The Young Reporter
Hong Kong's neon in new art form
- 2022-12-05
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: Zimo ZHONG、Subin JOEdited by: Kate Zhang、Ziyu Bruce Zhao
- 2022-12-05
In a dark room, a woman lit a cigarette and opened a refrigerator. The door was wide open, a pure blue neon glow enveloping her. This is a classic scene from the 1988 movie As Tears Go By directed by iconic Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai, who excelled in using the neon lights in Hong Kong films. Neon lights have long been a special feature of Hong Kong’s nightscape. Tourist Oh Ae-ran, a Korean housewife, said one of the unforgettable sights of her Hong Kong trip was the numerous neon lights on Hong Kong's streets. “I was mesmerised by the neon colours that I had never seen in Korea,” Oh said. Another Korean traveller Kwack ho-wook said the neon lights in streets are an exclusive culture to Hong Kong. “I took many pictures of neon lights at Tsim Sha Tsui. In my view, neon light makes Hong Kong’s night streets more active,” Kwack said. But over the last decade, the city’s iconic neon signs has been decreasing. Fewer and fewer companies are making them due to the emergence of LED lights, which are cheaper to run and come in more colours." Thousands of neon signs that had been standing for decades were turned into illegal structures overnight in 2010 after the Building Department issued a Minor Works Control System, which requires sign boards not protrude more than 4.2 metres and be at least 3.5 metres above the ground. Media have reported that 90% of the city’s major neon signs have disappeared in the past 20 years. The government Buildings Department has removed close to 7,000 “dangerous advertising signs,” many of them neon, since 2014. But as the number of signs decline for store fronts, Hong Kong's neon culture is shifting to art. Wu Chi-kai, 55, is one of the last …
Hong Kong’s workforce shrinks amid consecutive population outflow
- 2022-12-05
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Lok Yi CHUEdited by: Tiffany Ma
- 2022-12-05
Kong Gam-lung, 33, is sitting in his office, worrying about the recruitment he posted on the Internet a few months ago. Over the past year, he has posted several job advertisements on different online recruitment platforms, but few have applied. He owns an interior design firm DLP Studio Limited, which has been hit hard by the decline of the young labour force in Hong Kong. “The former designer resigned because he planned to leave Hong Kong, and we have posted many advertisements to hire a new junior interior designer since last June, but this position is still vacant at this moment,” said Kong. He said DLP Studio is having “the most difficult time” in recruiting new workers this year. Hong Kong’s exodus shrank the labour force as many left for political reasons or due to strict Covid-19 restrictions. More than 113,000 people have left Hong Kong since June 2021, a record high since the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, said the Census and Statistics Department. Entry and mid-level positions, such as the junior designer at Kong’s company, have been hit the hardest, as most of the leaving employees are under 30. The labour force of Hong Kong was 3.77 million in the third quarter of 2022, down around 3% year-on-year and at a ten-year low, according to official data. Kong currently works 12 hours a day with several employees to manage around 10 projects at the same time due to the shortage of manpower. “This not only affects my work-life balance but more importantly, it affects the operation of the company,” said Kong, explaining that the unstaffed situation has made his company lost many opportunities to undertake design and construction projects. Kong said the company has already rejected four store and home interior design projects this year, …
Hang Seng Index slightly sinks as China protest fear
- 2022-12-02
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: Nga Ying LAU、Mei Ching LEEEdited by: Rex Cheuk
- 2022-12-02
Hong Kong stocks closed at a slight drop on Friday, ending the three-day increasing trend since Nov. 29 as the prolonged zero-COVID policy triggered protests across China. The Hang Seng Index closed at 18,675 today with a drop of 0.3% and the Hang Seng Tech Index declined 0.3%. The index soared by 26.6% in November, which recorded the highest monthly gain since October 1998 as China eased some COVID measures and introduced policies helping developers with financial difficulties. The best-performing stock for today was AliHealth, a blue chip stock with an increase of 9.7%, followed by 7.1% by Haidilao, and 3.1% by Meituan. AliHealth announced the interim results from April to September on Monday, stating the total revenue of Q2 and Q3 has bounced by 22.9% compared to the end of Q1. The worst performing stocks were the semiconductor manufacturer SMIC with a decrease of 5.4% and followed by 4.5% in CG Services. Real estate stocks generally contracted, with Longfor Group and Country Garden recording a 4% slip respectively. Moody said in a report released on Thursday that after China softened the limit of excessive borrowing to developers, the future for the property sector “remains negative on sluggish demand and weak contracted sales.” Other major Asian markets all slumped as investors await the release of a fresh batch of US jobs numbers due on Friday. Shanghai Composite Index closed at 3,156 points, dipping 0.3%. RMB rose to a new closing high in two weeks, with the closing of an increase of 411 basis points. “China may accelerate its exit from the zero-COVID policy, which will benefit their market currencies and the rebound of assets,” said Barclays Bank.
Multimedia: Urumqi's vigil in Hong Kong
- 2022-11-29
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Karmen LiEdited by: Jayde Cheung
- 2022-11-29
Demonstrators gathered in Central at around 7 pm to mourn the victims of a fire accident in Urumqi amid strict lockdown in mainland China. Mainlanders from provinces including Shanghai and cities like Guangzhou and Chengdu held blank sheets to protest against the COVID-19 measures, and chanted slogans to oust Chinese president Xi Jinping since last Saturday. After the ten mainland Chinese students mourned at the University of Hong Kong last Sunday, protestors in Central held blank papers and sent flowers to pay tribute to the ongoing protests in mainland China despite the police’s social distancing checks. Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/03HI_DwUHzY
Commemoration held in Central for victims of Urumqi's fire
- 2022-11-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Jayde Cheung、Tracy LeungEdited by: Clarice Wu
- 2022-11-28
More than 100 people in Central mourned the fatal Urumqi fire last Thursday, following the unprecedented backlash against the rigorous zero-COVID measures in mainland China. Participants held white papers to resemble the “A4 revolution” that went viral in the mainland, expressing their discontent with the censorship on state-controlled social media with a blank white paper, alongside chrysanthemums tied with white ribbons for commemoration. “I need to support mainlanders who are speaking and fighting for their basic living rights,” said Ying who speaks on condition of anonymity. “The containment has gone too far that has affected the grassroots too much.” At around 8:15 pm, activist Alexandra Wong Fung Yiu, known as Grandma Wong, fell on the ground when her yellow umbrella was grabbed by an unidentified man. She has been sent to hospital and the man has been arrested by the police. Last Thursday night, a fire broke out in a residential building in Urumqi, causing 10 deaths and 9 injuries. Chinese netizens said the victims in the building were unable to leave due to COVID-19 restrictions, while the entrance door was locked and firefighters were blocked by the barriers set for pandemic prevention when they wanted to enter the building. But it has been denied by the city officials in the press conference held on Nov 25, who said that residents could go outside but lacked safety knowledge and the parked vehicles had blocked firefighters' access to the burning building. “None of the unit doors was locked and all the blockade images circulating online are fake news,” the spokesman said at the press conference. Snap lockdowns perpetuated in China, sparks anger across the country. As of yesterday, protests erupted across 51 universities in China including Tsinghua University and the Communication University of China, Nanjing, according to Hong Kong media Ming …
Indie music gets the thumbs up in Hong Kong
- 2022-11-28
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: Rex Cheuk、Mei Ching LEEEdited by: Kelly Pang
- 2022-11-28
Local "poetic pop" duo, per se, will mark their tenth anniversary next month with a concert at Kowloon Bay International Trade and Exhibition Centre. Stephen Mok and Sandy Ip founded per se because they wanted to explore a new music style beyond the rock band they were playing in. Ip and Mok categorise their songs as “poetic pop” because they want their audience the reflect and feel after listening to their songs, “just like reading poetry.”. Over the past decade, the music industry in Hong Kong has been dominated by major production companies such as Warner Music and Universal Music. Dear Jane, of Warner Music has had nine songs with over 10 million views in the past decade . But more local indie groups that are not attached to any commercial record labels are showing up in festivals and award presentations. Among them, per se which has won several local awards. “Our production focuses on the difficulties people might face in life, including challenges, separation, and the end of life,” said Ip. The group has gained popularity over the past few years. Last year their song, Candy Crushed was one of the top 10 songs in the Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation , a major Canto Pop award presentation in Hong Kong. Their latest album includes five songs on the theme of the apocalypse in which they invite fans to imagine how they would react to the end of the world. The fourth song, The Forgiven, is about how to let go of past regrets. “The message is to stay positive when dealing with bad happenings like an apocalypse,” said Mok. Mok and Ip are the composers, and their songs are in Cantonese and English with themes such as society, family and personal growth. “We get out inspiration from daily …
Experts call sustainability for Hong Kong’s F&B industry, but SMEs are struggling to practise
- 2022-11-24
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yongyi CAO、Yuhe WANGEdited by: REN Ziyi David
- 2022-11-24
Sustainability promotion faces challenges in Hong Kong's catering industry as small restaurants lack resources to implement it, said industry leaders in a panel discussion last Thursday. Scholars and representatives from the sector in Hong Kong discussed the importance of the circular economy, a model that recycles and reuses materials or energy to tackle global environmental challenges such as climate change, waste and pollution, to Hong Kong’s food and beverage industry. The food and beverage industry is one of the most wasteful industries in the city, regarding the amount of food waste and single-use plastic containers hander out every day. Kitchen waste accounts for 30% of Hong Kong's municipal solid waste, while plastic waste accounts for 21%, according to the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department. And about 10% of plastic waste was plastic cutlery in 2019. In the plastic waste disposed of locally every day, 200 tonnes are plastic cutlery made of styrofoam and other plastics. “Hong Kong's traditional linear food system results in many recyclable resources being discharged or incinerated as waste. This pattern causes not only economic loss but also significant harm to the environment and public health,” said Dr. Winne Law in the panel. She is the deputy director and principal lecturer at the Centre for Civil Society and Governance of the University of Hong Kong and has been teaching courses on sustainable development and environmental management. However, panellists also admitted the difficulties, especially the high cost of achieving sustainability for small businesses. "Many restaurants can't afford to pay the HK$ 7,000 per month for food waste disposal," said Nandine Maurellet, General manager of Business Diversification and Group General Counsel for The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited. Food waste disposal can help develop circular economy in the F&B sector, by generating biogas for heating and cooking made from …
Hong Kong pubs see slow start as football fans head to pubs to watch World Cup
- 2022-11-24
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Tsz In Warren LEUNGEdited by: Gigi Chong
- 2022-11-24
Football lovers across Hong Kong returned to bars and restaurants to watch the game as the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicked off last Sunday, but some pubs didn’t see much boost in business, despite authorities relaxing opening hours earlier this month. Many venues screening the matches expected crowds, particularly for the more popular matches, including Brazil, Germany, France and England. However, Lan Kwai Fong, the city’s entertainment district, was almost quiet when the match between England and Iran was aired on Monday at 9 pm, with only a handful of patrons watching the games. Chu Ka-chun, 30, manager of The Derby Pub & Restaurants in Wan Chai, said the rapid test requirement has reduced customers' willingness to watch the game at bars and called the potential boost to business from the event “questionable”. However, Eddie Chan Ka-kin, 44, founder of Lockeroom Dining in Mong Kok, is optimistic and expects the tournament to bring up to 50% growth to his business. “Around 60% to 70% of the tables have been reserved for matches between the “traditional powerhouses,” Chan said. “It’s dull to watch the football match alone at home. Watching football matches in pubs has a completely different atmosphere,” said Jimmy Wong, a 60-year-old football enthusiast and a first-time visitor to Lan Kwai Fong to watch the tournament. Daniel Wosner, another football lover who came to Lan Kwai Fong for the tournament, said he would continue to enjoy the remaining matches there because of the excitement brought by the extended bar opening hours. This year’s FIFA World Cup tournament will run for 28 days until Dec. 18.
See the world in patterns: Yayoi Kusama’s exhibition at M+
- 2022-11-23
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: Wisha LIMBU、Rajnandini PANDEYEdited by: Leona Liu
- 2022-11-23
M+ celebrates its first anniversary with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s exhibition, Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now. The exhibition follows a number of themes such as Infinity, Accumulation, Radical Connectivity, Biocosmic, Death, and Force of Life.
Hong Kong’s “Round-the-Island Trail” - what you need to know
- 2022-11-21
- The Young Reporter
- By: Nola YipEdited by: Kiki Lo
- 2022-11-21
Hong Kong will develop a coastal walkway on Hong Kong Island, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his first policy address. The “Round-the-Island Trail” project will connect the North Shore Promenade and the Southern District Countryside Walkway to improve the city’s livability, Lee said. Here’s what you need to know about the trail. 1. What is the total length of the “Round-the-Island Trail”? The “Round-the-Island Trail” will be about 60 kilometres long and will go around the whole Hong Kong Island. Currently, it is possible to detour around the Hong Kong Island’s coastline but the existing “Hong Kong Island coastal trail” is not fully connected and contains missing links. It is 65 kilometres long and connects a series of well-known routes, small paths and lost trails. 2. When will the “Round-the-Island Trail” be completed? John Lee said the study and design of the trail will start in two months and that 90% of the trail will be connected by 2028. As early as 2020, four District Councils jointly proposed a similar “Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail” to be created by a non-profit organization, Designing Hong Kong. But the plan was shelved back then. 3. What scenic attractions will the “Round-the-Island Trail” include? The 60-kilometre trail will include modern tourist attractions and historical sites, such as Wanchai Harbour, Kennedy Town's "Instagram Pier", Dragon's Ridge, and Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir Dam. 4. Are there any harm to the environment? Some critics say that building trails can have a negative impact on the natural environment, especially with regard to the construction materials used. According to a recent survey conducted by CoastalTrail.hk, some respondents suggested minimizing the use of concrete during the construction of the trail as it is an artificial material that may cause environmental harm. 5. What does the government hope …