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.
The King Parrot Group celebrated the opening of their latest restaurant King Ludwig am Meer in Soho West with a party on 10 November, 2024.
Okay, I know many of you will go ‘Soho West!’ Well, think of Sai Wan Ho’s Soho East in the West. It’s a short walk from Nam Cheong MTR, and while it is all high-rise concrete and glass… The waterfront promenade is pet friendly, faces west to catch the sunset, and even boasts a view of Hong Kong Island. You can also, sort of, walk along the water’s edge all the way to West Kowloon and thence to TST and the Star Ferry.
All in all, in a very manufactured way, it is rather a nice place to grab some fresh air – especially now you can enjoy a cold beer at King Ludwig and sit outside!
All images copyright bc magazine/ Simon Durrant – all rights reserved
Oktoberfest is one of those fun festivals that has been adopted globally. And just as Songkran encourages us to soak others in water, Oktoberfest is an ‘excuse’ for people around the world to have fun and dance on the table…
The US Meat Export Federation hosted a night at Oktoberfest in Central Market on 29 October. The open centre of the market has been converted into a Hong Kong style German Beer Hall including a stage where traditional German music from the Notenhobler’s sets the mood.
There’s a range of traditional German dishes: pork knuckle, pretzels, sauerkraut, apple strudel and some delicious US pork ribs.
After dinner, while enjoying your beer, you can blow the big horn and start the party with some fun games.
Click here for the full gallery of images
All images copyright bc magazine/ Simon Durrant – all rights reserved
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
The Hong Kong Press Photographers Association (HKPPA) has announced the winner of its annual “Focus on the Frontline” photo competition.
The 2021 winner is HK01‘s Liu Ngan Hung for his photo “The Pillar of Shame” depicting workers removing the Pillar of Shame from HKU. The statue remembers those murdered when the People’s Liberation Army opened fire on democracy protesters in Tian’anmen Square on 4 June 1989.
The “Focus On The Frontline” photo contest began in 1993 and has become one of the most prestigious awards for local photojournalists. Through the competition, the HKPPA looks for photographs that are important to Hong Kong’s history and which combine the elements of art and journalism.
Commenting on the winner “The jury thinks ‘The Pillar of Shame’ reflects the Hong Kong people’s sustained concern over June 4th, which is also a yearning and worries for the country’s democratisation. As workers removed the pillar in the twilight, it symbolises the freedoms of thought and expression once cherished in Hong Kong being dispossessed. The lighting condition and framing of the photograph gives it a baroque aesthetic, bringing tension to the work. The posture of workers lowering their heads to avoid being photographed and the darkness that envelopes the action are metaphorical, constructing a meaning that is more than the sum of all the visual elements in the image.”
Ming Pao’s Lam Oi Yee image of people drinking on a street, metres away from a fatal car accident came second in the Spot News category.
The winners of The Hong Kong Photo Contest 2021 organised by National Geographic – for photos taken in Hong Kong before 3 December 2021 – have been announced. There is no overall winner, just winners in each of the six categories: City; Wildlife; Landscape; People; Mobile and Short Video.
“It has allowed me to once again renew my perspective on Hong Kong’s urban, cultural and natural features,” said National Geographic Documentary director Andrew Yao about judging the entries. “A video entry that chronicled the Yau Ma Tei Car Park Building before its demolition impressed me the most this year. Using time-lapse photography, the videographer [So Ka Chun] succinctly captured the tenseness of Hong Kong’s daily life as well as the monotonous, if not mechanical pace of the city. It is a requiem for historical buildings, which when combined with its wonderful ending and soulful soundtracks, makes for a touching and deeply impressive piece of video work.”
There is a virtual exhibition of the winning entries at hkphotocontest.com/exhibition.asp which is online until 31 July 2022.
Instagram links to winners added – some beautiful images of Hong Kong.
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2022/The-Hong-Kong-Photo-Contest-2021/i-PM3XWBW
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2022/The-Hong-Kong-Photo-Contest-2021/i-Q8Bb3V4
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2022/The-Hong-Kong-Photo-Contest-2021/i-rj8fn3t
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2022/The-Hong-Kong-Photo-Contest-2021/i-Bz9bKNn
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2022/The-Hong-Kong-Photo-Contest-2021/i-pvszWt2
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2022/The-Hong-Kong-Photo-Contest-2021/i-LndLmMP
An exhibition of winning entries will be held at Gallery by the Harbour, Harbour City dates to be confirmed.
Hundreds of thousands of HongKongers braved a chilly evening and gathered on both shores of Victoria Harbour to kick out a depressing and stressful 2021 and communally embrace the hope and expectations of a New Year.
It was disappointing that even after months of no local Covid infections and harsh quarantine measures, the government still cancelled the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display. The ‘enhanced’ Symphony of Lights didn’t really offer anything to those watching from Kowloon side, not even a 2022 on the front of the HKCEC…
But you would be wrong to think too negatively, people gathered knowing there were no fireworks. We gathered peacefully, no shoving or pushing, to recharge each other. To support and strengthen the old and the young after the harshness of the last twelve months.
Where alone and individually we might not feel strong to face 2022, together unspoken counting down to midnight we recharged each other’s batteries and shared our strength.
Together we are HongKongers and our flame burns brightly in the cold dark night! Happy New Year!
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2022/New-Years-Eve-2022-Victoria-Harbour-Hong-Kong/i-P8bXMXW
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2022/New-Years-Eve-2022-Victoria-Harbour-Hong-Kong/i-JXh7kpv
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2022/New-Years-Eve-2022-Victoria-Harbour-Hong-Kong/i-MBNzXxS
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2022/New-Years-Eve-2022-Victoria-Harbour-Hong-Kong/i-x4CQg5C
photos: HKTB
The winners of the 10th Hong Kong Underwater Photo Competition 2021 – for photos taken in the year up to 30 September 2021 – have been announced and the winner in the Macro & Close-Up category is Fran Cheung for her image “Single-eyed Hairy Shrimp” (above) taken off Yin Tsz Ngam. While Henry Li is the Champion of the Standard and Wide Angle Category.
First Runner-up:
Poon Yiu Nam David – I Believe I Can Fly, taken off East Dam
Second Runner-up:
Henry Li
First Runner-up:
Yu Wing Chung
Second Runner-up:
Ho Tsz Hung Daniel
Exhibition of winning entries will be held as follows:
Date: 28 November – 2 December 2021
Time: 10am to 7pm
Venue: Venue A, Level 7, Fortune Metropolis, Hung Hom
Date: 2-6 January, 2022
Time: 10am to 7pm
Venue: Atrium C, L2, MOSTown, Ma On Shan
There is also a virtual exhibition of the winning entries at www.golocal360.co/HKUPVC2021/index.htm which is online until 27 November, 2022.
A booklet about this year’s competition and the winners can be downloaded here
