Society
GIES 2022: Four-day expo with free admission, Gerontech enterprise expects more support from the government
- 2022-11-06
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yuchen LI、Man TSEEdited by: Hamish CHAN
- 2022-11-06
With entrepreneurs expecting more support from the government on gerontechnology, Hong Kong’s largest public education event focusing on the technology relevant to the city’s ageing problem ended on Saturday. More than 180 exhibitors showcased over 700 products, covering medical, food, housing and transportation needs to the elderly, at the 6th Gerontech and Innovation Expo and Summit, GIES 2022, aiming to promote public awareness of the technology related to the elderly through exhibits. The exhibition was held in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from Wednesday to Saturday, with free entries to the public. “(In this exhibition) I can see so many products and even interact with them,” said Leung Shuk-bing, 82, a visitor. “It is interesting.” The self-sanitising door handle developed by the team of Li Kin-pong, the co-founder of Titanology Limited, an innovative technology company, has been adopted by a number of residential care homes. “We are pleased to have a chance to bring our products to the attention of the elderly and the community through this exhibition, ” said Li. Matthew Shum, a representative of two social enterprises which focus on elderly welfare, said he saw a more diverse age group in this exhibition than before. “Besides the elders, there are more students and caregivers participating in this year’s Expo,” said Shum. “That means the public awareness on the ageing problem, Gerontech and the Silver Economy in Hong Kong raised.” In Hong Kong, 28.6% of the population were aged 60 or above by the end of 2021, with the average life expectancy in 2022 being 85.16, according to the Census and Statistics Department. Shum said the government should not support the gerontech industry only, but to allocate resources properly to enhance the public recognition of the ageing problems. Li Kin-pong said the demand for gerontech would increase …
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. …
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 …
Housing pressure forces Hongkongers to leave
- 2022-11-01
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Mei Ching LEEEdited by: YANG Zhenfei
- 2022-11-01
Wong Chun-yip moved to London from Hong Kong with his wife in 2019. They have just bought a house in the city. In Hong Kong, where housing prices are among the highest in the world, owning an apartment was something the 37-year-old could hardly imagine. "I am a freelance writer with a very unstable income. It was too much of a struggle to rent a flat and support my family on a basic salary of $37.5 per hour in Hong Kong. The high property prices gave me no hope," Wong said. Hong Kong ranked the least affordable housing market for the 12th consecutive year in 2022. Hongkongers can expect to work up to 23 years before they can buy their first home, according to Demographia’s International Housing Affordability report. High housing prices were one of the reasons that drove Wong to leave. He said it was a difficult decision because his family and friends are in Hong Kong, but he had no better option. Data from the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce showed that 27% of Hong Kong people moved to foreign cities for a better quality of life in 2005. “It is much easier to buy an apartment in the UK than in Hong Kong,” Wong said. According to the latest data from Numbeo, a global statistical database, it is twice as expensive to buy an apartment in Hong Kong as it is in London. The cost per square metre of an apartment in central Hong Kong is HK$249,000, compared to an average of HK$115,000 in London. However, the average monthly net salary (after tax) was HK$23,637.69 in Hong Kong, while HK$26,333.14 in the UK. Wong also said that many of his friends in Hong Kong thought about leaving because of political issues and to seek a better …
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 …
Expert remains confident amid attracting lost financial talents in Hong Kong
- 2022-10-31
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Rex Cheuk、Man TSEEdited by: Kylie Wong
- 2022-10-31
Martin Li plans to work for several years in Hong Kong when he graduates from university in order to save up money to leave. He majors in accounting and management at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and this summer. “I am not afraid of being jobless in the future. I am just worried about Hong Kong’s decreasing significance and competitiveness as a financial centre,” said Li. In mid-2022, Hong Kong’s population declined 1.6% to 7,291,600 from 7,413,100 year on year. The net outflow of Hong Kong residents is more than 113,000 residents since June 2021, after deducting the population inflow. Since January 2021, the UK has allowed all Hong Kong permanent residents born before 1997 to apply for British National (overseas) passports. According to the Home Office of the UK, 116,702 applicants have been successful as of 2022 Q2, while 68,146 of them were Hong Kongers.) Some of Li's peers also plan to emigrate because they fear Hongkongers are losing their freedom of speech. But in some cases, plans to leave are limited by financial situations. Cherry Tsang, former KPMG accountant, left for the UK in March for political reasons, and the strict Covid policies. “My coworkers here are more open-minded and willing to express their opinions without any concerns,” Tsang said in London. Politics aside, Hong Kong’s living environment, fast-paced lifestyle and working conditions are other factors both Tsang and Li considered. Temporary blasts Dr.Vera Yuen Wing-han, an economics lecturer at the University of Hong Kong, said that the emigration waves post neither immediate nor critical impact on the local financial industry, since corporates are attracting and retaining employees through promotions and salary raises. In fact, the mass emigration benefits those who stay because it is now easier for them to get a job or a promotion, …