https://www.scmp.com/rss/307285/feed Born in the United States but now living in Hong Kong, Jeremy Blum is a half-American, half-Taiwanese writer. Prior to joining SCMP, he studied journalism at the University of Hong Kong and lived in Taiwan for two years. He has previously written on a wide variety of topics, including communist video games, Asian American start-ups and the history of dumpling restaurants in Taiwan. You can follow him on Twitter @blummer102 en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com China is widely known for producing fake watches, handbags and jewellery, and the most recent example of the country tip-toeing around intellectual property trademarks revolves around Goldman Sachs (Shenzhen) Financial Leasing Company, a group completely unaffiliated with the widely-known New York-based financial institution.  But while 'borrowing' the name of an overseas bank might be a new tactic, developing quirky fakes has long been China's forte. Here are a few of the more egregious and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1853159/fake-iwatches-salt-marijuana-and-starbucks-look-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1853159/fake-iwatches-salt-marijuana-and-starbucks-look-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Aug 2015 11:00:30 +0000 A Town Planning Board proposal to remove Hong Kong’s 110-year-old trams from the streets of Central district is drawing criticism from an overwhelming majority of South China Morning Post readers.  In more than 200 responses collected by the Post yesterday, vocal Hongkongers called the controversial plan everything from a mistake to a "ridiculous idea" that threatened to destroy the city’s heritage.   "[The tram] is one of the best ways to explore the city at a leisurely pace,” wrote Pranab... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1851352/love-it-or-dislike-it-hong-kong-trams-must-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1851352/love-it-or-dislike-it-hong-kong-trams-must-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2015 02:45:30 +0000 View the graphics package here https://www.scmp.com/infographics/article/1850547/graphics-bangkok-shrine-bombing-kills-least-21-people-injuring-more-120?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/infographics/article/1850547/graphics-bangkok-shrine-bombing-kills-least-21-people-injuring-more-120?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2015 12:00:45 +0000 I woke up this morning to see an incredibly sad flood of messages on social media from the gaming community. Satoru Iwata, the 55-year-old president of Nintendo, passed away on Saturday due to complications from a bile duct growth. Thank you Satoru Iwata, for your talents in development and your genius in leadership. You will be missed. #RIPIwata pic.twitter.com/a44K8gGrlc — Robert Bowling (@fourzerotwo) July 13, 2015 Iwata, who had formerly been an active Nintendo representative at industry... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1838316/leave-luck-heaven-ode-late-nintendo-president-satoru-iwata?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1838316/leave-luck-heaven-ode-late-nintendo-president-satoru-iwata?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2015 04:30:15 +0000 China has recently enjoyed a rocky relationship with foreign television programmes, removing fan favorites like The Big Bang Theory from streaming sites and airing a heavily edited version of international hit Game of Thrones. Events last week showed that animated fare is at no less risk of facing the chopping block. According to reports from The Japan Times, 38 Japanese cartoons have been blacklisted from Chinese streaming sites in an effort to, in the words of Ministry of Culture official Liu... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1822255/forget-attack-titan-china-issues-its-own-attack-anime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1822255/forget-attack-titan-china-issues-its-own-attack-anime?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jun 2015 00:00:00 +0000 The protests of Hong Kong have captivated the attention of internet users the world over, and many of YouTube's prominent videobloggers and big-name celebrities have responded to Occupy Central in their own unique way.  Hank Green of the YouTube show VlogBrothers produced a sucinct summary of the protests, explaining their genesis as well as Hong Kong's unique relationship with mainland China for international audiences. The video, which has received over 300,000 views thus far, is typical... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1615675/youtubers-react-occupy-central-summaries-spoofs-and-songs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1615675/youtubers-react-occupy-central-summaries-spoofs-and-songs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2014 03:00:45 +0000 Occupy Central and the Umbrella Revolution might have been Hong Kong protests, but they have provided a world of entertaining fodder for the late night comedians of American television.  Chief among these was Stephen Colbert, one of the chief "fake newsmen" of American television who frequently lampoons both American and international affairs in his programme The Colbert Report, a spoof on a typical television news broadcast.  In a segment that originally aired on October 1, Colbert spoofed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1612066/us-comedians-poke-fun-cy-leungs-daughter-china-censorship-occupy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1612066/us-comedians-poke-fun-cy-leungs-daughter-china-censorship-occupy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2014 09:15:30 +0000 The websites of the city's biggest political party, the Occupy Central movement and the Silent Majority for Hong Kong were all taken offline by hackers yesterday after a US-based group declared cyberwar on the Hong Kong government. At 7.45pm, the website of the Beijing-loyalist Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong remained down, and access to the Occupy Central and Silent Majority sites was intermittent. The hackers' group, known as Anonymous, posted on its various... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1609116/hackers-group-anonymous-shuts-down-websites-after-declaring-cyberwar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1609116/hackers-group-anonymous-shuts-down-websites-after-declaring-cyberwar?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2014 20:30:00 +0000 Hacking group Anonymous has made good on their promise to begin targeting Hong Kong websites, bringing the homepages of the Occupy Central civil disobedience movement, the Silent Majority for Hong Kong, and the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) offline today.  Access to the sites has either been inaccessible or intermittent this afternoon, and all three targets remain the latest and most high-profile sites hacked by the international “hacktivist” group, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1608884/anonymous-hacker-group-brings-down-dab-occupy-central-websites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1608884/anonymous-hacker-group-brings-down-dab-occupy-central-websites?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2014 09:00:00 +0000 Hacker group Anonymous has declared war on the Hong Kong government and hacked into a number of Hong Kong websites, citing the treatment of protesters during Occupy Central as the main impetus for the attack. In a video sent to American news portal News2share on Wednesday, Anonymous compares the tear gas and pepper spray used by Hong Kong riot police on Occupy Central protesters to American police tactics used in Ferguson, Missouri earlier this year. The group also threatens to disclose personal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1607579/anonymous-hacker-group-declares-cyber-war-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1607579/anonymous-hacker-group-declares-cyber-war-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2014 03:30:00 +0000 Cadres in Beijing who plan to travel abroad now face harsher restrictions as part of a nation-wide crackdown on corruption. According to a May decree by the Organisation Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, officials above the level of division head, generally referring to county governors in Beijing, will “generally not be permitted” to travel abroad, Party mouthpiece Beijing Youth Daily reported. Those who insist on leaving the country must undergo “rigorous vetting... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1581807/beijing-cracks-down-its-naked-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1581807/beijing-cracks-down-its-naked-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2014 12:30:15 +0000 In the wake of Ferguson and the accidental death of a shooting instructor in Arizona, US gun culture has been a hot topic on the minds of Chinese social media users for the last several weeks. “Americans love guns” was the common stereotype echoed from a number of commentators on Chinese social network Weibo, where debates on United States domestic affairs have been trending ever since the April 9th police shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. On Monday, the news of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1581497/americans-love-their-guns-chinese-microbloggers-mock-us-firearms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1581497/americans-love-their-guns-chinese-microbloggers-mock-us-firearms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2014 23:30:30 +0000 New data released by Chinese search engine Baidu reveals that the Android platform is dominant in China, while Apple’s iOS is only used by a small number of mobile owners despite the iPhone’s popularity as a luxury item. Baidu’s 2014 Mobile Internet Trends report says that Android phones now encompass 79 per cent of China's market share, a rise from 73 per cent in 2013. In comparison, Apple’s iOS operating system only holds about 12 per cent market share, a drop from 13 per cent last... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1581235/despite-iphones-popularity-android-remains-king-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1581235/despite-iphones-popularity-android-remains-king-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2014 12:30:00 +0000 China’s celebrities may need to begin actually trying the products they endorse if a new amendment to the mainland’s advertising laws is successfully passed. A revised draft of China’s advertising law was submitted to the National People's Congress Standing Committee on Monday, state media reported. The draft includes new guidelines for adverts in the mainland, and the biggest stipulation, designed to “stop false advertising,” says that celebrities must first try products before promoting them,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1580885/end-men-selling-sanitary-pads-chinas-celebrities-may-soon-have?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1580885/end-men-selling-sanitary-pads-chinas-celebrities-may-soon-have?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2014 14:00:45 +0000 Ouya, a niche US video game company, has partnered with Xiaomi to bring its software to Chinese households via Xiaomi’s new content-streaming television boxes. The California-based company, best known for releasing a video game console in 2013 that ran on the Android operating system, announced its partnership with Xiaomi to Reuters yesterday. Details are still being determined, said Ouya Chief Executive Julie Uhrman, but Xiaomi will likely open a channel specifically designed for distributing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1579392/xiaomi-announces-partnership-ouya-bring-streaming-video-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1579392/xiaomi-announces-partnership-ouya-bring-streaming-video-games?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:30:45 +0000 Microsoft’s Xbox One, the first video game console slated for official release in China after 13 years, is already attracting criticism from mainland consumers due to its price point and pack-in games, which differ substantially from the Taiwanese release. The console will be available for purchase in both mainland China and Taiwan on September 23, Chinese video game news portal Netease Games reported. Despite launching on the same day, the mainland China and Taiwanese versions of the console... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1578555/microsofts-xbox-one-coming-mainland-china-still-much-cheaper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1578555/microsofts-xbox-one-coming-mainland-china-still-much-cheaper?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2014 10:15:30 +0000 Nintendo’s popular Pokémon video game series has sold over 200 million copies in the last decade, raising an entire generation of young monster trainers on the mantra “gotta catch ‘em all”. Now, Chinese Pokémon fans are clamouring that they would love to start catching the franchise’s titular creatures in their native language. In a petition posted on the popular fan website 52Poké.com, nearly 10,000 supporters have expressed their desire to see the newest entries in the series, Pokémon X and Y,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1576999/give-us-chinese-language-version-pokemon-chinas-passionate-gamers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1576999/give-us-chinese-language-version-pokemon-chinas-passionate-gamers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2014 11:15:00 +0000 The head of one of China’s most widely used video streaming platforms has been arrested and repatriated back to the mainland after 110 days on the run, Xinhua reported yesterday. Qvod chief executive Wang Xin fled China before the authorities raided Qvod offices in April, shortly after the popular video service was accused of repeated violations of copyright law. According to Xinhua, Interpol issued a warrant for Wang’s arrest. He was finally apprehended on August 8 in an unspecified country... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1574326/china-catches-fugitive-chief-video-sharing-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1574326/china-catches-fugitive-chief-video-sharing-site?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2014 11:45:15 +0000 During typhoons in Hong Kong, winds slam into skyscrapers with such force that buildings sway. Tidal surges turn Victoria Harbour into a cauldron of foaming waves. The roads of Central and Mong Kok become rivers of water. And residents lock themselves inside, listening to the echo of rain hammer on their outdoor air-conditioning units like furious pounding on typewriters. Hong Kong has a protective system of defences to weather tropical cyclones. These defences continue to evolve, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1573086/bracing-worse-come-citys-typhoon-defences-need-evolve-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1573086/bracing-worse-come-citys-typhoon-defences-need-evolve-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2014 19:30:15 +0000 Special report: In this two-part multimedia feature, we take a look back at Hong Kong's historic typhoon encounters and explore how the territory copes with severe weather events. Click here to access the two-part multimedia series https://www.scmp.com/weather/hong-kong/article/1571405/eye-storm-how-deadly-typhoons-have-changed-face-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/weather/hong-kong/article/1571405/eye-storm-how-deadly-typhoons-have-changed-face-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:15:30 +0000 Language learning app Duolingo has been gaining popularity in both mainland China and Hong Kong amongst Chinese-speakers looking to improve their English. An educational app that utilises games and prizes to make the language learning process easier, Duolingo originally launched in mainland China for iOS devices on April 24. Featuring an interface in simplified Chinese and a wide variety of American English lessons, the app surpassed 1.5 million downloads after its first week on the Apple... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/technology/article/1570019/language-learning-app-duolingo-makes-waves-chinese-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/technology/article/1570019/language-learning-app-duolingo-makes-waves-chinese-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Aug 2014 09:36:59 +0000 It’s a common predicament in Hong Kong - walk along one of the city’s crowded streets, and sooner or later you’re bound have a few unwelcome water droplets splash on your head. The culprit? An overhanging, overworked air conditioning unit. Hongkongers are strongly reliant on air conditioning, and this is especially noticeable in the hot summer months when falling AC condensation is most common. With indoor temperatures cranked to frigid degrees only to be switched off and then back on again when... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/technology/article/1568481/ambi-climate-seeks-bring-smart-air-conditioning-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/technology/article/1568481/ambi-climate-seeks-bring-smart-air-conditioning-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2014 06:00:30 +0000 Forget PSY’s Gangnam Style – the newest viral music video to emerge from Asia is Little Apple, a toxically infectious tune produced by the Chopstick Brothers, two Beijing-based filmmakers. Featuring easily-imitated dance steps and a sugary sweet tune that slowly bores its way into the brains of listeners, Little Apple (which can also be translated as Small Apple) was released as a promotional song for the Chinese comedy film Old Boys: The Way of the Dragon. With lyrics that allude to an innocent... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1564349/kim-jung-un-obama-and-even-pla-are-all-dancing-little-apple?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1564349/kim-jung-un-obama-and-even-pla-are-all-dancing-little-apple?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2014 10:45:30 +0000 Anime fans were out in full force this weekend at Hong Kong’s annual Ani-Com & Games convention, with many decked out in intricate home-made cosplay outfits styled after their favourite characters. With over 700,000 visitors at the expo, which is held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wanchai and has run for the last 16 years, costumes based on the Japanese novel and anime series Sword Art Online were especially popular this year. Watch: Ani-Com Hong Kong 2014 brings comic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1559329/cosplay-galore-hong-kongs-ani-com-fans-why-they-dress-their-favourite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1559329/cosplay-galore-hong-kongs-ani-com-fans-why-they-dress-their-favourite?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2014 02:00:15 +0000 China’s domestic smartphone leader Xiaomi revealed the fourth iteration of its flagship device, dubbed the Mi4, at a press conference in Beijing today. The phone, a sleek model reminiscent of Apple’s iPhone 5, comes in a 16 gigabyte model priced at 1,999 yuan (HK$2,497) and a 64 gigabyte model priced at 2,499 yuan (HK$3,122). The company has announced that a version of the phone will be available outside of mainland China in September. Introduced by Lei Jun, the Xiaomi founder and CEO that has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1557224/look-familiar-xiaomi-reveals-its-newest-answer-iphone-mi4?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1557224/look-familiar-xiaomi-reveals-its-newest-answer-iphone-mi4?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2014 11:45:45 +0000 Luxury taxi service Uber launched in Hong Kong yesterday to a tepid reception amid complaints about late pick-ups and drivers getting lost. A senior executive of the private driver-style service, which allows users to call and pay for taxis through a mobile phone app, said it was working to get its drivers up to speed. Uber has pledged to offer more choice for customers and shake up competition in a market where 18,000 taxis serve a million passengers a day. But Logistics executive Phillip... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1555606/luxury-taxi-service-uber-expects-do-huge-business-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1555606/luxury-taxi-service-uber-expects-do-huge-business-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2014 09:30:15 +0000 A new class of art aficionados in China has made a strong impression on the international auction circuit, according to a newly released report by Christie’s, the world’s largest fine arts auctioning business. According to the report, in the first six months of 2014, Christie’s experienced a record half year, with art sales of around US$4.5 billion (HK$35 billion), a 12 per cent increase from the previous year. Christie’s sales at its Asian auction houses declined by eight per cent, but sales to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1555397/mainland-chinese-buyers-contribute-significantly-global-art-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1555397/mainland-chinese-buyers-contribute-significantly-global-art-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:15:00 +0000 Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi teased the launch of the newest iteration of its flagship Mi3 device today, pointing towards July 22 for its release date. The tease came from the official Sina Weibo microblog of Xiaomi founder Lei Jun, the 23rd wealthiest man on the mainland and an entrepreneur frequently dubbed the “Steve Jobs of China”. According to the image in Lei’s Weibo post, the successor to the Mi3 – possibly named the Mi4 – will be a phone crafted via "the journey of a single piece of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1551138/xiaomi-teases-its-next-smartphone-due-release-july-22?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1551138/xiaomi-teases-its-next-smartphone-due-release-july-22?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:30:30 +0000 Xiaomi founder Lei Jun, a businessman often dubbed the “Steve Jobs of China”, recently donated HK$93 million worth of stocks to the employees of his company Kingsoft. In an internal e-mail distributed to Kingsoft employees on July 7, company chairman Lei said that Kingsoft’s board of directors had agreed to award him four million company shares, worth a total of about 74.28 million yuan (HK$ 93 million), based on his past three years of work. According to a report by Tencent News, Lei announced... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1549689/xiaomi-founder-lei-jun-donates-hk93-million-worth-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1549689/xiaomi-founder-lei-jun-donates-hk93-million-worth-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2014 10:00:00 +0000 Transformers: Age of Extinction is a fantastically terrible film. It is so wonderfully bad that it somehow manages to become good.  Director Michael Bay's Transformers films are infamous for following the same formula specifically designed to appeal to 17-year-old boys: explosions, scantily-clad young women and hokey plots that eventually devolve into robot porn. Such has been the norm for the past three Transformers flicks, but this time for the fourth entry, Bay has upped the ante with 165... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1546529/transformers-age-extinction-terrible-movie-hilarious-watch-hongkonger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1546529/transformers-age-extinction-terrible-movie-hilarious-watch-hongkonger?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2014 08:15:30 +0000 A Taiwanese yogurt advert has come under fire from women’s rights organizations, who claim that it may mislead young girls into thinking that sizeable breasts are a necessary requirement for prettiness. The 30 second advert, filmed by Taiwanese dairy manufacturer Fresh Delight, first aired in late June. It promotes a brand of green papaya flavoured yogurt by showing a conversation between a little girl and a young woman. “When I grow up I want to be as pretty as you are,” the girl says,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1545655/womens-groups-criticise-taiwanese-advert-promoting-large-breasts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1545655/womens-groups-criticise-taiwanese-advert-promoting-large-breasts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2014 09:15:15 +0000 A Taiwanese man looking for love has developed an unorthodox “square head” hairstyle designed to attract the ladies. 54-year-old Wu Guoren, a medical scientist at National Taiwan University Hospital, received his five minutes of fame after news of his bizarre hair appeared on Taiwanese television last week. Wu, whose hair casts a 90 degrees right angle silhouette, told local reporters that he was still single and had difficulty attracting women, despite having a decent job that afforded him a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1545023/meet-square-head-bro-taiwanese-man-blockhead-hairstyle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1545023/meet-square-head-bro-taiwanese-man-blockhead-hairstyle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2014 10:15:45 +0000 A note that seems to be a cry for help from a Chinese prison inmate has been discovered inside a garment purchased at a popular UK clothing retailer. Karen Wisinska of Northern Ireland found the note in a pair of trousers she had purchased from Primark, a British-owned Irish clothing chain. The note was composed entirely in simplified Chinese characters except for three SOS cries written across its top. “We are prisoners of the Xiang Nan Prison of China’s Hubei province,” the note read. “Our job... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1541838/woman-finds-sos-note-her-trousers-chinese-prisoner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1541838/woman-finds-sos-note-her-trousers-chinese-prisoner?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2014 11:15:45 +0000 Hongkongers passing through Causeway Bay this month may notice that part of Times Square has become a shrine to Batman, in celebration of the iconic character’s 75th anniversary. This comes only a few months after a massive Spider-Man installation appeared in Tsim Sha Tsui’s Harbour City and Captain America stood near Causeway Bay’s Hysan Place. In the case of Batman’s exhibition, there are numerous toys on display, two life-sized replicas of the Batmobiles in 1989’s Batman and 2005’s Batman... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1539756/dark-knight-rises-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1539756/dark-knight-rises-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2014 06:15:00 +0000 Light Chaser Animation Studios, an animation company founded by former Tudou CEO Gary Wang, announced today that it had closed a US$20 million round of Series B funding led by venture capital firms GGV Capital and Chengwei Capital. The studio was founded by Wang in 2013 out of a desire to create “world-class animated films with a Chinese cultural touch” that could compete with the likes of American powerhouse Pixar. Over the last year, Light Chaser Animation Studios has focused its efforts on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1537049/competition-pixar-chinese-animation-company-acquires-us20m?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1537049/competition-pixar-chinese-animation-company-acquires-us20m?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2014 10:30:15 +0000 After successful openings in other cities across mainland China, popular luxury transportation company Uber has finally launched its cars in Hong Kong. The firm announced the launch on its official blog on June 17, confirming that actor Carl Ng and socialite Amanda Strang had both taken black "secret Uber" sedans that day to commemorate an "initial testing period" for the company's vehicles in Hong Kong. Hong Kong, your secret Ubers are arriving now! http://t.co/CYkioHELCR — Uber HK (@Uber_HK)... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1535624/uber-rolls-its-luxury-private-car-service-out-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1535624/uber-rolls-its-luxury-private-car-service-out-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2014 09:45:15 +0000 You might not have heard of The Interview, but all you really need to know about the upcoming American comedy is that it’s about two journalists travelling to North Korea on a mission to assassinate Kim Jong-un. Starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, The Interview debuts October 10 in the United States, and portrays the two stars as buffoonish talk show hosts who get the chance to travel to Pyongyang and speak with the Hermit Kingdom’s Supreme Ruler himself, played with gusto by Korean American... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1535175/assassination-kim-jong-un-now-subject-upcoming-american-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1535175/assassination-kim-jong-un-now-subject-upcoming-american-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2014 01:15:30 +0000 A human rights group has released a list of over 100 activists, journalists, lawyers, dissidents and other assorted individuals who are thought to have been detained by the government in the wake of the 25th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The frequently updated list, documented by China Human Rights Defenders, (CHRD) a coalition of non-governmental organisations, focuses on persons who were either arrested, detained or questioned by authorities during a period beginning at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1530899/human-rights-group-releases-list-over-100-people-detained-during?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1530899/human-rights-group-releases-list-over-100-people-detained-during?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jun 2014 10:39:55 +0000 This year's Miss USA winner Nia Sanchez once wore a different sort of crown - as a real-life Disney princess in Hong Kong. The 24-year-old former Miss Nevada beat 50 other contestants to be crowned Miss USA on Sunday evening. But prior to her beauty pageant days, Las Vegas native Sanchez spent her days volunteering at women's shelters and travelling the world, spending extensive time in Mexico and Europe. In 2012, her travels culminated in a seven-month stint at Hong Kong Disneyland as various... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1529390/miss-usa-2014-formerly-hong-kong-disneyland-princess?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1529390/miss-usa-2014-formerly-hong-kong-disneyland-princess?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2014 12:30:15 +0000 A Shanghai mechanic has made a name for himself by constructing life-sized replicas of the Batmobile, the iconic vehicle of DC Comics superhero Batman. The replicas, all based on the “Tumbler” version of the Batmobile in director Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, were designed by 26-year-old Li Weilei and a small group of assistants in a workshop in Shanghai’s Minhang suburb.  Photos of one of the Batmobile models went viral earlier this week on Chinese social media. According to local... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1526668/shanghai-metal-worker-builds-life-sized-replicas-batmobile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1526668/shanghai-metal-worker-builds-life-sized-replicas-batmobile?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jun 2014 07:45:15 +0000 Big Hero 6, the upcoming 54th Disney animated feature, is an important film in many ways. It will be the latest entry in Disney’s impressive cartoon canon, standing alongside animated heavyweights like Aladdin, The Lion King, and the studio’s recent hit, Frozen. It will also be the first Disney animation to be adapted from a Marvel property, which in this case is a little-known comic book that first debuted in 1998. Considering that Disney has owned Marvel’s repertoire of characters since 2009... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1524708/why-disneys-upcoming-animated-film-may-be-one-studios-most-important?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1524708/why-disneys-upcoming-animated-film-may-be-one-studios-most-important?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jun 2014 06:45:30 +0000 In an effort to look Korean, a Brazilian exchange student has undergone 10 rounds of surgery and spent US$31,000 to alter his appearance. The formerly blond and blue-eyed 25-year-old, who identified himself only by the name “Xiahn” in order to protect his family’s privacy, is of German descent and a native of the southern Brazilian city Novo Hamburgo. In interviews with local media, Xiahn said that he had long been interested in Korean popular culture and a year at Busan’s Dongseo University... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1523931/brazilian-man-undergoes-ten-surgeries-order-look-korean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1523931/brazilian-man-undergoes-ten-surgeries-order-look-korean?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2014 11:59:35 +0000 A long time ago in the galaxy of the early 1980s, several Chinese publishing houses put out comic book adaptations of George Lucas’ science fantasy film Star Wars. Three decades later, one of these vintage curiosities has been scanned and uploaded to the internet, thanks to the efforts of Montana State University assistant history professor Maggie Greene, who purchased the book at a Shanghai fair for about a dollar. Packed with fanciful illustrations depicting scenes from the original 1977... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1517946/long-forgotten-chinese-comic-book-adaptation-star-wars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1517946/long-forgotten-chinese-comic-book-adaptation-star-wars?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 May 2014 05:15:00 +0000 Amazon.com funneled US$20 million into fresh food e-store Yummy77 last week, marking the first occasion that the American retail giant has invested in a Chinese company. The Shanghai-based Yummy77, which was founded in February 2013 and boasts a user base of around one million, confirmed news of the investment on its official Sina Weibo page. It announced that the company would use the money to expand its market while continuing to remain a separate entity from Amazon. The company also hinted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1517257/amazon-invests-us20m-chinese-online-grocery-store?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1517257/amazon-invests-us20m-chinese-online-grocery-store?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2014 08:45:30 +0000 The Oculus Rift may be the most well-known device amongst virtual reality aficionadios, but it's not the only machine on the block. A Chinese startup company is launching its own Kickstarter-funded virtual reality machine called the "All-in-One Universal Virtual Reality Kit", or ANTVR KIT for short.  The company, Beijing-based ANTVR, claims that its product - which includes a wireless headset and a controller - gives users the opportunity to completely immerse themselves in larger-than-life... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/technology/article/1515744/chinese-startup-creates-virtual-reality-machine-take-oculus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/technology/article/1515744/chinese-startup-creates-virtual-reality-machine-take-oculus?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2014 11:46:30 +0000 Asian Americans haven’t been the focus of a US sitcom for 20 years, but that's about to change with Fresh Off the Boat, an upcoming series from the ABC network. Based on the memoir of colourful celebrity chef Eddie Huang, who’s worked as a standup comedian, part-time marijuana seller and owner of the BaoHaus bun shop in New York, Fresh Off the Boat aims to provide a new perspective on the American Dream. The programme, currently scheduled for release in 2015, is a semi-autobiographical glimpse... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1513637/fresh-boat-first-asian-american-sitcom-20-years-will-it-be-any-good?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1513637/fresh-boat-first-asian-american-sitcom-20-years-will-it-be-any-good?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2014 12:15:00 +0000 North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un will soon enter the interactive realm as the star of his very own tongue-in-cheek video game.  The game, dubbed Glorious Leader!, is an independent production created by Moneyhorse Games, a small American studio dedicated to serving players with a fondness for retro-style pixels reminiscent of early Nintendo games. The game is scheduled for release at the end of 2014 on PCs and mobile devices. Watch: Trailer for Glorious Leader! A teaser trailer for the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/technology/article/1512826/kim-jong-un-rides-unicorn-and-defeats-waves-imperialists-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/technology/article/1512826/kim-jong-un-rides-unicorn-and-defeats-waves-imperialists-his?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 May 2014 11:15:15 +0000 A huge Burmese python caused a commotion yesterday afternoon at the Quarry Bay Promenade, attracting onlookers and biting the snake catcher that had come to subdue it. The snake, which appeared to be several metres long, was perched on a ledge along the seaside walkway in the Promenade's pet garden and first seen around noon. North Point police and fire department officials were notified and cordoned the area off “like a crime scene,” said Angie Scott, an animal rights activist who had been... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1510673/python-prom-storm-washes-snake-down-hillside-quarry-bay-park?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1510673/python-prom-storm-washes-snake-down-hillside-quarry-bay-park?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 May 2014 15:30:45 +0000 The night skies of Hong Kong may be rife with smog and light pollution, but undaunted astronomy photographers are still finding ways to snap captivating shots of the stars above us.   Mew Chu is one such photographer. A computer animator and toy designer, Chu also dedicates himself to stargazing and photography, and for the last several years his high definition images of Hong Kong’s skyscapes have captivated eyes and won the artist tremendous praise on the internet. After becoming fascinated... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1507457/photographer-defies-light-pollution-capture-stunning-night?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1507457/photographer-defies-light-pollution-capture-stunning-night?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 May 2014 12:45:45 +0000 There are over 10,000 Tibetans living in Beijing, many of them migrant workers that have moved to the Chinese capital from impoverished regions where the illiteracy rate lies at about 45 per cent.  With many migrants lacking language skills and facing discrimination, their chances for work are limited - particularly in areas predominently filled with Han Chinese. Nowhere to Call Home: A Tibetan in Beijing is a new documentary that highlights the life of one such migrant. “The more I learned... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1507610/nowhere-call-home-tale-tibetan-migrant-worker-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1507610/nowhere-call-home-tale-tibetan-migrant-worker-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 May 2014 06:00:00 +0000