https://www.scmp.com/rss/500338/feed Eric Cheung is a Hong Kong-based freelance journalist with a specific interest in geopolitical and social stories. His work has also appeared in other international media outlets including CNN International, Reuters, The Guardian, and ABC News (America). en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Inside Hong Kong’s busy K11 Musea shopping mall in Tsim Sha Tsui on the southern tip of Kowloon, a fleet of robots with expressive eyes can be seen moving along different floors and spraying disinfectant into the air. Named Jasmine, each of these disinfection robots is equipped with two vents, four wheels and a tank that can store up to 10 litres of sterilising solution. They also have sensors that are able to detect obstacles, giving them the ability to move around and sanitise different areas... https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/pioneering-spirit/article/3134618/how-hong-kongs-young-innovators-are-using?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/pioneering-spirit/article/3134618/how-hong-kongs-young-innovators-are-using?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 May 2021 02:00:14 +0000 For many decades, trying to examine the genetic health of an unborn baby always came with a very real risk. The most accurate and commonly used test involved inserting a needle into the mother’s uterus to obtain samples of the fluid protecting the fetus – a method that carried a small chance of causing a miscarriage. However, thanks to one of Hong Kong’s medical pioneers, expectant parents around the world now benefit from a much safer way of checking on their baby’s development during the... https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/start-ups/topics/hong-kong-innovators/article/3113413/how-did-2-hong-kong-innovative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/start-ups/topics/hong-kong-innovators/article/3113413/how-did-2-hong-kong-innovative?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Dec 2020 07:19:07 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/presented/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/when-artworks-click/article/3108271/how-virtual-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/when-artworks-click/article/3108271/how-virtual-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Nov 2020 10:00:13 +0000 While most international travel has come to a halt amid the global spread of the coronavirus disease, Covid-19, an Australian technology company has come up with a smart passenger kiosk that may provide clues about what the future holds for air travel. The portable, cloud-based kiosk, unveiled by Elenium Automation in April, is both a health-screening device and a self-service check-in machine. The new hands-free technology used to assess a passenger’s vital signs – which can also be retrofitted... https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/innovation/topics/machine-learning-data-powered-innovations/article/3101899/ML-AI?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/innovation/topics/machine-learning-data-powered-innovations/article/3101899/ML-AI?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2020 02:20:06 +0000 For more than three decades, hawker Melvin Chew has been selling traditional Teochew braised duck and kway chap – flat, broad rice noodles in a soup made with dark soy sauce served with a variety of pig innards – at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, located in Singapore’s city centre. The 42-year-old Singaporean is one of thousands of hawkers who operate stalls in hawker centres around the city state, which are frequented by residents and tourists alike. “In a hawker centre, you can see all sorts... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/persevering-preservations/article/3099488/singapore-hawker-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/persevering-preservations/article/3099488/singapore-hawker-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2020 01:53:26 +0000 For the full story and multimedia experience, please click here https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/explorers-tomorrow/article/3098260/jaws-conservationist-underwater-species?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/explorers-tomorrow/article/3098260/jaws-conservationist-underwater-species?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2020 00:55:08 +0000 In the 1970s, rattan furniture could be found in almost every Singaporean household. The pieces were also popular throughout Europe, where they were prized for their lightness and durability. For more than 50 years, Chen Foon Kee has been handweaving raw rattan – the thin stems of a type of palm that grows throughout Southeast Asia – to make shelves, chairs and tables. Today, Chen, 72, is one of Singapore’s last few rattan craftsmen. His small furniture store cuts a distinct profile, located... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/persevering-preservations/article/3098627/singapore-rattan-furniture-craftman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/persevering-preservations/article/3098627/singapore-rattan-furniture-craftman?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2020 11:35:10 +0000 In the 1970s, rattan furniture could be found in almost every Singaporean household. The pieces were also popular throughout Europe, where they prized for their lightness and durability.  For more than 50 years, Chen Foon Kee has been handweaving raw rattan—thin stems of a type of palm that grows throughout Southeast Asia—into shelves, chairs, and tables. Now, Chen, 72, is one of Singapore’s last few rattan craftsmen. His small furniture store cuts a distinct profile, sitting amid the hustle and... https://www.scmp.com/culture/singapores-last-maker-rattan-furniture-has-been-weaving-chairs-hand-over-50-years/article/3098540?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/singapores-last-maker-rattan-furniture-has-been-weaving-chairs-hand-over-50-years/article/3098540?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2020 11:30:11 +0000 At 147 Argyle Street, in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district, a narrow brick clock tower that has been telling the time for 80 years stands solemnly next to demolished blocks, where luxury residential skyscrapers will stand beside it by 2022. Perched beneath the stately homes of Kadoorie Hill, the clock tower is a reminder of what was once the stately headquarters of China Light and Power (CLP). Opened in 1940, the iconic tower is listed as a grade one historic building, and has been under preservation... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/own-legacy-kadoorie-hill/article/3086948/clp-clock-tower-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/own-legacy-kadoorie-hill/article/3086948/clp-clock-tower-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Aug 2020 00:55:11 +0000 When prominent Hong Kong architect Norman Chan stepped back inside his alma mater, the Diocesan Boys’ School (DBS), he felt nostalgic about all the good times he had there as a student. “Nothing has changed,” he says. “I cannot believe they still use the chalk [on classroom blackboards].” The school, founded in 1869, which initially served as an orphanage for boys, has grown to become one of the most prestigious educational institutions in Hong Kong. For more than 90 years, DBS has been based at... https://www.scmp.com/native/news/hong-kong/education/topics/own-legacy-kadoorie-hill/article/3086949/secrets-diocesan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/news/hong-kong/education/topics/own-legacy-kadoorie-hill/article/3086949/secrets-diocesan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2020 00:55:11 +0000 The iconic three red sails and wooden hull of the Dukling – the only original antique Chinese junk boat still cruising off the coast of Hong Kong – remain a familiar sight on the skyscraper-flanked waters of Victoria Harbour. Originally built to fish the seas off the coast of Hong Kong in 1955, the restored vessel, which was given a new lease in life in 2015 when it began offering harbour cruises, serves as a vivid reminder of the vibrant city’s humble origins as a fishing village and its... https://www.scmp.com/native/news/hong-kong/society/topics/holiday-home/article/3093572/how-victoria-harbours-red-sailed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/news/hong-kong/society/topics/holiday-home/article/3093572/how-victoria-harbours-red-sailed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jul 2020 08:15:30 +0000 Trundling its way back and forth along the northern edge of Hong Kong Island – flanked by rows of modern skyscrapers and surrounded by the never-ending traffic – is a historic form of public transport that has witnessed the city’s transformation for more than a century. The Hong Kong Tramways – which started serving generations of Hongkongers in 1904 – form an integral part of the city’s heritage. The 165-strong fleet comprises one of the world’s few remaining double-decker trams, the company... https://www.scmp.com/native/news/hong-kong/transport/topics/holiday-home/article/3092435/hong-kong-trams-re-energised?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/news/hong-kong/transport/topics/holiday-home/article/3092435/hong-kong-trams-re-energised?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jul 2020 10:51:37 +0000 The world is rapidly moving towards a cash-lite society with the continuing global spread of the coronavirus disease, Covid-19, helping to accelerate the demand for digital payment services. Many people have been not only adopting social distancing measures during the pandemic, but also trying to avoid contact with people through the use of bank notes and coins by choosing digital payment methods or shopping online. In mainland China, 55 per cent of mobile users are likely to buy more groceries... https://www.scmp.com/native/business/banking-finance/topics/design-thinking-imperative/article/3086663/how-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/business/banking-finance/topics/design-thinking-imperative/article/3086663/how-design?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jun 2020 02:30:09 +0000 The outbreak of the deadly novel coronavirus, which was first reported in Wuhan, China, has been capturing the world’s attention since the start of the year. Yet while health experts hope that Covid-19 may eventually be contained, the nation continues to battle a different chronic disease that has grown sharply over the past few decades and is predicted to cause further deaths in the long run: diabetes.   In 2017, the country was home to 114 million diabetics – more than a quarter of the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/health-wellness/topics/fighting-global-epidemic/article/3080155/what-growing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/health-wellness/topics/fighting-global-epidemic/article/3080155/what-growing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2020 03:00:00 +0000 [Sponsored Article] China has experienced a rapid transformation since it began to open up and reform its economy in 1978. Its average gross domestic product (GDP) growth – based on resource-intensive manufacturing, exports and low labour costs – has averaged nearly 10 per cent a year and it is now the world’s second largest economy. China, which reported a GDP of US$14.1 trillion last year – the second highest in the world – has one of the highest projected growth rates among trillion-dollar... https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/china-goes-global-learn-tsinghua/article/3080185/why-chinas-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/china-goes-global-learn-tsinghua/article/3080185/why-chinas-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2020 03:48:34 +0000 Humans have only a decade to take drastic actions and avert what some scientists describe as the Earth’s sixth mass extinction, the United Nations has warned. Read more. https://www.scmp.com/native/business/topics/preserving-life-earth/article/3048041/we-have-only-decade-save-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/business/topics/preserving-life-earth/article/3048041/we-have-only-decade-save-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2020 03:10:40 +0000 Hong Kong’s businesses are facing a challenging time. The long-running US-China trade war, as well as the months-long street protests, have plunged Hong Kong into a technical recession, with the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracting 3.2 per cent in the third quarter, compared with the second quarter. The slowing business landscape has also created a more challenging environment for start-ups seeking opportunities in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s advantages are long rooted in its stable... https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/reach-sky/article/3042960/why-hong-kong-remains-attractive-tech-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/reach-sky/article/3042960/why-hong-kong-remains-attractive-tech-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Dec 2019 07:17:42 +0000 When Hong Kong’s billion-dollar start-up Tink Labs ended its business services in many of its markets this year, it provided a cautionary tale that even the most inspiring business could collapse if entrepreneurs make critical judgment mistakes. The company, which offers hotel guests free-to-use Handy smartphones, rose to fame in 2012 after becoming one of the few local companies with a “unicorn” valuation – a status for start-ups valued at more than US$1 billion. At one point, its devices were... https://www.scmp.com/native/business/banking-finance/topics/cloud-grow-your-business/article/3041843/5-common-sme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/business/banking-finance/topics/cloud-grow-your-business/article/3041843/5-common-sme?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Dec 2019 09:42:34 +0000 Seasoned music teacher Kung Chi-shing is the godfather of Hong Kong’s independent music scene. For more than three decades, he has performed and curated music, all the while being a voice for indie music and musicians. “Indie music is most valuable for its strong personality and its independent artistic creativity,” he said. ‘Autumn Sonata’ goes from big screen to grand stage to tell of estranged mother-daughter relationship Kung’s latest mission is to pull together an event across two nights,... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/nordic-stage/article/3026458/hong-kongs-godfather-indie-music?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/nordic-stage/article/3026458/hong-kongs-godfather-indie-music?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Sep 2019 02:47:10 +0000 When Chilean Arturo Sims moved to Hong Kong, he set a five-year goal to start his own hospitality business that drew on his international experience as a chef in Michelin-starred restaurants. He is now managing director of Vantage Hospitality Consultants, which provides training, operations and guest experience services to hotels and fine dining restaurants. At the beginning, I said ‘I need to run my business in a way that doesn’t have any overhead expenses because I can't pay salaries right... https://www.scmp.com/native/business/topics/cloud-grow-your-business/article/3023404/6-business-leaders-reveal-how?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/business/topics/cloud-grow-your-business/article/3023404/6-business-leaders-reveal-how?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Aug 2019 07:57:52 +0000 While Cantonese opera has become a hot topic – since April’s satirical Cantonese opera in Hong Kong, Trump on Show, detailing the life of US President Donald Trump – a forthcoming arts festival will allow Hongkongers to enjoy the most internationally renowned form of Chinese opera at home. The Peking opera, also known as Jingju, has been fully developed since the 19th century and is listed on the Unesco List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The performance, known internationally as the... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/3014351/spotlight-peking-opera?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts-culture/topics/sights-and-sounds/article/3014351/spotlight-peking-opera?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2019 07:53:36 +0000 Few people can avoid using “smart” technology at home in one form or another, but as the gadget count piles up, some of these additions can look out of place. Thankfully, hi-tech companies are starting to take notice. Some of the most prestigious accolades, such as the annual Consumer Technology Association Innovation Awards, presented at the annual trade show held in Las Vegas, in the US, recognise products that easily integrate without compromising on home design. Cool running: hi-tech ideas... https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/premier-living/article/3005241/video-doorbell-and-4-other-invisible-smart-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/premier-living/article/3005241/video-doorbell-and-4-other-invisible-smart-home?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Apr 2019 10:01:09 +0000 Urbanisation and the creation of wealth have been signatures of mainland China’s journey of economic reform and liberalisation. Today’s China is home to the world’s greatest number of city dwellers. To foster new business opportunities, China has a grand strategy of developing multiple city clusters to create sizeable areas of economic strength. One of the most notable of the mainland’s urbanisation initiatives is the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area in southern China, which covers the... https://www.scmp.com/native/economy/china-economy/topics/great-powerhouse/article/3002844/greater-bay-area-10-facts-put?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/economy/china-economy/topics/great-powerhouse/article/3002844/greater-bay-area-10-facts-put?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Apr 2019 07:48:10 +0000