News
Digital Art Fair Xperience Hong Kong 2022: 6 takeaways about NFT art
- 2022-11-06
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: Bella Ding、Yixin GaoEdited by: Clarice Wu
- 2022-11-06
The Digital Art Fair Xperience Hong Kong 2022 with a focus on innovative art is held in Central. It has showcased NFT utilising virtual reality and artificial intelligence, and tokens for transferring real-time data from the physical to the digital world. The fair features more than 400 digital artworks made with NFT with a total value of nearly HK$30 million from more than 70 artists. To coincide with the Xperience exhibition, DAF and Sotheby's, one of the world’s top auction houses, hosted the Xperience Digital Art Auction online. How has NFT affected art in recent years? Here are some takeaways for you. 1. What is NFT? NFT is a cryptocurrency asset representing either real-world or digital objects with a serial number based on Ether Blockchain, a decentralised and mainly user-generated content database with functions for storage, verification, transmission and communication. NFTs are non-fungible, meaning the value of each NFT is unique and cannot be used interchangeably. It could verify the ownership of a digital collectible. Individuals could bind their assets to the NFT, making the item a digital abstraction attached with a serial number. The asset could be in any form such as a song, a video or even a post on your social media account. While the assets themselves could be infinitely reproducible, the tokens that represent them are fully traceable on their underlying blockchain, thus providing proof of ownership for buyers. 2. How does NFT work in the field of art? “Traditional artworks are valuable because they cannot be copied,” according to Heiman Ng, Digital Art Fair Head of Business Development. Comparatively, general digital artworks are in a more awkward situation as people can easily copy and paste them, leading to copyright disputes. NFT artwork is a new branch of digital artwork that can avoid this problem by …
Hong Kong young females suffer from body anxiety on social media
- 2022-11-05
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Nga Ying LAU、Yuchen LIEdited by: WANG Jingyan 王婧言
- 2022-11-05
The road to becoming a plus-size model is never easy for 24-year-old Lezile Chan, who now takes this as her career in Hong Kong. She once lost 45 kilograms under the expectation of elders and peers regarding her body image, but only got stuck in worse condition, mentally and physically. “Undergoing some great changes in life while dieting and exercising, I didn’t step out of my home for one month and found myself with symptoms of depression,” she said. Chan is now moving on from her body anxiety and made a successful debut as a plus-size model. But body anxiety remains a problem in the city, especially among young females under the wide use of social media. A total of 85.2% of the 3,544 Hong Kong high school girls surveyed were dissatisfied with their body image, and wanted to lose weight although the majority were already considered slim. “Not many people are very confident in their bodies, especially females, as society sets a higher beauty standard for them than males,” said Wong Kit-mui, an associate professor from the department of sociology at Hong Kong Baptist University. “The unrealistic beauty standard, namely having a slender curvy body shape, can be understood as a money-making tool in the beauty industry,” Wong added. The trend started when alluring female body images showed up on billboards in Hong Kong in the late 90s, and developed further with the rise of social media use since 2000. Young people, especially women, frequently post photos on social media platforms. About 90% of young women in Hong Kong access Instagram daily and spend 1.5 hours on average, and 85% have posted their selfies on social media, according to a survey conducted in 2018 by MWYO, a local research organisation on youth issues. “Users are implanted with the thought …
Hong Kong Sevens 2022: city’s popular rugby event returns after three and a half years
- 2022-11-04
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Nga Ying LAU、Ka Tung NGEdited by: Leona Liu
- 2022-11-04
The Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens kicked off on Friday afternoon at Hong Kong Stadium, the city’s first major sporting event since the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic. With a history of almost half a century, this rugby sevens event has been postponed or cancelled five times since it was last held in 2019 due to the epidemic. After the city lifts compulsory quarantine requirements for overseas passengers in September, the world-class rugby returns. The event will run for three days and feature 45 matches with 16 teams in the group stage, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Fiji, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, Samoa, South Africa, Spain, the United States, Uruguay and Hong Kong. The stadium capacity has been limited to 85% due to epidemic prevention, and approximately 34,000 spectators are expected to attend the game each day. One-day tickets for the first day’s matches have been sold out by Thursday night on Klook, one of the authorised sellers of this three-day sporting event. “As a local rugby fan, I am proud that the play can be hosted again in Hong Kong,” said Lai Man-kit, a local audience member. Franklin Paul, 39, from India, said watching live games can refresh him. “I feel a sense of freedom now that watching the Hong Kong Sevens is a means for me to relieve pressure,” he said. Fans are required to scan the QR code using the LeaveHomeSafe app to show the vaccine pass and provide proof of a negative Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) result before entering the stadium. Groups of people are limited to 12. The government permitted food and drink in the seated areas of the outdoor spectator stands, but audiences must wear masks when not eating or drinking. “It would enliven the atmosphere when we are allowed to …
Handicraft bazaar attracts international vendors from different cultures
- 2022-11-04
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Ming Min AW YONGEdited by: Kate Zhang
- 2022-11-04
Richard Crosbie, an artist from the UK, has been preparing for the Halloween bazaar booth to sell his artwork. Crosbie has been in Hong Kong for 25 years and started his stall at the bazaar a year and a half ago. This time he became a vendor at a Halloween bazaar, which was held by a local organisation called Handmade Hong Kong, a body holds regular craft markets in the city. “There's a lot of planning (for the stall), and there's a lot of work that goes into it even though there is a one-day event,” Crosbie said. The Halloween night market is held on Oct. 30 at Discovery Bay, lasting seven hours. The celebration attracts many vendors, especially international ones. There are 93 stalls with different vendors selling unique handicrafts. Many hawkers are looking forward to the opportunity as their business has been bleak for the past few years due to the impact of COVID-19. Handicraft dealers from around the world promote cultural exchange while selling. Street trading has been part of local culture in Hong Kong for over 100 years. The city has 97 public markets, around 14,000 stalls, and 11 hawker bazaars with various commodities from fresh produce, food, clothing and household items, according to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. Megan Olinger, the founder of Handmade Hong Kong, said that she started crafting at home in 2007 and was introduced by her friend to organise a market. Their first event only had 12 vendors, and now they have around 150. The Discovery Bay Market has been operating for many years and has become the organisation's representative market. Their events receive strong support from the public. “What's been fantastic is seeing the amount of creativity in Hong Kong that people are doing at home on their own. …
2022 Hong Kong FinTech Week ends with the talk of digital payments
- 2022-11-04
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: Bella Ding、Zimo ZHONGEdited by: WANG Jingyan 王婧言
- 2022-11-04
Hong Kong FinTech Week came to a close today with the discussion of digital payment, with more than 400 exhibitors and 20,000 attendees joining the event this week. The five-day event is organised by InvestHK and supported by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, containing physical conferences and online activities. The FinTech Week aims to bring together global leaders from the innovation, technology and finance industries to share insights, present innovative ideas and build business connections. Over 300 speakers gave views on fintech development, including a global market overview, the fintech industry in mainland China and the Greater Bay Area, application of emerging technologies and virtual assets. Barry Mak, Chief Operations Officer of BBMSL, a digital payment provider based in the city, said it was the first time his company participated in Hong Kong FinTech Week. “FinTech Week is a milestone for everybody to learn about digital payments, not only small merchants or start-ups,” said Mak, adding that the activity gave his business a platform to gain more exposure. Koernraad Michael Van Huffet is a director Risk Apac for SAS Institute Hong Kong, a data-analysis software provider. He attended FinTech Week for three days. “It is brilliant for me to learn new things such as blockchain and cryptocurrencies,” said Koernraad. “I like the payment topic most since it was straight on the subject that I needed for my study,” he added. “This year, we witnessed many highly promising fintech ventures and were also really pleased by the participation from the various corporate champions,” said King Leung, head of FinTech at InvestHK. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau unveiled a Policy Statement on the Development of Virtual Assets in Hong Kong before the opening of the event, to set out the policy position and approaches to facilitate a vibrant virtual …
Hong Kong allows bars and eateries to open all night but industry has mixed reactions
- 2022-11-04
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Le Ha NGUYEN、Yuhe WANGEdited by: Malick Gai
- 2022-11-04
Hong Kong lifted opening-hour restrictions on restaurants and bars yesterday as part of the city’s latest loosening of COVID-19 rules, with industry workers welcoming the relaxation but concerned about the shortage of staff. Previously, restaurants were allowed to open until midnight, while bars could operate until 2 am. Now, businesses can set their own work hours, as announced by Under Secretary for Health Libby Lee Ha-yun in a press conference on October 27. “We hope that life will resume normal soon,” said Lee at the briefing, adding that the number of COVID-19 deaths and serious cases remains steady. The relaxation allows more flexibility and business opportunities for people working in the restaurant industry, said Fahad Awal, a DJ and event organizer for bars in Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong’s entertainment district. “We have all been waiting for clubs to open up for so long and now that it's here, we're really happy,” said Awal. “Even if you don't party, you just know that Hong Kong is one step closer to loosening up restrictions and everyone can become normal again.” Shireesh Prem, the manager at Le Boudoir, a pub in Lan Kwai Fong said the new policy is a “perfect change” and expected his business will increase by 30%. However, Prem said he’s pessimistic about when the restaurant and bar industry can fully revive. “It will take a very long time for the business to get back to pre-covid time because many expats have left already,” said Prem. Employees in the industry said that restaurants and bars will continue to face challenges despite the relaxing of opening hours as the new policy came almost three years into the pandemic. “Clubs will have to hire more people in order to run the business and its long working hours, making it even …
T8 alert remains in force until at least 10 pm as Nalgae nears
- 2022-11-02
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Ho Yi CHEUNG、Kei Tung LAMEdited by: Serena Kong
- 2022-11-02
Hong Kong Observatory announced to keep No. 8 Typhoon Warning Signal to at least 10 pm as it forecasted that Typhoon Nalgae, the first T8 alert to be issued in November in 50 years, will “skirt within 100 kilometers” of the city tonight. “At 8 p.m., Tropical Storm Nalgae was centered about 100 kilometers southeast of Hong Kong Observatory (near 21.6 degrees north 114.7 degrees east) and is forecast to move northwest at about 10 kilometers per hour edging closer to the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary.” said website of the Observatory as of 7.45 pm tonight. The Hong Kong stock market stopped trading in the afternoon section and classes were suspended for all schools. Ferries were halted while CityBus and New World First Bus announced to stop most services from 3.40 pm. Some office workers complained about the slow reaction of the Observatory, as the city’s forecaster didn’t issue No.8 alert until noon. Sherine Lam, who works in an entertainment company called Namco, began her shift at 1:00 p.m. The Observatory announced this morning that signal number 8 would be issued at or before 1.40 pm, but her employer still asked her to return to work. Lam criticized the late alert by the Observatory that brought inconvenience to office workers like her. “Because of the Typhoon Signal No.8, nobody comes to Namco and plays. I am confused if my job today was chatting with my colleagues for 40 minutes?” she added. May Kwan, a cashier at Mannings who worked her morning shift today, said the arrangement is undesirable and incomprehensible. "Typhoon Signal No. 8 was only hoisted this afternoon by the Observatory, but all schools were already closed this morning "Kwan said, "Our son did not need to attend school, but my husband and I both needed to …
Education: Student and teacher exodus hits Hong Kong
- 2022-11-02
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yu Yin WONG、Tsz Ying CHEUNGEdited by: Phoebe Law
- 2022-11-02
The student population continues to decline owing to a wave of emigration and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Education Bureau Student Enrolment Statistics reveals Hong Kong schools slashed 50 primary one classes in 2021 compared to the prior year. Joe Law, a primary school teacher who teaches English and Physical Education in Kowloon said during the pandemic, cross-border students from Shenzhen were unable to travel to Hong Kong. Families of cross-border students cannot travel back and forth under the disease prevention measures. From 2021 to 2022, schools in the New Territories have lost 1,755 primary one students since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 according to the government figure. They are forced to cut down their classes or even scuttle entirely. For instance, Tuen Mun, where cross-border schooling mostly takes place, has slashed nine primary one classes this year. Besides the reduction in class size, teacher departure has also hit the city since the pandemic. The recent Legislative Council figures indicate that the public and direct subsidy schools have lost 4,050 teachers and employed 3,790 new teachers in the 2021/22 academic year. In the past year, 15 faculty members left Law’s school, except the two of them has reached retirement age, some resigned and emigrated with their children, Law said. In February this year, the Education Bureau launched the vaccine pass among schools, which mandates all teachers to be fully vaccinated. “One of my colleagues refused to get a jab and eventually resigned because of the requirement,” Law added. “Even though some coworkers haven’t hit retirement age yet, they left because of the constantly changing education system,” Law said. Over the two years, national security education has been included in the school curriculum. Topics related to characteristics and the history of China will be covered in different subjects. In 2021, a new …
Hong Kong officials advise caution after Seoul Halloween tragedy
- 2022-10-31
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Tsz Yin HOEdited by: Tiffany Ma
- 2022-10-31
Revellers gathered in the popular night spot, Lan Kwai Fong, to celebrate Halloween today. There is a special traffic arrangement in the area until early Tuesday morning. Several roads including D’Aguilar Street between Wyndham Street and Wellington Street, Wing Wah Lane, and Wo On Lane are closed from 2.00 pm on Sunday till 5.00 am on Tuesday, according to the government press release. Special traffic arrangement in Lan Kwai Fong during festivals was introduced after the 1993 New Year's Eve stampede in which 21 people were killed and 63 others were injured. This year, local officials have warned revellers in Hong Kong to be careful with safety after 154 people were killed in a stampede during Halloween celebrations in Seoul. On Sunday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu extended his condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He added that the government will pay close attention to the incident. Secretary for Security, Chris Tang Ping-keung said the Immigration Department will provide full help to Hong Kong residents abroad who seek assistance. “I believe the Itaewon tragedy will not happen ( in Hong Kong) because the crowd control is good, the people are disciplined and follow the directions made by the police,” said Cheng Wai-hing, a visitor to Lan Kwan Fong. who was there with his six-year-old son. Party-goers dressed up as different characters, such as Chinese hopping vampires and Covid-19 rapid antigen test indicator to celebrate Halloween. Kwok Ka-chuen, Regional Commander for Hong Kong Island said that the police will pay extra attention to crowd movement in response to the recent fatal stampede in Seoul. Chow Kwok-cheung, bar owner of J1 Pub said that business is quite good today. His bar has been fully-booked since last Friday. “It has been a while since we …
Artists have faith in Hong Kong even after leaving the city
- 2022-10-28
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: Bella DingEdited by: Jayde Cheung
- 2022-10-28
Vawongsir, a Hong Kong artist, has been drawing political comics for three years. Some of his art is critical of government officials. He does not wish to give his full name for the fear of reprisals. "When working in Hong Kong, I would get so nervous if there was any sound of keys hitting or door opening that made me suffer physically and mentally. So leaving Hong Kong is the solution," Vawongsir said. Returning the key to his landlord and moving out of his apartment, Vawongsir has been switching shelters from time to time since then so that he can leave in a hurry should the authorities come after him. In April, he left Hong Kong for good. "I had no choice but to leave," he said. Vawongsir is one of the artists who fled the city to escape the fear and political limitations on art and creation. The enactment of the Hong Kong National Security Law in 2020 has set red lines for freedom of expression, shrinking a considerable amount of room for artistic freedom in Hong Kong. Of the 183 people arrested under the NSL since its introduction till Mar 28,2022, one-third have been made for speech crimes including secession and subversion as shown in the statistics of Hong Kong Police Force. The city is facing a severe brain drain with a 3.49% decrease in the labour force over the same period in the second quarter of 2022 according to the Census and Statistic Department. Bernard Charnwut Chan, the chairman of the M+ Museum Board, wrote to the South China Morning Post that the government’s move to require censorship of artworks could risk Hong Kong losing its global reputation. In January 2020, the school where Vawongsir was working for received an anonymous complaint that he was posting political …