https://www.scmp.com/rss/310687/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com If a smell can represent a culture, then the salty fragrance of shrimp paste is undoubtedly the signature aroma of old Tai O. It has permeated the Hong Kong fishing village for over a century, but today, that scent is fading, along with the inhabitants’ traditional way of life,  "In the 1960s, there were about 10 shrimp paste factories in Tai O,” says Cheng Kai-keung, 59, who started working in his family’s factory as a child. “Now, only two remain.” Locally-made shrimp paste has become all but... https://www.scmp.com/food/hong-kong-tai-o-making-shrimp-paste-hand-dying-trade/article/3088577?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/hong-kong-tai-o-making-shrimp-paste-hand-dying-trade/article/3088577?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jun 2020 05:58:53 +0000 Tourism-industry workers should exercise "self-discipline" in upholding the good name of Hong Kong as any new regulatory legislation will take time to come into effect, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said yesterday. He was speaking in the wake of the death of mainland tourist Miao Chunqi, who was allegedly beaten by a few men in Hung Hom on Monday while trying to mediate in a row at a jeweller's. During a Legislative Council question-and-answer session yesterday, Leung highlighted the need to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1871206/behave-yourselves-leung-tells-tourism-workers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1871206/behave-yourselves-leung-tells-tourism-workers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Oct 2015 18:30:16 +0000 Three public housing estate tenants affected by the lead-tainted-water scare have successfully sought to join a judge-led investigation into the scandal as concerned parties. In addition, two overseas scholars who have taken part in World Health Organisation work to prevent lead poisoning and improve drinking water safety and one local academic will serve as independent expert witnesses to help Hong Kong find ways to improve the regulation of drinking water quality. The arrangements were laid... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1870177/three-hong-kong-public-housing-tenants-join?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1870177/three-hong-kong-public-housing-tenants-join?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Oct 2015 19:45:15 +0000 The Housing Authority may blacklist three water supplies contractors and three licensed plumbers for their role in the lead-in-water scandal at public housing estates after punishing four building contractors. In contrast, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor defended civil servants on Thursday, saying that flaws had lain in the system of monitoring water quality and government staff had just been following procedures. One licensed plumber, Lam Tak-sum, and three subcontractors that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1865184/no-civil-servant-bypassed-rules-hong-kong-lead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1865184/no-civil-servant-bypassed-rules-hong-kong-lead?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2015 06:15:45 +0000 With the Leung Chun-ying administration's massive housing development plans having caused much controversy in various districts, November's local polls may serve as a battleground for candidates to expound on their own thinking on neighbourhood planning. One of those who is flagging city development in their electoral platform is housing and land policy academic Dr Edward Yiu Chung-yim, who is vowing to "leave his ivory tower and conduct a natural experiment" of democracy in urban planning. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1865022/community-democracy-land-policy-academic-sets-his-sights-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1865022/community-democracy-land-policy-academic-sets-his-sights-one?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2015 21:33:16 +0000 With the Leung Chun-ying administration’s massive housing development plans having caused much controversy at the community level during the current district council term, November’s local polls may serve as a battleground for candidates to expound on their own thinking on neighbourhood planning. One of those who is flagging city development in their electoral platform is housing and land policy academic Dr Edward Yiu Chung-yim, who is vowing to “leave his ivory tower and conduct a natural... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1864904/community-democracy-land-policy-academic-sets-his-sights-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1864904/community-democracy-land-policy-academic-sets-his-sights-one?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2015 09:45:00 +0000 It is politically unrealistic for the mainland and Taiwan to jointly write an official history of their resistance against Japanese invasion, three academics said at a forum to mark the 70th anniversary of China's liberation from Japan during the second world war. The event, titled "Going Back to History", was organised by the Hong Kong China Economic Development Association. Held at the University of Hong Kong on Tuesday, the forum drew an audience of more than 200, which included many... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1864754/cultural-exchange-could-unite-mainland-china-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1864754/cultural-exchange-could-unite-mainland-china-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2015 23:00:45 +0000 A grocery market in a subsidised housing estate in Tin Shui Wai – known previously for its poverty – will be expanded and renovated with European-style architecture to provide more upscale food options and a bigger shopping experience, under a multi-million dollar plan unveiled by the Link Reit, which took over commercial facilities and car parks at public housing estates from the government a decade ago. While admitting that an increase in shop rents was “inevitable”, the company declined to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1863692/tsukiji-and-soho-lookalikes-features-upgraded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1863692/tsukiji-and-soho-lookalikes-features-upgraded?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2015 23:00:58 +0000 The project to build a tourism hub on the former Kai Tak airport site has moved one step closer to reality with the launching yesterday of a 10-week open invitation for developers to submit expressions of interest. Yet the area could ultimately look vastly different from the winning proposal that the government chose in an urban design competition last year. The 5.93-hectate “tourism node” at the tip of the former Kai Tak airport runway, located close to the Kai Tai cruise terminal, will provide... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1862582/future-hong-kong-vision-kai-tak-tourist-hub-moves-closer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1862582/future-hong-kong-vision-kai-tak-tourist-hub-moves-closer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2015 23:00:30 +0000 No reclamation will be undertaken under a plan to develop a tourism hub at the Kai Tak site, the government has announced after reviewing a winning design for the plan and considering harbour protection legislation. The latest thoughts about the plan were spelled out by the Development Bureau’s Energising Kowloon East Office today as it launched a 10-week open invitation for developers to submit expressions of interest for the project. The 5.93-hectate “tourism node” at the tip of the former Kai... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1862418/reclamation-ruled-out-tourism-hub-hong-kongs-kowloon-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1862418/reclamation-ruled-out-tourism-hub-hong-kongs-kowloon-east?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2015 09:47:34 +0000 Events this month marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war have revived interest in the city's history - but heritage experts say that, while it's right the commemorations focuses on the people involve, it's also time to pay serious attention to places. While some military sites and facilities sited in urban and rural area have been officially recognised, they say much more needs to be done to conserve hardware that testifies to the city's wartime history but has been... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1859551/pillbox-full-history-hong-kong-historians-wants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1859551/pillbox-full-history-hong-kong-historians-wants?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2015 18:15:45 +0000 The operator of the Ngong Ping cable car has expressed concern over a proposal to extend the route to Tai O, warning that the former fishing village could become overcrowded amid the government's efforts to boost tourism and other economic activities on Lantau Island. The 5.7km cable car system, opened in 2006, takes passengers between Tung Chung and the tourist attraction of Ngong Ping . Last year, the Development Bureau announced a study on the possibility of extending it to Tai O as part of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1855848/hong-kong-cable-car-operator-expresses-concerns-over-tai-o?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1855848/hong-kong-cable-car-operator-expresses-concerns-over-tai-o?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2015 16:00:00 +0000 Student group Scholarism is offering to fund water tests for about 20 to 30 secondary school student unions, after the ongoing lead contamination scare spread to schools two weeks ago. The youth activist organisation, which rose to prominence in 2012 for its campaign against the government’s proposed national education curriculum, and later took a leading role in the Occupy movement, said it wanted to do pupils a service rather than having them wait until the Education Bureau or their schools... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1854868/scholarism-offers-fund-water-tests-20-30-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1854868/scholarism-offers-fund-water-tests-20-30-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2015 23:00:01 +0000 The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has pledged to submit a report to the Harbourfront Commission and come up with plans to consult the public on the management and design of the expanded Avenue of Stars, after commission members criticised the plan. The promise came more than a week after the Town Planning Board conditionally approved an application jointly submitted by the department and a non-profit subsidiary of New World Development, which has been managing the existing 440-metre... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1854445/hong-kong-government-pledges-consultation-controversial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1854445/hong-kong-government-pledges-consultation-controversial?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2015 09:45:30 +0000 At least 10 second world war veterans from Hong Kong are to attend Thursday's grand military parade in Beijing, the highlight of the nation's celebrations for the 70th anniversary of victory over Japan. But for other old soldiers, such invitations can touch a nerve. Those veterans confirmed to attend fought as part of the East River Column's Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade - the local branch of the Guangdong guerilla squad organised by the Communist Party during the war to resist the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1853944/hong-kong-veterans-second-world-war-guerilla?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1853944/hong-kong-veterans-second-world-war-guerilla?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2015 16:00:24 +0000 Soldiers from Canada, India and other allied countries who gave their lives to defend Hong Kong during the second world war have been largely forgotten by today's Hongkongers, historians said ahead of the celebration as the city prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of its liberation. Hongkongers will enjoy an extra public holiday next Thursday, in line with the mainland's celebration of the nation's victory over Japan. Some commemorative events have already been staged by Chinese and British... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1851937/dont-forget-foreign-war-dead-says-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1851937/dont-forget-foreign-war-dead-says-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Aug 2015 16:00:30 +0000 Myth: The guerrilla fighters and messengers were Chinese Communist Party members. Fact: Despite the guerrillas being led by the Chinese Communist Party, only around 200 out of the total 10,000 fighters were party members. The majority of them were Hongkongers who wanted to fight against the Japanese occupation. Myth: Guerrilla fighters got their weapons from the British. Fact: Some guerrilla veterans say that they picked up weapons abandoned by British soldiers. But research showed that British... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1851673/fact-check-separating-myths-facts-about-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1851673/fact-check-separating-myths-facts-about-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Aug 2015 07:36:37 +0000 A plan to build more shops and attractions on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront could mean an extension of New World Development's management role on the Avenue of Stars to 2035, the South China Morning Post learned yesterday. Under a revitalisation plan pending approval by the Town Planning Board at a meeting today, the avenue will be extended eastward and the developer will build more facilities along the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, including an eatery hub, a film industry exhibition centre and a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1851288/hong-kongs-famous-tsim-sha-tsui-harbourfront-could-be-shut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1851288/hong-kongs-famous-tsim-sha-tsui-harbourfront-could-be-shut?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2015 16:00:30 +0000 Fresh doubts have been raised over the scientific basis of the government’s tree-felling decision process, after residents’ protests put a plan to slash a tree on the outlying island of Peng Chau on hold – a second controversy of the kind this month since the felling of four century-old Chinese banyan trees in Sai Ying Pun. The tree in question, a 12-metre-tall Celtic sinensis, stands on Shing Ka Road on Peng Chau, which is not on the government’s old and valuable tree list. The Lands Department... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1850428/doubts-raised-hong-kong-governments-tree-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1850428/doubts-raised-hong-kong-governments-tree-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2015 05:15:45 +0000 Farmers facing eviction from the northwestern New Territories area of Hung Shui Kiu will hopefully be offered land in neighbouring areas so they can continue farming, a planning official has said. Five villages are set to be razed as the government plans to turn the 714 hectares of Hung Shui Kiu - a place now dominated by rural villages and open storage facilities - into a new town with high-rise housing and commercial developments. The number of farmers to be displaced has not been determined... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1847883/hung-shui-kiu-villagers-hong-kong-may-receive-alternative-farmland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1847883/hung-shui-kiu-villagers-hong-kong-may-receive-alternative-farmland?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Aug 2015 21:54:47 +0000 About 30 households living in squatter homes in a Yuen Long village are set to be the first displaced to make way for an ambitious plan for a new commercial hub in the northwestern New Territories. Some say they have been told to move out by Monday – despite the fact the mammoth government project will not begin to take shape for at least five years. Under a proposal by the Planning Department and Civil Engineering and Development Department, a 714-hectare site in Hung Shui Kiu  would be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1846811/hong-kong-villagers-evicted-early-ahead-massive-commercial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1846811/hong-kong-villagers-evicted-early-ahead-massive-commercial?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Aug 2015 16:00:00 +0000 Everything is in place for a commission of inquiry into the city's water contamination scare - except for the chairman and the only other member of the body - the chief secretary says. No one had yet been named, more than two weeks after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said he would appoint an independent high-level body, led by a judge, to study why drinking water in some public residential estates contained excessive lead. Leung's No2, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, said yesterday that it was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1845843/no-judge-sight-head-hong-kongs-lead-water-inquiry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1845843/no-judge-sight-head-hong-kongs-lead-water-inquiry?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Aug 2015 21:05:01 +0000 On the ninth day of his tenure as Urban Renewal Authority managing director, Daniel Lam Chun stepped into the Legislative Council to report on his organisation's work, ready to respond to criticism it had put profit before its social mission. He had just taken over from Iris Tam Siu-ying, who had abruptly resigned citing conflicts with the statutory body's chairman, Victor So Hing-woh, over its direction. She had cautioned her colleagues against "acting as a developer". With Tam's departure... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1843838/daniel-lam-chun-hong-kong-boss-who-took-crisis-management?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1843838/daniel-lam-chun-hong-kong-boss-who-took-crisis-management?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jul 2015 19:48:41 +0000 A group of residents living close to a 128-year-old European mansion near The Peak has put forward a new development and conservation proposal, amid a deadlock over a commercial development plan and an attempt to save the historic house.  Carrick, a grade one historic building at 23 Coombe Road, was initially set to be demolished as its owner wanted to build a luxury residence there. The company, Juli May, suspended the demolition plan last year after the government offered a land swap aimed at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1838181/hong-kong-peak-residents-counter-historic-mansion-demolition-green?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1838181/hong-kong-peak-residents-counter-historic-mansion-demolition-green?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jul 2015 22:01:47 +0000 The authority running the West Kowloon arts hub is considering how to bring forward money-spinning aspects of the massive project to help offset the spiralling cost of the development. Giving more urgency to commercial aspects of the scheme was the “only realistic option available” to keep the project on an even keel financially after cost-cutting options were exhausted, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority said in a paper to lawmakers published last night. While theatres, museums and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1830427/west-kowloon-cultural-district-bosses-look?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1830427/west-kowloon-cultural-district-bosses-look?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jun 2015 23:01:50 +0000 A property sales watchdog has laid out a set of new disclosure rules for estate agents, following concern that some may have exaggerated the popularity of new flats and misled buyers. "Members of the public have raised concern that some estate agents may have submitted registrations of intent under their own names or their companies' names without a real intention to buy, thus inflating the number and creating a heated atmosphere to attract more purchasers," Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, chairman of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1830377/new-rules-stop-hong-kong-estate-agents-misleading-buyers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1830377/new-rules-stop-hong-kong-estate-agents-misleading-buyers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jun 2015 18:55:29 +0000 Where is the "central government office" in Hong Kong under "one country, two systems"? It proved to be a tricky question that apparently confused the US State Department. As the US government released it annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices yesterday that looked into global rights last year, one section on Hong Kong pinpointed problems regarding restricted electoral rights, threats to academic freedom and media self-censorship. When it came to freedom of assembly during a stormy... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1826803/hong-kong-government-tells-united-states-keep-out-local?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1826803/hong-kong-government-tells-united-states-keep-out-local?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jun 2015 08:30:15 +0000 The historic Central Market can be transformed into a landmark for tourists and locals to shop, eat and enjoy cultural activities in the heart of the business district, a concern group said as it unveiled its design for revitalisation of the prime site. Under the proposed design, the Urban Renewal Authority can maintain its original budget of HK$500 million while keeping the project financially sustainable after it is up and running. The idea has been raised two months after the URA spoke of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1826569/plan-historic-central-market-be-creative-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1826569/plan-historic-central-market-be-creative-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jun 2015 18:54:21 +0000 A defensive wall that is still standing in Hong Kong Park after 150 years may be saved along with almost 120 trees after the government agreed to reconsider a plan to relocate a freshwater pumping station. Deputy secretary for development Albert Lam Kai-chung announced that his bureau was trying to identify alternative sites for the reprovisioning of the station after taking into account lawmakers' comments. The relocation, part of the government's harbourfront development project, is intended... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1825358/old-defensive-wall-hong-kong-park-may-be-saved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1825358/old-defensive-wall-hong-kong-park-may-be-saved?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jun 2015 20:04:42 +0000 The implosion of Hong Kong's pro-establishment political forces could lead Beijing to take a more interventionist line on the city, a top adviser on Beijing's ties with the special administrative region has predicted. The warning, from Professor Lau Siu-kai, vice-chairman of the National Association of Study on Hong Kong and Macau, follows last week's drama, when the Beijing-loyalist members of the Legislative Council staged a bungled walk-out during the vote on the constitutional reform, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1824478/fallout-implosion-hong-kongs-reform-package-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1824478/fallout-implosion-hong-kongs-reform-package-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jun 2015 00:55:03 +0000 Conversion of the former Dairy Farm senior staff quarters in Pok Fu Lam into a living museum could be the first step in reviving dairy farming in Hong Kong, according to the charity which won the bid to use the site under the government's historic building revitalisation scheme. Caritas-Hong Kong defeated two competitors and was awarded the right to run the 128-year-old premises for non-profit use. Two other heritage buildings will be revitalised after the results were announced on Tuesday. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1823256/plan-revitalise-former-dairy-farm-staff-quarters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1823256/plan-revitalise-former-dairy-farm-staff-quarters?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jun 2015 20:28:17 +0000 The Urban Renewal Authority recorded a recurrent surplus of HK$1.1 billion in the past fiscal year - contrary to earlier concerns over the state of its finances that led to an open dispute among its top management and the resignation of its former managing director. The latest figure was announced yesterday after the URA's board of directors met to hear about the self-financing statutory body's financial performance in the fiscal year ending in March. It was the first meeting after the new... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1823029/hong-kongs-urban-renewal-authority-records-surprise-hk11b?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1823029/hong-kongs-urban-renewal-authority-records-surprise-hk11b?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jun 2015 18:57:36 +0000 Pan-democrats and the government are blaming each other for months of delay in doling out extra benefits to welfare recipients - with 1.2 million of the city's neediest people stuck in the middle. Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah proposed disbursing the HK$5.5 billion in extra cash in his February budget speech. Recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, old-age allowance or disability allowance each get two more months of payments, pending lawmakers' approval. But no funding... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1821288/12m-welfare-recipients-waiting-out-blame-game-between-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1821288/12m-welfare-recipients-waiting-out-blame-game-between-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jun 2015 16:56:27 +0000 A veteran buildings surveyor has been appointed interim managing director of the Urban Renewal Authority following the abrupt resignation of the previous incumbent amid a split in the statutory body's top management. Daniel Lam Chun, a non-executive director of the authority since 2008, will begin his 10-month stint on Monday, taking over from Iris Tam Siu-ying who quit last month. Tam cited "fundamental differences" with chairman Victor So Hing-woh on the URA's direction and warned the body... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1820682/daniel-lam-chun-named-interim-head-urban-renewal-authority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1820682/daniel-lam-chun-named-interim-head-urban-renewal-authority?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jun 2015 18:57:27 +0000 Fears of a further surge in the prices of second-hand subsidised flats arose yesterday, after the Housing Authority widened the net of eligibility by raising income and asset caps for a scheme that helped "low- and middle-income families" buy homes. The criteria were changed so even more people would qualify to vie for subsidies under the Home Ownership Scheme. When the authority last eased the rules in January 2013, sellers were spared the payment of a land premium if they sold to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1820315/second-hand-subsidised-flats-hong-kong-may-cost-more-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1820315/second-hand-subsidised-flats-hong-kong-may-cost-more-after?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jun 2015 19:06:00 +0000 Hong Kong's newest batch of preschool children yesterday took their first steps into the world of formal education flanked by lines of police officers. Whether the thin blue line laid out either side of them as they walked hand-in-hand with their parents was absolutely necessary is a debate for another day, but the scene paints a stark picture of how in 2015 Hong Kong division and rancour - or at least the perception of it - threatens to dominate the narrative of something even as innocent - if... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1817795/north-district-school-places-allocated-calmly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1817795/north-district-school-places-allocated-calmly?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2015 17:46:58 +0000 Hong Kong lawmakers have given the green light for the government to spend an extra HK$17.5 billion on the construction of the city's seventh border crossing to Shenzhen, after 10 hours of debate that spanned three weeks. The money comes on top of HK$16.25 billion approved in July 2012 for the Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai checkpoint in the northeast New Territories. The sum covers site formation and the building of related infrastructure including a patrol road, a pedestrian subway and five... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1817525/legcos-finance-committee-backs-additional-funds-new-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1817525/legcos-finance-committee-backs-additional-funds-new-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2015 21:12:39 +0000 The historic value of individual buildings at the Shaw Studios site in Clear Water Bay will be reconsidered, after government heritage advisers held a heated debate and failed to agree on a grading proposal amid plans by the owners to redevelop the site. The split views expressed during a meeting yesterday of the Antiquities Advisory Board on the 23 buildings at the site came even though the body had agreed in March that the entire 7.8hectare site should be accorded a grade one listing - the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1816778/hong-kong-antiquities-advisers-hold-heated-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1816778/hong-kong-antiquities-advisers-hold-heated-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2015 21:09:27 +0000 Only one out of the 23 buildings at the Shaw Studios in Clear Water Bay has been recommended for a grade one heritage listing, even though the Antiquities Advisory Board earlier decided that the whole site should be given the top grade. Nine of the blocks on the 54-year-old site will be accorded grade two historic status, eight others grade three, and five will not be listed at all as historic buildings under a proposal by an assessment panel, which will go to the full board today. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1816052/just-one-building-hong-kongs-shaw-studios?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1816052/just-one-building-hong-kongs-shaw-studios?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2015 18:37:30 +0000 A baggage name plate that appears to have been dropped by a British marine during the first world war a century ago has recently been found at the bottom of Victoria Harbour, and may enrich the story behind Hong Kong's most famous military ship - HMS Tamar. A copper label bearing the characters and numbers "PLY 11217 E. Goodman", measuring 24cm long, 7.9cm high and 2mm thick, was found along with the shipwreck discovered by workers dredging the harbour seabed near the old Wan Chai Pier for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1815526/navy-name-plate-artefact-enforces-hms-tamar-find?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1815526/navy-name-plate-artefact-enforces-hms-tamar-find?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2015 15:30:00 +0000 Owners of a dilapidated building in Tai Kok Tsui had their wishes granted yesterday, when the Urban Renewal Authority earmarked the 474 square metre plot for redevelopment. But the HK$770 million project may be the last time the URA agrees to owners' requests to take over such a small site as it focuses its demand-led programme on bigger, more lucrative locations. The URA expects to lose money on redeveloping the nine-storey building on Ash Street, but said it opted to intervene because of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1812104/rundown-hong-kong-flats-set-be-rebuilt-hk770m?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1812104/rundown-hong-kong-flats-set-be-rebuilt-hk770m?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2015 05:30:15 +0000 All-powerful rural kingpin Lau Wong-fat will finally relinquish the chairmanship of the Heung Yee Kuk - after 35 years at the helm of the statutory body representing indigenous New Territories residents and acting as chief negotiator in talks between villagers and the government. Lau, 79, is ready to pass the seat of command to his son Kenneth Lau Ip-keung, 49, widely tipped as the political successor to his father in recent years. The kuk's council, its top decision-making body, will hold an... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/1812017/veteran-power-broker-lau-wong-fat-call-it-day-after-35-years-chief-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/1812017/veteran-power-broker-lau-wong-fat-call-it-day-after-35-years-chief-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2015 16:15:00 +0000 The government is facing growing pressure to step up scrutiny of private care homes for elderly people after a media investigation revealed residents at one home were left naked or half-naked on an open-air podium while they waited to shower. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung stopped short of acknowledging any problem with the Social Welfare Department's inspection mechanism, only vowing to inquire into the case in question. The exposé by the Chinese-language Ming Pao... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1810899/inspections-hong-kong-aged-homes-queried-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1810899/inspections-hong-kong-aged-homes-queried-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2015 21:55:59 +0000 A middle-class elderly residential project under construction in North Point is to house two full-fledged Chinese and Western medical clinics, under plans to cope with the needs of the ageing population. The rental project's developer, the non-profit Housing Society, hopes to set an example for private developers to design elderly-friendly homes. Known as Tanner Hill, the 588-flat estate is due to be completed by the end of this year. It will not run on government subsidies, so the rents are... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1809837/new-elderly-rental-estate-north-point-get-two?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1809837/new-elderly-rental-estate-north-point-get-two?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2015 22:35:52 +0000 The Civil Service Bureau says the door is still open for talks with police staff over salaries, even after unions snubbed a meeting with the minister because previous discussions had proved fruitless. Staff representatives on the Police Force Council declined for the second time to meet civil service chief Paul Tang Kwok-wai amid tension not just over salaries but also over their retirement age. The talks had been pencilled in for Wednesday as part of civil service pay negotiations. "There have... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1807916/hong-kong-civil-service-bureau-open-more-talks-police-unions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1807916/hong-kong-civil-service-bureau-open-more-talks-police-unions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2015 22:49:01 +0000 A century-old tree at the former government headquarters in Central was chopped down yesterday after being diagnosed with brown root rot disease, the latest in a series of sick trees being removed from the area in recent years. Tree expert Professor Jim Chi-yung believed the spread of the disease could be a result of slope stabilisation works, which made soil less porous and affected how tree roots absorbed water. The tree, a big-leaved fig 20 metres tall, formerly stood on a slope on Battery... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1807931/old-and-valuable-tree-central-axed-after-becoming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1807931/old-and-valuable-tree-central-axed-after-becoming?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2015 22:49:01 +0000 In fast-paced metropolitan Hong Kong, it is easy to forget the past, but a recent slew of underground and underwater discoveries have reminded people that their city has a long history. An archaeological site dating back to the Song dynasty (960-1279) unearthed along an under-construction railway line, a shipwreck found in Wan Chai's waters during dredging works, and more recently the remains of a purported wartime sunken ship found by divers off Po Toi Island have all sparked calls - even if... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1800256/systemic-problems-facing-attempts-preserve-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1800256/systemic-problems-facing-attempts-preserve-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2015 18:45:45 +0000 Hong Kong can allow a mainland immigration checkpoint at the high-speed rail terminus in West Kowloon by following an established precedent, an expert on the city's mini-constitution said. Elsie Leung Oi-sie, vice-chairwoman of the Basic Law Committee, pointed to the example of the Shekou checkpoint on the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor, where a joint immigration checkpoint operates on mainland soil. She was speaking after lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun warned that Hongkongers travelling on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1798972/elsie-leung-says-precedent-allows-mainland-china-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1798972/elsie-leung-says-precedent-allows-mainland-china-border?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2015 20:22:09 +0000 Hong Kong retailers should look to diversify and not just target mainland shoppers, a major mall developer said yesterday - a month after a cap was introduced on visits by Shenzhen residents. Fiona Chung Sau-lin, general manager of Sun Hung Kai Properties' leasing department, made the remark as the company announced details of its plan to build a new shopping complex in North Point. The Harbour North mall is part of its residential and commercial development on the site of the former North Point... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1795909/new-north-point-shopping-mall-will-target-shoppers-around?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1795909/new-north-point-shopping-mall-will-target-shoppers-around?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2015 19:02:29 +0000 Fresh doubts have emerged over the delayed Hong Kong-Shenzhen-Guangzhou high-speed railway link, after a local deputy to the National People's Congress warned that travelling Hongkongers might not get a joint immigration checkpoint after all. Michael Tien Puk-sun said Shenzhen had a Plan B in case the mainland and Hong Kong governments failed to set up a joint checkpoint, but he changed his line later and said it was possible for Shenzhen to accommodate a checkpoint if needed. Tien spoke a day... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1791701/high-speed-railway-could-face-even-more-delays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1791701/high-speed-railway-could-face-even-more-delays?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2015 22:17:22 +0000