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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 Maggie Cheung went from commercial film eye candy to art-house legend
Between 1984 and 2010, Hong Kong superstar Maggie Cheung Man-yuk appeared in 79 films – though, by her own admission, she disliked many of them. She often felt at odds with the city’s commercially driven cinema industry, yearning instead for serious art-house projects.
2. The Odyssey: Christopher Nolan adapts Homer for an anti-war masterpiece

Christopher Nolan returns to cinemas with an epic for the ages. The Oscar-winning Oppenheimer director has made a film of such scale, it is little wonder he insisted on it being the first film to shoot entirely on large-format IMAX cameras. Nothing else would suffice.
3. How Chinese pirate queen Ching Shih ruled the South China Sea in the 1800s
Pirates such as Blackbeard and Jack Sparrow are well known in Western pop culture. But Ching Shih, a woman seafarer from China’s Guangdong province, was just as mighty, if not as famous.
4. 9 dog-friendly cafes, bars and restaurants in Hong Kong to visit
This summer, Hong Kong made a big step towards creating more inclusive spaces for our furry companions. As of July 9, the city removed the ban on dogs within licensed food premises, and pet owners across the city can enjoy meals and experiences with their four-legged friends.
5. How 94-year-old Bowie Woo became Hong Kong’s ultimate evergreen entertainer

Celebrities who reach their mid-nineties have usually long since traded the spotlight for a rocking chair, but not Bowie Woo Fung, who, at 94 years old, is likely still practising his footwork.
6. US$1,100 for 1kg? Hunting the wild mushrooms of Yunnan

Yunnan is often referred to as one of China’s agricultural baskets, producing everything from flowers and coffee to tea and olive oil. Yet few ingredients are as closely associated with the province as its yeshengjun, or wild mushrooms.
7. Meet the Chinese-Indonesian baker transforming Mumbai’s bread scene
In a converted warehouse in the light-industrial area of Byculla on the eastern seaboard of Mumbai, India, chef Shannen Alexandra pulls a tray of mantou, or milk buns, from a rack of baked goods. Her ponytail bobs as she excitedly explains how she tweaks the classic Chinese recipe to create her buns, which, rather than the typical round shape, resemble bow ties.


Maggie Cheung’s film journey, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey: 7 Lifestyle highlights

BYD’s challenge to Porsche; why Chinese cars are struggling locally: 7 EV reads

Malaysia’s US$500 million warship, Philippines’ Pax Silica AI hub: 7 Asia highlights

China’s role in Ivory Coast, Maggie Cheung’s career evolution: 5 weekend reads you missed

SCMP Highlights

Liu Xin, chef-owner of Yunnan restaurant Hong 0871, holds a yellow bolete mushroom. He says there are more than 1,000 species of edible wild mushrooms in Yunnan, China. Photo: Evelyn Chen

Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung poses for a picture in 1991. Cheung was prolific between 1984 and 2010, appearing in dozens of films as a pretty “vase” character and later proving her range in more demanding roles. Photo: SCMP/TVB Weekly

Matt Damon as Odysseus in a still from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Photo: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures

Hong Kong actor and singer Bowie Woo with his Lifetime Achievement Award at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, on April 16, 2023. Woo set a Guinness World Record in June 2026 as the oldest Chinese artist to hold a solo concert at the age of 94. Photo: Dickson Lee

Erling Haaland’s Chinese drink; surprising facts about sleep: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Garrya Mu Cang Chai is nestled in a protected heritage landscape of terraced rice paddies in the northern Vietnamese mountains. As well as breathtaking scenery, the luxury resort offers wellness treatments, and food and activities intertwined with the traditions of the local Hmong people. Photo: Garrya Mu Cang Chai 

Norwegian football star Erling Haaland has recently been promoting Walovi, a popular Chinese herbal drink that is part of a nearly 200-year-old herbal tea brand.  Photo: instagram/walovi_official

Dilraba Dilmurat in a still from Kung Fu Soccer, Stephen Chow’s gender-flipped spin-off of his 2001 comedy classic Shaolin Soccer. The Hong Kong director’s first film in seven years lacks tension and has visuals that resemble AI slop.

Fans watch England’s World Cup match against Mexico inside Dot Cod in Hong Kong’s Central district on an early Monday morning in July 2026. Photo: Veronica Qi

We all sleep, but most of us aren’t aware of how it benefits us physically, mentally and emotionally. Sleep experts help us understand eight lesser-known things about shut-eye. Photo: Shutterstock

Can you get cancer? Hong Kong doctors say it takes more than 1 mistake

 Illustration: Henry Wong

Tom Hutchins says he was just 30 when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Photo: Jonathan Wong

‘Indispensable to me’: how RedNote has taken over China’s travel scene

Two tourists from China’s Jilin province show their RedNote accounts on their mobile phones as they visit the Forbidden City in Beijing on July 11, 2026. The platform, also known as Xiaohongshu, has shaken up the tourism industry in China, where domestic travel is booming to record levels. Photo: AFP

A commercial photographer (left) takes a picture of a tourist visiting the Shichahai scenic area in Beijing on July 10, 2026. Photo: AFP

Women pose for pictures as they visit the Forbidden City in Beijing on July 11, 2026. Photo: AFP

A tourist from Hunan province shows her RedNote account on her mobile phone while visiting the Forbidden City in Beijing on July 11, 2026. Photo: AFP

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

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

Lifestyle

Culture

From a look at Christopher Nolan’s new film to Yunnan’s US$1,100 mushrooms, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting


From a look at Christopher Nolan’s new film to Yunnan’s US$1,100 mushrooms, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.


Maggie Cheung’s film journey, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey: 7 Lifestyle highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From a look at Christopher Nolan’s new film to Yunnan’s US$1,100 mushrooms, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting

1. How Maggie Cheung went from commercial film eye candy to art-house legend

From a look at Christopher Nolan’s new film to Yunnan’s US$1,100 mushrooms, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting