Hong Kong’s historic flea market, Temple Street, is to be “revitalised” into a market with food stalls and performances in November, a representative of the market’s hawkers has said.

Located in Yau Ma Tei, the market attracted hundreds of hawkers in the 1960s, becoming famous for cheap merchandise, street food, as well as stalls for fortune-telling. However, business has declined over recent years under the city’s strict Covid-19 restrictions. It has yet to recover since the pandemic rules were lifted early this year.

“We hope to develop it with reference to Taiwan’s Silin Night Market, ” Raymond Chan, a pro-establishment politician and chair of the Yau Ma Tei Temple Street Association of Hawkers, told RTHK on Monday in Cantonese.

Chan said that, while there used to be around 200 hawkers, currently only around 100 are actively running. He told HK01 in August that he had never seen the streets of Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui so quiet.

To boost business around Temple Street, the association plans to set up 30 street food stalls for a night market: “12 stalls will be operated by existing restaurants on Temple Street, and the rest are from restaurants in nearby streets, ” Chan said.

Amid a weak growth outlook and a slower-than-hoped tourism recovery, the government launched a “Hong Kong Night Vibes” campaign to boost the night-time economy last month. The campaign involved a series of night markets along the city’s harbourfronts at Kennedy Town, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui during holidays and weekends.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hong Kong Kevin Yeung told TVB on Sunday that the area would be “revitalised” in November with street stalls and performances, but it should also take into account of the needs of residents as there were residential buildings surrounding the thoroughfare.

Chan said that the association hoped to host the night market until 11pm each night: “Our staff will patrol at 10pm everyday and ask tourists and diners to lower their voices as not to interfere with people living upstairs,” Chan said.

HKFP has reached out to the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau for more details.

Few tourists

However, Luk Hing Fat, another representative for hawkers, told Commercial Radio in September that he believed the plan would not help rejuvenate the tourist hotspot, as it is hard to attract many tourists by simply putting on street food stalls.

Luk, chair of the Temple Street Association of Commerce, said that the market declined because it did not renovate its business model and kept selling goods from mainland China. Another factor, he added, was the decreasing number of tourists: “There are few tourists from Europe and the US. Few visited [Temple Street].”

“Temple Street is a famous night-time attraction in Hong Kong,” a Hong Kong Tourism Board spokesperson told HKFP on Tuesday in an emailed response. “The Hong Kong Tourism Board is discussing with related trade associations and government departments to make plans to enhance the overall vibe of Temple Street. Details will be announced in due course.”

As one of the city’s pillar industries, the tourism sector has seen a slow recovery since the pandemic, with mainland Chinese arrivals picking up faster than international travellers.

In August, Hong Kong welcomed 4.07 million visitors, up 14 per cent from the previous month, according to provisional data from the Tourism Board. In August 2018, the city saw nearly 6 million visitors. Even during the height of the pro-democracy protests and unrest in August 2019, the city welcomed 3.59 million arrivals.

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By Amber Wang in Taoyuan, Taiwan

Dressed in a robe fringed with beaded tassels, traditional Taiwanese opera singer Jen Chieh-li applies the final touches to her heavily painted face as she prepares to take the stage.

The 34-year-old is a member of Jing Sheng Opera, one of a handful of troupes in Taiwan still staging traditional dramas in the Hakka language — a dialect that is not widely spoken on the island because of its dwindling ethnic population.

Taiwan’s traditional Hakka opera, usually performed at religious festivals, dates back to the late Qing Dynasty and was brought to the island by migrants from mainland China.

Even as its popularity dwindles, Jen, who has trained at a drama school since the age of 12, said she would not give up the fading art.

“I could find a regular job but it would be a waste of all the time and effort I have devoted to studying and performing Hakka opera,” she told AFP.

That sweltering night in northern Taoyuan county, Jen was performing “Legend of the White Snake”, a famous Chinese folk tale about a romance between a man and a serpent spirit.

Around 100 people, mostly elderly, sat on plastic stools to watch the show on a makeshift stage outside a temple in a reflection of Hakka opera’s struggle to capture the attention of a shrinking audience.

“It is a niche performance art as many people don’t even understand the language,” said Chiang Yu-ling, who founded the Jing Sheng Opera with her husband 19 years ago.

There are only eight Hakka troupes in Taiwan that can keep regular staff, albeit with financial support from the government and private sponsors, according to Chiang.

She is counting on new blood, such as Jen, who is studying for a master’s degree in performance art, to help bring in more and younger audiences.

“My husband and I are in our 50s and we have limited ideas. We hope to get more young people on board… to make Hakka opera more different,” Chiang told AFP.

People are nostalgic

Hakka shares similarities with Peking opera, the most dominant form of traditional Chinese opera that has UNESCO heritage recognition, but language is one of the main reasons for its flagging popularity.

In Taiwan, where Mandarin is widely spoken, Hakka people make up less than 20 percent of its 23 million population, and even those within the community are no longer fluent in the dialect.

“My father’s generation speak mostly Mandarin already and I speak very little Hakka,” said Louis Lo, 30, who was accompanying his elderly relatives to the show.

“The opera doesn’t appeal to young people due to the language barrier,” he told AFP.

To attract more fans, Jing Sheng’s troupe has incorporated modern elements into traditional performances.

One example is their update of a Chinese folk drama involving a dragon princess and her human lover, which now includes street dance sequences, fire acts and acrobatics.

“We are getting the audiences to know Hakka opera through more innovative performances and hopefully they would also want to watch the traditional ones,” Jen said.

Despite their dwindling audience numbers, fellow performer Shih Yu-tsen, 31, said the art form “definitely won’t vanish”.

“There may be fewer Hakka operas but people are nostalgic,” she told AFP.

“They will recall the past all of a sudden and they will want to watch it.”

Besides, Jen said, a show ticket costs as little as $200 Taiwan dollars (US$6.30) with student discounts.

“We often say it just takes the same amount of money to buy a Starbucks to support traditional art, to keep it alive,” she said.

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The Album Leaf is returning to Hong Kong this month a sound that “fuses shadowy, cerebral terrain and meditative, dreamy precision pop.”

The US musical project was founded in 1998 by Jimmy LaValle, who is known for his visual art performances, and fusion of electronics, synthesizer, and piano.

The latest Album Leaf record was released in May – Future Falling: 2023.

• Tickets: On sale now via Ticketflap at HK$450.
• Venue: Music Zone, KITEC
• Address: No. 1 Trade Fair Drive, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong.

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Hong Kong has bagged a record-breaking total of 53 medals at the 19th Asian Games, which came to a close in Hangzhou, China, on Sunday evening.

Hong Kong’s 660 athletes were among 12,000 from all 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia who competed at the sporting event over the past two weeks.

The Hong Kong delegation took eight gold medals at the games. Olympic fencing champion Edgar Cheung scooped a historic gold for the city on the first day of the quadrennial event, while star swimmer Siobhan Haughey took home two gold medals – one in the 200-metre freestyle and another in the 100-metre freestyle as she set a new Asian record.

The Hong Kong men’s rugby sevens team defended their top spot by defeating South Korea in the final, and golfer Taichi Kho took gold in the men’s individual event.

Cyclist Yang Qian-yu clinched gold in the women’s road race in a remarkable cap on her career ahead of her imminent retirement. Rowers Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun also won gold for the city in the men’s pair final.

Hong Kong ended up ranking 12th overall as the athletes rounded out the games with 16 silver medals and 29 bronze. The women’s epee team took silver after losing to South Korea 36-34, while the women’s cycling team scooped bronze by defeating South Korea.

Much to the dismay of local football diehards, Hong Kong was thrashed by Uzbekistan in the bronze medal match in a 4-0 defeat. But the team still went further than they have before by finishing fourth.

Chinese chess player Wong Hok-him, who took bronze alongside his teammates, was the flag bearer for Hong Kong on Sunday. Rugby veteran Salom Yiu took up the role of joint-flag bearer, closing out his final Asian Games.

Leader’s congratulations

Chief Executive John Lee congratulated the athletes in a statement, calling their achievements at the 19th edition of the games “very encouraging” and adding that it was their perseverance and hard work that earned them applause and support.

“The Hong Kong athletes had endured arduous training over the years and fought hard in the competitions, displaying professional sportsmanship. I believe that all Hong Kong people, like myself, are extremely proud of the grace shown by all our athletes in the Games,” he said.

Sports sector lawmaker Kenneth Fok, chef de mission of the Hong Kong, China delegation, said young up-and-comers had achieved outstanding results in a “testament to the wealth of talent in Hong Kong’s sports sector.”

“I look forward to an even more vibrant sports development in Hong Kong,” Fok said in a statement.

The Hong Kong government and the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China will hold a homecoming ceremony for athletes on Saturday.

On Sunday, China topped the table with a total of 383 medals – 201 of them gold – followed by Japan with 52 gold, 67 silver, and 69 bronze. Korea took third place overall with 190 medals, 42 of which were gold, 59 silver, and 89 bronze.

Aichi and Nagoya will be co-hosting the 20th edition in 2026, making them Japan’s third games, after it last hosted in Hiroshima in 1994, and Tokyo in 1958.

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Like much else in Hong Kong, the media landscape has changed dramatically since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the city in 2020, with outlets closed and journalists put on trial.

As a result, self-censorship is increasingly inevitable, says journalism scholar Francis Lee – but that should not be seen as surrender, particularly for those who strive to maintain space for professional journalism.

Lee, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s School of Journalism and Communication, has spoken extensively to journalists in the city about how they “manage risk” amid increasing legal and political uncertainty.

“To simply avoid risk is not risk management,” Lee told HKFP in an interview conducted in Cantonese after his findings were published in July. “To manage risk is to take risks when necessary.”

The emergent “risk culture” in the city was not limited to those in the media, he added. “Today, anyone who is still involved in the public sphere in Hong Kong will constantly assess and manage risks,” Lee said. That also applied to him. 

As a scholar specialising in journalism and social movements, Lee has played an active role in the city’s public sphere. He was an expert witness for the defence in the city’s first national security trial, when he presented research on the controversial “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” protest slogan.

The court later ruled that the phrase was capable of inciting secession, one of four crimes listed under the national security law. Since its implementation, the legislation has been criticised internationally for its broad definitions and alleged overuse, while the government maintains it has helped restore order in the city.

Unlike many public intellectuals who have chosen to keep a low profile or leave the city, Lee has stayed, and continues to study civil society and give talks on press freedom in Hong Kong. This summer, he published a Chinese-language book on how to read the news, covering topics such as media funding, political affiliation, professionalism, and disinformation. 

“When there is something you really want to do, you just have to try it. You know things may be different in Hong Kong today, and you might feel a bit worried or scared, but in the end you just have to give it a go,” Lee said.

‘Typhoon protection measures‘ 

While academia often lags behind social changes because of the time it takes for researchers to secure funding, Lee has tried to keep pace, closely following Hong Kong’s changing political landscape. He has studied the media’s role in a mass protest in 2003, the public memory of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, and the internet’s role in more recent movements.

“You just try to study things as they happen. Big-scale surveys and telephone interviews do cost a lot, but just going to the scene and doing interviews is affordable,” Lee said. “Sometimes, [we] need to pay for it ourselves first and consider funding applications later.”

At the height of the 2019 protests and unrest, Lee and three other scholars conducted a series of onsite surveys about participants’ motivations.

When the national security law reached the media sector – resulting in the closure of the city’s largest pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and independent online media outlets, Stand News and Citizen News – Lee felt he should follow the resulting changes. 

Apple Daily and Stand News stopped operations on June 24, 2021, and December 29, 2021, respectively, following police raids on their newsrooms and the arrests of editors and management staff.

In the wake of these events, Lee’s research team conducted 43 in-depth interviews with journalists and editors from 12 media outlets in the first half of 2022. Amid a rise in self-censorship – once a taboo newsroom topic that is now more openly discussed and debated – Lee also identified a strong sense of resilience. 

Journalists have developed various ways of assessing risks, such as studying the law and relevant court cases, staying alert to everyday “signals,” and evaluating situations based upon knowledge of mainland China’ s political system and how it has handled dissidents. 

Some journalists said they had made a “conscious choice” to reduce risk through minimal or “acceptable” self-censorship, Lee said. That might include carefully selecting which words to use when reporting on more sensitive topics, or incorporating soft news to show “the outlet did not confront the government all the time.”

One journalist told the research team that his outlet used the term “typhoon protection measures” to describe procedures employed when covering the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. For example, when covering activists’ speeches, they would choose neutral terms to avoid being perceived as advocating on anyone’s behalf.  

For decades, Hong Kong was the only place on Chinese soil where events to honour those killed when the People’s Liberation Army dispersed protesters in Beijing on June 4, 1989, were allowed. However, the annual candlelight vigil in Causeway Bay was not permitted amid the Covid pandemic, and monuments to commemorate the victims have been removed from university campuses. This year passed without any formal observances.

“What we can see is an ongoing negotiation through which journalists try to reconcile the pressure to self-censor with their sense of professionalism,” Lee wrote in the paper published in July, arguing that this process was essential in “preventing risk management from becoming sheer risk avoidance.”

Sometimes media outlets did take risks even after assessing the pressures. One editor told the research team that their outlet had considered taking down some articles after authorities accused Stand News of sedition; during the trial opinion pieces, profiles and articles – 17 items in total – were identified as evidence of “seditious” materials.

In the end, editors of the outlet decided against removing any content. “Because they did not want to send the wrong signal and exacerbate the trend of society-wide self-censorship,” according to the research paper.  

Hanging in the balance

Hong Kong has seen a drastic decline in press freedom, according to an international index compiled by Reporters Without Borders. It dropped to 148th in 2022 from 80th in 2021 before rising eight places to 140th in 2023 – still near the bottom. 

Separately, the Hong Kong Journalists Association’s Press Freedom Index dropped to new lows last year, with journalists saying they were hesitant to criticise the central government.

While freedom of the media was low, Lee said the situation had “reached a balance” this year as there had been no new legal cases launched against media organisations or reporters. Additionally, independent media outlet The Collective was launched and existing ones, such as InMedia, remained in operation.  

“Every authoritarian country tries to reach a balance in the end. Through suppressing some voices to [what authorities see as] an acceptable level, other voices and media, which do not have great influence, can exist for a while,” Lee said. “That’s what already happened in Hong Kong.”

“But looking into the future, questions remain over whether space [for freedom] will continue to shrink. And this is something you can’t anticipate,” Lee said. “Just like whether there will be a war with Taiwan, it is subject to the nation’s policy, and the changing international landscape.”

‘Earned through actions’

In a process typical of Hong Kong families in the 1990s, Lee moved with his parents to Canada, before returning in 2003 after obtaining a PhD in political communications from Stanford University in the US.

“Things just unfolded naturally,” Lee said. That year, he witnessed around 500,000 Hongkongers rally against Article 23 – Hong Kong’s own national security law – and became interested in studying civil society, social movements and their interactions with the media. 

He did not anticipate the surge in protest movements over the 20 years that followed, as more people began to pay attention to public affairs. 

Over time, he began giving frequent interviews and sharing his findings with the press. Since 2014, he has been a regular Ming Pao contributor, and even with public debate muted, Lee speaks. 

He told local media that the city could no longer tolerate satire after a long-running political cartoon strip by Zunzi was axed by Ming Pao in May. In August, he appeared on an online radio show hosted by democrat Emily Lau, saying: “it is normal and reasonable for journalists to ask critical questions. That’s their responsibility.”

Lee said he could not turn down interview requests linked to press freedom and media development because those were his professional areas of expertise and interest. “I just can’t honestly say this is none of my business,” Lee told HKFP. 

He is frequently asked if he intends to leave Hong Kong in the near future. His answer is always the same: “never say never.” Currently some of his family have settled in the UK while some remain in Canada. 

But he still feels he “can do something“ in Hong Kong, at least for now. 

When a publisher approached him about writing a book to promote journalism to the public, Lee said yes without hesitation. While he did not see any risk in sharing his findings in a book, when it came to giving a talk at the Hong Kong Book Fair in July, Lee said he started to worry. 

“It’s an open venue and you just can’t control what questions will be thrown at you. Later, I decided to give it a try.”

The risk paid off, and the event went smoothly. 

“You can’t always completely eliminate concerns or worries. But if you don’t go ahead and do something, you won’t do anything. So you just have to try and be careful.” 

This year he has visited universities in Denmark and Japan to talk about the state of press freedom in Hong Kong. He has also taken a sabbatical, travelling between Taipei, Vancouver and Hong Kong.

At a bookstore in Taiwan’s capital, he recently shared his observations and findings on Hong Kong’s media landscape.

When prompted, he introduces himself as “a scholar supporting democratic movements.”

“But you have to be careful with your words, avoiding any chance of being mistaken as linked to Hong Kong independence, and never answering questions such as: ‘what can we do overseas [to support Hong Kong]?’” 

Ultimately, the space to speak out shifts constantly, he wrote in his book.

“When reports on certain genres and topics disappeared, we know that some space no longer exists. When a reporter published a serious piece, we saw space for journalism. Profession and liberty are things earned through actions.”

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The Hong Kong Observatory has issued its Strong Wind Signal No. 3 as Typhoon Koinu approaches the city after making landfall in Taiwan.

The alert was raised at 5.40 pm, when Koinu was roughly 260 kilometres east-southeast of Hong Kong.

According to its present track, Tropical Cyclone Koinu is expected to be closest to Hong Kong on Saturday, by which time it will have weakened from a typhoon to a severe tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 kilometres per hour near its centre.

It made landfall on the southern tip of Taiwan on Thursday, bringing the strongest winds ever recorded on the island. An 84-year-old woman died after being injured by glass shattered during the gales.

Winds in Hong Kong were forecast to strengthen gradually on Friday, and there were swells, the Observatory said.

“Koinu is expected to edge closer to the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary in the next couple of days,” the Observatory said. “With the circulation of Koinu being relatively small, the need for issuance of higher tropical cyclone warning signals by then will depend on the intensity of Koinu and its distance from Hong Kong.”

Squally showers were predicted for the weekend, causing the cancellation of several events under the government’s “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign, designed to boost consumption amid a weak post-pandemic recovery.

“As the harbourfront sites are exposed to wind and not sheltered, the [Development Bureau] has touched base with the co-organisers and decided to cancel the activities in the coming weekend in order to safeguard safety of the public and the stall operators, and to avoid inconvenience to the stall operators due to unstable weather,” the government said in a statement issued on Thursday night.

Extreme weather events increasing

Koinu follows what the Observatory described as an “eventful” month for extreme weather in Hong Kong.

In September, the city was hit by Super Typhoon Saola, the second most intense tropical cyclone to affect the South China Sea since 1950 that triggered the Hong Kong’s highest typhoon warning signal for the first time since 2018. With wind speeds of up to 154 kilometres per hour, it felled thousands of trees; damaged signboards, scaffolding and windows; and caused 460 flights to be cancelled.

A week later, prolonged torrential rain hit Hong Kong, causing the Black rainstorm warning to be in place for 16 hours and 32 minutes, the longest duration since the alert system was introduced in 1992.

At least two people died during the deluge, and more than 140 were injured.

Climate experts told HKFP last month that recent extreme weather events were a reminder that “climate change is really here,” adding that typhoons and temperatures would become more intense.

Typhoon Signal 3

The No. 3 signal warns of strong winds affecting, or expected to affect, Hong Kong within 12 hours.

• Classes of kindergartens and schools for children with physical or intellectual disabilities will be suspended.
• Scheduled ferry services may be cancelled as conditions worsen. Bus and MTR services are not affected.
• Residents should secure loose objects like flower pots or drying racks, and prepare for possible flooding in low-lying areas.

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Busan, South Korea

Hong Kong film legend Chow Yun-fat on Thursday lamented China’s “difficult” censorship while conceding the mainland market’s crucial financial importance for filmmakers.

Speaking at South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Chow told reporters that Hong Kong’s cinema industry had to learn to play by a new set of rules since the city returned to China’s control in 1997.

“We have a lot of censorship requirements in mainland China. Our scripts must go through a lot of different departments for the film bureau”, BIFF’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year honouree said.

But while Chow said things were “very difficult” for Hong Kong’s filmmakers, they also knew it was necessary to reach the “huge” mainland Chinese audience to “make a living”.

“We have to pay attention to our government … otherwise it is very hard to get the money to shoot a movie,” he said, adding they still strove to maintain the “Hong Kong spirit”.

In announcing this year’s honour, BIFF organisers heaped praise on Chow for “spearheading the golden age of Hong Kong cinema” that flowered in the early 1990s, and making “Hong Kong noir” a globally recognised genre.

Three of Chow’s films — “A Better Tomorrow” (1986), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and 2023’s “One More Chance” — will be screened at the festival.

Freedom

Along with Tony Leung, his “Hard Boiled” co-star and 2022 BIFF honouree, Chow has long been a well-liked figure in South Korea thanks to Hong Kong cinema’s surge in popularity in the 1990s.

Since then, South Korea has cemented its own status as a global cultural powerhouse, and has had explosive successes like Oscar-winning film “Parasite” and the Netflix series “Squid Game”.

“It’s a good thing that when one industry feels stagnant and unable to move forward, another region can take it even further,” Chow said, when asked about the rise of South Korean cinema.

“I believe the greatest strength of Korean cinema lies in its freedom.”

Despite his prolific career and global fame, Chow said he still considers himself an “ordinary person”.

In 2018, he vowed to donate his fortune to charity after he dies.

Chow quipped Thursday that it was his wife’s decision, but added: “I believe that since I came into this world with nothing, it doesn’t really matter if I leave with nothing as well.”

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Sunday marked the first National Day holiday in Hong Kong since all Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, with crowds once again allowed to gather and fireworks illuminating Victoria Harbour after a four-year hiatus.

The day began with a flag-raising ceremony and reception, during which Chief Executive John Lee hailed the “endless opportunities” Beijing had given Hong Kong, raising a glass to observe the 74th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

Across the city, groups of people wearing Hanfu, traditional dress of China’s Han dynasty, or carrying national flags gathered to celebrate the occasion, amid temperatures of up to 34 degrees Celsius.

Leading up to National Day, flags, bunting and posters appeared from Central to Yuen Long. When asked by HKFP about the cost of the patriotic decorations in local districts, a Home Affairs Department spokesperson on Friday did not give an exact figure.

At 9 pm, pyrotechnic display involving more than 30,000 fireworks and with a price tag of HK$18 million kicked off above Victoria Harbour. While some people were so eager to see the return of fireworks to the city they secured their spots along the harbourfront early in the day, stallholders at a market who were forced to close during the spectacle were less enamoured.

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“Hong Kong is back in business” has become a familiar phrase to fall from the mouths of government officials – uttered in at least 11 high-profile addresses since the beginning of the year, including five times in September alone. 

But for an elderly hawker in Yau Ma Tei, who cut a lonely figure along the northern end of Temple Street, business was far from back. His stall was the only one open at around 7 pm on a late-September Tuesday. Speaking to HKFP on condition that his name was not used, he said he was about to close for the day, hours earlier than he used to.

He had been selling wooden handicrafts and calligraphy brushes at Temple Street Night Market – described by travel guide Lonely Planet as a “tourist trap” and “Hong Kong’s liveliest market” – for about 40 years, reopening in 2022 after shuttering for much of the Covid-19 pandemic, during which visitors were essentially barred from the city. 

Things these days were different. Faded orange national and Hong Kong flags hung limply in the humid night air, and the once animated street was all but empty. He did not get many customers, the stallholder said, squatting on his plastic stool in front of an industrial floor fan. People seemed less keen to spend money, he added, and that included tourists. 

It was a similar story at a footwear store on Mong Kok’s Fa Yuen Street, better known as “sneaker street” and popular with a younger, historically cashed-up clientele. While a website dedicated to the area entreats anyone with “an itch to buy some athletic shoes at 11pm” to head over, the owner of three shops on the street said he had started closing at 9 pm.

Also speaking on condition of anonymity, he told HKFP he had cut staff from six to four during Covid so that he could stay open. But business was down by about 50 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels, and quieter than it was while anti-epidemic restrictions remained in place. Once, customers would buy several pairs of shoes – now he was lucky if they bought one.    

In an effort to redress weak consumption and reinvigorate the city’s evening economy after Covid-related restrictions kept Hongkongers at home for the better part of three years, the government has launched a “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign. Much of it is centred around malls, pop-up night markets, and events already firmly entrenched in the city’s calendar – National Day Celebrations, the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, and Halloween events at the city’s theme parks. 

It also runs from Mid-Autumn Festival, which this year fell in late September, until Lunar New Year in early February, traditionally the city’s busiest period for spending and for tourism. 

Speaking to reporters on September 19, Chief Executive John Lee said the campaign aimed to get people “out of their former habits of staying home early.”

“The whole intention and purpose of this Night Vibes Hong Kong programme is to develop a new culture for people to enjoy their night activities more,” Lee said, adding that “activities will mean more people; more people will mean more business and more consumption, which will be good for the overall economic development.”

The campaign kicked off with a weekend market hosted by the Avenue of Stars and shopping centre K11 Musea – both overseen by property and development conglomerate New World Development – along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront on September 22. In a statement, K11 hailed the first event as a success, with “thriving crowds craving for local specialties” resulting in a 30 per cent surge in footfall. There was no mention of an impact on sales. 

Among the local specialities on offer were quintessential Cantonese dishes such as siu mai, which went viral for costing HK$20 for four pieces – a lot by Hong Kong standards. The Fa Yuen Street sneaker store owner told HKFP he did not think the campaign would have a genuine impact, saying that you could buy such snacks on most Mong Kok streets but they did not bring people out.    

To make a real difference to the night economy, he suggested the government subsidise stores to stay open. He had started closing earlier during Covid because of a lack of customers and to save staffing costs, and now people were used to shops closing at a certain time and did not look to spend late into the evening. He called it a vicious cycle. 

‘Things have changed’ 

For much of three years, since Covid-19 was first detected in the city in January 2020 until Hong Kong’s border with mainland China was fully reopened in February, the city was subject to some of the most stringent pandemic restrictions in the world. 

While spared the strict lockdowns of cities like Shanghai or London, Hongkongers were limited in other ways, including in the number of people allowed to gather in public and around a table at a restaurant – both capped at two when outbreaks were at their worst. 

Many of the businesses associated with the night economy – bars, restaurants, karaoke lounges, massage parlours, nightclubs and live music venues – were forced to close completely or operate according to rigorous regulations and curtailed opening hours. Dinner service at eateries was banned for months on end. Several did not survive.

Dining out in large groups has long been part of Hong Kong’s food culture. “People used to go out 15 at a time, families, friends… but now, a lot of them go home at nine o’clock because they’re used to it,” Allan Zeman, the nightlife impresario behind Lan Kwai Fong, one of Hong Kong’s best known after-dark areas, told HKFP by phone in early September. 

“Covid changed a lot of habits for a lot of people… people are used to eating at home,” Zeman said. “Things have changed.” 

Syed Asim Hussain, founder of hospitality group Black Sheep Restaurants, echoed Zeman’s assertion that things were different. “The landscape has changed, it’s dramatically changed,” he told HKFP by video call in late September. “The message internally is we’re not holding our collective breath for things to go back to how they were in 2018.”

Without tourism, a pillar industry that in 2019 contributed around 3.6 per cent to Hong Kong’s gross domestic product and employed some 232,700 people, according to government figures, consumption in the city fell off a cliff in early 2020. Spending still lags behind 2019 levels, which were depressed during the protests and unrest that shook Hong Kong that year. 

Restaurant receipts have shown a more consistent rise, but likewise languish below the amount spent on eating out in 2019, with provisional data for the second quarter showing a decline from the first.  

Economic sociologist at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Anson Au told HKFP that the impact of Covid on Hongkongers was “longitudinal.” 

Speaking via video call in September, Au spoke of the “disruption” many suffered. “If they had any spells of unemployment, which [many] did during that time, the financial effects are… long term, because you had to dip into your savings to basically recuperate, and that takes some time to bounce back,” Au said. 

The timing of Hong Kong’s reopening also played a role in people’s willingness to spend, he added. 

“We’re at this time when consumer confidence is a little bit lower than is normal because there is some concern about a recession on both sides of the aisle,” Au said. “We have concerns about slowdown in China, we have concerns about a slowdown in America, and whenever consumers are afraid about that, that usually shows up in discretionary spending – so that’s basically stuff that is a luxury but not a need.” 

Hongkongers have seemed keener to part with their money while overseas – another blow for domestic consumption. Even before the border reopened, a 2022 report from Mastercard Economic Institute highlighted a “sharp recovery in outbound travel” across the Asia-Pacific region, adding it was “notable” in Hong Kong, “where the demand has been growing since the implementation of the ‘0+3’ quarantine policy.”

Introduced last September, the 0+3 requirement replaced quarantine for arrivals with a complex series of nucleic and rapid tests, allowing Hongkongers for the first time in years to travel without having to undergo isolation upon their return.

The trend for overseas travel has continued since all border controls were dropped, with Hussain saying “revenge travel” – people’s desire to expand their horizons after not being able to do so – was evident. “Our guests that we would see a few times a week, they’re on the road all the time,” he said.

“The other thing that we’re seeing is guests even within our portfolio are trading down,” Hussain said, referring to the phenomenon of spending less than before.

Hongkongers are not the only ones taking advantage of the post-Covid opportunity to travel. However, the 1.3 million Chinese arrivals recorded in the city from January to July was still 41 per cent below 2019 figures for the same period, according to Hong Kong Tourism Bureau data, and international tourists were yet to make a noticeable return. 

Lan Kwai Fong’s Zeman said mainland Chinese tourists made up about 35 per cent of the area’s customers now, compensating for a drop in expatriates. “Our business has really been very good,” he said. 

He said that the type of mainland Chinese tourist had changed. “In the old days, all they wanted to do is go shopping in the shopping centres because the prices were a lot cheaper than in mainland China, especially for all the labels,” Zeman said. 

Deflated consumption trends in Hong Kong indicate that travellers, like locals, are less willing to spend. Retail receipts in almost every sector were down compared to before Covid, with clothing and department store expenditure particularly depressed. 

“Now that the tax [of luxury goods in mainland China] is almost equal to Hong Kong, they don’t come here. It’s a different kind of client who’s coming now. They’re much better dressed, they’re more sophisticated, they travel,” he said, adding that these tourists were looking for experiences unique to Hong Kong. 

Enjoying Hong Kong nightlife ‘prohibited’ 

The issue with that, said many involved in the city’s nightlife economy who spoke to HKFP for this article, was that Hong Kong’s unique culture had been eroded, and in some cases, commodified. 

Dai pai dongs – street food stalls that have served classic Hong Kong dishes for decades – are under threat because of government bureaucracy and no new licences have been issued since the 1970s, citing concerns over food safety and hygiene. Acknowledging their cultural importance, though, a dai pai dong will pop up at Wan Chai Harbourfront as part of the Hong Kong Night Vibes campaign offering “nostalgia” and “an enticing array of traditional Hong Kong-style street food,” according to a press release. 

Similarly, neon signs – visually synonymous with the city for many foreigners – have fallen foul of regulations and been removed, with some of what remains relegated to museums. Street performers, who drew crowds but were largely disliked by local residents and business owners, were popularly sent packing from Sai Yeung Choi Street in Mong Kok in 2018. Today the once pedestrianised area is quiet, both audibly and in terms of footfall.       

In Tsim Sha Tsui, street photographers who took tourists’ pictures against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour have mostly been moved on. Jumbo, one of Hong Kong’s floating restaurants fell victim to Covid restrictions then sank in the South China Sea in June 2022 as it was being towed away, sparking memes that it was a metaphor for Hong Kong’s future. 

Without even a hint of irony, the Government Records Service launched an exhibition on September 15 titled, “Yesterday’s Vacation in HK,” assembling images of bygone tourist attractions that “remain a crucial part of locals’ and visitors’ memory towards Hong Kong despite having become part of history.”

Becky Lam and Mike Watt, the duo behind popular Peel Street bar Shady Acres in Central, questioned why Hong Kong did not appear on any lists of the world’s best cities for nightlife. 

“Hongkongers are as creative, educated, cosmopolitan, youthful, and entrepreneurial as any other people in Asia, if not more so,” they said in emailed responses to HKFP, adding that the city had “the economic and human resources to sustain a world-class nightlife scene and then some. And yet why doesn’t it?”

The answer, Lam and Watt said, was simple. “Bit by bit, we’ve basically made key elements of nightlife all but illegal. We’ve hunted them to the point where they’re endangered or even extinct,” they said.  

“There are a wide variety of individual laws and regulations which, when you add them up, essentially prohibit the city from enjoying a world-class nightlife scene,” Lam and Watt added.

“Think of the ingredients that make up a thrilling nightlife destination: live entertainment, outdoor dining, street food, night markets, public performances, bars and clubs that seemingly never close, and so on. Offering these activities legally in Hong Kong is very challenging, frequently impossible, and therefore the opportunity to have those experiences is very limited relative to other major global cities.”

Lam and Watt said they were not advocating a “free for all” and regulations were essential. “It’s a balancing act.”  

Whether that act can be achieved by the government’s night economy push remains to be seen. 

Black Sheep Restaurants’ Hussain seemed unconvinced. “I feel like we’re playing someone else’s game, we’re not playing to our strengths,” he said, among which were “world class hospitality, excellent experiential dining.”

Zeman, whose Lan Kwai Fong was participating in the reinvigoration efforts by offering a series of performances and discounts mid-week , said: “We just have to keep on being innovative.” Night markets offering what he called “cheap, cheap, cheap stuff” were “not the answer to our problems,” he added. 

Hussain agreed that “cheap and cheerful” was not the way ahead. ” We’ve got to return back to things that made Hong Kong so glossy… We are a really dynamic city when we’re making space for arts and culture… those are the sort of events that I think we should be creating more space for.”

As for what was on the Night Vibes Hong Kong agenda, Zeman said: “I’ve talked to a lot of operators that are doing it because the government’s asked them to… I’m not sure it will bring a lot of business. It’ll bring more people out, for sure.” 

He continued: “I don’t know if that’s really going to bring out spenders, you know. A lot of these people, they might go to the shopping mall, they’ll look, but they’re not really going to be shopping.” 

Emigration, integration

After losing tens of thousands of residents to an emigration wave after the 2019 pro-democracy protests and the arrival of Covid-19 and the national security law the following year, recent mid-year population figures rose to 7.5 million. However, almost 250,000 of them were “mobile residents,” or those who do not live in the city full-time. 

The Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute last March found that 24 per cent of respondents planned to leave the city. An immigration route introduced for Hongkongers by the UK in January 2021 had resulted in 144,500 visas issued by February, and British magazine The Spectator reported in late September that 125,000 Hongkongers had entered the UK under the scheme thus far. 

Chinese University of Hong Kong cultural anthropologist Sidney Cheung pointed out that the decline in domestic spending was “much bigger than the percentage of people who are moving out,” a survey commissioned by Hong Kong-based digital life insurer Blue in 2021 highlighted other ways in which relocation plans may affect consumption habits. 

It found that Hongkongers on average saved a quarter of their monthly income, with two in five savers saying they intended to emigrate, many within five years. 

Zeman pointed to another factor at play in how and where residents splash their cash: Hong Kong’s role in the Greater Bay Area, a megalopolis and port hub that is critical to mainland China’s export industry spanning nine cities in Guangdong province, as well as Hong Kong and Macau. 

“On the weekend… a lot of locals are going to Shenzhen,” Zeman said, referring to the city just across the border to the north of Hong Kong. Connectivity and cost – both hotels and Michelin-starred meals were “half the price,” he said – were enticing Hongkongers to spend not only in Shenzhen, but Macau and Guangzhou, too. 

“It’s become what a future in the Greater Bay Area will be about,” Zeman said. “I think that’s really something we are living with at the moment.”  

Hussain, though, said he was “frustrated that we’re trying to sort of compete.”

“There is this narrative about how everyone’s going up to China for the weekend, and even if that’s true – and the numbers actually show that it’s true, if you look at the data I think some 300,000 people are going up north – even if that is true, I feel we’ve got to continue to play to our strengths instead of adjusting or pivoting to something that’s not really what makes Hong Kong special,” Hussain said.

“What’s really frustrating is… this sort of V-shape recovery post-Covid that places like London, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, other tier-one restaurant markets, other tier-one cities [had]… didn’t happen for us,” Hussain added, referring to a quick, decisive economic recovery witnessed elsewhere after Covid restrictions were dropped. “We’re still kind of languishing.” 

As for whether the Hong Kong Night Vibes campaign will be successful, or if seasonal spending between the Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year will peak as per previous years, only time will tell. The Travel Industry Council has estimated that 1 million mainland Chinese tourists will visit the city during the Golden Week holiday in the first week of October.

“I think we need to know whether we are going to move back to the old model – like doing Mid-Autumn Festival or Chinese New Year at restaurants – or have we got used to the new model of ordering things and eating at home,” Cheung said. 

Au acknowledged he was “more optimistic” about tourism, saying that globally, “the big picture story for tourism is improving,” and adding that he did not see “any fundamental reason why Hong Kong would be left out from that.” 

However, he was less bullish on domestic spending, and whether changes catalysed by Covid could end up being permanent. 

“The short answer is, we’ll see,” Au said. “Because the pandemic did something to the economy altogether. That itself, the effects of that, remain to be seen. You know, we walked out of one of the most stringent lockdowns in the world, where we basically isolated ourselves from global flows of trade and capital, and that itself took a toll,” he said. 

“We will bounce back, but we’re also bouncing back at a time when there are recessionary fears in the world economy at large… whatever happens for night markets in Hong Kong, and tourism, and consumer confidence, will be driven by this bigger story.” 

Additional reporting: Kyle Lam

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By Ludovic Ehret

China’s “Porcelain Capital” Jingdezhen is attracting droves of young people drawn to the city of artisans in search of an escape from the urban rat race among its ceramics workshops.

The picturesque eastern city home to China’s best-known porcelain has seen an influx of young professionals seeking to learn an ancient art taught there for more than a thousand years.

Times are tough for young people in China, with youth unemployment at record highs, sluggish economic growth and, for many, the opportunities their parents’ generation enjoyed are simply not attainable.

But in Jingdezhen they find something different: low rent, a slower pace of life and a proximity to nature in a city of just 1.6 million inhabitants, very small by Chinese standards.

From her one-bedroom apartment on the seventh floor, He Yun, a 28-year-old illustrator, enjoys a panoramic view of the surrounding green hills for just 500 yuan (US$68) a month.

She arrived in Jingdezhen in June after being laid off and found a place where she didn’t feel “any pressure”.

“I came because on social media everyone was saying that it was a great place for craft fans, like me, and that there was a scent of freedom,” she said.

“When I lost my job, I stayed at home and got depressed. But once I arrived here, I found that it’s super easy to make friends.”

“No more need to set the alarm in the morning,” she smiled.

“I have zero pressure now!”

Looking for meaning

A typical day for He starts with a laid-back breakfast, before heading to a workshop to make her ceramic candle holders and necklaces, which are then fired in one of the city’s many kilns.

“At the end of the afternoon, we go to the surrounding villages and swim in the streams to relax,” she said.

“I put my work on Xiaohongshu” — a Chinese app similar to Instagram — “where people contact me to buy. But we mainly sell at the market,” she said.

Between trendy cafes, boutiques and stands offer glasses, bowls, cups, teapots, plates, necklaces or earrings.

Chen Jia, 24 with dyed red hair, makes feminist pendants in the shape of sanitary napkins.

A music graduate who arrived in June, her first jobs as a piano teacher and in a milk tea shop and cafe weren’t to her liking.

“I am looking for meaning in my life,” she said.

“Many young people today no longer want to clock in at work at a fixed time.”

China’s transformative economic rise was built on the backs of a growing middle class, who were promised they could enjoy the trappings of prosperity and give their children a better life if they worked hard enough.

But the country’s millennials and Gen Z have faced altogether different prospects: youth unemployment has reached a record level, exceeding 20 percent according to official figures, and pay is low.

It’s in that context that the “tangping” counterculture has thrived.

Literally meaning “lying flat”, it’s come to represent a general rejection of society’s expectations, giving up a great career and money to concentrate on a simple life and pleasures.

And Jingdezhen has become a haven for those seeking just that.

At the Dashu pottery school, around 20 students work with clay on their pottery wheels or chat as they sip iced lattes. Training costs 4,500 yuan a month (US$617), a very affordable price.

“Many young people cannot find work” explained the 39-year-old director who calls herself Anna.

“They come here to reduce their anxiety.”

“Ceramics are very accessible. In two weeks, they can produce simple works and sell them at markets.”

New life

One of them, Guo Yiyang, 27, resigned in March from a well-paid job as a computer programmer.

After working overtime for years, he said he wanted to “take a breather”.

“In big cities… you just work. You don’t have your own life,” he said, adding he “never again” sees himself working that way.

“The desire for another way of life” is also what motivated Xiao Fei, 27, a former interior designer who resigned and came to Jingdezhen in June.

“I didn’t have time for myself,” she said. “I came home tired and I didn’t want to talk to others.”

“I feel happier, more free and I meet people who have the same ideals.”

According to Chinese media, 30,000 young urbanites lived in Jingdezhen in 2022.

Few stay long-term but Xiao already knows that she doesn’t want to go back.

“After tasting this new life, I don’t want to go back to an office job at all.”

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The daytime opening of a Wan Chai night market designed to jumpstart the city’s evening economy saw disappointing turnout on National Day, vendors have said, but some remained hopeful that visitors would return after the 9 pm fireworks display.

Visitors were few and far between on Sunday afternoon – the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China – after the government on Thursday told vendors that they would have to close by 5 pm as a crowd control measure as spectators fill the promenade for the fireworks. They will be allowed to reopen their stalls at 10.30 pm, after the pyrotechnics display, and remain operational until two in the morning.

‘Mutual understanding’

Tsui, who was operating a snack stall on Sunday afternoon, said “mutual understanding” was the only way to cope with the awkward arrangements. “You’re telling us we can set up shop, but as you can see, we’re just sitting here and waiting to leave,” she said, gesturing at the sparsely populated waterfront.

“But it’s understandable. [The government] was short on time, and they only started recruiting stalls in early September,” she said.

However, Tsui said she would not be reopening her stall later that night. “There’s no way we’re going to wait six hours; that’s just really strange. I can’t go home, but I can’t just wait here either,” she said, adding that many other stall operators had chosen not to open on Sunday.

Compared to the scene on Mid-Autumn Festival this Friday, the night market, which opened at 10am on Sunday morning, was almost devoid of visitors, while more than half of the stalls were closed, according to an HKFP reporter’s estimations.

Hong Kong’s night sky would later light up with more than 30,000 fireworks, as the city puts on a HK$18 million fireworks display to celebrate China’s National Day for the first time since 2018. The pyrotechnics were cancelled in 2019, when the city was gripped by month-long pro-democracy protests, and were not held throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, when strict measures were in place to stop group gatherings.

The Wan Chai bazaar is part of the government’s “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign that launched last month in a bid to jumpstart the city’s night-time economy after a prolonged pandemic-era slump.

The event got off to a rocky start on Wednesday, when power outages left vendors unable to cook food.

No night shift

Speaking to reporters after a National Day banquet on Saturday night, development minister Bernadette Linn said that the government was not sure whether there would be a fireworks display when it was in talks with the organisers, which was why details about the arrangements on Sunday night were not clearly spelled out.

“The stall operators were notified as soon as the details were finalised,” Linn told reporters, adding that authorities had to take into account public safety.

Meanwhile, several other vendors told HKFP they would not be reopening later that night. Yip, who was helping out at another snack stall, said she was hoping traffic would pick up later in the afternoon. “Maybe they can have a quick walk around before the fireworks start tonight,” the 21-year-old added.

The stall she was working at would not be reopening later that night, she added. “In terms of manpower and logistics, it’s a bit challenging. It’s hard for us to plan where we can rest for five hours, and we’d have to consider how employees are compensated for their time.”

Another stallholder, Wong, who was in his 50s, said he was still deciding whether to reopen at night, also citing scheduling issues. “You’re allowed to open until two in the morning, but by that time our employees will have to take a taxi back home. The timing isn’t great.”

“I don’t think it was necessary to shut everything down,” he said. “Look at Japan’s fireworks festivals – they have lots of people too. I think our government needs more experience organising night markets.”

He added that of the few visitors that were at the market that afternoon, less than 10 per cent were from mainland China. On Sunday, more than 380,000 arrivals had crossed the city’s border with mainland China as of 4 pm, local media reported.

Hopeful reopening

One stall that sold Taiwan-made soju would be reopening after the fireworks. Chan, 37, found it ironic that he was selling alcohol in the daytime. “Who would be drinking now?” he asked.

While he was supportive of the government’s push to revitalise Hong Kong’s night economy, Chan said authorities should have considered the situation from the vendors’ perspective. “It’s not that [the government’s] plan was bad,” he said. “But watching the fireworks with some booze and snacks – that’s not so bad, is it?”

Chan was aware that several other stalls did not plan to open after dark, but he said he was hoping that people would stay and check out the night market after the fireworks.

Hung, the only person manning his stall on Sunday afternoon, said he was mostly standing around until after the fireworks. He had sold out of all his food on Saturday night, and was still waiting for his business partners to bring in a new batch.

“It’s kind of ridiculous,” he said with a laugh. “But we’ll still reopen tonight. I think people will stick around.”

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Hongkongers marked Mid-Autumn Festival on Friday for the first time since Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted. Click here for Part 1.

Over 1,000 visitors descended upon a night bazaar in Wan Chai, to buy street food and gaze at the moon.

Also known as the mooncake festival, it marks the end of harvest time, and is when many East and Southeast Asian cultures believe the moon to be at its brightest and fullest.

Local neighbourhoods came to life with lantern exhibitions, games, palm readings and traditional theatre, whilst families reunited to share mooncakes and meals together.

Lee Tung Avenue held an LED Fire Dragon Fiesta, featuring an 18-metre long illuminated dragon, on Friday.

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Hongkongers are marking Mid-Autumn Festival this Friday for the first time since Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted. Click here for Part 2.

Also known as the mooncake festival, it marks the end of harvest time, and is when many East and Southeast Asian cultures believe the moon to be at its brightest and fullest.

Local neighbourhoods come to life with lantern exhibitions, games, palm readings and traditional theatre, whilst families reunite to share mooncakes and meals together.

With “Golden Week” celebrations coinciding with National Day on Sunday, the city is expected to welcome a million tourists from the mainland.

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Thousands of excited spectators packed the grid-like streets of a usually quiet Hong Kong neighbourhood Thursday night, eager for the resurrection of the city’s fire dragon dance after a three-year pandemic-spurred dormancy.

Smoke and fire swirled in the heady air, wafting from the dragon’s 67-metre (219-feet) body which is made up of thousands of incense sticks.

The dragon was hoisted by hundreds of volunteers who danced and bounded along the streets of the Tai Hang neighbourhood in a raucous parade.

“I feel extraordinarily excited — everyone is,” Cheung Leung, a member of the fire dragon dance committee, told AFP.

Cheung, who has been part of the ritual for two decades, said organisers have been practising their performance since March, soon after Hong Kong scrapped all coronavirus restrictions.

“The head of it weighs at least 40 kilograms (88 pounds) after we put the incense on,” he added, declaring “the key to a good performance is having a lot of strength”.

The ritual coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional annual event celebrated by millions across the world, with much of the Chinese diaspora gathering for family dinners, lighting lanterns, and eating mooncakes.

Legend says the dance originated in 1880 to drive away the plague from Tai Hang village, with the only pauses coming during the three years when Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation during World War II, and for the pandemic.

“This is a living tradition of Hong Kong,” said fresh graduate Kelly Liu, who saw the dance for the first time.

Leung, a 75-year-old retiree, and his wife were hoping to get some of the incense from the dragon — seen as an auspicious blessing.

“I’ve been watching this for many years — so many I’ve lost count,” Leung told AFP.

The ritual was recognised as an intangible cultural heritage by China and Hong Kong in 2011 and 2017 respectively, with a museum dedicated to it opened in 2022 in Tai Hang.

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Hong Kong’s premier music and arts festival, Clockenflap, is to return this December with J-pop superduo Yoasobi, UK rockers IDLEs, US singer-songwriter Caroline Polachek, Japanese rapper Joji, and Britpop legends PULP among the line-up. Tickets are available now via Ticketflap.

It is the second edition this year, after the festival returned for a sell-out instalment in March after not being held since 2018.

Ticket prices have risen almost 23 per cent to HK$HK$1,990 for a 3-day pass following a buy-out by Live Nation.

However, the event promises “a spectacular outdoor environment featuring multiple stages, a tempting array of irresistible F&B outlets, and an eclectic line-up of must-see international, regional and local acts,” organisers said in a Tuesday press release.

It will be held at Central Harbourfront from December 1 to 3.

See also: Interview: Clockenflap co-founders assert ‘autonomy’ after Live Nation acquisition, eye Asian expansion

British post-punkers Squid will be joined by acclaimed UK alternative-indie band PREP, Yorkshire rockers Yard Act and Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf. American teen sensation D4vd, Japanese girl group Atarashii Gakko, Welsh multi-instrumentalist Novo Amor and Canadian rapper singer and songwriter BBNO$ will also take to the stage.

Legendary DJ/producer and former Underworld member Darren Emerson will make a debut appearance, whilst Australian electro-house hellraisers Peking Duk will return to the festival following their debut in 2018.

Hong Kong acts are also set to feature, including local hip-hop collective Yack Studio, lo-fi outfit Science Noodles, DJ duo JVSY, and dynamic singer-songwriter Subyub Lee.

From elsewhere in Asia, Clockenflap will be welcoming alternative rockers Omnipotent Youth Society from mainland China’s Henan province, Chinese punk band The Fly, Taiwanese indie rockers No Party For Cao Dong and J-pop mavericks Wednesday Campanella.

China’s post-rock standard bearers Wang Wen and post-punk duo Gong Gong Gong will feature, whilst Chinese singer-songwriter Leah Dou will also make her second appearance at the festival.

Clockenflap, December 2023 line-up:

• Date: December 1 to 3.
• Venue: Central Harbourfront Event Space, Hong Kong Island.
• Tickets: HK$1,990 for a three-day weekend ticket, HK$1,280 for single-day tickets. HK$1,580 for a three-day pass or HK$880 for one day for children aged three to 17, while children under three may attend for free but must be pre-registered. Available now via Ticketflap.

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1881 Heritage and Eastpro Gallery are hosting an exhibition “Light Up,” featuring selected works by Hong Kong landscape photographer Carlo Yuen.

The exhibition, which runs until October 26, explores Yuen’s six-year journey of capturing Hong Kong’s unique landscapes.

His works showcase the beauty of iconic sites across the city, including Lion Rock, Kowloon Peak and Central’s International Financial Centre.

Yuen has won over 40 international photography awards in recent years, and is known as “Weatherman” for his ability to anticipate weather conditions, allowing him to capture short-lived moments that other lenses might miss.

The “Light Up” exhibition will be on display until October 26 at 1881 Heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui.

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Hong Kong’s sky will light up with more than 30,000 fireworks on October 1, as the city puts on a HK$18 million fireworks display to celebrate China’s National Day for the first time since 2018.

The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau will coordinate a 23-minute pyrotechnics show, sponsored by Hong Kong Telecom and FWD Insurance, to mark 74 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the two companies announced on Friday.

It will be the city’s first National Day fireworks show since 2018, after it was cancelled for four consecutive years due to the widespread protests against a since-axed extradition bill and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The city traditionally hosts fireworks displays on October 1 to mark National Day, as well as to celebrate the new year and the Lunar New Year.

A total of 31,888 fireworks will be fired across eight scenes in the show. The sky above Victoria Harbour will be filled with bright red hearts in the debut scene, representing joy and unity, the two companies said.

“On top of celebrating the special occasion, the brilliant fireworks convey well wishes of prosperity for businesses and symbolise an even brighter future for the city,” an Enlgish statement from HKT and FWB read.

Public broadcaster RTHK will broadcast the show, synchronised to music, at 9 pm on October 1. People may also enjoy the show from vantage points including Tsim Sha Tsui, the Mid-Levels, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and the Hung Hom Bypass, the sponsors said.

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Hong Kong has launched a nightlife campaign to “boost its night-time economy”, financial chief Paul Chan had said, amid a weaker than expected economic growth outlook.

“This event was led by the Hong Kong government, and by joining forces with all walks of society, we hope to boost night-time business, “Chan said in Cantonese during the opening ceremony of the “Hong Kong Night Vibes” campaign on Thursday.

The campaign will involve night markets, food stalls, movie screenings and live music shows during weekends on both sides of Victoria Harbour, including at Wan Chai harbourfront, Sai Wan harbourfront and Kwun Tong harbourfront, and Avenue of Stars.

Eighty shopping malls across the city will also host events and activities at night in the coming few months, with some extending opening hours until 11pm. The city’s theme parks, Ocean Park and Disney, also announced they would offer more evening activities and extend their opening hours on specific days.

The city’s sole rail transport provider, the MTR, would support the campaign, too, offering passengers a free trip after taking five journeys departing after 10.30 pm. Each passenger can enjoy up to 4 free trips.

Held at the M+ museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District, the ceremony presented various performances, including a lion dance and a group dance in the dark, following by eight children introducing their favourite food and activities during night time.

Over the past month, Chief Executive John Lee, top officials and pro-establishment figures have been promoting the concept of “night markets” and the “night-time economy,” proposing various ideas to encourage after-dark consumption.

Campaigning amid weak recovery

Lee has spearheaded two campaigns to try and make the city “alive and active” since all Covid-19 restrictions were lifted and the borders reopened at the beginning of the year.

The “Hello Hong Kong” campaign, introduced in February, spent at least HK$2 billion to revive tourism, including giving away 500,000 plane tickets and welcome gifts to overseas visitors.

The authorities launched another campaign, “Happy Hong Kong,” in April to boost local consumption in shops and restaurants. Movie tickets were offered to Hongkongers for HK$30 and food fairs were organised across the city.

However, the city’s economy has seen a slow post-pandemic recovery. In July, Hong Kong recorded 3.59 visitors, nearly 31 per cent less than the number of visitors in July 2019.

In June, the value of retail sales was the lowest for the month since 2011, excluding 2020 to 2022, when the city was under pandemic-related restrictions.

In August, the government narrowed its growth domestic product growth outlook in 2023 from 3.5-6.5 per cent to 4-6 per cent. According to economists surveyed by Bloomberg on Monday, Hong Kong’s GDP would expand 4 per cent this year, down from previous estimates of 4.6 per cent.

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Hong Kong’s boutique music and arts festival, Shi Fu Miz, is returning this October with its largest, proudest line-up yet. Tickets are available now – HKFP is a media sponsor.

With a new three-day format, and new sustainability initiatives, the sixth iteration will feature family-friendly activities and workshops, as well as 69 top music and DJ acts into the night at Sai Yuen farm on Cheung Chau.

Following a three-year Covid-induced hiatus, Shi Fu Miz festival seeks to showcase the finest electronic music and give prominence to upcoming artists who previously lacked a platform.

Catering to an intimate audience of just 5,000, the 2023 instalment will involve a new pillars programme which include: lifestyle, wellbeing, family, scenography, and sustainability & ecology.

Just 30-minutes from the city, on the idyllic shoreline of Cheung Chau, the Shi Fu Miz sound systems will be set up at on four stages at the grassy Sai Yuen farm.

The Line-Up

The line-up includes US techno duo Octavo One, a celebration of Dutch label Rush Hour, South African magician Esa, the Japanese wizard Soichi Terada performing live, Midland, and Red Greg from UK, and many other international, regional and local artists.

The Four Pillars

More than just a music festival, Shi Fu Miz has evolved into something for everyone, young and old, friends, couples and even families…

Ticketing:

3-DAY PASS – available here now via Eventbrite.

• Advance tickets : 1080 HKD (+ fees)
• Last Chance tickets : 1280 HKD (+ fees)

DAY PASS – available here now via Eventbrite.

• Sat/Sun Advance tickets : 680/580 HKD (+ fees)
• Sat/Sun Last Chance tickets : 880/680 HKD (+ fees)

FREE for Kids under 12 accompanied by an adult.

New for 2023: Every festival ticket sold plans one tree. In partnership with One Tree Planted, which works with local reforestation partners to plant appropriate tree species that ensure high survival rates.

Time, Location, Accommodation:

• 27-29 October, 2023.
• Sai Yuen farm, Cheung Chau.
• There are three under-the-stars options available for campers: Star-Gazing Geodesic Dome, Safari Tent, or Bring Your Own Tent.

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There was a lot of flesh on display at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday for the first day of the city’s tattoo convention, most of it covered in ink. 

Established in 2013, the three-day Hong Kong China International Tattoo Exhibition returned to the city after a four-year hiatus because of the protests in 2019, followed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Set against a soundtrack of thumping electronic music and the persistent buzz of tattoo machines, more than 160 artists from across the globe set to work making a permanent mark on the skin of ink enthusiasts.    

The booths that drew the biggest crowds on Friday afternoon were those with human billboards outside them; near-naked men showcasing the intricate work of the artists who had adorned almost every inch of their skin. A queue also formed in front of the bench belonging to Malaysian artist Kinki Ryusaki, whose almost half a million Instagram followers identify her as one of the best-known at the convention.

People gathered, too, to watch Sousyu Hayashi administer ink into a man’s thigh with a hand-held wooden tool known as a terebori, a traditional Japanese tattooing method. Grimaces graced the faces of onlookers, but the person on the receiving end looked rather relaxed, scrolling through his phone as he lay on the ground. 

The convention’s founder, Gabe Shum, who also established one of Hong Kong’s most respected tattoo shops, Freedom Tattoo, told HKFP he was happy to be back, and also happy to be hosting the first ever tattoo event at the government-backed exhibition centre.

Previously, the event was held at Innocentre in Kowloon Tong, and the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, but Shum said he liked to change venues to avoid things getting “boring.” 

Shum started tattooing when he was 19 and has inked the likes of sports stars David Beckham and Lebron James. Now 60, he said the industry had changed a lot since he began. With the internet, the barrier to entry has all but been removed, something Shum described as a double-edged sword, particularly given Hong Kong’s complete lack of industry regulation.

“These days, a lot of this generation, they don’t care… they’re making a lot of money, they just learn from the computer. They just buy a rotary machine and do it themselves, that’s why a lot of people get bad experiences,” Shum said.  

“One of the [reasons] I run this convention is I wanted to encourage and let all this new generation know what a professional artist should be… to teach them to be polite, to be professional artists.”

Hong Kong-based artist Elyse Leaf, a fine art graduate who has been tattooing for about four years under the name Einu, told HKFP she had bought a booth at the convention to raise her profile. There was a lot of competition, because “anybody can buy a machine and call themselves a tattoo artist,” and it was becoming more difficult to stand out on Instagram. 

Unlike many well-established artists, whose books were full ahead of the event, Leaf was accepting walk-ins, and had already done two tattoos in her signature whimsical style.

The convention is popular not only with aficionados, but those who hope to get smaller, ready-to-ink “flash” tattoos at a lower price than they would expect to pay in a studio. 

As for Shum, he said he had a space saved on his left calf for work by Japanese artist Sabado. “I really, really like his work,” he said. “But today, no, very busy, maybe tomorrow.”

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Gay Games Hong Kong (GGHK) must be conducted in a “lawful, safe and orderly manner” whether or not events are held in public or private venues, the government has warned.

In response to media enquiries on Thursday, a government spokesperson said licences and permits may be required and government departments must process applications for the use of public venues and spaces in “strict accordance with existing procedures and criteria.”

“The organiser must comply with Hong Kong laws and regulations, regardless of where the events are held, including private venues, government venues or public spaces,” the statement read. “Many of its events will be held in private venues. The Government has reminded the organiser to observe the laws and regulations in Hong Kong, regardless of whether the events are held in private venues or not.”

It is unclear what prompted the warning. HKFP has reached out to GGHK for comment.

The press release came a day after GGHK said it had secured government-operated Queen Elizabeth Stadium for its opening and closing ceremonies, concerts and martial arts and dodgeball contests.

Other confirmed venues include: MacPherson Stadium, Jockey Club HKCFA Football Training Centre, HKC Dragon Boat Association Training Centre, Sha Tin Rowing Centre, HKU Stanley Ho Sports Centre, Victoria Recreation Club, KGV School, Kowloon Junior School and SoHo House.
AIA Vitality Park will host the festival village.

In response to HKFP’s enquiries, a Gay Games spokesperson said they had “no idea” why the government statement was issued: “We issued a press release providing a GGHK update on Wednesday 23 August, so perhaps they received media enquiries about that.”

They added that they did not interpret the statement as a warning: “As we have said all along, as any responsible organisation and event organiser would do, we will of course comply with all laws in Hong Kong. We have no problem with that at all. Our overriding goal is to deliver a safe, welcoming, joyous, diverse and inclusive event that will reflect positively on Hong Kong. Hong Kong is consistently rated as one of the world’s safest cities. We see no reason why this would change before, during or after our event.”

The Gay Games aims to promote diversity, and is open to all athletes.

Embattled games

The games have has been hampered by a lack of government support, internal wranglings and the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, three sports were axed due to low sign-ups. GGHK also expressed disappointment over the Hong Kong Football Club’s decision to withdraw its venue for the football finals, and has seen only 2,000 athletes sign up – 10,000 below the expected figure.

Hong Kong emerged as the chosen host for the 2022 Gay Games in 2017, prevailing over competing bids from Washington DC and Guadalajara, Mexico. It marked the first time in the 40-year history of the games that the event would be hosted by an Asian city. Then-leader, Carrie Lam said at the time only that she had “noted” the win.

In 2021, the competition was postponed to this year owing to the pandemic.

In 2022, organisers announced that the Games would be co-hosted by Hong Kong and Guadalajara. The Mexican city received sponsorship from the authorities and local tourism bureau. When Paris hosted the Gay Games in 2018, the French president, the mayor of Paris, and the local tourism bureau contributed financially. However, GGHK has not received any sponsorship from the Hong Kong government.

Since the games were announced, pro-establishment parties and anti-LGBT groups have been on the attack. Junius Ho, a pro-Beijing lawmaker, claimed during a Legislative Council meeting in June 2021 that Hong Kong did not want the event’s “dirty money”, adding that he was worried it might lead to the legalisation of same-sex marriage. This year, he claimed the games were a national security risk.

In June 2023, representatives from several groups staged a demonstration outside government headquarters, holding up banners that referred to the Gay Games as “indecent” and “obscene.”

Lawmakers Regina Ip and Adrian Ho from the pro-Beijing New People Party are among the few legislative members who have expressed support for Hong Kong’s hosting of the games.

Whilst same-sex sexual activity was legalised in 1991, Hong Kong has no laws to protect the LGBTQ community from discrimination in employment, the provision of goods and services, or from hate speech. Equal marriage remains illegal, although a 2023 survey showed that 60 per cent of Hongkongers support it.

Despite repeated government appeals, courts have granted those who married – or who entered civil partnerships – abroad some recognition in terms of tax, spousal visas and public housing.

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Around 2,000 athletes are expected to participate in the upcoming 2023 Gay Games, according to the organisers of the international LGBT-friendly sporting event. However, the updated number of participants is significantly lower than the original estimation of 12,000.

Lisa Lam, co-chair of Gay Games Hong Kong (GGHK), told local media during a luncheon on Wednesday that 2,000 participants from 40 countries will join the Gay Games set to take place in 3 to 11 November, including corporate teams.

“The registration number is good for now. We will keep up the momentum,” Lam said in Chinese.

The athletes mainly come from Asian cities and western countries such as the UK, France and Germany. Registration for the event, which aims to promote diversity, will close in mid-October. Organisers also hope to recruit 2,000 volunteers.

In 2021, GGHK estimated that over 12,000 people from around the world would take part in the competition, bringing HK$1 billion worth of revenue to the city, along with 3,000 volunteers and an audience of 75,000.

In a press release on Wednesday, GGHK said it was “offering fee waivers for younger people below the age of 25, as well as migrant workers, domestic helpers, and minorities, on a first-come-first-served basis.”

It also introduced the design of the bronze, silver and gold models.

Embattled games

The event has been hampered by a lack of government cooperation, internal strife and the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, three sports were axed due to a low number of sign-ups. GGHK also expressed disappointment over the Hong Kong Football Club’s decision to withdraw its venue for the football finals.

Hong Kong emerged as the chosen host for the 2022 Gay Games in 2017, prevailing over competing bids from Washington DC and Guadalajara, Mexico. It marks the first time in the 40-year history of the games that they have been handed to an Asian city.

The competition was postponed to this year owing to the pandemic, and – last year – organisers announced that the Games will be co-hosted by Hong Kong and the Mexican city of Guadalajara.

Lam said that, unlike other sporting events, GGHK had not received any sponsorship from the Hong Kong government. She said that Guadalajara received sponsorship from the authorities and local tourism bureau. When Paris hosted the Gay Games in 2018, the French president, the mayor of Paris, and the local tourism bureau contributed financially.

But there are social and cultural differences, and it is difficult to make comparisons, Lam added.

Whilst same-sex sexual activity was legalised in 1991, Hong Kong has no laws to protect the LGBTQ community from discrimination in employment, the provision of goods and services, or from hate speech. Equal marriage remains illegal, although a 2023 survey showed that 60 per cent of Hongkongers support it. Despite repeated government appeals, courts have granted those who married – or who entered civil partnerships – abroad some recognition in terms of tax, spousal visas and public housing.

Attacks from pro-establishment camp

Since the games were announced, pro-establishment parties and anti-LGBT groups have been on the attack.

Junius Ho, a pro-Beijing lawmaker, claimed during a Legislative Council meeting in June 2021 that Hong Kong did not want the event’s “dirty money”, adding that he was worried it might lead to the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

Pro-establishment lawmaker Priscilla Leung claimed at the same meeting that the GGHK might “divide society” and cast doubt on whether the government would impart the same efforts to promote heterosexual monogamy.

In June 2023, representatives from several groups staged a demonstration outside government headquarters, holding up banners that referred to the Gay Games as “indecent” and “obscene.”

Lawmakers Regina Ip and Adrian Ho from the pro-Beijing New People Party are among the few legislative members who have expressed support for Hong Kong’s hosting of the Gay Games.

The local authorities have not provided any special provisions or welcomed the games. At the time of the city’s successful bid in 2017, then-chief executive Carrie Lam said only that she “noted” the news, as she made reference to the “same sex games.” Statutory bodies such as the tourism board, InvestHK and the Equal Opportunities Commission have, however, given their backing.

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The annual Hong Kong China International Tattoo Exhibition is returning to Wan Chai’s exhibition centre after a four-year hiatus.

Ink-lovers will be able to learn about the history and development of the practice whilst mingling with their favourite tattoo masters, whilst artists will be able to exchange and showcase their expertise.

Over 160 tattoo artists will be gathering from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, Poland, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Malaysia and more.

Organisers say the event will “give tattoo artists and enthusiasts an opportunity to connect, converse and exchange ideas.”

“The much-anticipated Tattoo Competition is the best opportunity for tattoo artists around the world to showcase their work. The competition is divided into three categories: black and white, colour and schoolwork. While tattoo artists compete for the highest honour in the industry, spectators will get the chance to appreciate the art and craft up-close and know more about the various styles and techniques used in body inking.”

“Zooming back to the local art talents, this year’s tattoo exhibition will bring the “Off Skin” art exhibition to the venue, alongside local individual artists Issac Ng and Jimmy Wong. Curated by Young Soy Gallery featuring the works of ten tattoo artists., “Off Skin” exhibits tattoo artworks created on various mediums such as canvas, acrylic, paper, and ceramics, expressing the boundless possibility of tattoo art beyond the human body.”

Selected participating artists and tattooists include:

• Davee Blows @ Davee Blows Tattoo, Poland
• Sajin @ Hybrid Ink, Korea
• Sousyu Hayashi @ Sousyu Hayashi Tattoo, Japan
• Horiyoshi3 Souryou @ Horiyoshi3 Tattoo Shop, Japan
• Bez @ Triplesix Studio, United Kingdom
• Sabado @ Sabado Crazy Tattooing, Japan
• Horimasa @ Tokyo Ink, Japan
• Ding Bao @ Tianjin Ding Bao Tattoo, China
• Uigu Lee @ Zumiism, Korean
• Tofi @ Ink Ognito Tattoo, Poland
• Olga Caca @ Olgacaca Studio, Indonesia
• Kinky Ryusaki @ Kinky Ryusaki Tattooo, Malaysia

Ticketing information:

• Fri 25 – Sat 26: 10am – 9pm
• Sun 27: 9am – 7pm
• Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hall 5G Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai.
• Single day tickets: HK$200 via Ticketflap.

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Hong Kong NGOs have been invited to submit proposals to operate and maintain a historic listed building, which has been home to arts and cultural venue Fringe Club for 40 years.

In a 35-page project brief issued on Monday, the the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said the potential operator should safeguard national security. The term “national security” appears 22 times in the document.

The bureau also said that whoever runs the arts space should be able to terminate contracts with anyone they engage if their contractors acted “contrary to the interest of national security.”

“The objectives are to build a sustainable ecosystem for the arts, culture and creative industries to thrive so as to strengthen our role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange as positioned by the Central People’s Government in
the 14th Five-Year Plan,” the bureau said.

The venue is located in the South Block of No. 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, and spans 1,700 square metres, including the basement, the ground floor, the first floor, and the roof. The North Block of the building currently hosts Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC).

For decades, the Fringe Club offered rent-free space for artists to perform or exhibit.

“Performers and artists can show their work without having to go through [a] selection process,” the club said on its website. “Over the years, by pursuing this policy of open access, the Fringe Club has come to be identified with freedom of expression.”

The government announced in April that it had renewed the club’s lease for one year and would call for proposals “to identify the most suitable non-profit-making operator of the premises currently occupied by the Fringe Club after the current lease.”

The new lease will last for three years, starting as early as April 2024. Before 2022, the Fringe Club’s lease lasted for five years.

Anson Chan Yiu-cheung, a businessman and the acting chairman of the club, told Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao earlier this month that the Fringe Club had sought to renew a three-year lease with the government.

Chan said he had reached out to the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau numerous times since 2022, and was told that as it was a new agency that was established on July 1 that year – when the current administration took over – it planned to open calls for tender for the historic building to understand more about the market.

Chan added that he expected competition for the tender to be fierce, as he knew around 20 groups that had expressed an interest in applying for the bid.

In November 2022, the government offered a three-year lease to the FCC, after the group’s seven-year contract came to an end. National security clauses were added to the press club’s lease.

The abandoned site

Built in the late 19th century, the historic building was once a cold storage warehouse and later a dairy shop and then the headquarters of the Dairy Farm retail firm. The company moved out in the 1970s and the building was abandoned.

According to the Fringe Club website, the club acquired a key to the abandoned site in 1983 and oversaw renovations to the building. The first lease was signed with the government in 1989.

In 2001, the Fringe Club won the government’s first-ever Hong Kong Heritage Award, and the historic building was declared Grade-1 heritage in 2009.

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By Sharon Chan 

In the past decade many Hongkongers have begun to appreciate the importance of a uniquely Hong Kong-based identity. A good example is the emergence of the online community known as the “Hong Kong Siu Mai Concern Group (香港燒賣關注組),” where Hongkongers from all over the world unite and share their love for the city’s iconic street food. 

The boy band Mirror emerged around the same time and soon became seen as the hope of Cantopop. To say its members are teenage heartthrobs is an understatement, but the band has also captured the hearts of many housewives – reportedly even sparking marriage disputes. 

Numerous companies have hired the group or its individual members as faces of their brands, and fans have funded advertising campaigns for their favourites across the world. As a Hongkonger currently living in Toronto, I recently made a trip downtown only to see the billboards of Keung To at the Eaton Centre. 

Back in the 1980s the city enjoyed worldwide acclaim for its film industry, and now Hongkongers want it to reclaim its position as a pop culture powerhouse. While I am happy that Mirror offered Hong Kong “ a rare burst of unity and pleasure” and is striving to gain traction overseas with the release of the English track Rumours, it remains relatively obscure in the global market compared to K-pop.

To prove my point, a quick look at any Mirror music videos will show you they are flooded with comments from Hongkongers rather than people from other parts of the world. 

Acknowledging this in no way undermines the hard work and effort of Mirror members and their team. We must be able to identify Cantopop’s weaknesses in order to make the genre more appealing to the global market. 

Mirror members are fashionable and can sing and dance, and the band has high-quality music videos. Those are essential elements for success but more is needed.

Cantopop needs a distinctive image and sound to set it apart from its competitors. While it is tempting for Cantopop producers to replicate what is popular at the moment – in other words, Korean pop – the reason for K-pop’s massive success is its individuality.

The Koreans did not invent hip-hop but took a genre which was already popular and combined it with elements that are uniquely Korean (the iconic K-pop fashion and their colourful, well-produced music videos).

The focus on replicating K-pop is not going to get Cantopop far, as the Korean industry itself is already over-saturated with groups almost indistinguishable from one another. Moreover, Western societies like America favour individualism. Westerners value independence, creativity, and self-expression, and if Cantopop wants to make it on the Billboard charts like K-pop does , it needs to come up with a formula that showcases Hong Kong’s individuality. 

Learning From Past Success and V-pop

If Hong Kong could once interest the world in its films, why can’t it gain global attention for its music? 

Cantopop should learn from the glory days of the movie industry. While the films all featured good plots coupled with great acting and cinematography, they also introduced a unique form of humour and kung fu/wuxia to an international audience.

Many international fans still remember the Hong Kong films from the 80s. Given that nostalgia is on the rise, Cantopop can surely take advantage of the film industry’s former fame and incorporate elements of 80s nostalgia into its music and music videos.

Several Hong Kong artists including AGA and Lag Chun, have incorporated the trending Citypop sound into their music. While Citypop originated in Japan, the cyberpunk, neon light aesthetics commonly associated with the genre today were inspired by none other than Hong Kong. Moreover, nostalgia in pop culture is currently on the rise as people, according to one author, are “reaching for a time of comfort in the unsettled world we live​​ in right now”.

In addition to the lessons of past success, Cantopop can also learn from the increasingly popular Vietnamese Pop (V-pop). In 2022, Vietnamese singer Hoàng Thùy Linh released a track entitled See Tình which instantly became a viral hit.

People across the world took part in the song’s dance challenge on TikTok, and with 54 million views, the song’s music video is a perfect combination of cute and catchy lyrics, disco-pop, and colourful portrayals of Vietnam’s cuisine and water culture. 

The Power of Consumers

The roots of K-pop were in the 1950s, and it took decades of experimentation to become the pop music giant it is today. Since Cantopop has only recently started targeting the international market, it will need time to find its distinctive image and sound. 

While my article has mainly been a critique of Cantopop producers, we consumers have more power than we realise in changing the image and sound of the genre. Hongkongers should show extra support for artists and bands with individualistic qualities.

Mirror fans should also realise that even criticism can be a form of support. If we truly want them to become a global success, we should not shy away from constructive comment.

Sharon Chan is a Hong Kong Canadian who is currently a humanities student at the University of Toronto. She is passionate about arts and culture and has previously contributed to her university’s student newspaper. She aspires to be a full-time journalist.

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Hong Kong’s West Kowloon arts development has submitted a plan designed to boost its finances to the government, after announcing funding was expected to run out within two years.

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) received HK$21.6 billion from the government in 2008 to manage the West Kowloon Cultural District, which includes visual arts museum M+, Hong Kong’s offshoot of Beijing’s Palace Museum, and Chinese opera performance space the Xiqu Centre.

That money is is expected to run out in March 2025, after which it will not be able to put on new exhibitions and events, chairman of the WKCDA board Henry Tang told reporters on Thursday after attending a ceremony at the Xiqu Centre.

The former chief secretary also announced that the authority had submitted a plan to the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau in an attempt to shore up its finances.

The plan proposed to “make good use of land resources” in the arts hub, Tang said, adding that he could not disclose further details as the government had not yet approved the plan.

“The ball is now in the court of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau,” Tang told the media in Cantonese.

Citing sources, local media reported that WKCDA had submitted the plan to the bureau several months ago, proposing to allow the sale of residential property rights in future tenders for new zones and to issue bonds.

Currently, residential units in the West Kowloon district cannot be sold and are only available for rent.

In response to HKFP’s enquiries, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said in a Chinese-language emailed response that the government was closely following the financial situation of the West Kowloon Cultural District, and required the WKCDA to propose an appropriate and feasible plan to improve financing. The bureau would discuss plans with the authority, including asking for more detailed documents to be submitted.

HKFP has reached out to the WKCDA for comment.

Edward Lau, a lawmaker from the pro-Beijing party Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, told Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao that allowing the sale of residential units would help to secure WKCDA finances, but he worried that sale prices may not be very good as the real estate market was relatively weak.

According to a report submitted to the Legislative Council in April 2021, the WKCDA had just HK$7.9 billion remaining from the funding it received from the government.

Tang said on Thursday that the WKCDA had worked hard to tighten its expenditures in recent years, delaying the depletion of its finances from 2023 until March 2025. Arts and culture facilities across the world were hard to run without the long-term support of governments, Tang added.

The chairman said the arts hub had previously sought further funding from the government, but had decided to rely on itself to avoid competing for public resources, as the authorities had spent heavily combatting the coronavirus in the past three years.

Paul Chan, the city’s finance chief, announced in January that the government had spent over HK$600 billion for “anti-epidemic efforts and relief measures” in the past three years.

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Fewer mainland Chinese tourists were visiting Hong Kong mainly to shop compared to the pre-pandemic era, the city’s finance chief has said.

“In the short term, we need to work together with the industry to revitalise and invigorate the night market in Hong Kong, strengthening various economic sectors in the recovery process and maintaining the momentum of recovery,” Financial Secretary Paul Chan wrote in his Chinese-language blog on Sunday.

Chan also said that private consumption and inbound tourism were expected to be the main drivers of economic growth in the latter half of the year.

Hong Kong’s tourism industry has been recovering gradually since the city’s borders were opened at the beginning of the year after several years of Covid-related closures.

The city welcomed almost 13 million visitor arrivals from January to June, of which 10 million were from mainland China, according to figures from the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced last Friday.

During the same period in 2019, the city recorded 34.78 millions visitors, 79 per cent of whom were from mainland China.

Dane Cheng, executive director of the HKTB, said during a press conference last Friday that based on HKTB surveys, the consumption habits of mainland Chinese tourists had changed, with fewer “coming to Hong Kong primarily for shopping,” and more interested in arts and cultural activities, especially young people.

Mainland China’s post-pandemic economic recovery has been weaker than expected, with July’s consumer price index falling 0.3 per cent year on year as the world’s second largest economy slipped into deflation.

Ceajer Chan, the former secretary for financial services and the treasury, said in Cantonese on RTHK on Sunday that Hong Kong’s recovery “has not met expectations.” Chan urged the government to allocate more resources to boosting tourism, such as promoting Hong Kong to foreigners.

Chan said that fewer foreign tourists visited Hong Kong because the city’s image has been impaired amid tensions between China and the US. He suggested the authorities hold more activities for foreigners to “rediscover Hong Kong.”

Night bazaars

Some pro-establishment lawmakers have suggested learning from Taiwan or mainland China to develop night markets in Hong Kong.

Michael Lee, a lawmaker from the pro-Beijing Liberal Party, told Chinese-language news outlet Oriental Daily that the city could develop waterfront night markets and offer various activities to attract people to consume and take photos to post on social media.

Lee also said that night markets could also help boost hotel revenue as travellers would be more inclined to stay at least one night to enjoy nighttime activities.

Eunice Yung, a pro-Beijing lawmaker from the New People’s Party, said there were already street markets held during holidays and on weekends, but the city should introduce permanent night markets with more activities.

However, according to HK01, Simon Wong, a businessman and the president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants & Related Trades, said that restaurants would suffer from increased pressure if the government developed night bazaars.

Wong said that the industry had seen decreasing revenue for dinners this year.

According to Chinese-language local media reports, Yeung Wai Sing, the president of the Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management, said on Saturday that restaurants had faced difficulties in recent months, with many experiencing a lack of customers after 8 pm. According to Yeung, the industry has only recovered around 60 to 70 per cent of its pre-pandemic levels.

Yeung said the decline was due to the immigration of middle-class families and reduced spending by travellers. He added that tourists were now spending less: “Previously, where someone would spend HK$1,000, now they are only spending around HK$600.”

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[Paid content] Presented by The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong, the “Child and Youth Friendly Hong Kong” Interactive Multimedia Exhibition revolves around the theme of creating a “Child and Youth Friendly Hong Kong”. It showcases the collaborative efforts of families, schools, and communities in the “Seven Service Foci for Child and Youth Friendly Hong Kong”.

The exhibition aims to inspire the public to embrace their social responsibilities and join hands in building a “Child and Youth Friendly Hong Kong” that nurtures the all-round development of children and youth. The exhibition will be open to the public for free from 18 to 20 August 2023, on the 1st and 2nd floors of Central Market.

Under the banner of “Unleashing a Radiant Future, Where Innocence Takes Flight,” this exhibition artfully weaves the concept of “Child and Youth Friendly Hong Kong” into its multimedia and artistic elements. Showcasing imaginative artworks, interactive experiences, and captivating video presentations, the event introduces key services offered by BGCA.

It invites visitors to embark on a journey into the boundless potential of child friendly development in Hong Kong, seen through the eyes of children and youth. The exhibition promises an enriching experience, where guests can admire imaginative creations by young talents and illustrators, while parents delight in various parent-child interactive activities, creating cherished memories together!

On the grand opening day of the exhibition, we will have the distinguished presence of Ms. Kay Tse and Mr. Jason Chan as the honourable guests to inaugurate the event.

Exhibition Highlights

‘Seven Service Foci for Child and Youth Friendly Hong Kong’ Showcasing Collaborative Efforts of Families, Schools, and Communities

The exhibition introduces various services provided by BGCA and the intervention approaches employed. It demonstrates how collaboration among families, schools, and communities can create a supportive environment that offers equal opportunities for the next generation to unleash their potential.

• Zone 1: Child-centred Early Intervention
• Zone 2: Career and Life Development
• Zone 3: Digital Literacy and Creativity Enhancement
• Zone 4: Family Support and Enrichment
• Zone 5: Mental Health and Social Capital
• Zone 6: Social Innovation and Participation
• Zone 7: Sports and Health

Web3.0 Digital Art Exhibition

BGCA cordially invites 4 local illustrators, Din Dong, TonyElectronic, Oh…little sweet, and Zion, to collaborate with 10 children and teenagers in creating large-scale digital art using Web3.0 technology. These digital art pieces will be showcased during the exhibition and will serve as commemorative items for charitable donations in the future.

‘Innocence Express’ Stamp Collection Expedition

The exhibition introduces the “Innocence Express” Stamp Collection Expedition to enhance interactivity and engage visitors, all while heightening public awareness of fostering a child and youth friendly environment.

Specially designated stamp stations are set up throughout Central Market for exploration. Participants can complete their exhibition stamp card by gathering 4 mission stamps and showing support by liking or following BGCA’s Facebook or Instagram page, unlocking the opportunity to receive a delightful free gift. Please note that the quantity of gifts is limited and available while supplies last.

‘Blessings in the Name’ – Parent-child Deco DIY

In this heartwarming activity, parents and children join forces to create a three-dimensional hut, unleashing their creativity while designing their dream “home.” Throughout the crafting process, parents can lovingly share the stories behind their names, allowing children to grasp the profound love and heartfelt blessings carried by their names, passed down from their parents and elders.

‘Through the Kids’ Eyes’ Experiential Activities

In partnership with Gamenoodlesoup, BGCA joins hands to promote “Empathy” and “Child’s Perspective” as the foundation. They inspire children, teenagers, and parents to express their creativity through the Minecraft platform, incorporating child friendly design elements. Together, they aim to redesign and elevate child friendly facilities and spaces in Central Market, cultivating a sense of community care and awareness among the younger generation.

‘Adventure of Finding the Magic Stone’ Parent-Child Reading Adventure

The exhibition features a giant picture book, “Adventure of Finding the Magic Stone,” standing over 1 metre tall, along with various interactive games. Parents and children can read the story together while indulging in the joy of play and the pleasure of reading.

Nite Cat Online ‘Minecraft Youth Ambassadors’ Experiential Activities

The exhibition showcases the designs of 7 young participants who have crafted youth centres on the Minecraft platform. Visitors can explore the ideal youth-exclusive spaces envisioned by these young minds, fostering understanding of the mental health needs of the youth, all through the power of listening and engaging on the Minecraft interactive platform.

We are H.E.R.E. Floral Therapy Workshop

Various art workshops, such as “Dried Flower Greeting Cards” and “Test Tube Dried Flowers” DIY activities, will be organised during the exhibition to create a comfortable and relaxing space for young people to recharge, allowing them to momentarily escape the hustle and bustle, reconnect with themselves, and savour the moment. Limited slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Exercising Area and Sharing Session with Renowned Instructors

In addition to exciting parent-child foosball and immersive electronic bicycle experiences, fitness tests are also available during the exhibition, encouraging parents and children to participate in sports and relish the joy of bonding through active play. Furthermore, BGCA has invited former Hong Kong team representative and the winner of the 2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, Kwok Ho Ting, to share his sports insights with the public.

“BALANCO Family Jenga”

Our Exclusive BALANCO is a set of furniture perfect for the whole family. 6 BALANCO pieces can be stacked together, emphasising balance, mutual support, patience, and attentiveness during the process, while also promoting parent-child communication and interaction. In the exhibition area, visitors can freely participate in the balancing stone-stacking game, where parents and children can take on the challenge together and discover endless possibilities.

About BGCA

Founded in 1936, The Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong (BGCA) is one of the longest serving local non-government organisations dedicated to the welfare of children and youth. Our mission to achieve a balanced and happy environment for the nurturing and growth of our young – physically, intellectually and emotionally – has never wavered in our focus of “Nurture the Young, Create the Future”.

In response to rapid changes of our social milieu in recent years, BGCA has established new services in the context of early childhood intervention offered to children at pre-school age, those with special educational needs and their families requiring enhanced parenting support.

BGCA currently delivers services in Hong Kong through over 173 service points and reaches over 240,000 people this year, including over 90,000 members, thus pursuing likewise our coverage of “BGCA All the Way”.

Early Bird Registration

The “Child and Youth Friendly Hong Kong” Interactive Multimedia Exhibition is now open for early bird registration! From now until 18 August, you can register online and present the QR code from the confirmation email at the venue to receive a delightful free gift*. The quantity of gifts is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Event Website: https://childyouthfriendly.bgca.org.hk/

*Terms and conditions:

• Each person is limited to 1 gift redemption, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• In case of any disputes, The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong reserves the right to make the final decision.
• The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong reserves the right to change, cancel, or supplement the above event or these terms and conditions at any time; and to change, cancel, end, or terminate the event at any time without further notice.

Details of “Child and Youth Friendly Hong Kong” Interactive Multimedia Exhibition

See you at the “Child and Youth Friendly Hong Kong” Interactive Multimedia Exhibition at Central Market from 18 to 20 August!

Paid for by the The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong.

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A wall on London’s famous Brick Lane became the canvas for supporters and opponents of China’s authorities, with graffiti echoing the regime’s propaganda immediately covered by anti-Beijing slogans.

Residents on the east London street, well known for its street-art, woke up on Sunday to find a whitewashed wall overlaid with red Chinese characters outlining the 12 “core socialist values” at the heart of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda.

These values, defined by the CCP, include “prosperity”, “patriotism” and “harmony”, “democracy”, “equality”, “freedom” and “the rule of law”.

The graffiti drew widespread criticism on social networks, and was quickly covered with slogans hostile to the Chinese authorities and Xi Jinping.

“I utterly condemn the #CCP thugs who defaced London’s Brick Lane with their regime’s vile hate-filled propaganda,” tweeted Benedict Rogers, head of rights group Hong Kong Watch.

Among the slogans daubed on top of the graffiti included “some are more equal than others”, and “no freedom in China”.

“It is traumatising for me and my friends because in primary school and middle school you have to remember those phrases…, it is almost like a brainwashing code,” Apple, who grew up in China, told AFP.

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The local council removed both the pro- and anti-China graffiti on Monday morning.

“I think it did get covered up too quickly,” local artist Russell Shaw Higgs told AFP.

“Yesterday was very interesting because many people came and responded with counter graffiti and it became a literal conversation on the walls, which is what it should be,” he added.

On Instagram, an art student said he was the author of the original graffiti, but denied any political message and denounced the threats he had received in recent days.

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Hong Kong Airlines will launch its free flight giveaway at 10 am on Monday, with round-trip tickets to destinations in Japan, Indonesia and South Korea available – the latest phase of a campaign aimed at rebooting tourism after the industry was crippled by years of Covid restrictions.

Open to people living in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Airlines is giving away complimentary are fares to over 20 Asian destinations from August 7 on a first come, first served basis. Those who succeed in booking tickets will be expected to pay all taxes, surcharges, and any other relevant fees.

Flights must be booked through a dedicated webpage.

Destinations in Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, mainland China, Thailand, and Vietnam are included in the Hong Kong Airlines campaign, which is part of the Airport Authority Hong Kong’s “World of Winners” promotion. In all, flights for half a million tourists and 80,000 residents are being offered to boost post-pandemic tourism.

Monday’s giveaway follows one from HK Express aimed at Hong Kong residents last month. In April, flagship carrier Cathay Pacific gave away return tickets to those living in the Greater Bay Area, and several rounds of air fare giveaways were held earlier this year for international tourists to win tickets to visit Hong Kong.

Winners of earlier phases of the giveaway told HKFP that the taxes they were asked to pay were steeper than expected.

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