The Cantonese stars of YouTube: five Hong Kong vloggers you need to follow
The rise of video blogs, also known as ‘vlogs’, has brought fame to some of the city’s creative youth
gingerlemoncola
This Hongkonger, also known as Siu Hing-fung, has been branded a classic ‘toxic boy’ (duk naam) – a derogatory term used to describe post-90s youths – because of his nerdy appearance. But in a recent interview Siu suggested he was not the type to just stay at home and play video games while bingeing on fast food.
His popularity has not been affected, however; since joining YouTube in 2011, he has amassed almost 300,000 followers and 45 million views. His vlogs cover food, traditional festivals, social etiquette, music and new trends. He enjoys using quirky graphics, giving his videos a fun and light-hearted tone.
Asha Etc a.k.a Asha Cuthbert
A former British-Filipino model born in Hong Kong, Cuthbert keeps her 100,000 subscribers updated on her life, her opinions and her travelling experiences. Being bilingual, she entertains both Cantonese and English-speaking fans with her frank discussions on topics from racism and relationships, to alcohol and exams.
In 2015, she became embroiled in a row with veteran Hong Kong film director Wong Jing, who suggested Hong Kong’s YouTube stars were unsuccessful because they were unable to generate enough income to buy a home. Cuthbert released a video criticising Wong’s narrow definition of success, attracting almost half a million views, but the film director responded on Weibo: “I am successful doing all the things I like. If you guys don’t want to buy a house, then go live in a tent.”
mingjai14
Ming Jai, real name Tommy Leung Ka-ming, describes himself on Facebook as “just an ordinary guy who talks about everyday life and thoughts of the day”. The outspoken YouTuber has been making a living from his videos since 2010, and even quit studying for an economics degree in Canada in order to devote more time to vlogging.
His first post, which went viral, saw him lament the rise of narcissistic Chinese pretty boys, who spend hours preening and posting vain selfies on social media. He has since launched his own media company, Freeman Productions, through which he creates content for clients.
Auman
Since launching in 2010, Auman Yick has been mostly vlogging in Cantonese, but occasionally speaks in English in order to appeal to foreigners when explaining certain issues, such as how Hong Kong operates as a special administrative region.
He also enjoys explaining language quirks to Hongkongers – a recent video saw him outline the slang terms ‘beautisome’ (beautiful and awesome), ‘perfessional’ (perfect and professional) and ‘bromance’ (brother and romance). The Chinese University student has more than 90,000 subscribers and more than six million video views.
Bomba
This extremely popular Hong Kong-based series, founded by a four-person video production team, incorporates vlogging, entertainment and drama. It started as an amateur video channel in 2011 but generated significant cash from online advertising, after attracting more than 450,000 subscribers and 27 million views. It has also turned its contributors into minor celebrities in Hong Kong, including co-founder Fox Yu Kam-wing. Produced solely in Cantonese, Bomba covers topics including dating etiquette, friendship, dining habits, video games and fitness.
