https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/special-reports/article/3348600/how-wong-kar-wais-noir-films-inspire-nicole-eisenmans-hong-kong-view Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:15:10 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa On the first night of the Rolex China Sea Race – Asia’s premier offshore yacht race in March – Tiger Mok’s autopilot gave out 60 nautical miles off Hong Kong’s coast. The 565-nautical-mile journey from Victoria Harbour to the Philippines’ Subic Bay is the kind of challenge usually shared by a team of eight experienced sailors. For Mok, who had chosen to take it on solo, the autopilot was indispensable for rest, navigation and sanity. Without it, he’d have to steer by hand, meaning little to no... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/culture/article/3348350/hong-kong-sailor-tiger-mok-made-history-sea-after-his-autopilot-failed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/culture/article/3348350/hong-kong-sailor-tiger-mok-made-history-sea-after-his-autopilot-failed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:15:10 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung I WAS BORN outside Philadelphia and I lived a typical American East Coast suburban childhood. My grandparents had a business selling African violets, so we would help out in the greenhouses on school holidays. It wasn’t so much art, but it was very much about putting something beautiful into people’s lives. I WENT TO an all-boys’ Jesuit high school in Philadelphia, then I went to Duke University, in North Carolina, as an undergrad. My major was literature and history, but I started to study... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/passions/article/3348136/philip-tinari-his-journey-through-art-and-culture-and-tai-kwuns-potential https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/passions/article/3348136/philip-tinari-his-journey-through-art-and-culture-and-tai-kwuns-potential Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 73rd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. In the golden age of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing was a star so bright that he rewrote the rules of conservative Asian society. Affectionately nicknamed Gor Gor – Cantonese for “older brother” – the Cantopop legend’s talent spanned disciplines and extended far beyond the city’s borders. Even now, decades after his death in 2003, fans from around the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348009/how-leslie-cheung-broke-all-rules-become-hong-kongs-greatest-modern-superstar https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348009/how-leslie-cheung-broke-all-rules-become-hong-kongs-greatest-modern-superstar Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso Something about curved lines with a cheeky twist makes you stop in your tracks walking down the street in Hong Kong. It’s easy to be desensitised to the world these days, but it’s still possible to be surprised by street artist Lousy’s drawings, which might fool you at first glance with their subversive simplicity. His are a clever take on surrealism served with a knowing wink on the side, from his signature “kiss face” once plastered on a doorway in Peel Street to his primal, hieroglyph-like... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3347319/how-lousy-bringing-satire-surrealism-and-cheeky-graffiti-hong-kongs-streets https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3347319/how-lousy-bringing-satire-surrealism-and-cheeky-graffiti-hong-kongs-streets Sat, 21 Mar 2026 04:00:17 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Singer-turned-actor Seo In-guk is currently starring in Netflix’s high-concept workplace romantic comedy Boyfriend on Demand. The 38-year-old shares the screen with another performer who has recently traded the concert stage for sound stages: Blackpink’s Jisoo. Born in Ulsan in southeast South Korea, Seo grew up in a working-class household; his mother worked at a recycling centre and his father was a welder. Seo was athletic as a child, taking part in ssireum (traditional Korean wrestling),... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346353/who-seo-guk-jisoos-co-star-netflix-k-drama-boyfriend-demand https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346353/who-seo-guk-jisoos-co-star-netflix-k-drama-boyfriend-demand Sat, 14 Mar 2026 08:15:08 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu This is the 72nd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. What do Chow Yun-fat, Timothee Chalamet and Doh Kyung-soo have in common? They have all had to keep up with the razor-sharp mind of Hong Kong actress and television host Carol “Dodo” Cheng Yu-ling. From teaching Hollywood heartthrobs Cantonese to hosting the city’s most prestigious galas, Cheng’s presence is ubiquitous. Anyone who has watched the TVB anniversary awards or the local... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346208/how-carol-dodo-cheng-went-acting-chow-yun-fat-interviewing-hollywood-stars https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346208/how-carol-dodo-cheng-went-acting-chow-yun-fat-interviewing-hollywood-stars Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:15:07 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso Jeff Staple may be a hero to hypebeasts, but he has little interest in owning that status among the streetwear fanatics who catapulted him to fame in the first place. Legend has it, the sneaker designer and streetwear icon born Jeff Ng first launched his brand Staple back in 1997 after a store manager saw him wearing a T-shirt he had printed himself, and ordered some to sell in his shop. Today, his brand is as much a New York staple as the subway, the Statue of Liberty or dollar-slice pizza, and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3345674/jeff-staple-designer-nike-pigeon-going-beyond-hype-sneakers-and-streetwear https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3345674/jeff-staple-designer-nike-pigeon-going-beyond-hype-sneakers-and-streetwear Fri, 06 Mar 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung This is the 71st instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Back in the first decade of his entertainment career, which began in the mid-1980s, Michael Tse Tin-wah was a face you recognised but a name you might have struggled to place. He was a backup dancer hitting his marks behind Cantopop icons; a fiercely loyal triad henchman swinging a machete in the Young and Dangerous films; a dependable character actor equipped with a sinister,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344408/why-michael-tse-hong-kong-actor-behind-laughing-gor-lesson-resilience https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344408/why-michael-tse-hong-kong-actor-behind-laughing-gor-lesson-resilience Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Lavender Au Lavender Au I WAS BORN in Guangzhou in 1979. In the 1980s and 90s, Guangzhou was a relatively special city in China. Many of my classmates had relatives in Hong Kong. It was more open, more connected to the outside world. People generally valued profit and were practically minded. The direct comparison with Hong Kong coupled with the continuous transmission of a kind of folk culture means that Guangdong has always had a very secular society. Even during the political movements of the 50s, 60s and 70s,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/passions/article/3342638/author-hu-anyan-work-writing-and-overcoming-inferiority-complex https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/postmag/passions/article/3342638/author-hu-anyan-work-writing-and-overcoming-inferiority-complex Mon, 16 Feb 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Versatile Korean actress Shin Hye-sun is currently displaying her range in Netflix’s twisty fashion-themed thriller The Art of Sarah, playing a wily woman of many identities. Few could navigate such a complex role, but Shin has a knack for portraying characters with steel in their spine – a trait she mirrors in her own determined approach to her career. Shin harboured ambitions of acting from a young age, ignited by watching Autumn in My Heart, a classic Korean drama starring Won Bin, which... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3343323/who-shin-hye-sun-versatile-actress-k-dramas-mr-queen-and-art-sarah https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3343323/who-shin-hye-sun-versatile-actress-k-dramas-mr-queen-and-art-sarah Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:15:09 +0000