https://www.scmp.com/rss/277782/feed April Zhang is the founder of MSL Master and the author of the Mandarin Express textbook series and the Chinese Reading and Writing textbook series.  Over 20 years as a Chinese teacher, she has reinvented a different and a more effective way of teaching and learning Mandarin as a second language, and presented many papers at language conferences to share her experience. In 2021, she organised the first Chinese Writing Contest, inviting Chinese language learners worldwide to show their creativity... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com When the Sunbeam Theatre closed its doors for good earlier this month, it received a warm send-off from Hongkongers who expressed hope it wouldn’t mean the end of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong. I hope so too. The government, at least, seems certain it would not. When Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui addressed lawmakers on December 18 regarding the Sunbeam Theatre closure and the development of Cantonese opera, she largely framed the issue as a venue problem,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3302695/why-cantonese-opera-hong-kong-needs-sunbeam-theatre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3302695/why-cantonese-opera-hong-kong-needs-sunbeam-theatre?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Mar 2025 01:30:08 +0000 The Hong Kong Airport Authority’s recently unveiled “Skytopia” mega-project, with its HK$100 billion (US$12.9 billion) price tag and promise of an arts hub, gourmet market and yacht marina, shows that the government is seriously misreading public sentiment. For one thing, affordable and good-quality goods and services are increasingly important to people. Take the Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek, for example. Its open-source AI platform that was developed at a fraction of the cost of leading US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3298036/skytopia-vision-doesnt-serve-hongkongers-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3298036/skytopia-vision-doesnt-serve-hongkongers-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 01:30:08 +0000 In June, new frontiers opened when the Chang’e-6 probe mission brought back the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon and triggered a debate in the scientific community on what language the historic findings should be written in – English or Chinese. A pupil at Fangcaodi International School, which specialises in science education, suggested publishing in English first for global scientific collaboration and then in Chinese for national awareness. The boy raised a great point.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3290987/chinas-scientific-breakthroughs-can-lead-linguistic-ones-too?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3290987/chinas-scientific-breakthroughs-can-lead-linguistic-ones-too?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2024 01:30:07 +0000 At the age of 17, Aristotle went to study at Plato’s Academy, where he spent 20 years, eventually developing his own system of knowledge. Clearly, he regarded knowledge as an end in itself. Being able to devote decades to study is wonderful for someone who just wants to learn, but most 17-year-olds today simply don’t have that luxury. Education, especially postsecondary education, has become big business and is now regarded as an investment. Students face fierce competition to get into... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3283432/be-belt-and-road-education-hub-hong-kong-must-teach-mandarin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3283432/be-belt-and-road-education-hub-hong-kong-must-teach-mandarin?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 01:30:08 +0000 I first started taking the plane in the early 1990s. Compared to the crowded trains with hard seats that I usually took, flying was not only faster but also more pleasant. Stewardesses served tasty meals and drinks, free of charge. There wasn’t much in-flight entertainment, but a variety of newspapers were offered, and they were also free. Seats could recline without causing complaints from people behind, with enough room in front to stretch the legs. What caused me to reminisce about the good... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3280555/why-cant-cathay-and-other-airlines-make-economy-class-less-cramped?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3280555/why-cant-cathay-and-other-airlines-make-economy-class-less-cramped?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Oct 2024 21:30:08 +0000 International luxury brands are feeling the pain and lamenting cutbacks in Chinese consumer spending. Big-picture explanations for why Chinese shoppers have cooled towards brand-name goods include China’s wobbly economic recovery, the troubled housing market and even a crackdown on social media braggarts who showed off their stuff. That could all be true. But might there be a small possibility that some Chinese people are also simply growing out of their obsession with Western luxury brands,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3278107/if-chinas-love-western-luxury-fading-i-think-i-know-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3278107/if-chinas-love-western-luxury-fading-i-think-i-know-why?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Sep 2024 01:30:07 +0000 “Where the hills and streams end and there seems no road beyond, amid shading willows and blooming flowers, another village appears.” This quote from the great poet Lu You describes a situation in which even though things look bad, events have actually taken a turn for the better. After years of reading negative news about Confucius Institutes, I feel that it’s quite fitting to apply this line to one of China’s other outreach efforts, Luban workshops. Confucius Institutes are supposed to “tell... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3276070/can-china-build-two-way-bridges-global-south-partners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3276070/can-china-build-two-way-bridges-global-south-partners?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 01:30:10 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu led a high-level delegation to Sichuan recently to discuss the transfer of two giant pandas given to Hong Kong as part of the 27th handover anniversary celebration. He vowed to bring them to the city by National Day on October 1. While it would be nice to have two new pandas to enhance the attractions of Ocean Park and bring some smiles to visitors’ faces, a more urgent trip should be arranged to Wuhan, where the deployment of driverless taxis foretells a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3270651/uber-vs-taxis-hong-kong-stuck-transport-debate-10-years-ago?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3270651/uber-vs-taxis-hong-kong-stuck-transport-debate-10-years-ago?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2024 08:30:09 +0000 Can ancient Chinese artefacts bridge the growing gap in China-US ties? It honestly depends. If the approach is merely showcasing the finest examples of Chinese culture and art, the effect will be very limited – even if it is the first time to share such heritage with the outside world. Put simply, it is one-sided lecturing. People involved in the presentation may get very excited, but listeners can grow bored quickly. We have all seen the scenario play out again and again, either as a parent, a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3266572/ancient-artefacts-can-bridge-us-china-ties-if-we-tell-right-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3266572/ancient-artefacts-can-bridge-us-china-ties-if-we-tell-right-story?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2024 21:30:09 +0000 April Zhang April Zhang I was in Wan Chai lately for some open mic events. The once bustling Lockhart Road and Jaffe Road were very quiet. The space vacated in 2021 by the Coyote Bar & Grill, after being a popular Wan Chai fixture for 23 years, remains vacant. The plight of bars in Hong Kong is clear: the Covid-19 pandemic hit them really hard and they have never fully recovered. The latest government statistics released on May 6 confirmed my anecdotal experience. The bar trade was the worst performer of the entire... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3263069/face-it-hong-kongs-bars-wont-recover-unless-enough-expats-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3263069/face-it-hong-kongs-bars-wont-recover-unless-enough-expats-return?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2024 01:30:11 +0000 The deadly blaze at New Lucky House in Hong Kong’s Yau Ma Tei district on April 10, in which five people died and 43 were injured, teaches us a hard lesson that fire safety laws are useless if not enforced. The current Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance mandates that buildings, including mixed-use and residential blocks built before 1987, be upgraded in line with modern safety standards. New Lucky House belongs to this category. It was built in 1964 and had 35 registered guest houses, 100... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3259796/tougher-fire-safety-laws-hong-kong-wont-work-without-fixing-social-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3259796/tougher-fire-safety-laws-hong-kong-wont-work-without-fixing-social-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Apr 2024 21:30:19 +0000 Over the past year, we have become more aware of a set of official guidelines on classic Cantonese dishes jointly published by the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. This includes standards for 12 Cantonese dishes, six types of Cantonese dim sum and 14 items of Chiu Chow cuisine. The Greater Bay Area standards, which also cover areas such as food safety and hygiene, are intended to ensure the quality and authenticity of Cantonese cuisine and preserve the region’s food heritage. I... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3256800/greater-bay-area-standards-are-no-recipe-saving-hong-kong-food-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3256800/greater-bay-area-standards-are-no-recipe-saving-hong-kong-food-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Mar 2024 01:30:13 +0000 I recently returned from a week-long trip to mainland China where I was intrigued by the widespread use of mobile payment systems. It was my first trip to the mainland since the outbreak of Covid-19. On previous trips, I used cash for most payments and credit cards for bigger expenditures. So it wasn’t necessary for me to set up an account with WeChat Pay or Alipay, the mainland’s two major mobile payment methods. But the recent news that China has become increasingly cashless – with some... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/asia/article/3255897/how-i-learned-stop-worrying-and-embrace-going-cashless-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/asia/article/3255897/how-i-learned-stop-worrying-and-embrace-going-cashless-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Mar 2024 09:30:16 +0000 Those giant, red, heart-shaped balloons that popped up around Hong Kong on Valentine’s Day made me think of the Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas. Both displays said exactly nothing about their host cities. The Super Bowl show was too much like previous ones. Even a small Vegas tribute would have made it stand out: perhaps a hologram of Elvis performing for a few seconds? It would have added cultural and historical dimensions to the game. Hong Kong’s giant “Chubby Hearts” balloons are even... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3252462/chubby-hearts-and-foreign-stars-wont-make-hong-kong-arts-and-culture-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3252462/chubby-hearts-and-foreign-stars-wont-make-hong-kong-arts-and-culture-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Feb 2024 21:30:20 +0000 With the Year of the Dragon beginning on February 10, we have been inundated with the “predictions” of various feng shui masters about our health, money, work and love prospects in the new lunar year. But whether you believe in Chinese zodiac predictions isn’t really the point. Some take these predictions seriously, carrying out all the steps instructed by the feng shui masters. Others may dismiss the predictions as superstition, reading them purely for amusement, if at all. Neither way is best.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3250621/superstition-or-fact-what-chinese-zodiac-predictions-really-tell-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3250621/superstition-or-fact-what-chinese-zodiac-predictions-really-tell-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Feb 2024 21:30:13 +0000 In his regular column in the Post, David Dodwell sometimes refers to a time in his youth when he serendipitously went to Pakistan and taught in a tribal area there in 1968. It was a life-changing event for him. I’ve heard similar stories. One is from a former student. Decades ago, he briefly taught English in a remote area in Nepal and that also had a profound impact on his life. He admitted he was not qualified to teach, and thought at the time the area was so poor in so many ways that English... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3249185/fewer-westerners-china-bad-china-worse-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3249185/fewer-westerners-china-bad-china-worse-west?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jan 2024 11:30:14 +0000 For thousands of years, China was a predominantly agricultural society, rooted in tradition and a distinctive culture. But over the past four decades, unprecedented reforms have transformed China into a largely industrial, commercial and urban society. The population that lives in cities has grown from 19 per cent in 1980 to 65 per cent last year. Villages have been hollowed out. Adults left for work in the cities, leaving behind the old and young. Major characteristics of China, such as being... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246892/chinas-first-coffee-village-highlights-potential-rural-revival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246892/chinas-first-coffee-village-highlights-potential-rural-revival?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jan 2024 11:30:09 +0000 There’s an old Chinese saying, wang zi cheng long, or wishing that one’s child becomes a dragon. It speaks volumes about Chinese parents’ desire for their children to succeed. Today, success tends to be defined as going to a good university and later securing a high-status job. But, for many Chinese young people, this version of success has become increasingly hard to reach, because it goes against a trend in many countries in which technical skills are increasingly prized over a college... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244810/amid-us-china-rivalry-chinese-parents-dragon-dreams-their-children-need-adjustment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244810/amid-us-china-rivalry-chinese-parents-dragon-dreams-their-children-need-adjustment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Dec 2023 08:30:16 +0000 I have a few friends who have established themselves overseas. For example, one is teaching at a university and another runs her own jewellery design shop. But, more than 20 years ago, when they first landed on foreign shores, they were all poor. Despite being well educated, they had to resort to lower-skilled jobs to survive. They have come a long way, overcoming language barriers, cultural differences and occasional discrimination. A recent survey reminded me of them. The study, released by... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243350/hongkongers-struggling-uk-arent-quitting-why-would-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243350/hongkongers-struggling-uk-arent-quitting-why-would-they?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Dec 2023 01:30:20 +0000 Hong Kong’s opposition parties have good reason to be disappointed. They have failed to secure enough nominations to allow any hopefuls to stand for the coming district council elections on December 10. This hopeless feeling is captured in the words of Lo Kin-hei, chairman of the Democratic Party, the biggest opposition group in the city, when he said: “We feel a great sense of powerlessness.” The party has no seats in the Legislative Council, and will have no seats at the district level either... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3241510/district-council-elections-how-hong-kong-opposition-parties-can-reinvent-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3241510/district-council-elections-how-hong-kong-opposition-parties-can-reinvent-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Nov 2023 08:30:23 +0000 Early in his three-hours-plus policy address last Wednesday, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu laid out his plan for the city’s patriotic education, which requires coordinated efforts by many sectors. A working group will be set up to coordinate the work of government departments and non-governmental organisations in promoting national education, and improving education on China’s history, culture and current affairs. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will set up an office to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239756/hong-kong-repeats-its-mistake-yet-another-hard-sell-patriotic-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239756/hong-kong-repeats-its-mistake-yet-another-hard-sell-patriotic-education?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Nov 2023 01:30:29 +0000 My niece was a “full-time daughter” long before the term existed. After graduating with a degree in electronics in June 2021, and with no job offers, she went home to live with her parents. She studied hard for the postgraduate entrance exam that year but didn’t pass. From then until late August 2022, when she found a job as a tech support assistant, her calendar was blank for the first time in her life. She helped her parents clean, cook and shop for groceries, and got a modest allowance while... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235738/how-being-full-time-children-helping-chinas-chicken-babies-grow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235738/how-being-full-time-children-helping-chinas-chicken-babies-grow?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Sep 2023 21:30:11 +0000 This week, one of the most discussed topics on Chinese social media was a “sauce-flavoured latte”. It is a coffee product infused with Mao-tai, being offered by Kweichow Moutai – a well-known producer of the fiery Chinese spirit – and Luckin Coffee, a Chinese coffee brand. Despite its long history and reputation as the national liquor of China, Mao-tai is losing its appeal to China’s younger population. To rejuvenate its brand, Kweichow Moutai has been looking for ways to, as Reuters put it,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233737/kweichow-moutais-saucy-latte-good-example-chinese-culture-adapting-stay-relevant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3233737/kweichow-moutais-saucy-latte-good-example-chinese-culture-adapting-stay-relevant?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Sep 2023 00:15:22 +0000 Words matter. But when words fail, they create problems. China faces this challenge with some Western words intended to explain aspects of China. Some words China has adopted into its own language but the West finds this confusing or fails to understand the Chinese context. Some words being thrown at China by the West China considers harmful. Take how “past tense” is taught in Chinese. The Chinese language does not have a past tense, or any tenses for that matter. But when teaching Western... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231417/speak-against-western-labels-china-must-first-find-its-own-words?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231417/speak-against-western-labels-china-must-first-find-its-own-words?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Aug 2023 17:00:10 +0000 If Hollywood writers and actors could overcome their fear of communism and pick up a copy of The Communist Manifesto, they would have a better understanding of their situation. Americans have long regarded communism as the antithesis to democracy and American values. Decades were spent trying to eradicate communism at home. In the past few years, a new “red scare” has gripped the country due to China’s military and economic rise. A recent opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal reflects how... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228542/why-striking-hollywood-writers-and-actors-should-read-karl-marxs-communist-manifesto?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228542/why-striking-hollywood-writers-and-actors-should-read-karl-marxs-communist-manifesto?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jul 2023 19:30:08 +0000 Years ago, I watched a Chinese comedian’s monologue on her experience of flying on a Chinese airline. It was about a flight attendant who had a different attitude towards English-speaking foreigners and Mandarin-speaking fellow citizens. She was very courteous to the former, but much less so to the latter. Of course, the comedian taught her a lesson. Like the audience in the video, I laughed. We instantly recognised the sad reality that many Chinese people deem English superior to Mandarin, and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3225176/treating-poor-service-cathay-pacific-flight-language-issue-ignores-real-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3225176/treating-poor-service-cathay-pacific-flight-language-issue-ignores-real-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jun 2023 00:15:10 +0000 More than 20 per cent of those aged 16 to 24 in China – roughly 30 million people – are unemployed, according to the latest figures. This crisis is believed to have been caused by many factors, including Covid-19 lockdowns and the less-than-stellar economic recovery. People also blame the 2021 regulatory crackdown on after-school education for removing millions of private tutoring jobs; that career path is no longer available for young people. Yet the opposite is true. The once-booming... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222063/how-chinas-jobless-youth-were-raised-have-unrealistic-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222063/how-chinas-jobless-youth-were-raised-have-unrealistic-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 May 2023 19:30:07 +0000 Late last month, on the TVB show Straight Talk, Dr Dennis Lam Shun-chiu, the ophthalmologist founder of C-MER Eye Care and a legislator, discussed two sectors close to Hongkongers’ hearts: tourism and medical services. His message was surprising. Proposing that Hong Kong bundle the two types of services to catch up with Thailand and Singapore, he said: “Medical tourism is very important for the whole society, because you bring in a lot of new revenues, from tourism or from the medical work, and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219934/can-and-should-hong-kong-city-queues-embrace-medical-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219934/can-and-should-hong-kong-city-queues-embrace-medical-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 May 2023 08:30:09 +0000 As individuals, we are all different. We come from different backgrounds, speak different languages, belong to different ethnic groups, or hold different beliefs. That is why we’re encouraged to find common ground when interacting with others who we may disagree with. Common ground helps us foster mutual understanding, come to agreements, accept our differences and also prevent echo chambers. This approach is also effective between countries which disagree with each other on almost everything. A... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3207240/row-over-covid-curbs-chinese-travellers-could-be-chance-find-common-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3207240/row-over-covid-curbs-chinese-travellers-could-be-chance-find-common-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jan 2023 22:45:11 +0000 In 1932, Aldous Huxley published his masterpiece Brave New World, describing a world where technology is highly advanced and environmentally engineered people get their happiness from consumption, sports, sex, and a pleasure drug called soma. He wanted to warn us of the advancement of machines. This month, a mixture of the Fifa World Cup, the Harry & Meghan Netflix documentary series and the AI-powered ChatGPT reminded me of his scientific dystopian world. I wonder what Huxley would say if he... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3204211/chatgpts-rise-heralds-brave-new-world-where-ai-could-rule-over-replaceable-humans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3204211/chatgpts-rise-heralds-brave-new-world-where-ai-could-rule-over-replaceable-humans?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Dec 2022 17:00:12 +0000 As a Chinese person, I sometimes consider the claim China is the biggest threat to the United States flattering. In 2021, even though China’s annual GDP was not too far behind that of the United States, China’s GDP per capita of US$12,556 was far behind the US mark of US$69,287. Also, while the US sent people to the moon in 1969, China only recently completed building Tiangong, its first space station. Therefore, this great power rivalry that puts China on an equal footing with the US is a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3202144/chinas-covid-troubles-show-why-its-not-ready-compete-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3202144/chinas-covid-troubles-show-why-its-not-ready-compete-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Dec 2022 17:00:13 +0000 Last month, the US Mint said that Anna May Wong, Hollywood’s first Chinese-American film star, would appear on new US quarters. Given the rising tensions between China and the United States, and the talk of economic decoupling, the announcement was a timely reminder that the two countries have been linked even in their darkest days. Wong was born in Los Angeles in 1905, in a neighbourhood near Chinatown. It was a time when the Chinese Exclusion Act was still in force; the Los Angeles Chinatown... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3199327/anna-may-wong-us-coin-timely-reminder-deep-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3199327/anna-may-wong-us-coin-timely-reminder-deep-us-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Nov 2022 19:30:07 +0000 Last November, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted an ancient Chinese poem about beans. Immediately, people began to discuss the highly allegorical poem about a dispute between brothers, and to speculate on Musk’s intentions. When I saw this, I had a chuckle: the world was learning a Chinese poem that every child in China probably knew by heart. But another recent incident prompted me to think that there may be more to it. Earlier this month, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti posted some photos... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197069/classical-chinese-literature-having-moment-can-it-boost-soft-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3197069/classical-chinese-literature-having-moment-can-it-boost-soft-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Oct 2022 16:30:08 +0000 My first visit to Hong Kong was in 2000. On my way back to the mainland from Singapore, I stopped over for a few days and took in some tourist spots. Navigating the city using only Mandarin, I saw the nighttime skyline from the Peak, visited the Madame Tussauds museum, tried dim sum, rode on the Star Ferry, and bought a pair of earrings at a street market. The city was vibrant, offering rich local experiences. I reminisce now about the “good old times” because that’s what they became. In the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3195454/tourism-resumes-heal-old-wounds-between-hongkongers-and-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3195454/tourism-resumes-heal-old-wounds-between-hongkongers-and-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Oct 2022 00:30:12 +0000 The negative effects of social media are well documented, from disrupting sleep to creating unrealistic expectations about how people should look and live. The harm it can do to young people is particularly alarming. It’s understandable, then, that most teachers don’t want social media invading their classrooms. In Hong Kong, social media was blamed for the drop in students’ academic performance during school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic. It distracted students from online lessons and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3193828/schools-determined-keep-social-media-out-classroom-are-not-doing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3193828/schools-determined-keep-social-media-out-classroom-are-not-doing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Sep 2022 22:45:07 +0000 Thanks to Gen Z, “quiet quitting” has become the latest meme in the United States. Spreading from TikTok to the mainstream media, the term describes an employee who, instead of quitting a job outright, chooses to do the bare minimum to get by at work. The idea has been compared to “lying flat”, a similar buzzword that became popular in China in spring last year. Both terms express a desire, whether by young people in the US or China, to live a healthier and more balanced life. If we look at the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3192296/quiet-quitting-and-lying-flat-why-us-and-china-cannot-ignore-these?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3192296/quiet-quitting-and-lying-flat-why-us-and-china-cannot-ignore-these?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Sep 2022 19:30:16 +0000 In the Chinese space station Tiangong, which means “heavenly palace”, Chinese is the only language used for instructions. This was unimaginable back in 2011, when the US passed the Wolf Amendment to limit cooperation between agencies such as Nasa and Beijing or Chinese companies, effectively excluding China from participating in the International Space Station. And it offers an interesting perspective on how China is affecting the international order and food for thought on geopolitical... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3190374/how-changing-language-space-reflects-geopolitical-tensions-earth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3190374/how-changing-language-space-reflects-geopolitical-tensions-earth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Aug 2022 17:30:11 +0000 Early in August, long-time patrons lined up to bid farewell to Happy Cake Shop, a 45-year-old bakery in Wan Chai, and to get some of their favourite deep-fried buns, chicken pies and egg tarts from the shop for the last time. In the city, the mood was less than happy. Across various media outlets, tributes were pouring in for the bakery’s signature nostalgic treat, the cream cone. Nobody expected to see this old-fashioned, cream-filled pastry in this neighbourhood again. The cream cone’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3188632/when-hong-kong-loses-small-stores-happy-cake-shop-we-lose-sliver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3188632/when-hong-kong-loses-small-stores-happy-cake-shop-we-lose-sliver?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Aug 2022 22:45:19 +0000 A video clip of shoppers snapping up smartphones in a US supermarket on "Black Friday" - the start of the holiday shopping season in America - has grabbed public attention. Amid the thrill of viewing such scenes, akin to watching a bullfight, the chief cause of the madness was overlooked: the phones themselves. Connections between smartphones and unreasonable behaviour are evident, as are their damaging effect on people's health. They can damage eyesight and hearing, have been claimed to cause... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1098303/single-cause-smartphone-addiction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1098303/single-cause-smartphone-addiction?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 When many Hong Kong people are abroad and are asked where they are from, their answer is usually "Hong Kong". They consciously avoid answering "China". This small thing reflects Hong Kong people's effort to mark themselves apart from their mainland counterparts, and shows that Hong Kong people regard Hong Kong as an entity, sufficiently well known to grant them a unique identity. But if we press further for answers, we find many complexities. First, Hong Kong is not a sovereign city state, like... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1062558/hong-kong-identity-caught-between-political-reality-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1062558/hong-kong-identity-caught-between-political-reality-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000