Culture & Leisure
Rep Your Style: The Enduring Allure of Vintage Fashion
- 2024-04-29
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Jemima Badajos、Sze Kei WONG、Ka Man WongEdited by: Jenny Lam
- 2024-04-29
Originating from Japan, the ‘vintage clothing’ concept first made its way to Hong Kong around the 1990s and stayed trendy to this day, continuing to be an outlet for the city’s youth to discover different fashion styles and wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Craft beer in Hong Kong: brewers in the post golden age
- 2024-04-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Haicen、ZHAO RuntongEdited by: Juncong SHUAI
- 2024-04-28
Along Tung Wan Road on Cheung Chau Island, hides an inconspicuous pub, with its name, “Island”, on a small brown sign. Everyday, 37-year-old hostess Vicky Du stands behind the pub counter, pouring beers and tasting them with customers. “We sell craft beer here,” said Vicky, “when I first tasted it, I fell in love with it and wanted to share it with more people.” “I introduce craft beer to every drinker I meet because I think everyone deserves a taste,” she added. Island’s liquor cabinet was filled with a wide selection of fine packaged beers. Some of them imported, but the vast majority were made in Hong Kong's local craft breweries. But Cheung Chau Island lacked the facilities for a brewery. So Vicky developed her own beer-ingredient list and later collaborated with various Hong Kong breweries for mass production. “The biggest characteristic of craft beer is its diversity,” said Vicky Du. “You can customise the recipe to whatever you want.” Unlike mass-produced beers, craft beers are usually produced in smaller quantities and accounted for a smaller share of the market. However, as more and more flavours are introduced, craft beer is increasingly popular with drinkers as a way of personal expression. According to figures released by the Census and Statistics Department, the number of specialised outlets selling alcoholic beverages in Hong Kong increased from 140 in 2008 to 460 in 2019. On the export side, craft beer has been the mainstay of Hong Kong's alcoholic beverage export. Hong Kong saw a golden age of craft beer in the past decade, with nearly 25 well-established local breweries, and countless pubs popping up every year, according to Business Digest, a Hong Kong commercial information platform. Among them, Moonzen, a brewery founded in 2013. It is one of the first breweries in Hong …
Exhibitors disappointed by poor customer traffic at the lighting fair are looking for better turnout in Autumn
- 2024-04-15
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: BO ChuxuanEdited by: Wai Yan MIU
- 2024-04-15
The 15th Edition of the Lighting Fair held by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council from Apr. 6 to Apr. 9, drew 200,000 visitors and disappointed exhibitors because of poor turnout. With the theme of “bright lighting smart living”, the spring lighting fair covered commercial lighting, decorative lighting, residential lighting, and technical lighting with accessories, showcasing an extensive array of lighting products and solutions. The Hong Kong International Lighting Fair is an annual exhibition for international buyers to learn about trends and innovations. The Autumn edition is regarded as the largest and most influential professional lighting exhibition in Asia. "As our experience, the spring edition is typically not optimistic. So we had low expectations for this edition," said Huang Wing, a sales representative at LED Night Lights, a light fixture company based in Zhongshan. “The customer traffic and turnout in the Autumn edition is usually better.” Ariana Chen, sales manager from Shenzhen, Guangdong province, was disappointed with the poor turnout. “We've been doing this for over a decade, and this year there aren't as many people as in previous years, also with fewer exhibitors. You can see from the large open area in the back of the exhibition hall,” said Chen. Zhu Yixin, 32, a seller from Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, said their turnout and visitors were not bustling this year. “Our company has been producing outdoor lights for 26 years, ” said Zhu. “Maybe it is because the light fixtures look so old-fashioned.” “Most of the exhibitors who take part in the Spring exhibition can get a better booth to displace in autumn,” said Zhu. “I hope we can have more turnout this autumn.” Cloye Wu, senior account manager, was looking forward to a better customer traffic this autumn, “The turnout this year didn’t reach our expectation, both exhibitors and …
HKWALLS Festival 2024 brings vibrant colours to the city
- 2024-04-01
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHAN Wing Yiu、WONG Hong NiEdited by: Aruzhan ZEINULLA
- 2024-04-01
HKWALLS Festival 2024 unites global artists and the local community in a celebration of street art across Kowloon and Hong Kong Island until March 31, showcasing the work of over 30 artists from around the world. Artists painted their work on donated walls, and people can stop by and appreciate the progress of their work to promote street art in Hong Kong. Jonathan Pauwels, known as Jaune, a 38-year-old street artist from Belgium, was invited to paint for this festival. “In Belgium, the street art is more savage, a bit more like everywhere and without control,” Jaune said. “I feel like it is more difficult to make street art in Hong Kong as it is most likely to be illegal here. It’s more like I was hiding to create my artwork.” The festival not only serves as a platform for established artists but also fosters emerging talent. Ailina Kabdullina, a 19-year-old visual art student from Kazakhstan studying at Hong Kong Baptist University, joined as a mentee to support Jaune during the festival. Kabdullina said working on a narrow street bustling with passersby was a remarkable experience and was inspired by the genuine interest people have in street art. Tim Lam, 38, another mentee at HKWALLS, said she joined the event to learn and try more about street art while collaborating with famous artists. "It's a rare opportunity for me to work alongside the street art community," Lam said. "What really stood out to me," Kabdullina said, "was that as mentees, we weren't just assisting the artists. We were encouraged to actively seek knowledge and insight from our mentors." A total of 20 mentees are involved in this year’s festival. “After assisting the artists and learning more about their techniques, their life hacks, it was great to create something on our …
Art Basel Hong Kong full-scale returns with an objective turnover
- 2024-04-01
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Haicen、WANG LudanEdited by: Lisheng CHENG
- 2024-04-01
The 11th edition of Art Basel Hong Kong was held from Mar. 28 to 30 at the Convention and Exhibition Center, with more than 80,000 visitors and totaling $39.4 million, recording a 4% increase in global turnover. Art Basel 2024 showcased the work from 242 of the world's leading galleries from 40 countries and territories. Lu Caiyun, Chairman of UBS Wealth Management Asia, said in a public address that art market sales in Mainland China and Hong Kong reached approximately US$12.2 billion, a 9% increase year-on-year. "While the cloud of high interest rates, inflation and political instability continues to slow down growth at the top end of the market, buyers are particularly active in the lower price points,” said Clare McAndrew, the founder of Arts Economics. This year, 23 galleries from Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas exhibited in Hong Kong for the first time, with an increase of 65 galleries over 2023, according to Art Basel Hong Kong. “Our goal is to connect visitors from around the world with our home, Hong Kong, through the collaboration and innovation inspired by art and artists," said the director of Art Basel Hong Kong Sylvia Lok in public address.
Easter eggs art installation light up Central Harbourfront
- 2024-03-27
- Society
- By: WANG Jing、AO Wei Ying VinciEdited by: Yau To LUM
- 2024-03-27
The “teamLab:Continuous” exhibition in Tamar Park, subsidised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department opened on Monday. The Central Harbourfront is the backdrop to the Easter egg theme art work More than 200 glowing ovoids and trees are on display on land and in the water, lighting up Tamar Park and extending into Victoria Harbour. Takashi Kudo, global brand designer of teamLab,who gave a speech in Tamar Park on opening day, said he wanted to make people think about nature, city space and their lives as a continuity since they are all connected. “As the ovoids change their colours when being moved, the wind and waves at the harbour continuously affect them,” said Kudo. “There are many cube-like buildings around which people cannot push or move, but for the ovoids here, you can touch and feel them,” said Kudo. “There is also another metaphor for the pushable ovoids: when people fall, they can stand up again.” Many visitors welcomed the exhibition as they took pictures and interacted with the ovoids. The first week of online reservations for the interaction area is already full. “I have visited many similar art exhibitions in other countries.This event is a good start for Hong Kong,” said Ed Tam, an exhibition enthusiast. “The exhibition uses Victoria Harbour as its backdrop and creates great scenery. I think this is what makes the art exhibition unique,” he said. Tam said he supported the government in setting up more mega art installations since Hong Kong seldom has such events. “It’s beautiful, but HK$50 million is a huge expense for taxpayers,” said Fanny Wong, a local visitor. “HK$50 million can support the government to do more things for the public.” “I will still recommend my friends to visit and appreciate these ovoid installations,” said Wong. “The colourful lights along …
World's largest pop culture exhibition ComplexCon debuts in Asia for Hong Kong’s Art March
- 2024-03-26
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Haicen、WANG LudanEdited by: Yuqi CHU
- 2024-03-26
The pop culture exhibition ComplexCon came to a close on Sunday at AsiaWorld-Expo as its debut outside the US, with an influx of local and other Asian fashion designer brands and musicians. The Asian debut was supported by the government’s HK$1.4 billion Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his policy address last October. ComplexCon, as the world's largest trend festival, was first launched in Los Angeles in 2016, gathering urban culture and music artists, with past performers including Snoop Dogg, Selena Gomez and Offset. “This exhibition used to be held in North America. I've had my eye on it for a long time, but never had the chance to attend,” said Tang Ziqi, 20, a trend culture enthusiast. He said he has been hooked on hip-hop, rap and fashion since he was in secondary school. "But today, I think ComplexCon has found a more suitable and Asian way to present its artistic effect in Hong Kong," Tang added. “You can see lots of trendy brands and designers from Hong Kong here, like my favourite Offgod, a 19-year-old teenage designer.” ComplexCon consists of a bazaar selling trendy fashion items and a music festival with ticket prices ranging from HK$380 to HK$4,780. Forty fashion brands and 12 artworks landed at the Hong Kong ComplexCon. Asian brands took the vast majority, including Thug Club, a Korean street fashion brand, local brand Lakh and GrowthRing & Supply and Taiwanese brand Goopy Made. Richard Chen Xiyun, a 19 year-old university student and also a fan of trendy sneakers, said he was very pleased with the variety of booths at the marketplace, which filled up three showrooms. “The artworks in the marketplace are very distinctive, including some contemporary and conceptual appeal, which allows me to have a variety …
“Art March 2024”: tourists welcome new ovoid installations with full bookings in the opening week
- 2024-03-25
- Culture & Leisure
- By: Chi On LIUEdited by: Ji Youn Lee
- 2024-03-25
teamLab:Continuous, an outdoor art project featuring hundreds of colourful illuminated egg-shaped installations at Tamar Park & Central and Western District Promenade, was fully booked by tourists on its opening week as part of the government’s new campaign. Around 200 ovoid installations changed colours with interactive sound effects with audiences. The installation is part of the government’s “Art March 2024” campaign, a program which aims to welcome tourists and locals to take part in various artistic events and “take the city’s vibrant cultural landscape to the next level”. In the opening ceremony, Tam Mei-yee, Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, said they were pleased with the public’s reaction to the exhibit. “The 100,000 reservations for the first week were sold out within 2 hours, showing the audience’s enthusiasm for this event,” said Tam. However, some visitors were disappointed in the amount of tickets and available amenities. Gao Xiaoqian, 28, a visitor from mainland China who has been to other teamLabs projects in Japan, said he had to walk more than 100 metres from the exhibit to the nearest vending machine for drinks and snacks. “I think the government can do better in this event, Gao said. “More tickets and valuable souvenirs related to Hong Kong may make this event more friendly.” To accommodate for high demand, Tam said the Leisure and Cultural Services Department would increase the number of booking quotes and would work with the travel industry to arrange group bookings. According to Klook’s official listing for the event, all tickets are fully booked until Apr.7. Richard Kim, 25, a local resident, said: “If an event has reservations to limit the people coming to the exhibition, I can’t see how it can attract more people to go out and more tourists to come.” The installations will be …
Noir & Blanc—A Story of Photography exhibition debuts at M+
- 2024-03-24
- Photo Essay
- The Young Reporter
- By: LI Sin Tung、CHEN Yik NamEdited by: Sze Kei WONG
- 2024-03-24
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Noir & Blanc—A Story of Photography is the first photography programme of the French May Arts Festival in Hong Kong opening in March. As the first stop of the travelling exhibition, M+ is collaborating with the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), the national library of France. It showcases photographic works from 1915 to 2019 and is the first major public exhibition of BnF’s photography collections in Asia. “Light and Shadow”, “Aiming for Contrast” and “Colour Chart” are the three main sections in the exhibition. It presents different perspectives for comprehending the creation of black-and-white images over the span of more than a century. The exhibition includes more than 250 photographs from BnF’s world-renowned collection, complemented by over 30 works from both mainland China and Hong Kong, drawn from the M+ Collections. The exhibition will be held from Mar. 16 to July 1. Tickets are $140 for adults, $70 for full-time students, children ages 7 to 11, senior citizens ages 60 or above, persons with disabilities and one companion, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients.
Memorial exhibition of Jin Yong brings back the world of wuxia
- 2024-03-20
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: LIU Yutong、BO ChuxuanEdited by: Juncong SHUAI
- 2024-03-20
“A Path to Glory - Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial '', an exhibition celebrating the 100th birthday of the famous Hong Kong writer Jin Yong opened in Central on Friday, free to the public. Fans can immerse in the fictional narratives with sculptures, calligraphy, and augmented reality. 10 sculptures made of bronze or stainless steel featured in the exhibition held in Edinburgh Palace, worth a total of HK$100 million, are on loan without charge from their creator, mainland Chinese artist Ren Zhe. The exhibition will open until July 2. "Seeing these sculptures in person is more shocking than watching them on TV," said Joyce Cai, 63, who has read all the novels by Jin Yong. She came from Kwun Tong, which is an hour's drive away. “The expressions of these characters are so real.” Speaking at the opening ceremony on Friday, the centenary of Jin Yong’s birth, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said people worldwide are familiar with Jin Yong’s 15 novels which have become a “golden-plated signboard” for Hong Kong. Jin Yong, also known as Louis Cha, is a prominent Chinese martial arts novelist and writer, whose 15 volumes of works have been translated into 14 languages and whose books have sold more than 300 million copies, with 1,400 characters created. Zoey Siu, 55, a photographer, has read all of Jin Yong’s novels. “Jin Young’s novel is the collective memory of Hong Kong,” she said.”Once Jin Yong's works were published, the whole city seemed to be quieter at that time because everyone was reading his stories.” Siu was deeply impressed by Jin Yong’s style of writing and attracted by his psychological and detailed descriptions. "Many foreigners are able to read Chinese and history probably because they read Jin Yong novels," said Chong Tai-leung, 55, executive director of Chinese University of …