This week in PostMag: in celebration of the human spirit

It’s amazing what the human body and psyche are capable of, but whenever we celebrate and marvel at the things that can be achieved when one puts their mind to it, it’s often gruelling tests of endurance and displays of peak physical performance that steal the show. Exerting mental fortitude in the face of adversity, keeping passion alive to fuel growth and curiosity, and embracing the unknown are less mentioned, but no less important. At the heart of it, there are always people, driving the narrative forward.

In this week’s issue, we have a delightfully eclectic mix of stories that will elicit wonder and respect for the resilience of humans, who survive and thrive, adapt to the changing conditions of the world and have the boldness to dream big despite the circumstances.

While a new story of people and forging bonds and networks is being told globally, an old story is being recalled closer to home, on an uninhabited island south of Lantau. Just 30 years ago, Tai A Chau had still been home to a detention centre, one of many across Hong Kong. A former Vietnamese refugee, who lived there in the 1990s, revisits the site that shaped her early life and shares her memories with Faye Bradley.

Past and present also converge at Westlake 66, an architectural statement blending Hangzhou’s illustrious reputation as the “city of heaven” with its powerhouse status as a home for China’s leading tech companies. Salomé Grouard takes us through the mixed-use complex that reconsiders the notion of community, culture and commerce.

One of Asia’s biggest summer music festivals returns this month. If you’ve got your camping gear ready and you’re all set to head to Fuji Rock in Japan, David Frazier’s retracing of the event’s origins, its legacy and its curious connection to Joe Strummer, the former frontman of The Clash, who is considered Fuji Rock’s patron saint, is a must-read.