https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/511486/feed Mabel was a reporter on the culture desk. She graduated from Scripps College in Claremont, California with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies and Art. A bright-eyed kid at heart, she loves the feeling of discovering something new and finding underrated restaurants in her beloved home city of Hong Kong. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Mabel Lui Mabel Lui It is 10.30am and I am drifting on a kayak just off the coast of Hoi An, Vietnam. To my right, I see fishermen gliding across the ocean in their wooden boats; further beyond, the lush Cham Islands peek out from the horizon. To my left is a secluded beach, where children are frolicking among the waves and an all-terrain vehicle hums across the 4km (2.5-mile) coastline. Swaying palm trees dot the background, and behind them stand the New World Hoiana Beach Resort and the Hoiana Hotel & Suites: two... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3338504/close-hoi-central-vietnams-first-integrated-resort-offers-luxury-many-budgets https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3338504/close-hoi-central-vietnams-first-integrated-resort-offers-luxury-many-budgets Wed, 07 Jan 2026 07:15:37 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui Walk into Potluck Club, a restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown in New York, and you will be greeted by a waiter at what looks like an old-fashioned phone booth with a pagoda-style roof. As you head to your table, you will walk past a display featuring scenes from popular Hong Kong films like In the Mood for Love (2000) and Kung Fu Hustle (2004). You will also see a vending machine filled with the kinds of items that can be found in a Cantonese home – think haw flakes, Pei Pa Koa, Vitasoy drinks... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3327221/how-potluck-club-reinvents-cantonese-cuisine-manhattans-chinatown-new-york https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3327221/how-potluck-club-reinvents-cantonese-cuisine-manhattans-chinatown-new-york Fri, 03 Oct 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui One hundred and sixty-six. That is how many slices of cucumber that Chinese-Canadian chef Wallace Wong can chop in 30 seconds while blindfolded. He set the Guinness World Record in 2023 while filming for the Italian reality show Lo Show Dei Record, or The Records Show, in which participants attempt to break records. He has since set or broken 10 others, all for chopping vegetables or fruit at breakneck speed. He is also a season-two winner of the cooking competition Chopped Canada, has taken... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3321061/6-pack-chef-wallace-wong-breaking-records-fitness-and-stepping-away-restaurants https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3321061/6-pack-chef-wallace-wong-breaking-records-fitness-and-stepping-away-restaurants Sun, 10 Aug 2025 04:15:07 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui In Hong Kong’s Clear Water Bay Peninsula, there is a small U-shaped bay flanked by mountains. Within it lies the little-known Po Toi O fishing village – so named for the cove’s physical resemblance to a cloth sack – where generations of Tanka people in Hong Kong have settled over the past century. Tanka are an ethnic group from South China who have largely acculturated to the dominant Han Chinese community. Their specific origins are somewhat ambiguous, but history indicates that they were... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3320883/how-one-hong-kong-restaurants-tanka-cuisine-has-been-community-favourite-35-years https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3320883/how-one-hong-kong-restaurants-tanka-cuisine-has-been-community-favourite-35-years Thu, 07 Aug 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui This is the 55th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. An enduring name in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, Adam Cheng Siu-chau has been a prominent actor and singer for the past five decades. Beginning his career in the 1960s, he went on to make a name for himself as a suave leading man, particularly in wuxia period dramas. Among his most popular television shows are The Legend of the Book and the Sword (1976), The Heaven Sword and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318715/how-hong-kong-star-adam-cheng-went-tv-heartthrob-stock-market-jinx https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318715/how-hong-kong-star-adam-cheng-went-tv-heartthrob-stock-market-jinx Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:17:23 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui Silky, slippery cheung fun, also known as steamed rice noodle rolls, have long been a staple dish at Hong Kong’s dim sum restaurants and street food stalls. Whether served with barbecue pork, shrimp or beef inside, or simply rolled into thick noodles and topped with soy, hoisin and peanut sauces, it is a dish that has cemented its status over the years as a beloved breakfast food and Cantonese snack. There is no definitive date for when cheung fun came to be, but some believe these rolls date... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3318414/what-cheung-fun-different-types-chinese-rice-noodle-rolls-and-how-make-them https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3318414/what-cheung-fun-different-types-chinese-rice-noodle-rolls-and-how-make-them Thu, 17 Jul 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui In May 2021, Daniella Means was walking her dog in Los Angeles when a man holding a hammer approached and demanded her bag and phone. When Means refused, he dealt a blow to her head. She went down hard, blood gushing from her face. “I thought I had gone blind. I thought I had brain damage,” she recalls. The incident left her shattered, physically – her eye socket and nose were broken – and mentally. “Coming out of it, I was scared to walk around on my own. I was driving a kilometre from my... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3317629/how-woman-bodybuilders-brutal-mugging-inspired-her-another-physical-level https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3317629/how-woman-bodybuilders-brutal-mugging-inspired-her-another-physical-level Sun, 13 Jul 2025 00:15:08 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui For China, the early- to mid-20th century was a time marked by political and social upheaval. It began with the Xinhai Revolution, which saw the end of the imperial system, before the Second Sino-Japanese War rocked the nation. The Chinese Communist Revolution and Cultural Revolution signified massive political and social shifts. In 1949, after the Communist Party took power, a border was put up between mainland China and Hong Kong. Against this complex backdrop, Cantonese artists adopted new... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3316998/how-20th-century-hong-kong-and-guangdong-art-stood-out-rest-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3316998/how-20th-century-hong-kong-and-guangdong-art-stood-out-rest-china Sun, 06 Jul 2025 23:15:10 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui Many objects are considered auspicious in Chinese culture. Red items, for example, are thought to be lucky because of the colour’s associations with good fortune and prosperity – red clothing is commonly worn during Lunar New Year as it symbolises new beginnings. But there are also items that are considered unlucky, especially when given as a present. Giving the wrong present can risk ill will for years to come. Below are five things you should never give as a gift according to Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3316324/gifts-you-must-avoid-giving-chinese-culture-clocks-and-shoes-pears-and-why https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3316324/gifts-you-must-avoid-giving-chinese-culture-clocks-and-shoes-pears-and-why Mon, 30 Jun 2025 04:28:03 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui He did not win the US$250,000 prize, but Jed Ray Gengoba Montayre was one of 10 finalists out of 100,000 candidates for the 2025 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award. The award recognises outstanding contributions to the nursing field. Montayre, a gerontologist – or healthy ageing specialist – and associate professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Nursing, was considered for the award for his groundbreaking research. He has spent half his life doing research on ageing, from how... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3315874/how-age-well-specialist-healthy-ageing-gives-his-tips-adding-life-your-years https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3315874/how-age-well-specialist-healthy-ageing-gives-his-tips-adding-life-your-years Sat, 28 Jun 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui On his left upper arm, Cantonese-American chef Calvin Eng has a tattoo that pays tribute to his upbringing and his identity as a chef. It is a heart with a banner bearing the letters MSG – the abbreviation of flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate – and it shows just how dedicated he is to the ingredient that has drawn controversy for decades. Now, Eng has gone one step further in declaring his love for MSG by including it in the name of his debut cookbook, Salt Sugar MSG: Recipes and Stories... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3315740/how-cantonese-american-chef-new-york-uses-msg-celebrate-his-culture https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3315740/how-cantonese-american-chef-new-york-uses-msg-celebrate-his-culture Thu, 26 Jun 2025 23:15:06 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui This is the 53rd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Affectionately dubbed the “King of Chok” – chok being a Cantonese slang term that means trying to look cool or handsome, often to the point of being pretentious or cocky – Raymond Lam Fung is one of Hong Kong’s most successful entertainers of the 2000s. After training with Hong Kong broadcaster TVB at the beginning of his career, he made a name for himself as a television actor and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3315014/how-raymond-lam-went-hong-kong-tv-extra-film-star-singer-and-king-chok https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3315014/how-raymond-lam-went-hong-kong-tv-extra-film-star-singer-and-king-chok Thu, 19 Jun 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui You may know that there is a long history of collecting Chinese art in Hong Kong, but can you name the three most important collections of Chinese paintings and calligraphy in the city? The answer can be found at the Hong Kong Museum of Art’s (HKMoA) latest exhibition: “The Pride of Hong Kong: Three Preeminent Collections of Ancient Paintings and Calligraphies”. Low Chuck-tiew’s “Xubaizhai”, Ho Iu-kwong’s “Chih Lo Lou” and Lee Jung-sen’s “Bei Shan Tang” collectively make up the city’s “three... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3314549/hong-kongs-big-3-chinese-art-collections-all-featuring-1-new-exhibition https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3314549/hong-kongs-big-3-chinese-art-collections-all-featuring-1-new-exhibition Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui Back in 2014, between the first and second seasons of the HBO comedy series Silicon Valley in which he had a supporting role, Jimmy O. Yang spent his days moonlighting as an Uber driver. The Hong Kong-born Hollywood hopeful used a pay cheque for his role in the series as Jian-Yang – he received the Screen Actors Guild minimum of US$900 a day – to buy a used Toyota Prius hybrid, which he would drive around Los Angeles to earn the money to pay his rent. “You never know, especially as an actor,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3313736/why-jimmy-o-yang-feels-blackpink-and-his-rise-uber-driver-king-comedy https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3313736/why-jimmy-o-yang-feels-blackpink-and-his-rise-uber-driver-king-comedy Mon, 09 Jun 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui Sophia Lai Chi-lok is among Hong Kong’s most accomplished amateur triathletes. The 41-year-old investment banker has trained with the Hong Kong Triathlon National Squad and made the podium at 10km (6.2-mile) running races, triathlons and aquathlons – which comprise a swim and a run. She was the second woman across the finish line in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 10km race in 2022, and the 2023 Hong Kong Aquathlon Championship women’s champion. That year, she also took part in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3312276/running-swimming-are-meditative-hong-kong-triathlete-and-open-water-swim-organiser https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3312276/running-swimming-are-meditative-hong-kong-triathlete-and-open-water-swim-organiser Sat, 31 May 2025 23:45:08 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui It has been seven years since Cirque du Soleil last graced Hong Kong with its stunning acrobatic acts, cheeky clowns and death-defying stunts. This month the global entertainment company is back with its circus production Kooza. Running until July 13 – the family-friendly show has extended its stay in Hong Kong from its original end date of June 22 – Kooza will be presented at the Central Harbourfront Event Space, where the Cirque team has set up its signature big top. The show tells the story... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3311553/why-cirque-du-soleil-circus-show-kooza-back-hong-kong-edge-your-seat-stuff https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3311553/why-cirque-du-soleil-circus-show-kooza-back-hong-kong-edge-your-seat-stuff Sun, 25 May 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui The game of mahjong brings back nostalgic memories for many among the Chinese diaspora. Maybe they remember the unmistakable clacking sound of the tiles being shuffled, or their relatives yelling out “pong!” from across the room, excitedly claiming the tile they had been waiting for. It is no different for Nicole Wong, who grew up around the game but never quite learned it herself until the summer after she graduated from university, in 2009. At the time, she was staying at her New... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3311213/how-learning-play-mahjong-helped-chinese-american-connect-more-deeply-her-roots https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3311213/how-learning-play-mahjong-helped-chinese-american-connect-more-deeply-her-roots Thu, 22 May 2025 11:15:07 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui This is the 50th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Hong Kong singer and actress Gigi Leung Wing-kei, who is best known as a 1990s Cantopop sweetheart, has had a dynamic career spanning three decades. Initially viewed as an innocent “girl next door” following her appearance in Derek Yee Tung-sing’s action drama Full Throttle (1995) and the release of her first two music albums, she has since established herself as a well-rounded... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3309725/how-hong-kong-star-gigi-leung-went-innocent-girl-next-door-all-round-entertainer https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3309725/how-hong-kong-star-gigi-leung-went-innocent-girl-next-door-all-round-entertainer Fri, 09 May 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui Back in early 2024, Edward Park was having dinner when he received a text from a friend. It read: “Hey, have you ever thought about being a K-pop idol?” “Here we go again,” he thought, letting out an audible groan. That is because the budding actor had already chased his K-pop dream: he spent three months in Korea when he was 17, honing his singing and dancing skills around the clock at a Seoul training centre that acted as a funnel for K-pop agencies. There, Park would sing “until my voice... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3309418/new-k-pop-boy-band-trio-rewind-talk-about-second-chances-and-resetting-their-careers https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3309418/new-k-pop-boy-band-trio-rewind-talk-about-second-chances-and-resetting-their-careers Wed, 07 May 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui In New York’s Long Island City neighbourhood there is a nondescript, white-tiled Taiwanese restaurant named Gulp. Those not in the know might assume that the five counter seats are all there is to this little joint, but open the grey door at the rear, pull back the curtain behind it and you will find yourself in a softly lit cocktail bar imbued with warm, red tones reminiscent of Wong Kar-wai films. This is 929, a bar that pays tribute to 1980s and 1990s Cantonese and Mandarin pop culture and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3308761/new-york-bar-mixes-cocktails-and-chinese-pop-give-music-life-beyond-karaoke-lounges https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3308761/new-york-bar-mixes-cocktails-and-chinese-pop-give-music-life-beyond-karaoke-lounges Fri, 02 May 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Chinatowns are often portrayed as gritty underworlds riddled with prostitution, gambling and drug trafficking. Some of this is rooted in truth, but that unfair depiction is largely the result of rampant xenophobia and cultural ignorance, especially in the West. In a series of articles, the Post explores the historical and social significance of major Chinatowns around the world and the communities that shape them. New York has such an established Chinese population that the city is home to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3307583/new-yorks-many-chinatowns-3-stand-out-how-immigration-shaped-them-over-decades https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3307583/new-yorks-many-chinatowns-3-stand-out-how-immigration-shaped-them-over-decades Wed, 23 Apr 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Enid Tsui,Erika Na,Mabel Lui Enid Tsui,Erika Na,Mabel Lui In March, around 4,000 music lovers from Hong Kong attended a one-night-only concert by Andrea Bocelli, a legendary tenor once dubbed the “Voice of God” by singer Celine Dion. That the concert on March 29 was in Macau was an inconvenience they were willing to overlook. According to the organiser and resort Galaxy Macau, Hong Kong visitors made up around 40 per cent of the audience at the sell-out show at the Galaxy Arena. Many of them, like music critic Edison Hung Sze-hang, were happy to make... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3307076/why-are-classical-music-stars-skipping-hong-kong-other-chinese-cities https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3307076/why-are-classical-music-stars-skipping-hong-kong-other-chinese-cities Sun, 20 Apr 2025 23:15:12 +0000 Chinatowns are often portrayed as gritty underworlds riddled with prostitution, gambling and drug trafficking. Some of this is rooted in truth, but that unfair depiction is largely the result of rampant xenophobia and cultural ignorance, especially in the West. In a series of articles, the Post explores the historical and social significance of major Chinatowns around the world and the communities that shape them. Known today as the oldest Chinatown in North America, San Francisco’s Chinatown... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3305524/turbulent-history-san-franciscos-chinatown-oldest-north-america https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3305524/turbulent-history-san-franciscos-chinatown-oldest-north-america Mon, 07 Apr 2025 23:15:07 +0000 This is the 47th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. When recalling Hong Kong’s “golden age” of entertainment, one name that should not be forgotten is that of Roman Tam Pak-sin. Better known by his Cantonese stage name Law Man – a transliteration of his English name – and his nickname Law Kee, the singer is regarded as the “godfather of Cantopop” and is one of Hong Kong’s cultural icons. Although he died more than two decades ago,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3304110/how-cantopop-icon-roman-tam-united-generation-hong-kong-people-his-classic-songs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3304110/how-cantopop-icon-roman-tam-united-generation-hong-kong-people-his-classic-songs Thu, 27 Mar 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Judith Blaine, who has lived in Hong Kong for 30 years, is a relative newcomer to surfing – which she describes as unlike any other sport. “I’m a beginner, but I absolutely love it,” she says. “You feel really immersed in nature, and you feel just at peace, at one with your environment.” She and the Hong Kong surfing community were left bewildered and frustrated when the Hong Kong government’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LSCD) began strictly enforcing a surfing ban at public... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3303116/surfing-psychologists-study-shows-mental-health-benefits-sport-hong-kong-banned https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3303116/surfing-psychologists-study-shows-mental-health-benefits-sport-hong-kong-banned Sat, 22 Mar 2025 23:45:07 +0000 On the ground floor of a tenement building in Hong Kong’s Kennedy Town neighbourhood is a curious shop that attracts crowds on a regular basis. While its concrete walls and wooden benches might upon first glance date the store to the 1960s, its bright bubble tea logo makes clear this establishment belongs in the 21st century. This is the first “boba house” from Silk, a Hong Kong bubble tea brand that launched in September 2022. Since then, the company has grown to six locations – five in Hong... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3302166/bubble-tea-brand-makes-hong-kong-milk-tea-fashionable-again-mixing-style-and-tradition https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3302166/bubble-tea-brand-makes-hong-kong-milk-tea-fashionable-again-mixing-style-and-tradition Thu, 13 Mar 2025 04:45:08 +0000 Joyce Chen was scrolling on Instagram one day in early 2024 when an advertisement caught her eye. It was for a programme called Japanese Preschool Exchange where families could travel to a region in Japan and have their child attend a preschool there for one week to three months. Chen wondered if it might be a scam, and asked friends if they had ever heard of the programme before. None had – but she decided to take a shot in the dark and send an inquiry email anyway. After being reassured by the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3302042/preschool-exchange-programme-japan-provides-unique-learning-hong-kong-children https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3302042/preschool-exchange-programme-japan-provides-unique-learning-hong-kong-children Wed, 12 Mar 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Over the past few months, the state of the economy has been top of mind for many, including Harry Harrison, the Post’s long-time political cartoonist. That is why it is the key issue addressed in his latest collection of humorous Lunar New Year illustrations, which is titled “2025 … S-S-Snakes Alive!” as a nod to this year’s Chinese zodiac animal. The set of eight original watercolour and ink works will be up for auction at The Store by the South China Morning Post from 11am (Hong Kong time) on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3302037/snakes-meet-politics-and-culture-scmp-cartoonist-harry-harrisons-art-auction https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3302037/snakes-meet-politics-and-culture-scmp-cartoonist-harry-harrisons-art-auction Wed, 12 Mar 2025 09:15:09 +0000 When Alison Drake was teaching in a primary school in Hong Kong in 2008, she learned that her father had just been diagnosed in the UK with stage four cancer – and did not have much time left. The then-25-year-old was devastated, especially because they shared a close relationship. “I was just always following my dad around since I was a little girl,” she recalls. She began flying back and forth between Hong Kong and the UK – where she was born and raised – and found herself turning to running... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3301246/yoga-helped-hong-kong-schoolteacher-cope-dads-cancer-now-she-teaches-it-children https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3301246/yoga-helped-hong-kong-schoolteacher-cope-dads-cancer-now-she-teaches-it-children Sat, 08 Mar 2025 23:45:09 +0000 Ashlyn Chak,Kylie Knott,Mabel Lui Ashlyn Chak,Kylie Knott,Mabel Lui International Women’s Day, which falls each year on March 8, is a global celebration not just of the achievements of women but also their resilience, something that resonates with working mothers everywhere. Juggling a career with family commitments can be overwhelming. Stress, burnout and feelings of “mum guilt” are common among women trying to achieve work-life balance. Add to that societal expectations and stereotypes, double standards around domestic workloads, the gender pay gap and the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3301333/how-balance-work-and-child-rearing-3-mothers-hong-kong-share-their-stories https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3301333/how-balance-work-and-child-rearing-3-mothers-hong-kong-share-their-stories Thu, 06 Mar 2025 10:43:15 +0000 This is the 45th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Before the rise of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Cantopop – Jacky Cheung Hok-yau, Andy Lau Tak-wah, Leon Lai Ming and Aaron Kwok Fu-shing – there was a “father of Cantopop” who laid the foundation for their success. His name is Samuel Hui Koon-kit. In the 1960s and 1970s, the singer, known as Sam Hui, helped popularise Cantopop by infusing his songs with colloquial Cantonese lyrics... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3300403/sam-hui-father-cantopop-whose-relatable-music-and-film-roles-struck-chord https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3300403/sam-hui-father-cantopop-whose-relatable-music-and-film-roles-struck-chord Thu, 27 Feb 2025 23:15:09 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui When Miguel Peñarroja Canós first learned about Youth Music Culture The Greater Bay Area (YMCG), there was no question that he wanted to take part in the 10-day intensive music training camp and festival based in Guangzhou, China. Although the Spanish clarinettist had previously lived in Vienna, Austria – the “capital of classical music” – and was already a working musician playing concerts across Europe, he had seen few platforms that offered the opportunity to train with a maestro like British... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3299581/how-daniel-harding-led-chinese-youth-music-camp-lets-rising-stars-learn-best https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3299581/how-daniel-harding-led-chinese-youth-music-camp-lets-rising-stars-learn-best Sun, 23 Feb 2025 23:15:10 +0000 Since its release on January 29, the Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 has shattered box office records. In just over two weeks, the blockbuster has surpassed US$1.35 billion in ticket sales, making it not only the highest-grossing film in China, but also the fourth highest-grossing animated film of all time. Ne Zha 2 is now beginning to reach audiences outside mainland China – its limited release starts in the United States on February 14, and it will soon hit Hong Kong cinemas. What is the film... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3298726/5-things-know-about-ne-zha-2-including-why-chinese-animated-film-so-popular https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3298726/5-things-know-about-ne-zha-2-including-why-chinese-animated-film-so-popular Fri, 14 Feb 2025 10:29:07 +0000 You are in a completely dark room. Not the sort of dark where you can still see the outlines of people – it is pitch black. You must rely on your senses other than sight. Your guide gently directs you – “Pull out your chair, take a step to your left and sit in it” – and as you settle into your seat, you realise you are sat at a dining table. You fumble around, eventually finding a set of cutlery, a napkin and a glass. Before long, it is time for the first course of the night, an appetiser... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3298476/hong-kong-dining-dark-experience-blind-waiters-sensory-feast-meaning https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3298476/hong-kong-dining-dark-experience-blind-waiters-sensory-feast-meaning Fri, 14 Feb 2025 04:45:07 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui “Is it real or fake?” That is likely to be the first question that pops into the heads of visitors as they observe pieces of bread and butter at JPS Gallery in Central, Hong Kong, where artist Afa Annfa and food stylist Gloria Chung are presenting a joint exhibition, “A&G Boulangerie”. On until March 1, this is a delightful exhibition that explores the social and cultural significance of bread and butter in our lives and the relationship between the real and artificial, the mundane and the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3297786/it-food-or-art-show-uses-bread-and-butter-explore-identity-work-pressure-and-more https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts/article/3297786/it-food-or-art-show-uses-bread-and-butter-explore-identity-work-pressure-and-more Tue, 11 Feb 2025 03:15:08 +0000 When Catherine Lau Shuk-fan took up running in 2007, her motivation was simple. Stressed from her law studies at the University of Hong Kong, she needed to unwind. So she donned her trainers and set off on a run. “It was a beautiful journey for the mind,” she says, describing how running invigorated and recharged her. Within months, the budding lawyer had signed up to compete in her first 10km (6.2 mile) run in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon event. Seventeen years on, the 42-year-old... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3297777/how-hong-kong-marathon-runners-goals-have-come-full-circle-after-racing-worlds-6-majors https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3297777/how-hong-kong-marathon-runners-goals-have-come-full-circle-after-racing-worlds-6-majors Fri, 07 Feb 2025 23:45:08 +0000 From snake-themed events to whether your luck is in: discover all you need to know about the Lunar New Year in our Year of the Snake 2025 series. Lunar New Year celebrations are in full swing around the world, and families have been giving out red packets, feasting on auspicious foods, visiting temples, wearing red clothes and picking from their chuen hup – a box filled with snacks that represent different blessings. But one aspect of the celebrations often overlooked is the tradition of hanging... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3297117/what-are-chinese-knots-history-good-luck-symbol-popular-lunar-new-year https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3297117/what-are-chinese-knots-history-good-luck-symbol-popular-lunar-new-year Mon, 03 Feb 2025 10:15:08 +0000 The year was 1979 and Danny McFadden was in Geraldton, Western Australia, about 14,000km (8,700 miles) from London, England, where he grew up. He was 28, and awoke one day to four blank walls surrounding him. All he could remember from the day before was suffering from delirium tremens (DTs), a severe type of alcohol withdrawal, and heading off to see a street-drinking friend. As he slowly got up from the thin mattress on the floor, his mind was spinning: how did he get here? He was in hospital,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3296815/how-alcoholic-quit-drinking-learned-mandarin-and-became-high-flying-global-mediator https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3296815/how-alcoholic-quit-drinking-learned-mandarin-and-became-high-flying-global-mediator Sat, 01 Feb 2025 23:45:08 +0000 From snake-themed events to whether your luck is in: discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year in our Year of the Snake 2025 series. Nian gao, known as nin gou in Cantonese, has long been a Lunar New Year staple. The sticky rice cake is considered an auspicious food in Chinese culture because its name sounds like “higher by the year”, indicating a hope for more growth and prosperity in the coming year. Today, the sticky rice cake is most commonly associated with Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3296650/how-sticky-rice-cakes-became-lunar-new-year-lucky-dish-and-different-ways-they-are-eaten https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3296650/how-sticky-rice-cakes-became-lunar-new-year-lucky-dish-and-different-ways-they-are-eaten Wed, 29 Jan 2025 23:45:07 +0000 From snake-themed events to whether your luck is in: discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year in our Year of the Snake 2025 series. There are 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac – rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig – which are celebrated in order over 12 years, after which the cycle repeats. It is believed that a person’s personality and luck is closely linked to the zodiac animal associated with the year in which they were... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3295998/how-12-chinese-zodiac-animals-were-chosen-and-put-order-and-why-theres-no-cat https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac/article/3295998/how-12-chinese-zodiac-animals-were-chosen-and-put-order-and-why-theres-no-cat Thu, 23 Jan 2025 20:15:08 +0000 From snake-themed events to whether your luck is in: discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year in our Year of the Snake 2025 series. During the Lunar New Year, crowds flock to Chinese temples to pray for blessings and good fortune in the year ahead. It is an age-old tradition that involves offering incense sticks to the guardian deities, who each oversee a certain aspect of life, such as money, happiness and love. There are dozens of gods in Chinese mythology. Among the ones... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3295803/better-luck-year-snake-2025-also-pray-these-3-chinese-gods https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3295803/better-luck-year-snake-2025-also-pray-these-3-chinese-gods Thu, 23 Jan 2025 09:15:07 +0000 This is the 42nd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. G.E.M. is that rare Cantopop singer who is more popular in mainland China than in Hong Kong. The musician, whose real name is Gloria Tang Tze-kei, has certainly lived up to her stage name over the past 15 years. Aside from songs and performances that have the ability to “get everybody moving” – her stage name was originally intended as an acronym of the phrase – she is considered a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3294962/how-gem-became-chinas-taylor-swift-hong-kong-singer-songwriters-story https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3294962/how-gem-became-chinas-taylor-swift-hong-kong-singer-songwriters-story Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Those born during the Year of the Snake may be inclined to think 2025 will be their lucky year. After all, their zodiac animal will soon be plastered on red packets, stamps, clothing and more. But according to Chinese geomancy, Snakes (born in 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 and 2013) will in fact experience unstable luck and challenges in relationships when the new lunar year begins on January 29. That is because of the 12-year curse, or ben ming nian in Mandarin Chinese. Every year,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3294153/why-year-snake-cursed-snakes-and-how-appease-deities-avoid-bad-luck https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3294153/why-year-snake-cursed-snakes-and-how-appease-deities-avoid-bad-luck Sat, 11 Jan 2025 23:45:08 +0000 It is a label you have seen on menus, packaged foods, cans of soup, dipping sauces and in restaurant windows all around the world: “No MSG”. For decades, not using the flavour enhancer MSG, or monosodium glutamate, in a dish or product was considered a positive, as the ingredient was widely deemed unhealthy. But where did the stigma surrounding MSG come from? It all began in 1968, when the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published a letter detailing symptoms of what was called “Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3293882/how-msg-got-its-stigma-and-those-redeeming-ingredient-combat-asian-hate https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3293882/how-msg-got-its-stigma-and-those-redeeming-ingredient-combat-asian-hate Wed, 08 Jan 2025 11:15:07 +0000 From snake-themed events to whether your luck is in: discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year in our Year of the Snake 2025 series. For centuries, animals have been a source of inspiration for Chinese martial arts. The association dates back to the Eastern Han dynasty (AD25-220), when the Chinese doctor Hua Tuo developed a set of animal-based exercises called “Frolics of the Five Animals” with the aim of improving people’s health. Fast-forward to today, and several styles of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3293242/5-films-feature-snake-kung-fu-kung-fu-panda-karate-kid https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3293242/5-films-feature-snake-kung-fu-kung-fu-panda-karate-kid Sun, 05 Jan 2025 03:15:08 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui For South Africa, February 11, 1990 is a memorable date. On that day, anti-apartheid activist and future president Nelson Mandela was released from the Victor Verster Prison after spending 27 years behind bars. Exiting hand in hand with his wife Winnie, he was greeted by a euphoric crowd of supporters who had waited hours outside the gates to see him walk out as a free man. It was a historic moment that marked the beginning of the end of apartheid. News of Mandela’s release was circulated around... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3292480/why-beyonds-song-glorious-years-so-loved-hong-kong-and-became-instant-hit https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3292480/why-beyonds-song-glorious-years-so-loved-hong-kong-and-became-instant-hit Sun, 29 Dec 2024 10:15:10 +0000 Visiting the AIA Carnival on Hong Kong’s Central Harbourfront is an annual tradition for Rosabella Kwong, barring the interruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. “Sometimes, I might even go twice,” she says at this year’s carnival, which opened on December 20. This time she has come with her partner William Cheung, who carries a bag full of stuffed animal prizes. Games hold the biggest attraction for the couple, though Kwong notes that what makes her come back year after year is the carnival’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3292316/hong-kongs-aia-carnival-and-super-fans-whose-love-games-goes-next-level https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3292316/hong-kongs-aia-carnival-and-super-fans-whose-love-games-goes-next-level Fri, 27 Dec 2024 04:45:08 +0000 From snake-themed events to whether your luck is in: discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year in our Year of the Snake 2025 series. For decades, fashion brands have embraced the snake as a motif. Luxury houses – from Cartier to Bulgari – have released jewellery collections dedicated to the reptile, while snakeskin prints have long been used in coats, boots, bags and other accessories. As the Year of the Snake draws closer – it begins on January 29, 2025 – many brands are... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3291956/best-snake-inspired-fashion-and-jewellery-coming-year-snake https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3291956/best-snake-inspired-fashion-and-jewellery-coming-year-snake Wed, 25 Dec 2024 09:15:08 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui Take one look at paintings by the late Chinese-American artist Walasse Ting and you will immediately feel a sense of joy and exuberance. The artist is known for his unapologetic use of lively acrylic colours, while his preferred motifs – dynamic flowers, sultry women, lounging cats – easily give rise to positive feelings. “I always loved [my father’s paintings] because they were all different colours and everything was pretty, and there was nothing I couldn’t understand,” says his daughter Mia... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3291704/how-chinese-american-artist-walasse-tings-vibrant-paintings-mixed-chinese-western-styles https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3291704/how-chinese-american-artist-walasse-tings-vibrant-paintings-mixed-chinese-western-styles Sun, 22 Dec 2024 05:15:08 +0000 Hongkong Post has unveiled its special stamps marking the upcoming Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac. Official first-day covers and souvenir covers go on sale at Hongkong Post offices and online from December 18. Sets of four stamps and other souvenirs go on sale on January 5, 2025. The four stamps making up the set each feature a snake wrapped around auspicious plants and flowers that carry significance in Chinese culture. For example, the HK$2.20 stamp depicts a purple snake wrapped... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3291236/year-snake-stamps-unveiled-hongkong-post-go-sale-january-5-2025 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3291236/year-snake-stamps-unveiled-hongkong-post-go-sale-january-5-2025 Tue, 17 Dec 2024 11:45:07 +0000