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The Young Reporter

Society

Social media fuels check-in culture

Dora Liu, 22, a check-in blogger, adjusts her camera angle to photograph the dishes at a restaurant in Central. It is her third year as a store blogger, and she spends her weekends experiencing different restaurants. “I usually post these photos on Instagram and RedNote,” said Liu. “The shop owner invited me to help them with publicity.” According to the Census and Statistics Department, 88% of the 465.2 billion respondents indicated that they frequently browsed social media for content related to restaurants and entertainment. A 2023 report on the Chinese video site Douyin, shows that the number of check-in bloggers has increased 2.89 times in 2023, and they helped physical merchants increase their revenue by HK$101.3 billion. “Shops will directly message me on social media platforms such as Instagram,” said Liu. “Normally, I receive restaurant promotions through a barter system, meaning the restaurant invites me to eat for free, and in return, I help them gain online exposure.” Chan Yan-ying, 28, a nurse, would look for restaurants based on bloggers' recommendations.  “It is a great time saver for me,” said Chan. “I do not have to spend time searching for restaurants.”  Restaurants can either offer free meals to bloggers in exchange for publicity or paid extra publicity fees, which will give bloggers extra publicity costs, usually in video publicity.Liu prefers to have free meals.  “Because the shooting style and content is decided by the restaurant, it is very limited for me,” she said. “I prefer the work shown within my account to be my style as well as my true feelings.”  Zhang Ziming, 25, a consultant for ComeTrue Cultural Communication, which helps local restaurants operate as agents on RedNote, said the bloggers are often more convincing to the public than the advertisements. “One of the advantages of working with bloggers …

Culture & Leisure

Buskers bring rhythm to public regardless of restrictions

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: CHENG Tsz Sen Sean、XU JingyiEdited by: LI Sin Tung、CHEN Yik Nam
  • 2025-04-14

Contrary to the definition, buskers in Hong Kong are not as free as their occupation, which requires them to apply for permission before performing in public. But with the delayed approval from the police, most of the buskers have chosen to bear the risks of charges and voicing for themselves.  

Culture & Leisure

AI innovations at Art Central 2025

Art Central 2025 offered AI-powered digital tours to visitors plus  AI artwork   Reporters: Audrey FU Rong, Richard CHEN Xiyun Editor: Connie WONG Hong-ni

Society

New taxi fleets aim to brush up the image of the industry

At a roadside taxi stand in Mong Kok, Lily Ho, 42, was having a verbal altercation with a taxi driver for taking a detour. “I have repeatedly told the driver that I am in a hurry, but the driver just ignored me and even attacked me with vulgar language,” Ho said. “I often take this route by taxi, and I am sure the driver had taken a detour.” Ho said it was not the first time she had encountered poor service from taxi drivers. Taxi complaints surged 51% year-on-year to 11,452 cases in 2023, with refusal for hire, driving malpractice, and joyriding being the most common, according to the Legislative Council. However, these situations may be addressed  as a new taxi fleet is introduced which aims to provide better quality services through technology and improvement in drivers’ attitude , according to Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mable Chan.  Cheung Chi-kwan, 65, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi Owners’ Association, said the traditional taxi industry in Hong Kong has room for improvement, but it is undergoing changes to refresh the industry. “In the past, the number of taxis in Hong Kong was stable, but the number of orders received has decreased significantly. 20 years ago, the daily passenger capacity was more than 1.2 million passengers, compared to just 750,000 today,” Cheung said. The expansion of the MTR network, illegal pick-up of private car-hailing services and prejudice against the poor Hong Kong taxi service caused the sharp decline, he said. “It was a one-way cross-harbour taxi, but the driver asked me for a round-trip fare,” said Henry Zoeng, 31, a travel blogger. “There is no surveillance inside the taxi, nor is there a unified platform to monitor driving routes and fare issues.” “I prefer to spend more time on the subway or …

Society

Tai O volunteers struggle to save stray cats

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: LEUNG Chi Ngai、CHEN YongruEdited by: AO Wei Ying Vinci
  • 2025-04-07

Stray cats fouling the streets and stealing food is a nuisance to some residents in Tai O. Many of these cats were killed by dogs.  But the fate of stray cats has improved since the establishment of the Tai O Stray Cat Home in 2013. Volunteers have been sterilising stray cats and providing them with food and medical treatments. The volunteers often have trouble catching the cats and have to rely on donations to continue their work. Reported by Chen Yongru, Leung Chi-ngai Edited by Vinci Ao Wei-ying

Society

College students are obsessed with playing mahjong to relieve stress and build friendships

The rhythmic clatter of mahjong tiles mixed with laughter as four students play a heated round of the traditional game late-night in a Hong Kong Baptist University dormitory. "Midterm exams stressed me out last week," said a local hall tutor at HKBU. "After that, I played mahjong two nights in a row to relax myself." "People will join the game whether they know each other or not. Mahjong has boosted friendships in the building," the tutor added. The student requested not to be named as student hall rules prohibit the playing of mahjong in the building. Amid academic pressure and digital isolation, university students are reviving the nearly 200-year-old Chinese game of mahjong, usually associated with older people, for mental wellness and community-building. At the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the mahjong club, which was founded in 2022, has about 1,000 active members and more than 1,700 Instagram followers, said Rex Chow, 20, president of the club. “Our community not only attracts local students but also those from mainland China and internationally,” Chow said. “Some new members even did not know how to play mahjong, but they can learn from our free mentor courses.” According to Google Trends, the number of web searches for mahjong in Hong Kong has increased in fluctuation since December 2024, and peaked late January 2025. “Compared with shopping which is tiring and expensive, playing mahjong is a better way to relax,”said Winnie Leung, 20, a local student at HKBU, who plays mahjong at least once a week. Research in China shows that frequent playing of mahjong as a form of social participation can reduce symptoms of depression. “Maintaining a good mental state is important for coping with a busy life," the tutor said.“I would sometimes sacrifice some of my sleep to play mahjong.” …

Culture & Leisure

First high-pole lion dance contest heats up Hung Shing Festival

On March 15, the first ever International High-Pole Lion Dance Invitation Competition broke new ground in Ap Lei Chau Hung Shing Festival, which is the most sought-after event in the Southern District. Reported by Siu Tsz-hang Edited by Lau Lok-tung

People

Mega Event Rugby7S Kicks Off at Kai Tak Stadium for the First Time

The Hong Kong Sevens is underway at the new multi-billion dollar Kai Tak Sports Park. The rugby tournament is set to welcome more than 43,000 fans worldwide over three days with a total of 26 games. Reporter: Audrey FU Editor: Gigi Ho Wing Chi

Culture & Leisure

Art Basel 2025: Beyond Tradition, Digital Art in the Spotlight

Digital art is a major attraction at Art Basel 2025 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The three-day event features 240 exhibitors from 42 countries. The exhibition space is organized into several distinct sections, including Galleries, Insights, Discoveries, Encounters, and Kabinett. Reported by: Yang Haicen, Wang Ludan Edited by: Gigi Ho Wing Chi

Culture & Leisure

AI at Art Basel

2025 Hong Kong Basel is highlighted by AI involved creation. Artists including Mak2, Emma Webster, Miao Ying, Jon Rafman, Frank Wang Yefeng, Alison Nguyen, and Lu Yang blend AI creating with traditional art. The exhibition of Encounters collects two pieces of outstanding AI artistic installation, including Lu Yang’s DOKU the Creator and Jon Rafman’s Signal Rot.  “Lu Yang used AI technology to model himself based on his real image and used AI to assist in his painting,” said Allison Cheung Ka-jung, 25, director of Encounters. Inspired by pop-up stores, the installation transforms the act of purchasing into a game of chance, with artworks created by artist DOKU concealed in “blind boxes”, which sell non-fungible tokens that can be shown on the screen instantly after consumers’ purchasing.  Jon Rafman’s Signal Rot, exhibiting in Neon Parc, Encounters exhibition, uses AI to generate the virtue band model and the music.  “It's actually a fictional band that he's created through AI, and there's a number of fictional bands that we created through AI and built kind of online presence or personalities for,” said Madé Spencer-Castle, 31, associate director of Neon Parc, Encounters exhibition. “Each AI band member has Instagram accounts even though they're completely AI-generated,” he added. Shao Fengtian's TENC oil painting series in the Madein Gallery, Galleries exhibition, also uses AI technology to assist in drawing lines and colouring.  “This painting was created by Shao Fengtian by feeding AI the photos he took and then using AI to generate lines and colours,” said La Xueer, 31, the director of Madein Gallery.  “Artists have always been really at the forefront of new technology and utilising new technology in creative and innovative ways,” said Spencer-Castle. “Art needs to evolve and change with practice. If you are old-fashioned and keep looking to history for inspiration, it …