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TYR Awards 2024 winning entries
- 2025-02-10
- By: Robin Ewing、Jenny LamEdited by: Robin Ewing、Jenny Lam
- 2025-02-10
Congratulations to all TYR editors and reporters who won a TYR award 2024. Best Spot News Winner: Trista Kurniawan and Siena Cheng for 'Enough is Enough': Thousands Rally in Brisbane to End Violence against Women Runner up: Vinci Ao, Jim Au Yeung and Jemima Badajos for Preston pride parade calls for ban on conversion therapy Best Video Spot News Winner: Elaine Lai, Connie Wong, Renee Tsang and Jemima Badajos for New crowd control measures at Lan Kwai Fong on Halloween Runner up: Connie Wong, Elaine Lai, Brian Ng and Jemima Badajos for Bar owners call for tax cut on low cost alcohol after recent to boost sales Best News Feature Winner: Nicole Chu, Tom Shuai and Siena Cheng for Taiwan Presidential Election 2024: Canvassing Inside the Temples Runner up: Tricia LI, Nansen Chen, James Modesto and Ben Rong Li for Gen Z Cantonese opera performers bridge modernity and tradition Best Video Feature Winner: Suri Yang、Canny Lau and Emily Chan for Hong Kong Kickboxing Championship 2024 takes centre stage at Kowloon City Plaza Runner up: Edith Mao, Elaine Lai and Jemima Badajos for Hong Kong beekeepers find ways to battle extreme weather Best Investigative Story Winner: Nancy Wang、Suri Yang、Hannah Wang and Katy Wong for Hong Kong bus companies roll out electric and hydrogen powered buses to meet carbon neutrality goal Runner up: Vinci Ao, Jim Au Yeung and Carman Wong for Labour importation threatens local job security Best Environment Story: Winner: June Fan, Zoey Zhang, Ji Youn Lee and James Modesto for The Wild Side of Hong Kong Runner up: James Modesto, Sia Rui and Rebecca Yang for Big, loud and looking for a mate - Asian Koels in Hong Kong Best Society Story Winner: Nansen Chen, Yoyo Chan and James Modesto for Choi Hung …
Kai Tak Stadium Debuts with Full-house Trial of U22 Football Match
- 2025-02-05
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHAN Wing Yiu、WANG LudanEdited by: AO Wei Ying Vinci
- 2025-02-05
Local football club Kitchee beat the North District team in Kai Tak stadium’s first youth football match yesterday with 50,000 in attendance. The Hong Kong Premier League Under-22 football match was a stress test for the stadium’s sports park set to open March 1,according to the government press conference. The Kai Tak Sports Park is the largest sports infrastructure in Hong Kong, including the 50,000-seat stadium, a 10,000-seat indoor sports center, a 5,000-seat public sports ground, and about 14 hectares of landscaped open space. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the players. I have never experienced such an impressive game with this amount of audience in my whole career as a football player,” said Chan Chi-hong, the head coach of the North District team. Chan said he was disappointed that the football field is artificial grass. “The grass matters a lot to football players. It could affect their overall performance,” he added. Dai Tsz-hin, a player of the North District team, said he was excited to kick off the match. “Even though most of the audience might not be football fans, I still heard them cheer for us, which makes me want to perform better,” he said. It is expected to enhance sports development and stimulate growth in various sectors, including recreation, entertainment, tourism, and the mega-event economy, according to the policy address 2024. Dan Tsang, 43, has been a local football fan for more than 30 years. When Tsang first heard about the plan to build this stadium, he doubted the need to spend this huge amount of money on a venue. “I am worried whether local football development in Hong Kong can make good use of a 50,000-seat stadium, as usually only around 2,000 people attend local matches,” said Tsang. The average number of audience members at local …
11 trail runners finish 2025 Hong Kong Four Trails with new rules
- 2025-02-03
- Photo Essay
- The Young Reporter
- By: LEUNG Chi NgaiEdited by: Chun Lim LEUNG
- 2025-02-03
15 trail runners from Asia gathered from Jan. 29 to Jan. 31 to participate in the annual Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC), along the MacLehose Trail, Wilson Trail, Hong Kong Trail and Lantau Trail. Runners who finish the 298 kilometers trail within 60 hours and 72 hours are classified as "finishers" and "survivors" respectively, according to the official site. The challenge kicked off at Tuen Mun on Jan. 29 at 9:44 pm. This year, there were 11 survivors, and for the first time since 2016, there were no finishers. Andre Blumberg, the founder of the HK4TUC was not surprised with the result. "This challenge was very difficult.You can't really take anything for granted," he said. Nugo Yamanath Limbu, 46, a Nepalese runner living in Hong Kong, was a finisher twice in 2020 and 2023. This year, he was the first to finish at 10:32 am on Feb. 1. It took him 60:49 hours. Nugo was happy though he wished he could have done better. “I spent 19 hours in Lantau Trail because of bad weather,” he said, “everybody made me enjoy it. It was nothing like that three years ago.” “It is impossible to check the phone when there is no watch allowed in long distance running,” said Nugo. Runners were prohibited from wearing any smartwatches this year in order to raise the difficulty of the challenge. "I don't think that's such a big deal," said Andre, "it may be a bit of a reminder that we've all become a bit too reliant on technology,". Takashi Wakiya, a Japanese runner who was in Hong Kong for the first time, finished the challenge within 67:44 hours. "The steps in Hong Kong were more steady and the inclination was much higher, compared to similar trails in Japan.” He said. “The …
Hong Kong’s IPO market signals recovery with new Tech-friendly listing rules
- 2025-02-02
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: ZHAO Runtong、Yichun Fang、XIA FanEdited by: Junzhe JIANG
- 2025-02-02
Hong Kong welcomed its largest tech sector IPO in three years in late October, when Horizon Robotics, a Chinese autonomous driving firm, succeeded in raising a total fund of HK$ 5.4 billion. The debut was similar to that of Midea, a Chinese home appliances manufacturing and retail company, which filed its initial public offering in late September, making it the city’s largest IPO since 2021. Despite these IPOs providing some much-needed momentum, Hong Kong’s sluggish stock market is experiencing one of its slowest years for listing in the past decade. KPMG reported that in the first quarter of 2024, only 12 new companies succeeded in listing in the local stock market, marking a 35% fall on a year-on-year basis, with a total annual fall of 30% to HK$ 4.7 billion raised. Proceeds from IPOs in the first quarter of 2024 were the lowest since 2009, as the city's worldwide ranking for IPOs fell outside the top five. Hong Kong stepped up its effort to boost the local stock market, aiming to regain its reputation as the world’s leading capital hub. Earlier in March, the HKEX amended its listing rules, easing specialist technology companies' access to go public, known as Chapter 18C. The regulators lowered the valuation threshold for listing in Hong Kong at the end of August. The measure responds to the big companies’ waning interests in the Hong Kong stock market. Giant tech companies such as e-commerce platforms Alibaba and electric vehicle manufacturer NIO Inc. all put listings in the US as their first choices. “Technology stocks are vital players and propelling powers in stock markets, as they are often at the forefront of innovation, offering promising growth to investors,” said Ju Wang, the head of greater China strategy at BNP Paribas. “The US is …
Low rent at lunar new year fair helps small businesses
- 2025-01-25
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHENG Tsz Sen Sean、QIN ZiyangEdited by: MAO Anqi
- 2025-01-25
Stall owners at Hong Kong’s largest fair in Victoria Park are paying lower rent than last year. Successful bids for wet stalls ranged from HK$6,530 to HK$75,000, with the aggregate bidding price declining nearly 30% compared to last year, while rent for fast food stalls was reduced by around 20%, according to the government data. Cheung Hon-fung, 22, a university student, partnered with two friends to sell drinking board games and wooden decorations which they designed. “The rent was fortunately cheaper than last year which was good news to us. But I don’t think there will be a great growth in sales, due to the bad weather and people going to mainland China to spend their holidays,” he said. Adrian Choy, 22, is another business owner at Victoria Park. “I ran a store seven years ago selling New Year’s favourites, but I didn't keep it going because of the high rent. This year's rent in the market is HK$8,000 cheaper than what it was then,” he said. To usher in the Year of Snake, many dry stalls sell snake themed items such as cushions and accessories, attracting locals and foreign visitors to stop in the tracks. “It was a collective effort to come up with different products. Some came up with neck cushions and some promoted Fai Chun with snake puns,” Choy said. Visitors at the fair include locals and people from overseas. Sherry Stephany, 58, a former Hong Kong resident, came back from New Jersey in the US during the holiday to visit family members. “We find the fair very festive and hope to buy some souvenirs and clothings with snake patterns,” she said. The Victoria Park fair opens on Jan.23 and lasts for six days with free admission. On Jan.29, it will remain open to the public until …
How music therapy soothes childhood pain
- 2025-01-07
- Society
- By: LI Sin Tung、CHAN Wing YiuEdited by: Yau To LUM
- 2025-01-07
Some children with specific mental health problems seldom open their mouths. Their parents do not have any clue how to make them talk, but Kwok Chun-ling, 29, founder of Nature Symphony Music Therapy, could. Kwok started a session with simple greetings, then sat in front of the children, grabbed her guitar, and started to play a cheerful self-composed song related to the child’s description. If the child does not want to speak, she will invite them to pick up any musical instrument that can represent their emotions, play any notes, and jam with the child. Similar to any other mental health therapist, Kwok needed to develop treatment plans for patients. But she doesn’t ask patients to put on instruments or take medications that may have side effects. During one of her music therapy sessions, two people sit and communicate through music. “Music is not intrusive and it does not force people to speak if they have difficulty expressing themselves due to emotional issues, especially children with mental health issues who are spending their childhood in the COVID-19 period,” she explained. Siu Man-hei, a nine-year-old girl studying at Po Yan Oblate Primary School in Wong Tai Sin, was diagnosed with autism and selective mutism. She has been receiving therapies from Kwok for more than a year. Siu’s mother, Cathy Leung, 46, said Siu has always been afraid to speak to strangers or in front of other people. Her refusal to speak was affecting her academic results. But music therapy boosted her confidence. "In the past, she would speak very softly, but now, every time she comes back from school, she will bring back the gifts she made and talk with us after attending the music therapy group," the mother said. “She also speaks naturally at school now, using a normal tone …
Knowledge meets cocktails: How academic bars in Shenzhen blend intellectual pursuits with social drinking
- 2024-12-23
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: LIU YutongEdited by: Robin Ewing
- 2024-12-23
At a cozy Shenzhen bar, soft jazz music plays as colorful cocktails glimmer on a Sunday night. The audience was focused on a speaker discussing the dichotomy between materialism and idealism with a few slides projected behind him on a screen. Neighbor House, Shenzhen's first “academic bar," hosted its first event on Sept. 27, exploring the question “Is life a wilderness or a track?”. “The bar was packed that night,” said Yu Yang, 32, a bar partner of Neighbor House. “I wanted to open a bar with spiritual pursuits, like in the movie Midnight in Paris, to make social drinking more interesting and intellectual.” Academic bars blending intellectual discussions with socializing have become popular in China’s first-tier cities this year, mostly in Beijing and Shanghai, before recently finding their groove in Shenzhen. People recruited from social media gather at venues like Neighbor House for lectures and debates on various topics, all while enjoying drinks. On Xiaohongshu, a popular lifestyle social media platform in China, topics related to "academic bars" have gained more than four million views, with more than 6,000 related posts. “At least 30 people attended each event, which is beyond our expectations,” Yu said. “We had to turn up the speakers so that people gathered outside could also hear.” “I want to get away from work and learn more things other than making money,” Xu Yihua, a 30-year-old participant, said. “I expect to have discussions with others and make more like-minded friends through this platform.” Xu Yihua, a human resource manager, participated in the academic salon held at the Neighbor House for the second time. She said she cherishes it because there are few opportunities to participate in such activities after graduating from university. Academic bars originate from “Science in a Bar” in the UK. The SciBars are …
Increasing use of social media for news risks overloading users’ mental well-being
- 2024-12-21
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: AU YEUNG Jim、AO Wei Ying VinciEdited by: KONG Tsz Yuen
- 2024-12-21
Conor James Walker, 22, a university student majoring in history and politics, gets his daily news from websites such as the BBC and Al Jazeera. He said the current amount of information online is detrimental to his mental health. “A lot of information online, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not, is mostly quite depressing subjects,” said Walker. “Fear of war, disease, disasters, and how politics rarely has a good story that comes out of it, no matter what country you look at,” he said. “It can take quite a mental toll on any individual,” said Walker. Walker added that he is less likely to read social media news unless it appears on his social media feed. “There’s the thing with social media,” said Walker, “which is anything can be said by anyone, and it turns out there’s a good chance it may not be true.” According to a report from the UK Office of Communications (Ofcom), the country’s telecommunications watchdog, 82% of those aged 16-24 years relied on social media for news, while only 28% of those aged 55 years do so. The report added that of all Britons aged 16 or above, 52% now consider social media their primary news source, whereas 51% still watch news on television via main broadcasters. This means online media has overtaken television as the biggest source of news. The American Psychological Association describes that constant feed of negative news as “media saturation overload.” Online platforms, especially social media, have algorithms that feed users more of the same to drive views and engagement. Bryan Mclaughlin, an associate professor in the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University, said that social media access leads to people being constantly caught up on the news. “If you don't have social media, even …
The Suicide Rate among Hong Kong Students Under Academic Pressure Hit an Eight-year High
- 2024-12-15
- Society
- By: CHEN Yik Nam、WONG Hong NiEdited by: Tsz Yau CHAN
- 2024-12-15
Heather Yeung, 20, is one of the seven founding members of the Hong Kong Student Alliance on Student Suicide, which was formed one year ago. Their goal is to give students a voice in the conversation about suicide prevention in Hong Kong. Last year, 1092 people took their own lives in Hong Kong. That’s a ten-year high according to Samaritans Hong Kong. Of those, 7.2 percent were aged between 10 and 19, which has reached the highest in eight years. The Hong Kong Student Alliance on Student Suicide set up a booth with the theme “How far are we from suicide?” on World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 in front of Mong Kok MTR station Exit D1.“The idea of holding a street information booth is to plant a seed in the hearts of passersby,” Heather said. Passersby added their views on the topic by posting sticky notes. There are 339 participants polled in the special interactive ballot box named “Your distance from suicide”, 72.6 percent said they had been exposed to suicide. She expressed her hopes that this initiative could raise awareness of the taboo topic in Hong Kong. “There is only so much we can do at this stage,” she added. Din Wai-bun, 53, is a lecturer at the Department of Social Work at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. “The deep-rooted traditional concept of ‘winning at the starting line’ is repeating a vicious circle over and over again, which has also brought about the emergence of the suicide epidemic,” he said. “Parents, schools, society, and students have been instilled with the concept that being elite and successful is the only way to survive,” Din said. “But the few always win at the starting line.” According to the 2023 Hong Kong School Children Happiness Annual Survey conducted by …
Canto slang connects Gen Zers in Hong Kong
- 2024-12-15
- The Young Reporter
- By: Lok Tung LAU、Cheuk Chi Maggie YEUNGEdited by: Yi Yin CHOW
- 2024-12-15
In the bustling shopping mall in Hong Kong, where people weave in and out of stores with shopping bags in hand, a unique tapestry of language thrives. Terms like “Kam” (meaning embarrassing situations), “Siu4” (a homophone for “laughing to death” in Cantonese), and “firm” (meaning everything is on the right track) are all part of Hong Kong’s distinctive blend of English and Chinese slang. These expressions are commonly used by young people in Hong Kong. The use of slang provides an accessible platform for sharing and communication, especially on social media. As a result, online language—particularly slang—has emerged as a powerful tool for teenagers seeking to connect with others and express themselves. Ryan Lee, a 20-year-old university student, said using slang phrases gives him a sense of social identity, enabling Gen Zers to integrate into society. He recalled not knowing what “Kam” meant when he first heard it and needing an explanation from a friend before he started using it. “I mostly use slang on the internet to express my feelings more easily,” he said. According to the Hong Kong Education City report, most members of Gen Z possess a strong sense of innovation and curiosity. The internet language they use often helps forge a unique identity, allowing them to fulfil different roles, express their creativity and showcase their personalities. Professor Zhang Ling from the Department of Chinese Language Studies at the Education University of Hong Kong said that students using slang demonstrate a tacit understanding among peers, reducing their psychological distance. “Every era and district has its own words. I think Hong Kong has promoted its era and district features through slang,” Zhang said. In the Gen Z culture, slang often involves code-mixing and the simultaneous use of two or more languages in written or spoken conversation. Additionally, there …