https://www.scmp.com/rss/321340/feed Lauren James writes about arts and entertainment, environmental issues, health and wellness, travel, technology and food. She is passionate about Hong Kong's music scene. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lauren James Lauren James Wit and warmth abounded in the Stella Cole Quartet’s run of four performances at Hong Kong’s Xiqu Centre. A baker’s dozen of jazz standards and classic film favourites delivered over an hour proved an ideal format – well paced and polished, without a moment of slack. Meanwhile, the retro stylings of the bijoux Tea House Theatre mirrored Cole’s profile as a performer: an old soul in youthful form. She sashayed into view in a midnight-blue satin gown, with cherry-red lips and white stiletto heels... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3345715/stella-cole-quartet-delivers-delightful-set-jazz-and-film-classics-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3345715/stella-cole-quartet-delivers-delightful-set-jazz-and-film-classics-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Lauren James Lauren James A stumble on a step, a Yorkshire-lilted “ohh noh”, and world-famous Jarvis Cocker clatters down the stairs from The Listening Room. The frontman of 1990s Britpop phenom Pulp is mostly OK, but will headline Clockenflap the following evening a little less snake-hipped than usual, after breaking two ribs in this innocent attempt at returning to ground level after shopping for records. Rob Deal, the owner of the Tsim Sha Tsui emporium where Cocker, then pushing 60, had been browsing before his 2023... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3330450/how-did-jarvis-cockers-trip-hong-kong-record-shop-boost-vinyl-revival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3330450/how-did-jarvis-cockers-trip-hong-kong-record-shop-boost-vinyl-revival?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 07:15:08 +0000 A Hong Kong-based new app is hoping to pay people to eat more plant-based meals. Every time users in the city eat a vegan meal and submit the receipt to the app, Pay-a-Vegan, they will receive a $1 credit to be redeemed in the service’s partner restaurants. Eiko Onishi, the founder of the app, said she wants to encourage more restaurants to offer vegan food and make life easier for vegans by giving them restaurant recommendations. “Instead of convincing people to open a new, purely vegan... https://www.scmp.com/society/app-will-soon-pay-customers-eat-vegan-meals/article/3048882?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/app-will-soon-pay-customers-eat-vegan-meals/article/3048882?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Feb 2020 10:30:49 +0000 There’s no denying Hongkongers love meat. However, the past few years have seen huge growth in city restaurants offering vegan and vegetarian dishes, thanks to schemes such as Green Monday, which promotes going meatless one day a week. And a forthcoming app will incentivise diners and restaurants to seek and serve food free from animal ingredients – especially outside the island’s Westernised bubble. What is the problem with going vegetarian or vegan once a while? Eiko Onishi, founder,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3048231/pay-vegan-app-wants-pay-you-eat-plant-based?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3048231/pay-vegan-app-wants-pay-you-eat-plant-based?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2020 05:30:13 +0000 Coachella? Overhyped. Glastonbury, who? When it comes to music festivals in 2020, it’s all about Asia. Rapidly rising as a destination for music lovers from around the world, the region boasts a host of impressive music events covering a wide range of sounds. Festivals in Asia are often better priced than elsewhere in the world and many are close to iconic cities, making for a perfect party-meets-sightseeing break. Here are the best Asian music festivals coming up in spring and summer. 1.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3048169/discover-asias-music-festivals-22-spring-and-summer-2020?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3048169/discover-asias-music-festivals-22-spring-and-summer-2020?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Feb 2020 05:00:10 +0000 Kyra Poh may be small, but she flies through the air with the force of a typhoon. Wearing a skintight suit and visored helmet, she performs elaborate routines while suspended in a futuristic-looking perspex tunnel, riding winds topping 240 kilometres per hour (150mph). The Singaporean teenager is one of the world’s leading figures in indoor skydiving, a niche sport that blends elements of disciplines such as dance, diving, acrobatics and figure skating to jaw-dropping effect. Kyra swoops,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3048076/singapore-teen-indoor-skydivers-olympic-games-dream-how?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3048076/singapore-teen-indoor-skydivers-olympic-games-dream-how?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2020 23:45:05 +0000 He has got Boris Johnson’s floppy hair, stooped posture and unkempt attire down to a tee: Drew Galdron is the British prime minister’s foremost lookalike. The stand-up comedian and impressionist visited Hong Kong this week and was spotted having his hair done, greeting baffled tourists at the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront, gazing out upon the former British colony’s skyline from the Star Ferry and shouting slogans in support of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. “The real Boris isn’t prepared to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3047539/boris-johnson-lookalike-talks-hong-kong-democracy-brexit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3047539/boris-johnson-lookalike-talks-hong-kong-democracy-brexit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jan 2020 08:30:15 +0000 Outspoken Hong Kong post-punk band David Boring perform this weekend for the first time in more than five months, a notable period of absence that coincided with some of the most intense street protests the city has seen. The group had been scheduled to perform at the Clockenflap Music Festival, Hong Kong’s biggest live-music event, in November until the festival joined a long list of events cancelled because of the civil unrest. Their show on Sunday will be the group’s first with new guitarist... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3046542/hong-kong-post-punk-band-david-boring-talk-anthony-bourdain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3046542/hong-kong-post-punk-band-david-boring-talk-anthony-bourdain?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jan 2020 03:00:12 +0000 With its Instagram-friendly red lanterns, twinkling lights and European-style boulevard, Lee Tung Street, in Wan Chai, is a rose-tinted vision of a bygone era that has become a hot spot for tourists. “Wedding Card Street” used to be famous for its printing industry but, following its regeneration between 2009 and 2015, it is now home to high-end international brands and restaurants. The gentrification of the city – and whether that can ever be a good thing – will be the subject of a talk hosted... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3043268/hong-kongs-gentrification-spotlight-urban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3043268/hong-kongs-gentrification-spotlight-urban?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jan 2020 07:00:10 +0000 The next 12 months will be dominated by politics, and the civil unrest that has marked 2019 is likely to further intensify as citizens worldwide rally against corruption, climate inaction and the growing divide between rich and poor. As we move into 2020, we look at 20 things that will define the first year of a new decade – and it’s not all gloomy. 1. Summer Olympics in Tokyo On July 24, the Summer Olympics will return to Tokyo, 56 years after its first games, at a projected cost of 400 billion... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3041987/20-world-events-2020-medical-science-sport-technology-and-political?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3041987/20-world-events-2020-medical-science-sport-technology-and-political?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2019 23:15:09 +0000 Stella Lo Yin-ting pries the top off an amber bottle, pours a carmine-coloured drink into her beer glass and takes a sip. She examines the label, gazing at her own likeness rendered in cartoon form alongside those of the beer’s other creators. “I’m happy with how this turned out,” she says. Her smile contrasts with the drink’s name: Resting Bitch Face, or RBF, a phrase used to describe someone (most commonly a woman) with a neutral facial expression which others interpret as angry or... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3041749/female-brewers-hope-their-pink-ale-encourages-more-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3041749/female-brewers-hope-their-pink-ale-encourages-more-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Dec 2019 04:15:10 +0000 Building shelters out of natural materials, whittling sticks to use as tent pegs and making adornments from plants are not common pursuits in a busy city such as Hong Kong, but they are all activities that feature in the programme of a six-day nature immersion course aimed at young women. Wilderness expert Jasmine Nunns, 34, is the brains behind Kembali, which organises forest bathing and wild swimming adventure days that reconnect Hongkongers with the natural world. Offering a new course, for... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3041234/re-wilding-course-helping-empower-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3041234/re-wilding-course-helping-empower-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Dec 2019 10:45:12 +0000 No one can deny that Hong Kong has had a lashing this year, and it wasn’t just on the city’s protest-hit streets – 2019 has been one of the stormiest and wettest on record. Thunderstorms battered the city on 59 days between February and October, an unusually high number and almost 50 per cent above the annual average. The prevalence of storms this year is on a par with 2014; no other year exceeds 53 days. (Storms in November and January are uncommon, though not unheard of, while there has never... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3040588/hong-kong-weather-2019-record-thunderstorms-equalled-more-hot-nights-ever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3040588/hong-kong-weather-2019-record-thunderstorms-equalled-more-hot-nights-ever?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Dec 2019 00:30:06 +0000 New York’s famed Sleep No More pushed the boundaries of performance, with the Macbeth story played out to an audience spread across multiple rooms and levels of three warehouses on West 27th Street. Following the trend for site-specific performances, a French curator is bringing a 24-hour dance festival to various venues at the Eaton Hotel, in Jordan. In 24 Hours in Movement: Pegged Legs, Hooked Hands, live performances by more than 40 artists from Hong Kong and overseas will be spread across an... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3038719/24-hours-dance-performing-arts-event-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3038719/24-hours-dance-performing-arts-event-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Nov 2019 01:00:44 +0000 Six years of secrecy and intrigue have finally melted away: the follow-up to Disney’s smash-hit 2013 animated musical Frozen opens in cinemas this weekend, returning ice princess sisters Elsa and Anna to the big screen. Set three years after the first film, the plot of Frozen 2 begins with older sister Elsa, who has magical powers, hearing a mysterious sound from the north beckoning her. With Anna, iceman Kristoff, snowman Olaf and Sven the reindeer, she sets off on another adventure to discover... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3038969/frozen-2-creators-songs-story-and-sisterhood-disney-sequel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3038969/frozen-2-creators-songs-story-and-sisterhood-disney-sequel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Nov 2019 05:00:12 +0000 From the day Disney’s The Lion King arrived on the planet, people around the world have fallen in love with the story of Simba, and with the film’s soundtrack. The 1994 animation is regarded as a high-water mark for Disney, while the stage musical that debuted three years later has become one of the most successful productions – highest grossing and longest running – of all time. Almost 95 million people in 100 cities and 20 countries have been introduced to theatre director Julie Taymor’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3038580/lion-king-what-hong-kong-theatre-lovers-can-expect-musical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3038580/lion-king-what-hong-kong-theatre-lovers-can-expect-musical?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Nov 2019 04:15:14 +0000 Actress Lin Chi-ling and pop star Akira have finally held their wedding ceremony in Taiwan. Five months after announcing their legal marriage, the Taiwanese star performed marriage rites with her partner, who is from Japan, at an ancestral hall linked to her mother’s side of the family before a meal at the Art Museum in her father’s home city of Tainan. The couple kept affairs relatively intimate for a celebrity wedding, with just 100 guests invited to the ceremony due to space constraints... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3038505/lin-chi-ling-and-pop-star-akira-wed-taiwan-supermodel-vows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3038505/lin-chi-ling-and-pop-star-akira-wed-taiwan-supermodel-vows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2019 03:15:06 +0000 Amid the current turmoil, we all need some­thing to look forward to, so how about marking your calender with a night under the stars? Hong Kong’s first Big Sleep Out is part of a global initiative to raise money for the homeless. Beneath the Observation Wheel on the Central Harbourfront, participants will watch music performances and video messages beamed in from celebrity supporters Helen Mirren and Will Smith, joining with 50,000 other sleepers at hundreds of events across the planet. While... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3037726/hong-kongs-big-sleep-out-spend-night-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3037726/hong-kongs-big-sleep-out-spend-night-under?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Nov 2019 06:00:06 +0000 Eason Chan has lost out to Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou as the most-played artist of the year on YouTube in Hong Kong. Other home-grown Hong Kong talent on the list, covering the last 12 months, includes singers Hins Cheung, Joey Yung and rock band Dear Jane. Predictably, K-pop featured prominently on the list, with South Korean artists Blackpink, BTS and Twice all well-loved by Hongkongers. Chou’s most popular song on the video-streaming platform is his 2016 hit Love Confession, which has... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3037172/bts-blackpink-twice-all-hong-kongs-most-played-youtube-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3037172/bts-blackpink-twice-all-hong-kongs-most-played-youtube-list?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Nov 2019 10:00:09 +0000 November is World Vegan Month. As more people are spurred to change their eating habits in the wake of the top-selling documentary The Game Changers, we ask popular proponents of plant-based eating – who avoid meat, dairy and animal-derived foods – to share tips on getting the most benefits from the switch. Iris Mak says… keep things balanced More energy, improved digestion and better sleep are the favourite side effects of going plant-based for raw vegan chef and long-distance runner Iris Mak.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3036849/how-go-vegan-six-influencers-tips-plant-based-mistakes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3036849/how-go-vegan-six-influencers-tips-plant-based-mistakes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Nov 2019 12:00:07 +0000 The 2019 edition of Hong Kong’s biggest music festival, Clockenflap, will feature big international acts such as Mumford and Sons, Halsey, Lil Pump and Bombay Bicycle Club, but it will also showcase many of the city’s best home-grown bands. In total, there are 52 Hong Kong acts listed on the line-up. Established live favourites – from post-punk group David Boring to singer-songwriter Kevin Kaho Tsui – will perform alongside a bursting roster of up-and-coming names. These are the nine local acts... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3036724/nine-hong-kong-bands-see-citys-biggest-music-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3036724/nine-hong-kong-bands-see-citys-biggest-music-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Nov 2019 10:00:12 +0000 Why did you start Tove & Libra? Christine Chow Chia-sze: “One of our goals is to help women create a more streamlined wardrobe, with items that they will wear more; dress more with less. Our styles are timeless.” Describe your collection. Chow: “We have tailored tuxedo pants, pieces made from 100 per cent cashmere, ribbed tees in a wool and cotton blend, jumpsuits made with Tencel. The mate­rials are upcycled using leftover textiles from other designers’ productions. Our bestselling item is our... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3036397/tove-libra-sustainable-hong-kong-fashion-brand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/fashion/article/3036397/tove-libra-sustainable-hong-kong-fashion-brand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Nov 2019 03:15:10 +0000 It has been 25 years since Sharon Isbin last performed in Hong Kong. When she made her debut at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in 1994, the classical guitarist – then 38 – was already more than two decades into her career and had 12 albums to her name. A quarter of a century later and she has more than doubled that number, including this year’s Souvenirs of Spain and Italy, a collaboration with the award-winning Pacifica Quartet from the US state of Indiana. The album explores some of the best... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3035701/classical-guitar-champion-sharon-isbin-career-firsts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3035701/classical-guitar-champion-sharon-isbin-career-firsts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Oct 2019 09:03:25 +0000 Carrying a reusable coffee cup, saying no to plastic straws and excising meat from your diet are admirable lifestyle tweaks but few things put your money where your mouth is like investing in sustainable businesses. The upcoming “Impact Investing 101” seminar in Causeway Bay will teach you to do just that, demystifying finance-world jargon and offering a blueprint for how to “align your own personal investments with your sustainability mindset while making above-average returns”. There was a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3034552/impact-investing-101-hongkongers-learn-how-put?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3034552/impact-investing-101-hongkongers-learn-how-put?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2019 03:00:08 +0000 In times of hardship, music is a binding and uplifting force. Songs inspired by politics can help spread a message or simply vent rage. The current Hong Kong demonstrations, which were sparked by the now scrapped extradition bill, have used music in a way that shows the unity of protesters. While protesters were quick to adopt and repurpose existing anthems – such as the 1970s Hong Kong classic Below the Lion Rock – a number of local bands have been composing original songs and recording music... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3034501/songs-freedom-seven-new-protest-songs-hong-kong-bands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3034501/songs-freedom-seven-new-protest-songs-hong-kong-bands?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Oct 2019 04:45:10 +0000 Now an annual tradition, Shakespeare in the Park has proved a success in Hong Kong, where balmy spring temperatures make for an enjoyable evening outdoors, watching the city’s best amateur actors get their teeth into the Bard. For anyone who fancies treading the boards themselves, an eight-week Shakespeare workshop series will have you reciting soliloquies and powering through poetry in no time. Organised by the Dove Tales Theatre Company, Shakespeare in the Park is open for all to audition.... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3033809/hong-kongs-shakespeare-workshop-bring-aspiring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3033809/hong-kongs-shakespeare-workshop-bring-aspiring?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2019 09:40:13 +0000 Something strange happened during a spontaneous protest at the Space Museum at Tsim Sha Tsui in August of this year. As crowds gathered, chanted and pointed laser pointers at the concrete dome of the museum, someone cranked up a portable stereo with a song from 1982 – and turned the protest into a joyous dance party. It was a song from the man whose work has helped define an identity for Hong Kong since the 1980s, whose singing of a theme song for a beloved TV series is considered the unofficial... https://www.scmp.com/podcasts/article/3033489/behind-story-roman-tam-singer-hong-kong-anthems-and-godfather-canto-pop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/podcasts/article/3033489/behind-story-roman-tam-singer-hong-kong-anthems-and-godfather-canto-pop?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2019 05:15:07 +0000 Cheers and singing explode from the plaza outside Hong Kong Space Museum as hundreds of lasers converge like fireflies upon the building’s domed exterior. After weeks of tear gas and heartache, protesters are gathered to mock the police’s designation of laser pointers as “offensive weapons” by holding a laser party. Instead of the sombre hymns heard echoing around the streets after months of civil disobedience, this near-rave is soundtracked by In the Lasers, a thumping disco hit released in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3033195/how-godfather-canto-pop-roman-tam-lives-hong-kong-hearts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3033195/how-godfather-canto-pop-roman-tam-lives-hong-kong-hearts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2019 21:15:07 +0000 Every Saturday morning across the world, tens of thousands of people set off over 5km (3.1-mile) courses in 22 countries on five continents. Founded in 2004 on the outskirts of London, Parkrun has become a global phenomenon, boasting 1,596 events – from Australian beaches to the Siberian tundra, and nearly everywhere in between. Parkrun expects to add 300 new events this year. Hong Kong, however, is still missing from the list. The non-profit organisation set up by Paul Sinton-Hewitt, which is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3033148/japan-singapore-even-siberia-have-parkrun-why-cant-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3033148/japan-singapore-even-siberia-have-parkrun-why-cant-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Oct 2019 23:15:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s grungy industrial buildings have an undeniable charm, but would you want to work in one? If you’re not convinced, try head­ing for Quarry Bay, where a former toy manu­facturer’s warehouse has been transformed into a calming office oasis by the team behind the newly opened Banyan Workspace. With international shared-workspace provider WeWork hanging by a thread, entrepreneurial couple Amy and Rasheed Shroff knew they had to offer some­thing more than a series of generic, impersonal... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3032344/luxury-co-working-space-grungy-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3032344/luxury-co-working-space-grungy-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Oct 2019 05:00:07 +0000 Hong Kong drinks manufacturer Vitasoy has begun a pilot scheme to recycle Tetra Pak cartons, which it and many other drink manufacturers use for packaging. Dorcas Lau Shing-suet, Vitasoy’s CEO, says the scheme will enable the company to create an education, collection and recycling programme in partnership with Secure Information Disposal Services (SSID), which operates a waste management plant in the city’s Yuen Long district. The 79-year-old company launched the scheme on Tuesday. It will see... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3032463/hong-kong-drinks-giant-vitasoy-launches-recycling-tetra-pak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3032463/hong-kong-drinks-giant-vitasoy-launches-recycling-tetra-pak?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Oct 2019 04:40:11 +0000 Lace up your hiking boots, stash your water bottle and leave the city behind this month to take on the 100km MacLehose Trail in celeb­ration of its 40th anniversary. Stretching east to west, from Sai Kung to Tuen Mun, the trail, split into 10 stages, forms the route for events such as the annual Oxfam Trailwalker. While few of us could dream of blazing the trail in the current record of 10 hours, 58 minutes – set by a team of Gurkhas in 2013 – the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3030546/hong-kongs-maclehose-trail-turns-40-hiking-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3030546/hong-kongs-maclehose-trail-turns-40-hiking-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2019 06:30:10 +0000 Let’s face it: we have a serious addiction to plastic. In some cities, it’s so bad that we see individually plastic-wrapped fruit in the supermarket, when nature already gave that banana, orange or apple its own protective packaging. According to non-government organisation Earth Day, more than half of the world’s plastic thrown out in 2015 was plastic packaging. That’s more than 141 million tonnes. You throw that plastic bottle into the bin and don’t expect to see it again. But it will either... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027302/five-easy-ways-cut-down-plastic-waste-and-live-green-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027302/five-easy-ways-cut-down-plastic-waste-and-live-green-life?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2019 02:37:37 +0000 No one could accuse Theo Randall of having gone off meat. It’s just that the British chef and restaurateur wants everyone to start eating more vegetables, not necessarily for the health or environmental benefits but for the flavours that are unlocked when roots and shoots are used in season and cooked just right. Visiting Hong Kong to launch a new vegan menu at his Theo Mistral restaurant at the InterContinental Grand Stanford, he explains how chefs are stepping up to meet the demands of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3030647/british-chef-theo-randall-challenge-cooking-all-vegan-menu-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3030647/british-chef-theo-randall-challenge-cooking-all-vegan-menu-his?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Sep 2019 09:30:12 +0000 The Hong Kong protests are ripe with vivid iconography. Much of the artwork that has emerged from the anti-extradition- bill movement is visually striking and charged with emotion, often incorporating the slogans and mottos of the demonstrations, which this week passed their 100th day. As artists and protesters in the city apply their creativity to posters and logos, a whole industry has sprung up around protest merchandise, capitalising on the global swell of support for the city. While it is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3028024/hong-kong-protest-merchandise-tees-socks-badges-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3028024/hong-kong-protest-merchandise-tees-socks-badges-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Sep 2019 01:15:11 +0000 Fan Chengcheng, the younger brother of Chinese megastar Fan Bingbing, has described himself as “very happy” to have been named the face of Fenty Beauty in Greater China. His affiliation with the company was only announced last week, but the 19-year-old singer and model – a member of pop groups Nex7 and Nine Percent (in which he is known as “Adam”) – has already featured in a video campaign for the brand, founded by pop star Rihanna in 2017. A clip released by Fenty Beauty shows Fan waking up,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3027056/who-fan-chengcheng-new-face-fenty-beauty-china-and-fan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3027056/who-fan-chengcheng-new-face-fenty-beauty-china-and-fan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Sep 2019 09:00:08 +0000 Max Richter’s 8-hour composition Sleep will be performed for the first time in Asia next month, as part of the 22nd Beijing Music Festival. Just 300 concertgoers will hear the British-German composer’s work performed overnight at the Great Wall of China. Designed to soundtrack the entirety of a full night’s sleep, the performance will feature Richter on piano alongside soprano Grace Davidson and the American Contemporary Music Ensemble. “It’s a special highlight of the upcoming festival. This... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3027041/max-richter-perform-8-hour-sleep-album-great-wall-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3027041/max-richter-perform-8-hour-sleep-album-great-wall-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Sep 2019 03:00:20 +0000 Vegetarians have a lower risk of coronary heart disease than meat-eaters but may be at greater risk of having a stroke, researchers from Oxford University have found. The study, however, could not prove whether the results were down to diet or some other aspect of the participants’ lifestyle. Adopting a plant-based diet, or at least cutting out meat, has been encouraged by major scientific bodies including the World Health Organisation for its benefits to personal health and the environment. An... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3026397/vegetarian-diet-cuts-heart-disease-risk-raises-stroke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3026397/vegetarian-diet-cuts-heart-disease-risk-raises-stroke?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2019 12:00:11 +0000 With many of the wildfires raging in the Amazon having been lit by farmers clearing land for cattle grazing, the need for sustainable food production has never felt more urgent. Hong Kong, which imports 90 per cent of its food supply, including more Brazilian beef than anywhere else in the world, is ripe for an overhaul of its eating habits. Next month, the city will host its third Food’s Future Summit on innovation in the industry. At last year’s event, Hong Kong-based business incubator Brinc... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3025843/hong-kong-food-hackathon-aims-disrupt-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3025843/hong-kong-food-hackathon-aims-disrupt-system?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Sep 2019 04:30:12 +0000 A stationery maker has joined the war against groping on Japanese public transport with a stamp that marks perpetrators with a special ink. Invisible to the naked eye, a temporary hand-shaped design appears when a UV light is shone on the area. Nagoya-based company Shachihata said its new product could be used to identify culprits, though it was not immediately clear how long the ink would last. A limited supply of 500 of the 9mm-wide “anti-nuisance” stamps, priced at around US$25 (HK$200),... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3025325/six-ways-japanese-women-can-deter-gropers-trains-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3025325/six-ways-japanese-women-can-deter-gropers-trains-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2019 12:00:08 +0000 While it may take 3,000 litres of water to produce a single cotton T-shirt, thinking about the toll levied by the fashion industry on the environment, it’s easier to imagine the mountains of discarded clothing than the resources that go into making garments. In Hong Kong, 300 tonnes of textile waste heads to landfills each day, while four in 10 Hongkongers admit to having thrown clothes away after just one wear, according to non-governmental organisation Redress. Mainstream retailers such as H&M... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3024873/2hand-offers-high-quality-second-hand-fashion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3024873/2hand-offers-high-quality-second-hand-fashion?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2019 03:30:12 +0000 Parkrun, a 5km running phenomenon founded in Britain in 2004, may not have caught on in Asia as readily as the weekly event has else­where in the world, but a series of runs starting this month in Hong Kong may be the closest the city has come. The Zodiac Challenge is made up of 12 family-friendly, monthly runs spaced out over a year. Entrants will run a set route, and can start this week on Bowen Road. Instead of all the competitors gathering on the start line at once, the challenge allows you... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3024317/hong-kong-running-challenge-family-friendly-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3024317/hong-kong-running-challenge-family-friendly-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2019 05:45:05 +0000 As anti-government protests continue to rock Hong Kong, some have taken to a more subtle medium to express their views: tattoos. In recent weeks, photos of tattoos have emerged that center on imagery from the current protests. Umbrellas, goggles and gas masks—all used by protesters for protection—are a common theme, as are upbeat messages in both English and Chinese, such as Bruce Lee’s famed mantra “be water” and the words “Hong Kong.” One of the more clever designs is a set of Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/culture/hong-kong-protest-tattoos/article/3023955?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/hong-kong-protest-tattoos/article/3023955?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2019 10:44:05 +0000 As the high-pitched buzzing subsides, tattooist David Zuleta puts down the tattoo gun and leans in to inspect his handiwork. An elegant flower blooms next to harsh red and black lines on his client’s inner elbow. Although the piece is striking, at first glance nothing too political leaps out. Look closer, and subtle details emerge: a tiny inked gas mask; silhouetted figures holding banners; a lone man facing down a tank. For Sage Victor, the tattoo’s recipient, identified only by his first and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3023043/umbrella-goggles-flag-tattoos-use-symbols-hong-kong-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3023043/umbrella-goggles-flag-tattoos-use-symbols-hong-kong-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2019 02:30:05 +0000 Walls sprayed with slogans, stencils and scenes don’t just affect the aesthetic value of a city – they can also inspire cultural shifts. Just as the original “Lennon Wall” sprang up in Prague in the 1980s, as citizens behind the iron curtain voiced their dissent through art, Hong Kong now has its own walls covered, in messages of support for the extra­dition bill protests. And similar to the Hong Kong streets and plazas taken over by neon Post-it notes, the Czech Lennon Wall is periodically... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3022086/hong-kong-street-art-how-wan-chai-being?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3022086/hong-kong-street-art-how-wan-chai-being?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Aug 2019 09:00:12 +0000 Finding time to help the community can be difficult during Hong Kong’s busy working weeks, so one local organisation is combining volun­teering with a dose of exercise as incentive. First there were plogs (running while picking up rubbish), now there are bun runs. Led by James Marlow, a 27-year-old teacher from Britain who last year founded Waste Free Hong Kong, bun runsare not just a way to address food waste but “an opportunity to burn calories and make new friends”. After gathering in Sheung... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3021562/how-hong-kongs-bun-runs-help-reduce-food-waste?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3021562/how-hong-kongs-bun-runs-help-reduce-food-waste?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Aug 2019 02:45:06 +0000 Sometimes it’s good to take a step back, remember what there is to be thankful for, and take part in activities that positively affect the world. Doing green activities with children is a great idea, as it sets them up for a life of living consciously. Here are just a few of the options for sustainable volunteering in Hong Kong. 1. Eco Marine A sustainably focused NGO with protecting the oceans at its heart, Eco Marine offers regular opportunities to get involved in clearing rubbish from Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3020904/sustainable-living-green-activities-and-volunteering-opportunities-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3020904/sustainable-living-green-activities-and-volunteering-opportunities-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2019 08:30:10 +0000 Lures of the sea I was born in 1979 and grew up in a fishing town called Mornington, in Victoria, Australia. I love the ocean. I’ve got saltwater running through my veins. There was a pier and fishermen used these lures to fish for squid at night. They were expensive and they’d get caught on the bottom. I used to come down before school, collect them, then sell them back to the fishermen. At 13 years old, I was making money. It was me and two friends, but I was always the one going in when the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3020243/australian-damien-mander-unlikely-founder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3020243/australian-damien-mander-unlikely-founder?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2019 23:45:12 +0000 It takes some restraint not to reach out and touch the art when walking through a Kohei Nawa exhibition. From the stuffed animals covered in glass bubbles in his “PixCell” series to the polished, futuristic blades of Throne, and the voluptuous objects coated in bedazzled grains from his “Particle” series, these sculptures have tactile qualities that pique one’s curiosity. Placed under spotlights inside an art gallery, these glittering pieces become hyper-vivid. “Recent Works”, the 43-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3019856/how-technology-distorts-nature-kohei-nawas-art-information?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3019856/how-technology-distorts-nature-kohei-nawas-art-information?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2019 10:00:18 +0000 The term “junk food” doesn’t conjure up thoughts of plant-based dishes but even vegans like something greasy from time to time. Catering to such cravings, a block party in Sai Ying Pun will serve up vegan (like everything else on the menu) burgers, chicken and meatballs. The Vegan Block Party, on August 3, will be co-hosted by Elina Strelita-Strele, half of the Latvian father-daughter team at Mayse Artisan Bakery, in Tai Po. The idea sprang from the success of Mayse’s egg- and dairy-free... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3019243/vegan-block-party-plant-based-pizzas-and-hip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3019243/vegan-block-party-plant-based-pizzas-and-hip?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2019 10:15:12 +0000