News
Despite fines, visitors keep bringing e-cigarettes into Hong Kong
- 2026-11-04
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: PENG Yixin Naomi、WU Sitan ElaineEdited by: ZHENG Xinyi
- 2026-11-04
With a border checkpoint only a few hundred metres away, Jennifer Jiang, 20, a mainland university undergraduate visiting Hong Kong, hurriedly hid two e-cigarettes in her boots after a friend told her that possessing alternative smoking products was legally prohibited in Hong Kong and may result in a heavy fine. “I felt really nervous. After confirming the law online, my first idea was to throw away my two e-cigarettes, but they were brand new and kind of expensive…. So I thought I’d take a gamble," Jiang said. Finally, Jiang slipped through customs luckily with her e-cigarettes intact. In 2022, the Department of Health banned alternative smoking products, prohibiting the import, manufacture, sale, and commercial possession of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. This April, it extended the ban to public possession. Anyone found carrying more than five e-cigarette capsules or 100 heating sticks in public places faces a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and up to 6 months’ imprisonment. Those carrying smaller amounts face a fixed penalty of HK$3,000. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, importing e-cigarettes and other prohibited smoking products remains a criminal offence carrying a maximum fine of HK$2 million and seven years’ imprisonment. Despite the penalties, some travellers still bring e-cigarettes into Hong Kong. The Customs and Excise Department detected 2,600 cases of illegal importation involving alternative smoking products and seized about 9.35 million items last year. “Although public education has been conducted, the relatively new legislation still leaves room for improvement in timing and reach, particularly for cross-boundary visitors,” said Kelvin Wang Man-ping, professor at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Nursing, who has more than 15 years of experience in tobacco-control research. Hong Kong’s control points handled a record 334.6 million passenger trips in 2025, according to the Immigration Department. Amid such heavy flows, Customs …
Hong Kong’s legal gaps in deepfake porn leave victims unprotected
- 2026-11-04
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: SHI Puxuan Amy、MA Yifan ChloeEdited by: CHEN Xiyun
- 2026-11-04
In February, Chiao, 22, saw an AI-generated photo with her face superimposed on a naked body appear in the comments of one of her Threads posts. She was shocked and hoped her family and friends could tell the nude photo was fake, she said. “I refused to share any portraits of myself on public platforms for months, as I was terrified my image would be turned into pornographic content somewhere out of my sight,” said Chiao, a student based in Taiwan, who doesn’t want to reveal her full name for fear of it happening again. Chiao now works part-time at an influencer marketing agency, where she must publish promotional content on her personal social media account showing her face. The required exposure of the job is stressful, she said, explaining that it recalls her trauma and raises the fear of falling victim again. Luna, 32, a part-time influencer from Taiwan who also doesn’t want to reveal her full name, said she once received a direct message that included a screenshot of an image showing her face swapped onto an intimate image. Luna discovered this photo had been shared in an online chatroom whose members used anonymous accounts. She saved the chat logs as evidence. The group also contained deepfake content of other influencers in pornographic images, Luna recalled, with group members actively posting new face-swapped images at the time. Both Chiao and Luna said they decided not to report the abuse to police. They said they thought authorities would struggle to identify the perpetrators and that filing a report would do little to address the harm they had already suffered. AI-generated deepfake sexual abuse is an increasing threat for online users, particularly young women who say police can do little to help them. Pornographic images account for 98% of deepfakes, …
Chinese wine attracts growing interest at HK Wine & Dine Festival
- 2026-11-03
- People
- The Young Reporter
- By: ZHENG Xinyi、Gengjing HuangEdited by: CHEN Ziyu
- 2026-11-03
Chinese flavored wines drew strong interest from visitors at the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival in Central over the weekend from Oct. 29 to Nov.1, with tea and coffee-infused cocktails releases among the most popular offerings. “The innovation has turned once-conventional wines into newly popular, award-winning hits at this year's festival,” said Ken Cheng, 45, manager at a Hong Kong-based Chinese wines distributor. Chinese wine booths drew many tasters at the festival as Chinese producers recorded a strong performance at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards in June, where they won 214 medals, including two platinum, 11 golds, and 100 silvers. Cheng said younger consumers are increasingly pivoting toward fresh and distinctively flavoured vintages, adding that the growing demand for such approachable wines is reshaping the global wine market. Ken Yuen, a local wine distributor representing mainland labels, said local consumers are exceptionally open to novel profiles. “Our best sellers here are actually unique infused releases, such as caffeine-free coffee flavoured and tea flavoured wines that align perfectly with Hong Kong’s daily coffee culture,” Yuen said. “Ningxia’s wine exports surged 180% year-on-year, with Hong Kong absorbing nearly half of that total. Winemakers attribute this rapid growth to local consumers’ exceptional openness to novel profiles,” Yuen added. While distributors focus on expanding trade volume, boutique winery owners are also working to build international recognition for Chinese wines. “Our original motivation for founding the winery was simple, giving back to the community and bringing Chinese-flavoured wines to the world stage,” said Rita Kung, a Hongkonger who co-founded boutique winery Mystic Island in Shandong and was one of the exhibitors. Kung said balancing the company's revenues and costs remains challenging; however, the desire to bring Shandong's locally crafted wines to the world has not wavered. Kevin Lo, an air and sea logistics …
21-Year-Old swimmer sets record-breaking time in 45 km around Hong Kong Island
- 2026-11-03
- People
- By: SIU Tsz HangEdited by: SIU Tsz Hang
- 2026-11-03
Reported by Kajsa Svedlund Kylsjö Edited by Linnea Hedman In a stunning display of stamina and community spirit, 21-year-old Emeric Payer set a new course record for the 45-kilometres HK360 circumnavigation swim around Hong Kong Island on Nov. 2, 2026. Payer completed the gruelling open-water challenge in a historic time of 10 hours, 22 minutes, and 59 seconds, shaving more than 13 minutes off the previous course record of 10:35:58, set by Waris Mills on Nov. 26, 2025. A dream come true For Payer, standing at the finish line as the new record holder was a milestone he once thought unattainable. "When I signed up six months ago, I saw the 45 km distance and the fast pace they put me up on and I was telling myself, 'I will never do that,'" Payer said after reaching the shore. Having never attempted long-distance swims of this scale, Payer trained under Edie Hu, an experienced open-water swimmer who completed the HK360 in 2018. Under her coaching, Payer ramped up his training over six months, joining local races and steadily increasing his mileage. "A couple of weeks ago, he did a 10-hour swim in Repulse Bay, swimming back and forth from the beach to South Bay. It was really nice that day to see his confidence that he could actually do it," Hu said. Braving the dark and unpredictable waters Open-water swim experts and organisers regard the 45-kilometre HK360 as one of the region’s most demanding endurance challenges. Swimmers must contend with unpredictable currents, choppy waters, and heavy commercial shipping traffic. Payer launched his attempt under the cover of darkness at 4 am. When the sun finally rose just before 6 am, it provided a vital mental boost for the long journey ahead. "This morning’s sunrise was magical, one of the most …
Pedestrian diversions turn journey to Lan Kwai Fong into 150-minute ordeal on Halloween night
- 2026-11-02
- Photo Essay
- By: Pann Hnin Nay ChiEdited by: CHAN Hiu Ying
- 2026-11-02
Central’s streets became a maze of one-way pedestrian routes on Saturday night as revellers packed the district for the finale of Hong Kong’s first citywide Halloween Month. TYR took about 150 minutes to reach Lan Kwai Fong from Exit C of Hong Kong MTR station at around 9pm, while Exit D1 of Central station – one of the closest access points to the nightlife district – was temporarily closed until the end of MTR services. With Halloween falling on a weekend for the first time in five years, police implemented special crowd-control and traffic arrangements across Central and Lan Kwai Fong, directing revellers along one-way pedestrian routes. Officers monitored crowd movement along the diverted routes, using megaphones to urge people to keep moving and preventing them from walking against the designated flow. The celebrations marked the culmination of the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s inaugural Halloween Month, a citywide programme launched on Oct. 17 and staged across districts, including Central, Kai Tak, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui.
Revellers seek harbour-side Halloween away from Lan Kwai Fong chaos
- 2026-11-02
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: PENG Yixin NaomiEdited by: LAU Ka Yan
- 2026-11-02
Neon stage lights wash over costumed visitors, where families with face-painted children mingle with young adults in fantasy outfits. Music thumps across Victoria Harbour as the “Spooky Halloween” returns for its second edition. Yet attendees feel the event was a less crowded, more family-friendly alternative to Hong Kong’s iconic Lan Kwai Fong Halloween celebrations. Isabel Lee, a 20-year-old local girl, opted not to visit Lan Kwai Fong, citing crowd-related safety worries rooted in the past. “We just want to avoid that,” Lee said. As Lee thought, Lan Kwai Fong was full. To manage visitor flow and prevent crowd crushes, organisers Live Nation Electronic Asia divided the area into three zones connected by single-direction walkways between each zone. Zone A and Zone B host Halloween carnival activities, while Zone C is the exclusive outdoor music festival area reserved for full-access ticket holders. All guests must clear a security checkpoint before entering the ticketed zones. Lo Wing-Yi, a 41‑year‑old local mother, said Lan Kwai Fong caters more to single adults and the harbour‑side venue works much better for families with children. Some visitors enjoy the Halloween vibe without purchasing tickets. A public buffer area between Zone A and Zone B, open to all visitors free of charge and fitted with large screens showing live stage feed. Artists’ performances kicked off at 6 pm. MIRROR performed “Rebound” alongside a medley of fast-tempo tracks. At 9:30 pm, MEOVV showcased their new original releases, plus covers of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and BLACKPINK’s “Kill This Love.” The event runs from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. Full-access tickets cost HK$930, while Carnival passes cost HK$170 for adults and HK$50 for visitors under 17.
Holocaust remembrance and education in Hong Kong
- 2026-10-29
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHENG Tsz Sen SeanEdited by: CHENG Tsz Sen Sean
- 2026-10-29
Around 60 people rose for a minute of silence at this year´s Holocaust commemoration at the Jewish Community Centre in the Hong Kong Midlevels on April 13. Also called Yom HaShoah, the global annual event commemorates the murder of six million jews by Nazi Germany. The word “shoah” means “catastrophe“ in Hebrew. The Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre and the Israel Consulate General organised the event which features songs, speeches and personal stories of family separations, endurance and survival. The event has been commemorated in Hong Kong for 15 years. Australian journalist Jill Margo, who wrote the biography of holocaust survivor Frank Lowy, spoke on the “enduring duty of remembrance.” Roland Vogt, chairman of the centre, said April is genocide awareness month and represents the shared commitment to stand against hate and prejudice in all its forms today. At the event, six candles represent the six million lives lost. As members of the community light each candle, they dedicate it to one individual family member. David Kudan, Rabbi of the Liberal Jewish Community in Hong Kong, said his candle stood as a symbol against hatred. “As we light candles and reflect on their absence, we affirm our responsibility to preserve their memory. Their stories remain a guiding presence, calling us to confront hatred, to defend human dignity, and to uphold the values they were denied the chance to pass on. May their memory be a blessing, and may our remembrance on this day strengthen our commitment to justice,” Kudan said. “The organisers of this event did well not to focus too much on sadness. There were also nice messages of hope and calls for social justice,” said Jonathan Feuer, 34, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Hong Kong. He said Holocaust remembrance in Hong Kong is a unique …
Amazon still hiring junior developers, CTO says during Hong Kong visit
- 2026-10-10
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: LI Yuzhou Asher、HU Mudi 胡沐迪、Xi Yuke JackieEdited by: CHEN Yongru、ZHONG Xinyun、Wang Yunqi
- 2026-10-10
AI summary: *Amazon CTO Werner Vogels confirmed during a Hong Kong event that the company continues to hire junior developers at its historical rates. *The Hong Kong government plans to launch an 18-month AI upskilling campaign in early 2027 aimed at training roughly 40,000 employees. *PwC data shows 2025 job postings for low-AI-exposure roles reached 1.3 times 2021 levels, while highly exposed roles fell to 80%. —------------------------ Amazon is still hiring as many junior developers as in the past, chief technology officer Werner Vogels said in Hong Kong on Friday, stressing that human skills remain important in the AI era. Speaking to university students, start-ups and technology leaders at Hong Kong Science Park, Vogels delivered a keynote speech titled “The Renaissance Developer” at “Future Builders: The AI Career Dialogue”, hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS). “Everything that AI generates for you is yours, not that of the tool,” he said. Discussing responsibility for errors in regulated industries, he added, “You can’t say to the regulator, ‘Oh, that was AI.’ No. It’s yours.” “AI transformation is not really about technology, it's about people and the process,” said Chris So, managing director of AWS Hong Kong. He said the event aimed to build a steady flow for Hong Kong talent ready to lead in the AI era. In the 2026 Policy Address, the Hong Kong government announced plans to offer more than 200 training courses and activities by the first quarter of 2028 under its "AI for All" Inclusive Programme. An 18‑month AI upskilling campaign, which will be launched in the first half of 2027, is expected to benefit around 40,000 employees, the government said Sun Dong, Hong Kong’s secretary for innovation, technology and industry, said at the event, “As generative artificial intelligence (AI) flattens the technical learning curve, …
Over 300,000 tourists visit Hong Kong on first day of National Day Golden Week
- 2026-10-05
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Ng Wing Sum JodieEdited by: LEUNG Chi Ngai
- 2026-10-05
A total of 306,544 visitors from mainland and other countries entered Hong Kong on National Day, Oct.1, according to Immigration Department statistics. Despite scorching midday temperatures exceeding 34 degrees, tourists flocked to streets in Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and Central, many adorned with National flags and celebratory banners. Two tourists from Jiangsu, visiting Hong Kong for the first time, said even more national flags were hanging around where they came from. “Basically, every road is decorated with national flags, even in less-populated areas,” said Alina Shan, one of the tourists. The duo said they had long bookmarked Hong Kong after seeing recommendations on Xiaohongshu (RedNote). In Central, Liza Erata, 56, was hanging out with her daughter, enjoying their day off as local domestic workers. She said National Day felt like any other holiday, as she always has Sundays off. “We stayed here too long already, that’s why we got used to it.” Two Australians on a business trip, Max Penny, 18, and Sam Penny, 50, were walking with miniature national flags they got for free on the Star Ferry. Max said the festive vibes had been pretty good so far, but he was not used to Hong Kong’s heat, as it is currently winter in Australia. The Immigration Department estimates that more than 7.44 million, including Hong Kong citizens and visitors, will pass through the border during the seven-days National Day Golden Week.
Po Pin Chau visitor cap overrun on National Day, almost half absent
- 2026-10-03
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yutong SuEdited by: YANG Shuyi
- 2026-10-03
The number of reserved visitors for Sai Kung’s Po Pin Chau on National Day reached 2,420, exceeding the original official capacity limit of 2,000, yet only 1,160 people visited the spot, according to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. That came as the department announced on Aug. 21 that during the weekends, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the National Day “golden week” from Sept. 5 to Oct. 7, visitors must make an appointment in advance to visit the High Island Geo Trail-Po Pin Chau Section of the High Island Reservoir East Dam in Sai Kung. Visitors must make a reservation via online travel agency Klook and present both the electronic confirmation and proof of identity to gain entry on the day of visit. On the National Day, environmental NGO Greenpeace conducted a field visit, and said crowding and trail damage remained serious despite the booking system, it said in a statement. Greenpeace called on the authorities to lower the daily quota of 2,000, prioritise repairs to damaged sections of the trail, and consider stronger measures such as seasonal closures or closing degraded segments during peak periods. “In the long run, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Environment Bureau should implement cross-departmental cooperation to carry out carrying-capacity studies on ecologically sensitive sites across Hong Kong and formulate a conservation-first ecotourism policy,” it wrote. Peng Liqing, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Hong Kong, said while visitor caps are direct management tools, their actual effectiveness ultimately depends on quota calibration and visitor behavior management. Before the policy was implemented, the East Dam—the starting point of Po Pin Chau—recorded a daily average of 2,900 visitors during this year’s May Day holiday, peaking at 5,700 in a single day, the AFCD said. According to the Policy Address 2026, …