Short Reads
Reflections | Laminated brow trend has got nothing on eyebrow styles of ancient China
Eyebrow cosmetics were widely used in ancient China, where women drew eyebrows shaped like feathers, tadpoles, daggers, even fat silkworm cocoons according to the fashions of their time.
Then & Now | Avoid the Pooh: when funny T-shirts and slogans are no longer amusing
Hong Kong residents have been chuckling away at amusing T-shirt slogans since the 1980s, but only the foolish or careless are laughing now.
Shooting star: the rapid rise of Hong Kong photographer Leungmo
As one of Hong Kong’s most in-demand photographers, Leung Yat-ting, aka Leungmo, has worked with Adidas, Vogue and more. She talks about her inspirations and offers advice to young photographers.
Language Matters | Are we reading too much into Taylor Swift’s graphic tees? Maybe, maybe not
Graphic T-shirts – shirts with slogans or phrases – can often pack a political or social punch even when they do not mean to. The tees Taylor Swift wears on stage on tour are just the latest example of that.
Hong Kong’s first Jungle Island Music Festival to be held on Lantau Island
Hong Kong’s first Jungle Island Music Festival, set to rock Lantau between March 15 and 17, has music and community at its heart, with 50 DJs and 10 local bands providing the soundtrack.
Then & Now | How ‘army camp food’ became a staple of Hong Kong cafe menus
Humble roadside food stalls introduced hungry Hongkongers to spicy but affordable South Asian delicacies that originated in the British Army garrisons stationed across the New Territories.
Home from Home | Hong Kong’s skyline is best in the world; London, Shanghai just don’t compare
Visits to see London’s skyline, while impressive, don’t compare to Hong Kong’s stunning array of buildings and lights. It’s one of things I miss most about the city, and one of its biggest assets.
When Donald Trump tried to sell a US$30 million yacht for US$115 million
Ship brokers warned potential buyers off sinking their money into the Trump Princess when the future US president tried to offload in Hong Kong the yacht he’d bought from the Sultan of Brunei in 1987.
Reflections | Why ancient China’s 4 types of royal pardon had nothing to do with mercy
Royal pardons have hit the news recently after those granted to Malaysia’s ex-prime minister Najib Razak and former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra. In ancient China, they were all about ‘good optics’.
Then & Now | A brief but beautiful encounter with a key literary figure from 1930s China
Conversations with the late Billie Gill, a fixture of the literary scene in Shanghai, China, in the 1930s, make up fond memories for one writer, who recalls two enjoyable days spent in her company.
Reflections | Only 1 ancient Chinese singer could match Taylor Swift’s effect in Singapore
Only one singer in ancient China could generate a buzz like that felt in Singapore ahead of Taylor Swift’s March concerts – Yongxin, who enchanted an emperor and a city before losing everything.
Cantonese opera to get spotlight at Hong Kong’s WestK FunFest this spring
The inaugural WestK FunFest, at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District this spring, will feature a range of Cantonese Opera events among its diverse 150-programme schedule, to promote the art form.
When a Macau hydrofoil and Hong Kong ferry collided, injuring at least 21
A triple-decker Cheung Chau ferry and a Macau hydrofoil collided in Hong Kong waters at night in 1977, sinking the ferry and injuring at least 21, in a accident blamed on human negligence.
Then & Now | The Hong Kong University teacher that was ‘everyone’s idol’ in the 30s
An eccentric Hong Kong University English teacher in the late 1930s, Adrian Paterson absorbed Chinese culture with an enthusiasm that left its mark on his students long after his earthly tenure ended.
‘To live, Hong Kong must continue to grow’: when the Tsing Yi Bridge opened
The bridge, which linked Tsing Yi with Pillar Island and the New Territories, was opened in 1974 by Hong Kong Governor Murray MacLehose, who promised more such infrastructure in the future.
Reflections | Why this is the Year of the Lóng, not dragon, for many Chinese
Two language-related controversies mark this year’s Lunar New Year, one of which is using the word ‘dragon’ to translate lóng or loong in Chinese, as if the animal is a Chinese copy of a Western original.
Hong Kong indie bands team up for 2-day event Un.tomorrow: First Assembly
Hong Kong collective Un.tomorrow, started by four local musicians, is putting on its first event, showcasing 10 indie bands from the city on March 9 and 10
Would you swipe right for this dog? In Hong Kong, you can
In Hong Kong, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has launched a dating app that allows users to swipe profiles of rescue animals – just as people looking for mates do on Tinder.
Then & Now | Trees, plants are telltale signs of former Hong Kong squatter settlements
The 1.5 million refugees from China’s civil war who flooded post-war Hong Kong were practical folks. The fruit trees and bushes they planted are a legacy of the squatter settlements they once inhabited.
Language Matters | Unesco mother tongue day is a nod to language’s link to sustainability
Curiously, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals do not explicitly include language. Unesco’s International Mother Language Day recognises the links between language and sustainability.