The Young Reporter
Mid-Autumn Fun: Thousands gather for annual Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance
- 2024-09-17
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: MAO Anqi、LI Sin TungEdited by: James Ezekiel Kalaw MODESTO
- 2024-09-17
Thousands of revellers gathered along Wun Sha Street in Tai Hang in Causeway Bay yesterday for the first night of the annual Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. This year’s event includes a 20-metre-long LED fire dragon held by around 100 children, a first for the annual night-time event. The fire dragon dance route also extends to Causeway Bay Road, passing souvenir booths for event-goers to visit and take photos. “The participation of children can help promote the younger generation's understanding of the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and better inherit our culture,” said Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun at the opening ceremony. A small area with old public housing estates, Tai Hang livens when the dragon dance attracts a tide of admirers. Dancers manoeuvred the dragon while carrying over 30,000 burning incense sticks. The event included performances accompanied by traditional drumming and gongs. Among the thousands in attendance was Gao Junyang, who creates and sells hand-made dragon lanterns. His first time visiting, the 17-year-old described the atmosphere as "full of life" "Every corner is teeming with excited people, who stretch their necks and hold phones above their heads,” he said. Zoe Wong, one of the Lotus Sisters, a team consisting of little girls dressed in pink cheongsams and carrying pink lotus lanterns, in this year’s show said her excitement overwhelmed her feelings of exhaustion. “I can play with friends, and grab some incense sticks for fun and fortune,” the 7-year-old said. “I would love to come and perform again next year.” Linda Chen, 23, from Fujian Province in mainland China, also enjoyed the fire dragon dance. “Seeking happiness, health and unity with family not only means a lot to me but also follows the tradition,” she said. However, Chen said the horde of people made it difficult to see …
Huawei unveils world’s first tri-fold phone
- 2024-09-11
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG HaicenEdited by: Ji Youn Lee
- 2024-09-11
Chinese tech giant Huawei unveiled the first tri-fold smartphone, priced at 19,999 yuan (HK$22,000), yesterday at a launch ceremony in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen. Pricier than earlier models such as Huawei’s double-fold phone Mate X5, the newly launched Mate XT is more than double the starting price of Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max, which was unveiled just hours ahead. Huawei's foldable phone Mate XT allows users to fold it into three sections like an accordion screen door. According to Yu at the launch, prices for the new smartphone start at 19,999 yuan for 256 gigabytes, with higher memory versions available for 21,999 yuan and 23,999 yuan. The phone comes in red and black colours. “The average consumer has limited knowledge of smartphones, let alone the benefits and value of the products,” said Will Wong, a senior researcher at IDC Consulting. “Therefore, they may be put off by its high price.” New products from both Apple and Huawei will be available from 20 September. Jene Park, an analyst at research firm Counterpoint, said the upcoming new Huawei products are not expected to have a major impact on Samsung's and Apple's business in terms of volume. “With a starting price of 20,000 yuan, more than double the starting price of the comparable iPhone 16 Pro Max, and limited production, the tri-fold phone is likely to be more of a symbol of Huawei's tech prowess than a major sales driver,” said Wong. Although Apple has shown strong demand in China as a mobile phone producer, a recent report released by Canalys in the second quarter shows it has fallen out of the top five in terms of sales for the first time in China, dropping from third to sixth place. “Huawei's new product may not have a huge impact on sales …
Diverse sailors make splashes at Hong Kong Race Week
- 2024-07-23
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG HaicenEdited by: Jemima Badajos
- 2024-07-23
The 2024 Hong Kong Race Week drew to a close on Feb.4. The six day event was the second time it was held since the Covid-19 lockdown in 2019. Ten classes of the event including both professional and amateur levels competed in Repulse Bay, Deep Water Bay, Stanley, Tai Tam and Lo Chau. This year’s Hong Kong Race Week was co-organised with the 29er Asian Sailing Championships, attracting 273 local and overseas sailors. Asia's top ranked sailors, Hangzhou Asian Games medallists and the winners in the last Hong Kong Race Week also gathered at Middle Island to compete. Many junior athletes from Shenzhen, Nanjing and Qingdao travelled to Hong Kong accompanied by their club coaches or parents to participate in the juniors category, a first for the event.
How is Cantonese opera inherited and evolving in modern society
- 2024-07-22
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yuqi CHU、Yuhan WANG、Jiaxing LiEdited by: Ziyu Bruce Zhao、Yuqi CHU
- 2024-07-22
Cantonese opera is an important part of Hong Kong's historical and cultural heritage. Despite the challenges this art form faces, many people are still dedicated to promoting and preserving it. At the same time, the Cantonese opera industry has also been adapting to the pace of the new era.
Taiwan Presidential Election 2024: Canvassing Inside the Temples
- 2024-07-21
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yuqi CHU、Juncong SHUAI、Lisheng CHENGEdited by: Yuqi CHU、Juncong SHUAI、Lisheng CHENG
- 2024-07-21
On the afternoon of January 8, nearly 2,000 people gathered at a small venue in front of Jinlian Temple in the Madou District of Tainan. They had been waiting in an orderly fashion for more than two hours. Suddenly, there was a thunderous cheer from the street corner as the person they had been waiting for appeared. TPP's Presidential Candidate Ko Wen-Je was ushered into Jinlian Temple amidst guards, media reporters, and the exuberant public. It was five days before the voting day for Taiwan's presidential election. Ko Wen-Je had come to Jinlian Temple to pray and canvass for votes, just like all the other candidates. Whenever there is an election, candidates in Taiwan will actively visit numerous temples, not only to bai bai (pray) but also as a significant step to win votes. As temples represent a fusion of religious and political life in Taiwan, they are valued by candidates as a political strategy. Two weeks before the election, three presidential candidates had already shuttled between different temples all over Taiwan. DPP's President Lai Ching-te had visited temples 184 times since he declared his candidacy on November 20 of the previous year, closely followed by Kuomintang's Hou Yu-ih with 162 visits. Ko Wen-je from the new force TPP lagged behind his two competitors with only 93 visits. Itineraries related to temples increased nearly 30% compared to the last election. Lai's lead was not surprising since the DPP has always maintained close contact with temples and was the first party to establish the Committee on Religion in 2017, which collaborates with other departments to arrange the itineraries of electoral campaigns. Huang Yuanyuan, 70, Chairman of the Lion Choan Temple, sees these visits as more than mere tradition. "Candidates come here seeking blessings for peace and health, and it's a way …
How Green Roofs Can Encourage a Green City Revolution
- 2024-05-12
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: KURNIAWAN Trista Vania、AO Wei Ying VinciEdited by: Elif Lale AYHAN、Yee Ling TSANG
- 2024-05-12
As Brisbane aims to become a greener city, the trend of green roofs is gaining momentum. While green roofs offer benefits, they also present challenges that cities must address before implementing new policies. Green roofs are also just one piece of the puzzle. Rather than relying on green roofs as one solution, cities like Hong Kong should view them as catalysts for inspiring more initiatives that pave the way towards a greener future.
AI-powered health and wellness tools: Personalising medical care at your fingertips
- 2024-05-11
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Jemima BadajosEdited by: Ming Min AW YONG
- 2024-05-11
With an iPad’s front camera, artificial intelligence and sitting still for just 30 seconds, Vitals, an AI-powered app, can tell your vital signs by simply scanning the colour changes in your face. Vitals was developed by Panoptic.AI, a Hong Kong-based healthtech company founded in August 2022. The health and wellness monitoring app can identify up to 15 health indicators, including your breathing rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation, which can help track current lifestyle conditions and detect any potential health risks down the line. As the colours in your face are affected by blood flow, signals that only show these changes are tracked, which can also filter out “blind spots” such as beards and tattoos. Next, the signals are sent to the company through the cloud, while any personal identifiable information is kept back on the user’s device. Kyle Wong, CEO and co-founder of the start-up, says the product’s idea stems from their previous projects involving temperature screening and thermal imaging technology in large-scale areas, such as border control points and government facilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company’s team realised that it was challenging to identify asymptomatic patients who did not show signs of fever or had taken medication that lowers their temperature, said Wong. “We were doing a lot of research about using a camera, trying to find what other features we can measure from the person,” Wong said. “That led to the idea of what we have now, which is by using a regular camera, and we're talking about the camera of your smartphone, your everyday, off-the-shelf device, we're able to measure these biomarkers,” he said. Artificial intelligence is developing in Hong Kong’s health technology industry as it transforms health and well-being services into a personalised and self-manageable tool. The rise of artificial intelligence in digital wellness …
Dyeing for Sustainability: Reviving natural indigo for eco-friendly textiles | Global News Relay
- 2024-05-08
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Ka Man Wong、Jemima BadajosEdited by: Jenny Lam
- 2024-05-08
Environmentally-conscious artists and experts in the textile industry want to go back to the basics by promoting the use of natural indigo.
Women in male-dominated industries try to break the glass ceiling but still face difficulty
- 2024-05-07
- People
- The Young Reporter
- By: LIU Yutong、BO ChuxuanEdited by: Yuqi CHU
- 2024-05-07
Christina Ho tried to keep the airplane’s rudder steady while responding to air traffic controls. She used to be a fashion designer but became an airline pilot for one of Hong Kong's leading airlines five years ago. Only 5.8% of the commercial airline pilots in the world are women, according to the data released by the International Society of Women Pilots. “As one of the few girls with no experience or engineering background in the class, I always reminded myself not to compare with others but only try my best,” Ho said. “I’ve never worried about the difficulties of being a woman or other people’s prejudice.” Ho once had an opportunity to enter the cockpit and watch the captain's professional operation when she was a flight attendant. She fell in love with this career and was attracted by its multi-tasking characteristics. “My heart beats faster and faster while taking off and speeding up, ” Ho said. “This experience inspired me to take hold of the motivation to learn when I come across something that captures my interest. ” At first, Ho’s mother didn't understand the hard work involved in the pilot training course. “After I flew with my mother for more than two hours in Australia when I graduated, my mother learned more about my work, understood my pilot dream and supported my career,” Ho said. Being a pilot is one of a number of professions that’s traditionally dominated by men. According to LinkedIn’s 2021 Opportunity Index, 41% of women in Asia Pacific believe they have fewer career development opportunities than men. A third of them thought gender was a barrier and there’s a lack of mentorship for women. Taki Li, 33, a head bartender at Bar Leone in Central, has been in this field for eight years. “My family …
Hong Kong kickstarts monthly pyrotechnics on Labour Day
- 2024-05-07
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: AU YEUNG Jim、AO Wei Ying VinciEdited by: Jemima Badajos
- 2024-05-07
A 10-minute pyrotechnic display lit up the sky of Victoria Harbour on Labour Day. It is the first instalment of the government’s plan to hold pyrotechnics and drone displays every month to better utilise harbourfront resources, boost tourism and stimulate consumption, as explained in this year’s budget address.