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Cantonese culture, slang and customs

Cantonese culture, slang and customs
Latest news and updates on all things Cantonese, including its slang terms and the culture and customs of the millions of people who speak the southern Chinese dialect in Hong Kong, Guangdong and around the world.
Singers Chloe Wong (left) and Marco Tang are part of the 17-person troupe responsible for “Wicked in Canto”, a series of videos featuring songs from the global musical phenomenon performed in Cantonese. Photo: Edmond So
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Wicked songs in Cantonese? New online series champions Hong Kong talent

Songs like ‘Popular’ and ‘What Is This Feeling’ have been painstakingly translated for the ‘Wicked in Canto’ series on YouTube and Instagram.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | Simplified Chinese for tests? Rigid education system needs proper reform

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Gen Z

Language Matters | What’s the story behind Gen Alpha’s ‘6-7’? More meaning than you think

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Hong Kong society

Australian in Hong Kong wins locals over with efforts to learn Cantonese

Strategy consultant Jonas Groom, 29, posts clips online of his progress learning language, and while his tones may be ‘terrible’, locals are impressed.

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Jonas Groom has a laugh with Mr Kwong, the owner of a cha chaan teng in Sai Ying Pun, as he pays for his meal. Photo: Sophie Li
Hong Kong culture

Want to learn Cantonese? Take lessons from this 8-year-old from Hong Kong

Aiden Tsang makes learning Cantonese fun with his cute Instagram videos that get likes from Jimmy O. Yang and other Hong Kong celebrities.

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Hong Kong society

‘Unique’ and ‘stunning’: Hong Kong’s fire dragon dance draws thousands to Tai Hang

Visitors from around world pack into narrow streets of Causeway Bay neighbourhood for annual event celebrating Cantonese culture.

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Food and Drinks

‘This is who we are’: New York’s Potluck Club reinvents Cantonese cuisine

From decor to dishes, the founders of Potluck Club and Phoenix Palace have looked to their childhood growing up in Manhattan’s Chinatown.

Cory Ng is one of the co-founders of Potluck Club in Manhattan, New York. The restaurant serves Cantonese cuisine with a modern twist. Photo: Potluck Club
Chinese culture

China cancels William So concerts over drug past, but says it’s not enough

Communist Party paper People’s Daily says businesses must put artists’ moral and legal record first, not profit.

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Hong Kong culture

Hongkongers learn how to ‘break the gates of hell’ for Hungry Ghost Festival

Solemn ritual is traditionally performed by Taoist priests for funerals, but workshop offers residents chance to give the practice a go.

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Chinese culture

Is this the end of the Hungry Ghost Festival at Hong Kong’s Wah Fu Estate?

An extensive estate redevelopment plan could spell doom for one of the city’s more notable Hungry Ghost Festival celebrations.

Hungry Ghost Festival rituals are held at Wah Fu Estate in Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, on August 31, 2025. Photo: Karma Lo
Food and Drinks

How do you keep Cantonese cuisine alive? Ask this Chinese chef in Singapore

Chef Albert Li of the new Jin Ting Wan at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands talks about how he’s innovating on traditional Cantonese cooking.

Poached Hokkaido squid with peanut and garlic with chilli oil is one of chef Albert Li’s Singapore-influenced dishes at Jin Ting Wan. Photo: Jin Ting Wan
Chinese culture

Do you know your gu fu from your yi ma? How to greet your Chinese relatives

Chinese family titles can be a minefield. From paternal grandfathers’ older brothers to mothers’ younger sisters, here are some useful ones.

On Our Radar

M+ exhibition celebrates evolution of 20th century Cantonese art

The paintings, prints and other visual media of Guangdong show its transformative contribution to 20th century Chinese art.

Chinese culture

Language Matters | What to know about intangible cultural heritage amid Hong Kong celebrations

With Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Month in full flow, a look at ICH’s five main domains and the importance of linguistic heritage.

The annual Mid-Autumn Festival fire dragon dance is performed in Tai Hang, Hong Kong on September 16, 2024. The fire dragon dance is listed on the Representative List of the ICH of Hong Kong, under social practices, rituals and festive events. Photo: Dickson Lee
Food and Drinks

Hong Kong noodle chain Tam Jai flying high with HK Express tie-up

Restaurant chain serving noodles on flights and selling beauty products while rewriting the narrative about its ‘Tam Jai jehjeh’ waitresses.

A waitress at a Tam Jai restaurant in Hong Kong. Photo: Alexander Mak
Food and Drinks

929, New York bar that plays Chinese pop, is an ode to its owner’s roots

A temple to Cantopop and Mandopop, 929 serves cocktails inspired by Leslie Cheung and Dou Wei. For the owner, it’s about embracing identity.

Food and Drinks

Recap | Unveiling the best of Cantonese cuisine

Explore the global influence of Cantonese cooking, from the kung fu secrets of wok hei to Michelin-starred fine dining around the world, to the worldwide embracing of XO sauce and shrimp paste.

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Hong Kong culture

Video | Sunset for Hong Kong’s Sunbeam Theatre

The church group that purchased the theatre plans to convert the building into a community centre.

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Photo: SCMP
From our archives

When Hong Kong announced the city’s first open-air theatre

In 1983, the curtain was raised on the Ko Shan Road park and theatre, which took 2 years and HK$50 million to build.

Hong Kong culture

Opinion | Cantonese opera need not be popular to be part of Hong Kong heritage

Preserving the theatre means preserving a piece of the city’s cultural identity, affirming Cantonese opera as part of our heritage.

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Hong Kong culture

Editorial | Show must go on for Cantonese opera after Sunbeam curtain falls in Hong Kong

While the success of the Xiqu Centre and other initiatives such a school outreach have spread the art form’s appeal, more can still be done.

Fans queue up for Sunbeam Theatre’s last show “Xiaoping the legend”. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong society

‘I know who I’d want to hit’: Hongkongers, tourists queue to curse ‘villains’

Causeway Bay underpass packed for annual beating and burning of effigies, as tradition draws hundreds.

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About 17 stalls were set up at the underpass on Wednesday. Photo: Eugene Lee
Chinese overseas

Being Chinese | I look Chinese but don’t speak the language. Is that so bad?

I may be missing out on a deeper appreciation of the culture, but I’ve learned to live with it – thank goodness for translation apps.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | John Lee is right. Harbin is an inspiration – in being uniquely itself

Harbin’s attraction for visitors lies in its distinctive weather and Russian legacy. In the same way, Hong Kong should draw on its colonial past and local colour.

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Profile

Cantonese opera star Mitche Choi on keeping the Hong Kong tradition alive

Mitche Choi knows a thing or two about being in a man’s world – the Cantonese opera star spent a career playing the male roles and modernising the highly traditional art form for today’s audiences.

Mitche Choi wears a traditional Cantonese opera costume. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Hong Kong culture

Opinion | Panda fever is great but Hong Kong needs its own cultural icon

The Lion Rock, the unmistakable red-sailed junk and the 120-year-old tram system are all cultural assets unique to the city.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Hong Kong society

Trump on Show: hit opera with young Hongkongers to rerun, eyes global stage

Sunbeam Theatre in North Point to revive popular show as swansong ahead of March closure.

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Hong Kong society

How a Hong Kong DJ is bringing the tunes of Joey Yung, Eason Chan to the world

Pete Sabine, also known as DJ Fabsabs, says he is on a quest to connect with Hongkongers globally through his Cantopop sets.

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