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SCMP

We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. How Twins’ Charlene Choi went from Cantopop teen idol to top Hong Kong actress
Surviving Hong Kong’s ruthless entertainment industry is a rare feat; doing so while wholly redefining your public image is nearly unprecedented. Yet, Charlene “Ah Sa” Choi Cheuk-yin has managed to do both.
2. As Europe bakes, how people in China kept cool before air conditioning
Europe is currently in the grip of a fierce, unrelenting heatwave, with temperatures in several countries surging past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
3. Gluten-free Chinese food in London? Why coeliac diners will love this dim sum

Trying international foods can be a bit of a minefield for those who follow a gluten-free diet. Take Chinese cuisines, for example; wheat is used in everyday ingredients such as soy sauce, black vinegar and dumpling wrappers.
4. At 32, how a university lecturer became Mr Gay Japan’s first Taiwanese finalist
Academia can often feel like a stifled ivory tower, a place where theory is completely detached from lived experiences and personal stories. But Nick Kueh, a lecturer at the National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology in Taiwan, wants to tackle education differently.
5. Can you get cancer? Hong Kong doctors say it takes more than 1 mistake

Tom Hutchins did not find a lump. What he noticed instead – a tiny, almost imperceptible dot – was enough to change his life. The Hong Kong-based business director, who has lived in the city for a decade, was just 30 when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He first spotted something unusual during a routine check in the shower.
6. How do you get a girl to fall in love with you? Ask Emily Lin

Connecting with women is not that hard, says Los Angeles-based content creator Emily Lin Enjie. In her most viral video, “How to get a girl to fall in love with you”, she highlights the importance of simply saying “tell me more” – and then, crucially, of shutting up and listening to the answer.
7. What is ‘urge surfing’? How does it help with addiction and bad habits?
How many times have you promised not to check your socials again or pour another drink – only to do exactly that minutes later? A technique known as “urge surfing” asks us to do something surprisingly simple instead: notice the craving, stay with the discomfort – and let it rise and fall like a wave rather than satisfying it.


Charlene Choi’s rise to stardom; how to make a girl fall in love: 7 Lifestyle highlights

BYD surpasses Tesla in global race; ‘do-or-die’ crisis in China’s market: 7 EV reads

Thai beer heir opens up, Philippine ube’s ‘purple gold rush’: 7 Asia highlights

Noted scientists leave US for China, America turns 250: 5 weekend reads you missed

SCMP Highlights

Charlene Choi on the red carpet of the 34th Hong Kong Film Awards at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in Tsim Sha Tsui, in April 2015. Choi was nominated for the best actress award that year for her role in the film Sara. Photo: Sam Tsang

The gluten-free dim sum selection at London’s Golden Phoenix, where Marina Lai-Lentz is the second-generation owner. Photo: Marina Lai-Lentz

 Illustration: Henry Wong

Emily Lin became a full-time content creator in 2024. Her “School of Women” series on social media teaches straight men emotional literacy and how to develop healthy, fulfilling relationships with women. Photo: Instagram/therealemilylin

TCM’s take on human life; rise of China’s Empress Dowager Cixi: 7 Lifestyle highlights

One expert recommends that air conditioners should be professionally cleaned at least once a year, with twice a year being a better target to prevent significant mould growth, which generally begins around five to six months after cleaning. Photo: Shutterstock

A traditional Chinese medicine doctor looks at a research model of acupuncture points on the human body. Acupuncture is one of several treatments traditionally prescribed in TCM to ensure transitions between later life cycles feel smooth. Photo: Shutterstock

A portrait of Empress Dowager Cixi, one of the most powerful and influential women in Chinese history. Photo: Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Andy Lau in a still from Running on Karma (2003). Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai teamed up to make this dark Buddhist tragedy packaged as a comedy that received a positive reception despite catching viewers off guard. 

Dishes from Chinesology’s Tales of History tasting menu, which reimagines the legendary Manchu-Han banquet. Photo: Chinesology

Dad loses weight for daughter; Dear You’s box office success: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Ayo Canlas with daughter Arya in August 2022 (left) and June 2026. Photo: Ayo Canlas

Li Sitong as the young Nanzhi in a still from Dear You (category IIA, Teochew), directed by Lan Hongchun. Wang Yantong and Wu Shaoqing co-star.

Hong Kong singer and actor Andy Hui Chi-on in 1997. Hui, one of Cantopop’s “New Four Heavenly Kings”, was embroiled in a cheating scandal in 2019 that threatened to destroy his legacy. Photo: Dickson Lee

Gavin Yeung, co-founder of Hong Kong matcha brand Celadon, stirs matcha with a traditional tea whisk. The company uses powder from China’s Zhejiang province to spotlight the green tea’s true Chinese origins, which, the founders say, are contrary to “everything this generation knows about matcha”. Photo: Chloe Loung

A$AP Rocky poses with Eva Sam at Sam’s Chinatown goldsmith shop Popular Jewelry, which has become a hip-hop landmark, in New York City. The rapper has developed a friendship with Macau-born Sam since his first visit in the early 2010s. Photo: Popular Jewelry

These 3 Brazilian sisters have lived to over 100. Scientists want to know their secret

(From left) Zoraide de Deus Mota, Zulina de Deus Nunes and Levita de Deus Nunes, recognised as the world’s oldest living trio of sisters, are interviewed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Zoraide de Deus Mota shows her embroidery work to a researcher in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Mariana Tavares, a nurse, collects blood from Levita de Deus Nunes for genetic studies in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

TCM for a new generation, Dragon Boat Festival top picks: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Elizabeth Yau at her clinic in Central. Photo: Jonathan Wong

How’s your luck in the Year of the Horse 2026’s fifth month? Feng shui master Andrew Kwan gives his predictions for all 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs. Photo: Shutterstock

A painting of Empress Xiaozhuang (1613-1688), known for most of her life by the title Grand Empress Dowager. Photo: Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A Hong Kong professional who hid a years‑long cocaine habit reveals how meditation helped her overcome her addiction. Illustration: Cameira

Lifestyle

Culture

From Mr Gay Japan’s first Taiwanese finalist to a technique known as ‘urge surfing’, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting


From Mr Gay Japan’s first Taiwanese finalist to a technique known as ‘urge surfing’, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.


Charlene Choi’s rise to stardom; how to make a girl fall in love: 7 Lifestyle highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From Mr Gay Japan’s first Taiwanese finalist to a technique known as ‘urge surfing’, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting

1. How Twins’ Charlene Choi went from Cantopop teen idol to top Hong Kong actress

From Mr Gay Japan’s first Taiwanese finalist to a technique known as ‘urge surfing’, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting