A recently published video by YouTuber Drew Binsky reminds the world of Hong Kong’s cage and coffin homes.
The video also captures the unique spirit and generosity of HongKongers and it’s that, that makes Hong Kong such a wonderful place.
Regrettably, the government’s planned new legislation only covers sub-divided flats – not cage or coffin homes.
Even for Hong Kong, buying a newspaper’s front page to tell the world about your love life is a bit extreme. But 8 years ago Joseph Lau, Leun-hung did exactly that.
The advert was a blunt and informative response to tabloid speculation about the status of his relationship with Lui Lai-kwan.
Oh did local tongues wag…
The Hong Kong Photo Contest 2024, organised by National Geographic, is open for entries for photos taken in Hong Kong before 3 December 2024.
This year’s six categories: City; Wildlife; Landscape; People; Mobile and Sports.
Winners will be chosen in March 2025, with the winner’s photograph in each category being published in National Geographic magazine (Traditional Chinese edition).
Submission guidelines can be found here
Choices, choices, choices… The HKTB‘s Wine & Dine Festival is back with over 300 booths full of food and drink to explore savour and hopefully enjoy.
Everyone will have their own preferences and ideas as to how to explore the festival. My approach is what can I do and taste here which I probably can’t/wouldn’t away from the festival. And that mostly means food! There are so many wine and spirits shops in Hong Kong that you can buy a bottle of pretty much anything you want to sample away from the festival.
The Cutest drink
Honestly, to tease and please your tastebuds head to the Culinary Stars area first to sample dishes from some of Hong Kong’s finest restaurants including The Aubery, Fisholic, Hong Kong Cuisine, An Choi, The Baker and The Bottleman and The Grand HK which is showcasing their new Bakery.
When you go out to a restaurant you can enjoy one version of a dish. At the festival, several restaurants are, for example, offering Siu Mai – so you can buy from several booths and taste and compare them at the same time. Exploring how each chef views and thinks of such a basic staple and much-loved Hong Kong dish. The different flavours and textures are profound, surprising and delicious and will spoil you for your basic everyday version.
The Vietnamese egg coffee at An Choi – as good, if not better than you’ll find on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City.
To the left of the entrance is the ‘hotel zone’ where some of Hong Kong fancy hotels are showcasing the favourite dishes from their restaurants. It’s also one of the areas where you can find vegetarian food.
There’s US and Argentinan Beef to enjoy.
Near the Star Fery entrance is the French zone with some lovely cheeses – a nice way to start or something to enjoy later with a glass of wine or a cocktail.
Don’t forget to take pictures of your food
There are two live music stages, both of which have chairs, when you a rest.
Cheers and Enjoy!
Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival
Date: 23-27 October, 2024
Venue: Central Harbourfront Event Space
Tickets: $400, $290, $240
Notes:
23 October 2024 (Wednesday), 7:30–11pm
24–25 October 2024 (Thursday – Friday), 4–11pm
26–27 October 2024 (Saturday – Sunday), 12–11pm
All images copyright bc magazine / simon durrant – all rights reserved
HKTB‘s Wine & Dine Festival 2024 buzzed with excitement and anticipation as booth owners—first-timers and old hands—rushed to finalize their preparations. Suddenly, it was 6:30 p.m., and the doors were open…
Click on any image to see the full gallery
Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival
Date: 23-27 October, 2024
Venue: Central Harbourfront Event Space
Tickets: $400, $290, $240
Notes:
23 October 2024 (Wednesday), 7:30–11pm
24–25 October 2024 (Thursday – Friday), 4–11pm
26–27 October 2024 (Saturday – Sunday), 12–11pm
All images copyright bc magazine / simon durrant – all rights reserved
Halloween starts early this year with a 3D light show projected onto the domed roof of the Hong Kong Space Museum on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. The show runs from 20:15-22:30 daily until 31 October.
Characters include a hungry pumpkin enjoying local delicacies, a funky ghost DJ playing music through the 1night, a friendly pineapple bun inviting passers-by to pose for selfies, a romantic galactic spirit exploring Hong Kong on an iconic tram, and a party-loving bat toasting the Halloween season.
Also look out for the Halloween tram…
Halloween 3D Celestial Projection Show
Date: 18-31 October, 2024
Venue: Hong Kong Space Museum
Tickets: Free
image: HK Tourism
Anniversary of pro-democracy demonstration takes place in city where protest has been largely criminalised and activists silenced
Today Hong Kong’s streets are quiet. Protest has been largely criminalised, and many of the leaders of the Umbrella movement have been exiled, jailed or otherwise silenced.
Looking back, Wendy* remembers the feeling of that first day of Occupy. She was 25 and believed in Hong Kong’s Basic Law, and its promise to deliver universal suffrage to the people now that the territory had been returned from British to Chinese control. But instead, China’s government announced that in elections people would only be able to choose from a few candidates handpicked by a mostly pro-Beijing committee.
“It seemed that the government wanted to break their promise,” Wendy tells the Guardian from Hong Kong. “So I went out.”…
Read the full article on The Guardian website
On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the streets of Tai Hang resonate with the vibrant sounds of gongs and drums. And the intense smell of incense heralds the arrival of the century-old fire dragon as it dances for good fortune.
The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance is staged for three consecutive nights (16 to 18 September) on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival to bring good fortune to the neighbourhood and its residents.
The 220-foot dragon is handcrafted each year by the Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Association, a process that takes around two months. The head and tail sections are constructed of rattan, and the body of thick rope with the dragon’s body then wrapped in chamber bitter leaves.
The dragon’s body is pierced with incense sticks ahead of the consecration ceremony which takes place the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival, at the Lin Fa Kung Temple. After the dragon’s eyes are painted on, the fire dragon is alive.
This year the traditional joss sticks have been replaced with 10,000 LED
bulbs and the route extended so more people can enjoy the dance up-close.
images: HK Tourism
