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Whether you are a sporty, foodie or arty type, one of the activities in this weekend’s Hong Kong round-up will tick the fun box.
Fans of Wes Anderson’s cinematic aesthetics can check out a touring exhibition at The Mills in Tsuen Wan, which features real-life photos shot in Anderson’s distinctive filming style.
Elsewhere, Ser Wong Fun, a local eatery in Central known for its snake soup, is marking its 130th anniversary with a series of music and cocktail sessions.
Meanwhile, fitness fanatics should head to a sports and leisure expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.
Here are our five recommendations for the weekend.
1. Shambhala


The Nepalese film Shambhala is a meditative and undeniably beautiful experience. Transfixing shots of the Himalayas form the backdrop for this spiritual tale of marriage, motherhood and the pressures of monastic life.
With the title alluding to a place of reincarnation, the film centres on Pema (Thinley Lhamo), a woman who begins the film about to enter a polyandrous marriage with Tashi (Tenzin Dalha), and his two siblings, the monk Karma (Sonam Topden) and the much younger Dawa (Karma Wangyal).
Events then take hold when Pema becomes pregnant and, worse, Tashi disappears after a trading trip to Lhasa.
Shambhala is a film like no other: exquisite, touching and transcendent in nature. Read our full review
Broadway Cinematheque, 3 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
2. Live music and cocktails at Ser Wong Fun

Ser Wong Fun in Central is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year. Fourth-generation owner Gigi Ng is breathing new life into the snake soup stalwart with a series of music and cocktail sessions every Friday night (6.30pm-8.30pm) until the end of August.
Head to the century-old shop on Cochrane Street to enjoy special snacks – egg waffles flavoured with duck liver or tangerine peel, available from 12pm-7pm – and cocktails by local spirits maker Magnolia Lab, whose honeysuckle chrysanthemum “Five Notes” cocktail is a tribute to Ng’s great-grandfather. The Chinese traditional medicine doctor founded Ser Wong Fun to make snake- and herb-based soups and tonics more accessible to the public.
The restaurant is also serving a special “Bitter Turns Sweet” eight-course anniversary menu that pays homage to past generations of the restaurant.
Dishes include ribs glazed with lychees and plums, crispy crab claws with lemon dip, and the Legendary Tai See Snake Soup, which is simmered for 24 hours with five types of snakes, chicken and pork bones, aged tangerine peel, and sugar cane.
30 Cochrane Street, Central
3. Accidentally Wes Anderson












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A post shared by The Mills 南豐紗廠 (@themillshk)



What does “Wes Anderson Style” mean? Think symmetry, a retro feel and a whimsical colour palette – much like in the filmmaker’s The Phoenician Scheme, his most recent work to hit the big screen.
A touring exhibition called “Accidentally Wes Anderson” has just arrived at The Mills, featuring over 100 photos taken around the world that embody Anderson’s sense of aesthetics. The show has already been seen by over a million visitors in other cities.
The Hong Kong edition includes five immersive zones, such as the special Hong Kong-themed and interactive photo spots to help you finesse your “centre framing” techniques.
Admission to the exhibition is free every day, from 11am to 7pm, until September 14.
Accidentally Wes Anderson, The Mills, 45 Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan.
4. Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo

Get sporty indoors this weekend – the Hong Kong Sports and Leisure expo, which opened on July 16 and runs at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre until July 22, offers lots to see and do.
Check out the water sports corner with its kayaking simulators and stand-up paddleboard demonstrations, or head to the urban fitness hub to take part in fitness classes and see traditional Chinese martial arts demonstrations. Hit up the outdoor adventure zone for information on hiking, rock climbing and camping.
National Games mascots Xi Yang Yang and Le Rong Rong will be welcoming visitors to the exp, and visitors can learn about the event taking place in Hong Kong later this year and support the city’s athletes by leaving messages on a cheering net.
Cyclist Leung Ka-yu, who represented the Hong Kong team in the Asian Games and the National Games, two-time world champion rope skipper Ho Chu-ting, and other top performers will share their stories and tips.
The Hong Kong Playground Association will also showcase new sports experiences, including pickleball, street fitness, electronic dodgeball and drone football.
The expo, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, runs concurrently with the Hong Kong Book Fair. The regular ticket price is HK$30 for admission to both.
For details, click here.
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai
5. Animal Care Intern fun at Olympian City

Animal-lovers can take part in Olympian City and Stayfun’s “Animal Care Intern” immersive work experience programme taking place at Central Atrium, on the ground floor of the Olympian City shopping centre until August 31.
Children can learn to care for six wild animals – a giraffe, hippopotamus, African elephant, giant panda, kangaroo and koala – across four interactive zones, turning play into a job while enjoying exclusive Olympian City “employee benefits”.
Open to children aged four to 10, the “interns” can get up close with the “animals” while being guided by professional animal carers.
Another “intern” perk is access to exclusive discounts at designated shops and restaurants via presentation of a staff card.
Olympian City, 18 Hoi Ting Road, West Kowloon
Find this useful? Look out for our recommendations every Friday online.
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Animal-lovers can take part in an “Animal Care Intern” immersive work experience programme this weekend at the Olympian City shopping centre. Photo: Olympian City.

Ser Wong Fun has collaborated with Magnolia Lab for special cocktails inspired by the century-old shop. Photo: Ser Wong Fun

National Games mascots Xi Yang Yang and Le Rong Rong will be welcoming visitors to the Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo. Photo: HKTDC 

Animal-lovers can take part in the “Animal Care Intern” immersive work experience programme at Olympian City. Photo: Olympian City

What is cheung fun? The different types of Chinese rice noodle rolls, and how to make them

Rolled tightly into a noodle-like shape and cut into bite-sized pieces, jyu cheung fun is named for its resemblance to pig intestines, or jyu cheung. Cheung fun has long been a staple Cantonese dish. Photo: Shutterstock

Barbecued pork cheung fun. Photo: Shutterstock

Steamed purple sweet potato rice rolls from Man Wah in Hong Kong. Photo: Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong

Traditional Cantonese jyu cheung fan with sweetened soy sauce. Photo: Shutterstock

Fried cheung fun with XO sauce. The rolls have a crispy exterior that contrasts with the soft interior. Photo: Shutterstock

Chee cheong fun is served in many places around Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock

Vietnam has its own cheung fun called banh cuon. Photo: Shutterstock

The TCM health benefits of mountain begonia, from detoxing the body to expelling heat

Lily Wong holds a bottle of her homemade mountain begonia drink that she sells in Tai O, a historic fishing village in Hong Kong. Locals and a TCM expert share the benefits and risks of the ingredient. Photo: Kylie Knott

Tai O is a historic fishing village at the far western end of Hong Kong’s Lantau Island. Photo: Kylie Knott 

Drinks for sale at Tai O Bakery. Photo: Kylie Knott 

Ripple Cheuk holds a ball of dried begonia leaves. Photo: Kylie Knott 

Hong Kong-based TCM practitioner Elizabeth Yau says the mountain begonia has numerous health benefits and is a perfect drink to beat the heat. Photo: Jonathan Wong

The Tai O Heritage Hotel is surrounded by lush greenery. Photo: Tai O Heritage Hotel

Tai O Heritage Hotel’s mountain begonia egg waffle with ice cream. Photo: Tai O Heritage Hotel

Tai O Heritage Hotel’s mountain begonia cheesecake. Photo: Tai O Heritage Hotel

6 of Singapore’s best hidden speakeasy bars that will take you back in time – and how to find them

Bartenders at Chandu create drinks with a narrative that are loosely based on history. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

A bartender mixes a drink at Chandu, one of our picks of six of the best hidden speakeasy bars in Singapore. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

The Mizuwari whisky highball at Live Twice uses Hokkaido soft water rather than soda to accentuate the malt notes of the Japanese Nikka whiskies. Photo: Instagram/@livetwicesg

Chandu is inspired by Singapore’s colonial era, when opium dens flourished in the city state. Photo: The Robertson House by The Crest Collection

Chandu’s Mata Hari cocktail is named after a Dutch dancer and courtesan. Photo: Facebook/Chandu

Oriental Elixir, located in a Peranakan rowhouse, is a dimly lit watering hole for nonconformist cocktails. Photo: Philipp Meier

Oriental Elixir’s Malabar Tamarind cocktail combines the sour ingredient with roasted cherry tomato gin, dry vermouth. Photo: Instagram/@oriental.elixir

Junior the Pocket Bar is a small, 25-seater speakeasy that tasks itself with changing the menu completely every few months. Photo: Philipp Meier

A cocktail titled Sesame from the Korea-inspired menu at Junior the Pocket Bar. Photo: Junior the Pocket Bar

Jade Harbour is part of The Bund menu currently offered at Junior the Pocket Bar, inspired by the Shanghai district. Credit: Junior the Pocket Bar

For its Korean Joseon dynasty-inspired menu, the interiors of Junior the Pocket Bar featured dragons. Photo: Philipp Meier

Roxy is a hip-hop-inspired speakeasy hidden inside the Miss Fitz restaurant in Singapore’s Marina Bay. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

The drinks at Roxy are based on classics, but are given their own spin. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

Last Word has finessed tipples that were invented in the 1920s. Photo: Philipp Meier

Last Word’s eponymous cocktail is a classic, blending gin, maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse and lime. Photo: Instagram/@lastwordsg

Is snake soup as good for you as many Chinese believe? To me it’s hot and that’s enough

Snake soup at Ser Wong Fun restaurant in Hong Kong’s Central district. As the Year of the Snake begins the dish is popular, not because of the Chinese zodiac but because of the weather. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Medicinal properties have long been ascribed to snake soup by Chinese people. Photo; Shutterstock

Snakes hang from a wooden cabinet marked with the Chinese characters “poisonous snake”, at a snake soup shop ahead of the Spring Festival in Hong Kong. Photo: Reuters

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From live music and cocktails at an unusual venue to an animal-filled fun event for children, here is what to look forward to this weekend


From live music and cocktails at an unusual venue to an animal-filled fun event for children, here is what to look forward to this weekend.


5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend July 18-20

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From live music and cocktails at an unusual venue to an animal-filled fun event for children, here is what to look forward to this weekend

1. Shambhala

From live music and cocktails at an unusual venue to an animal-filled fun event for children, here is what to look forward to this weekend