Culture & Leisure

Outside a small pet barbershop, a brown poodle stood on a grooming table while a groomer trimmed its coat. On the fresh grassland a short distance away, a Border Collie ran through a line of training obstacles, landing steadily after each jump. Nearby, a Teddy dog sat in a stroller, waiting for its afternoon snack as its owner stood beside it. This scenario was taking place in reality in a pet entertainment park named LOHAS located at the top floor of China plaza in China Guangzhou’s Yuexiu district. Opened at the end of 2025, the park is the first-of-its-kind in Guangzhou, pet-themed entertainment zone that comes with a hotel, club, barbershop, grocery store, coffee shop and even a “marriage corner” for pets.  Hegla Li, 26, and her one-year-old Border Collie, Doubao, are one of the first customers at  LOHAS.  “I am always afraid my little one might get lonely and depressed at home, so I took him to the pet entertainment park, basically to help him make more furry friends,” she said.  Li, single and unmarried, has no plan for having a child and recently put on hold her plans of furthering her studies of medicine and travelling around the world, all for her furry friends.   “To me, my dog is the emotional anchor that brings me comfort. Doubao gives happiness, energy and vitality and I would like to give him my company, money and anything that I think is interesting and worthy to him in return,” She said. There are many young Chinese like Li who would much rather devote their energy and resources on pets rather than building a family. Since 2020, the birth rates of China have been continuously declining and dropped to an all-time low of 6.39% in 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics …

Beneath Kwun Tong's gentrified Yue Man Square lies a descending escalator that leads one to a ghost market. Despite bright lighting and air conditioning, the Yue Man Hawker Bazaar is drawing only a handful of visitors each day to the basement market selling household supplies. Off-seasoned pyjamas and bath towels are seen hanging on store fronts where shop owners idled by, barely making any sales. This is a stark contrast to the former street vendors who used to huddle up in the heart of Kwun Tong’s hustle and bustle while making a living to sustain their families. Since 2021, more than 100 stalls have been relocated to the Yue Man Hawker Bazaar, which was designed to support hawkers’ livelihood. But they complained that its hidden basement location and a surging popularity with online sales have made their businesses no longer sustainable. Although there are efforts to revive the market, its once-vibrant atmosphere was killed in the process. Fung Kwong-wai, 88, is a stall owner in Kwun Tong who has been selling mostly pyjamas for all ages for over 50 years. “I can only make a hundred dollars a day. It is not enough, as even lunch now costs at least HK$40,” said Fung. Many hawkers, like Fung, face a similar situation at Yue Man Hawker Bazaar. “No one comes here except for some neighbours occasionally,” said Janet Chan, 50, another old stall owner who sells daily items including combs, hair ties and pouches at the bazaar. Lau Sze-ying, 80, has been an owner who sells Chinese New Year couplets and red pockets for over 50 years. “Half of the day goes by, and only two to three people out of every 10 people who take the escalators down may buy things here. Most of the people who come are usually …