https://www.scmp.com/rss/514517/feed Ashlyn joined the Post’s culture desk in 2022. She holds two degrees from the University of the Arts London and launched her career in New York. Besides writing, she enjoys films that pass the Bechdel test, walkable cities, and spicy cocktails. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak When it comes to making sake, terroir matters. And where could be more impressive than Mount Fuji, the highest peak in Japan and the second-highest volcano on any Asian island? The mountain straddles two prefectures: Shizuoka in the south and Yamanashi to the north. The latter, a landlocked prefecture in central Japan where 78 per cent of the total area is covered by lush forest, is home to several national parks. It is also the home of the Fuji Five Lakes region, or Fujigoko: five bodies of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349202/how-sake-breweries-near-japans-mount-fuji-are-taking-drink-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349202/how-sake-breweries-near-japans-mount-fuji-are-taking-drink-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak As the force behind two of Hong Kong’s most revered craft cocktail bars – Coa and The Savory Project – Jay Khan is kept busy enough with his day, or rather, night job and is perhaps one of the last people you would expect to get a side gig. However, as a self-described “very restless person”, he got one anyway. In March, less than six years after buying his first camera in 2020, he unveiled his first-ever photography exhibition, “Pouring Shadow”, at Sin Sin Fine Art, an independent gallery in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3348740/hong-kong-bar-maestro-jay-khan-swaps-cocktails-cameras-his-first-photo-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3348740/hong-kong-bar-maestro-jay-khan-swaps-cocktails-cameras-his-first-photo-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak In today’s climate of political unrest, how does the art world navigate instability across regions? For its inaugural show, Gold by Serakai Studio – a new art space in Hong Kong’s Wong Chuk Hang – has chosen to lean into the unpredictability. To its curators, uncertainty is not something to be avoided but to be embraced and created through experimentation and deviations from the norm. The exhibition’s tongue-in-cheek title, “Certainly”, is inspired by American artist-composer La Monte Young’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3348099/gold-serakai-studios-new-exhibition-certainly-leans-todays-unpredictability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3348099/gold-serakai-studios-new-exhibition-certainly-leans-todays-unpredictability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 73rd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. In the golden age of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing was a star so bright that he rewrote the rules of conservative Asian society. Affectionately nicknamed Gor Gor – Cantonese for “older brother” – the Cantopop legend’s talent spanned disciplines and extended far beyond the city’s borders. Even now, decades after his death in 2003, fans from around the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348009/how-leslie-cheung-broke-all-rules-become-hong-kongs-greatest-modern-superstar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348009/how-leslie-cheung-broke-all-rules-become-hong-kongs-greatest-modern-superstar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak If you ask Hongkongers if they like Thai food, many will say they do; ask them if they know ThongSmith, and chances are most of them will say yes. The Bangkok-based noodle chain opened in 2018 and has since expanded to more than 25 locations in the Thai capital. It made a name for itself by honing in on humble boat noodles, with a slow-simmered broth and adding premium toppings such as Australian Wagyu beef and Kurobuta pork. Now, in its eighth year, it has picked Hong Kong as its first overseas... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3347786/hong-kong-now-you-dont-have-go-bangkok-boat-noodle-fix-thongsmith-here?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3347786/hong-kong-now-you-dont-have-go-bangkok-boat-noodle-fix-thongsmith-here?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Enid Tsui,Ashlyn Chak Enid Tsui,Ashlyn Chak This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. With a surge of new venues and a relentless calendar of openings, navigating Hong Kong’s 2026 art week requires strategy. Here is our carefully curated shortlist. On the main stage Art Basel Hong Kong Art Basel Hong Kong remains the anchor of the season, with 240 exhibitors taking part. This year, two sectors have been added: “Echoes”, showing works made in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3347339/definitive-scmp-guide-navigating-hong-kong-art-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3347339/definitive-scmp-guide-navigating-hong-kong-art-week?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 03:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Housing in Hong Kong is expensive and, according to various international surveys, the city ranked among the world’s most unaffordable places to live in 2025. Despite this, property agencies remain prolific, especially in Hong Kong’s more affluent districts, and their shop windows are always covered with posters of new tower blocks set against beautiful, computer-generated backdrops. However, the local property market has not always been like this, as a new, unusual exhibition shows. “Memories... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3346171/affordable-hong-kong-homes-look-past-colourful-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3346171/affordable-hong-kong-homes-look-past-colourful-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Hong Kong’s stand-up comedy scene has been gradually expanding and diversifying since TakeOut Comedy Club – the first full-time venue of its kind in Asia and still the only dedicated comedy club in the city – opened in SoHo in 2007. Comedians-turned-producers today work together but independently, nurturing the next generation of talents and keeping the business of being funny afloat. This collective effort, however, is not without its challenges. “People don’t really have a lot of respect for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346167/why-hong-kongs-stand-comedians-want-their-art-be-taken-seriously?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346167/why-hong-kongs-stand-comedians-want-their-art-be-taken-seriously?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Being cast in the Netflix series Bridgerton has one clear perk – exposure. The streaming giant has unprecedented global reach, and the period romance drama, produced by Shondaland, is one of its largest franchises and has been extremely popular since its first season aired in December 2020. To Katie Leung Pui-sze, playing the series’ main antagonist in its fourth season – released in two parts in January and February 2026 – was rewarding in ways that differ from her younger screen partners. “You... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345554/bridgertons-katie-leung-playing-evil-stepmother-harry-potter-brutal-cantonese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345554/bridgertons-katie-leung-playing-evil-stepmother-harry-potter-brutal-cantonese?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak In an era when algorithms dictate the type of media we consume online, some young people are “going offline” as part of a new movement encouraging more intentional interactions with the arts. Vinyl bars have been popping up around Hong Kong as a result, catering to analogue enthusiasts looking to enjoy music the way it used to be before CDs and streaming. “I think different generations have different interpretations of the trend of going back to vinyl music,” says Andrew Wong Tsz-san, who opened... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3345258/hong-kong-vinyl-bars-spread-analogue-music-culture-offering-glimpse-past?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3345258/hong-kong-vinyl-bars-spread-analogue-music-culture-offering-glimpse-past?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 03:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This year’s Pokemon Day, which falls on February 27, also marks the 30th anniversary of the internationally known and loved multimedia franchise. Helmed by the determined and compassionate Pokemon trainer Ash Ketchum and his loyal but stubborn “pocket monster” partner Pikachu, this Japanese IP has spawned a huge range of anime series, films, video games and merchandise. The now multibillion-dollar franchise began life as a role-playing video game series created by Satoshi Tajiri for the Game Boy... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344721/how-pokemon-took-over-world-beloved-franchise-turns-30?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344721/how-pokemon-took-over-world-beloved-franchise-turns-30?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 20:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak When you enter the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, the lobby’s frescoed ceiling, art and opulent decor are immediately reminiscent of the resort in the third season of The White Lotus, set in Koh Samui, Thailand. The Bangkok property was built in 1978, and it was a Peninsula hotel before it was sold to Regent Hotels & Resorts in 1982. Following its 2001 acquisition by Minor Hotels, it was renamed as a Four Seasons in 2003, before its most recent name change, on March 1, 2015. While just as elegant... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3343813/anantara-siam-bangkok-hotels-aqua-bar-marks-20-years-cocktails-inspired-ducks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3343813/anantara-siam-bangkok-hotels-aqua-bar-marks-20-years-cocktails-inspired-ducks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Hong Kong’s food culture has been an amalgamation of global cuisine since its development in the late 19th century as a colonised free port. Take the city’s cha chaan tengs (local Hong Kong-style diners), which sprang up in the mid-20th century, as an example: while partially inspired by southern Chinese dishes, their menus feature decidedly Western elements such as milk tea, macaroni soup, baked pork chop rice and corned beef sandwiches. The hearty take on borscht found in Hong Kong, on the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3343262/where-hong-kong-style-borscht-soup-comes-and-restaurant-serving-real-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3343262/where-hong-kong-style-borscht-soup-comes-and-restaurant-serving-real-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak The Hakka community is known for its tradition of mass migration; the name literally translates to “guest families”, a poignant reminder of the people’s historical outsider status. In Hong Kong, the Hakka were relatively late arrivals compared with the Tanka and Punti people. They settled in the late 1600s after the Qing dynasty’s “Great Clearance” policy was rescinded and migrants from other parts of China were encouraged to repopulate the sparsely inhabited coastal areas. But their “guest”... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3342904/how-two-remote-hong-kong-villages-are-helping-revive-hakka-way-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3342904/how-two-remote-hong-kong-villages-are-helping-revive-hakka-way-life?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:18:32 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Although widely recognised as the world’s first professional inclusive music ensemble, there is so much more to the Paraorchestra than its full integration of disabled and non-disabled musicians. When the British collective won best ensemble at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards in March 2025, it was lauded for “invigorating concert halls with thrilling experiences”. Indeed, the group has been celebrated around the world for its signature performance style that breaks the fourth wall of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3342865/paraorchestras-hong-kong-concert-lets-audience-walk-around-see-musicians-close?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3342865/paraorchestras-hong-kong-concert-lets-audience-walk-around-see-musicians-close?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:15:09 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Not long after its founding in 2019, Hong Kong fashion label YanYan Knits faced – like many fledgling companies at the time – a seemingly insurmountable hurdle: Covid-19. It survived the global pandemic and, as its seventh anniversary approaches – and with stockists from Japan to Australia and North America – it is safe to say the Hong Kong fashion label is now a force to be reckoned with. Still, it can be difficult for smaller brands to carve out their own spaces, physical or metaphorical, in a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3342599/hong-kongs-indie-fashion-labels-bloom-new-tsim-sha-tsui-pop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3342599/hong-kongs-indie-fashion-labels-bloom-new-tsim-sha-tsui-pop?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Sabrina Ma Suk-wai was something of a child prodigy. She started playing the piano, violin and drums when she was six, and became the SCMP Student Musician of the Year in 2001 when she was 16. Her decisions to study musical performance – specialising in percussion at the University of Michigan, in the United States – and to move to Berlin, Germany, as a freelance performer at 22 were all within the expected career path for a young, talented musician. But when she turned 30, something began to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3342094/hong-kong-percussionist-sabrina-ma-trades-orchestra-musical-triathlon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3342094/hong-kong-percussionist-sabrina-ma-trades-orchestra-musical-triathlon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 07:22:37 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Those who enjoy visual symmetry or things neatly aligned are in luck, because February 2026 is a “perfect month” – with four full weeks fitting into four exact rows. Also known as a “rectangular month”, this is a rare calendar phenomenon in which the 28 days of a common, or non-leap, February present a perfect rectangular structure on the calendar grid, with the first day falling on the first cell on the first row and the last on the very last cell on the final row. The perfect grid never occurs... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3341514/does-your-calendar-show-perfect-february-heres-what-means?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3341514/does-your-calendar-show-perfect-february-heres-what-means?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 03:15:06 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Peggy Chan, a Hong Kong-born vegetarian chef, sustainability dining advocate and consultant, has become the first recipient of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants’ Champions of Change Award, which honours those who make a meaningful impact in the hospitality industry. “I’m so grateful and honoured for this recognition,” Chan tells the Post. “I really feel like it’s come full circle, too, as [the ceremony] is being held in Hong Kong, where my career started. “I cannot take this honour on my own because... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3341621/hong-kong-chef-peggy-chan-wins-asias-50-best-restaurants-first-champions-change-award?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3341621/hong-kong-chef-peggy-chan-wins-asias-50-best-restaurants-first-champions-change-award?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 07:00:11 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak For Marian Ang, becoming a first-time parent and transforming fully into a “mother” were two entirely different experiences. It was the birth of her second son about a year ago that prompted the artist to truly think about what it means to be a mother, as well as the legacies passed down through the women in her family. “Motherhood really tears you apart and reshapes you. With the first child, you’re still clinging onto your old identity; with the second, you’re completely breaking apart,” says... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3340934/hong-kong-artist-marian-ang-explores-motherhood-and-family-legacies-new-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3340934/hong-kong-artist-marian-ang-explores-motherhood-and-family-legacies-new-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Mahjong has been an integral part of Chinese social life since its invention in the mid-1800s, during the late Qing dynasty. It took less than a century to reach the West, with a simplified playing system developing in the United States in the 1920s. In modern-day Hong Kong, many older people play mahjong socially and to improve their brain health. The game is often played by people of all ages during festive occasions, as well as between strangers during competitive sessions at dedicated... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3340985/unlucky-lunar-new-year-chocolate-mahjong-set-sign-cultural-appropriation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3340985/unlucky-lunar-new-year-chocolate-mahjong-set-sign-cultural-appropriation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Relics are often presented as art; rarely does the opposite occur. But Beijing-based artist Bingyi has been doing just that, by blurring the lines between history and fiction. The 51-year-old, who is surnamed Huang but goes by her artist’s name, has an in-depth understanding of Chinese history. She grew up reading classical Chinese texts under the influence of her scholar grandfather and went on to earn a PhD in Chinese art at Yale University, in the United States. But none of that has... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3340407/how-beijing-ink-artist-bingyi-blurs-lines-between-history-and-fiction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3340407/how-beijing-ink-artist-bingyi-blurs-lines-between-history-and-fiction?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 08:17:34 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Dubbed “the first Asian woman in hip hop”, Sophia Chang has led a life filled with colour, adventure and empowerment. Having managed members of rap groups such as the Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest in the 1990s and 2000s, the Korean-Canadian life coach and content creator shows no signs of slowing down at 60 years old, and is as physically active and fit as ever. Chang’s fitness is linked to her self-discipline. She found the gym boring throughout most of her twenties, but discovered... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340158/how-first-asian-woman-hip-hop-went-misfit-managing-wu-tang-clan-members?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340158/how-first-asian-woman-hip-hop-went-misfit-managing-wu-tang-clan-members?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 11:15:11 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Horses played crucial roles in ancient China – in the military, transport and agriculture. People of different social classes interacted with and observed the animals, drawing inspiration for the arts, literature and mythology. Over time, the horse became the subject of many idioms. Here are seven of the most popular horse-related expressions in Chinese, how to pronounce them in Cantonese and the stories behind them. 龍馬精神 Lung ma jing sun Meaning “the spirit of dragons and horses”, this idiom is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3339975/7-popular-chinese-horse-idioms-you-trot-out-year-horse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3339975/7-popular-chinese-horse-idioms-you-trot-out-year-horse?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 10:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Hong Kong time-travel comedy film Back to the Past – the big-screen adaptation of the 2001 TVB drama A Step into the Past – has, since its release on December 31, broken two local box office records and become the talk of the town. Co-directed by Ng Yuen-fai and Jack Lai Chun-lung and starring the drama’s original lead Louis Koo Tin-lok, the movie grossed HK$10.9 million (US$1.4 million) on its opening day, smashing the city’s first-day performance record for local or Chinese-language films. At... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339024/what-know-about-back-past-record-breaking-new-hong-kong-film-starring-louis-koo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339024/what-know-about-back-past-record-breaking-new-hong-kong-film-starring-louis-koo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Tattooing emerged in Hong Kong in the mid-20th century as a service catering to Western soldiers and sailors passing through the then British colony. The demand gave rise to East-meets-West tattoo parlours where customers could choose to be inked with “mystical and exotic” symbols of the East, such as Chinese dragons and phoenixes, or stick with traditional Western motifs like crosses, skulls and daggers. Later, tattoos in Hong Kong became associated with the criminal underworld, as triad... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3338770/hong-kong-women-tattoo-artists-who-draw-traditional-chinese-culture-ink-differently?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3338770/hong-kong-women-tattoo-artists-who-draw-traditional-chinese-culture-ink-differently?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 09:22:41 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Magical illusions have existed as a form of entertainment for almost as long as human civilisation itself – think Tales of Khufu and the Magicians from ancient Egypt – but despite its long tradition, why do so few consider it a performing art? Zenneth Kok is a professional magician and mentalist seeking to change Hongkongers’ general perception of his craft with a 70-minute interactive mind-reading show titled The Memory Wall this weekend. Kok, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338388/how-hong-kong-magician-and-mentalist-changing-perceptions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338388/how-hong-kong-magician-and-mentalist-changing-perceptions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 09:15:10 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 67th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. From growing up impoverished in a village in Huizhou, in east-central Guangdong province, to sending his son to an elite international school in Shanghai, the life of actor and singer Jordan Chan Siu-chun has been a roller coaster defined by extreme reinvention. Today, at 58, he has crafted a new image as a stellar husband and father, living in mainland China with a wife 16 years his... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338135/how-actor-singer-jordan-chan-went-hong-kong-bad-boy-patriotic-family-man-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338135/how-actor-singer-jordan-chan-went-hong-kong-bad-boy-patriotic-family-man-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Over the past decade, Hong Kong artist Un Cheng has made abstract self-portraits and introspective landscapes that share the theme of escapism. Her latest solo exhibition sees her turning her gaze towards Europe – perhaps seeing travel as the ultimate escape – but these new paintings are not just about getting away. After spending October to December 2024 in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Poland, she returned to Hong Kong, where she reflected upon her trip and made discoveries... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3338098/why-hong-kong-artists-bedroom-music-inspired-solo-exhibition-about-self-healing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3338098/why-hong-kong-artists-bedroom-music-inspired-solo-exhibition-about-self-healing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak From auspicious horse-themed phrases and couplets to whether your luck is in, check out our Year of the Horse 2026 series to discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year. In Chinese culture, horses often symbolise power, vitality and ambition. But in the eyes of Xu Beihong – the father of modern Chinese art, who was especially revered for his horse paintings – the strong animal represented something solemn, persistent and even tragic. Xu was born in 1895, after the end of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3337566/how-chinese-artist-xu-beihongs-horse-paintings-have-galloped-through-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3337566/how-chinese-artist-xu-beihongs-horse-paintings-have-galloped-through-history?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 07:00:12 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Around this time of the year, there is one very important day for Chinese families around the world, not unlike Thanksgiving in North America. The winter solstice – dung zi in Cantonese, dongzhi in Mandarin – marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. In Chinese culture, dung zi is also a noted day on the “24 solar terms” that marks the end of the harvest season and the arrival of winter and the coldest weather. The 24 solar terms, which form a Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3336867/what-winter-solstice-history-food-and-how-hong-kong-celebrates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3336867/what-winter-solstice-history-food-and-how-hong-kong-celebrates?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak How does a Scottish bartender with a strong aversion to menus craft an extensive cocktail list for the flagship bar at one of Asia’s largest luxury hotels? By thinking outside the box – in this case, the jewellery-box-like space that is Wing Lei Bar at Wynn Palace in Cotai, Macau. The bar, which is adorned with mirror panels, emerald-green curtains and gold accents, sets the expectation of offering a classic five-star hotel bar experience. But the man behind it is determined to turn the concept... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3336712/crazy-cocktail-menu-macau-bar-honours-bartenders-travels-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3336712/crazy-cocktail-menu-macau-bar-honours-bartenders-travels-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:22:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak From auspicious horse-themed phrases and couplets to whether your luck is in, check out our Year of the Horse 2026 series to discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year. Civilisations around the world domesticated horses thousands of years ago. They were kept outside the home and, unlike other livestock, were not just seen as a food source but as a tool for farming and basic transport. Many were even used for fighting. This bond has inspired many fantastical steeds in legend,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3336066/5-best-known-horses-chinese-legend-red-hare-qilin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3336066/5-best-known-horses-chinese-legend-red-hare-qilin?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Like many Hongkongers who moved abroad in recent years, Kristie Ko Sze-yeuk is well acquainted with the woes of leaving everything behind to start anew in a foreign land. After all, the 31-year-old relocated across continents three times between her late teens and her mid-twenties to study and work. When she returned to Hong Kong in 2020, after eight years in London and Los Angeles, she also learned that for those who return to their birthplaces after extended periods, there can be a new sense... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335333/struggles-emigrating-hong-kong-and-returning-it-depicted-short-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335333/struggles-emigrating-hong-kong-and-returning-it-depicted-short-film?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Universal fears are the major recurring theme in Scottish art rock band Franz Ferdinand’s 2025 album The Human Fear. But there is nothing fearful about the group’s musical approach as the members get deeply personal and bravely vulnerable. “‘Hooked’ starts off with the line, ‘I got the fear, got the human fear, that’s all right’,” says Alex Kapranos, the band’s lead vocalist, lead guitarist and primary songwriter, of the track that was inspired by his own experience with parenthood in 2023. “The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3334158/why-franz-ferdinands-alex-kapranos-loves-hong-kong-gigs-plus-insight-latest-album?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3334158/why-franz-ferdinands-alex-kapranos-loves-hong-kong-gigs-plus-insight-latest-album?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak There is a large commercial space at street level in the heart of Hong Kong Island’s southern Wong Chuk Hang neighbourhood whose interesting and rather random history lends it a somewhat mysterious air. The high-ceilinged, 3,500 sq ft (325 square metre) unit on the ground floor of the Remex Centre, a large industrial building just in front of an MTR station, was previously occupied by a gold and jewellery shop that was almost exclusively patronised by tour groups from mainland China. Before... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3334020/how-new-cultural-salon-gold-will-reflect-hong-kongs-changing-art-scene?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3334020/how-new-cultural-salon-gold-will-reflect-hong-kongs-changing-art-scene?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 08:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak From major pop stars to classical music icons, the Greater Bay Area (GBA) will play host to some exciting musical acts in December, including a beloved Hong Kong singer, who will perform a New Year’s Eve show. Read on to see what is coming up in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. 1. Concerto di Placido Domingo: Guangzhou Legendary opera singer Placido Domingo is returning to the GBA after his October 2024 Macau concert. This time, he will perform at the Zaha Hadid-designed Guangzhou Opera House, supported... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3333347/sandy-lam-placido-domingo-zhou-shen-5-china-greater-bay-area-events-december-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3333347/sandy-lam-placido-domingo-zhou-shen-5-china-greater-bay-area-events-december-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 04:15:09 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak To understand Chinese culture, it is necessary to go back to the very beginning of its civilisation. In this series, we look at the most influential dynasties in Chinese history and how each, with its technological inventions and cultural advancements, helped propel the nation forward. The Qing dynasty (1644-1912) was the last imperial dynasty of China. During the Qing, which lasted almost 270 years, China experienced unprecedented wealth and stability, and cosmopolitan culture flourished. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3333286/how-chinas-qing-dynasty-brought-both-great-wealth-and-humiliation-nation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3333286/how-chinas-qing-dynasty-brought-both-great-wealth-and-humiliation-nation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 23:15:13 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Mixing Cantopop into DJ sets comes naturally to Hong Kong drummer Stephane Wong. Going by the moniker Steffunn when spinning disco tunes, the 40-something learned to play the drums at age eight and has been DJing for two decades. But that instinct comes mostly from Wong playing the drums for many 2000s Cantopop hits – on stage and in the studio – and working with industry behemoths like Joey Yung Cho-yee, Grasshopper and Eason Chan Yick-shun. “Cantopop from that era seems to be more... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332572/how-cantopop-drummer-helping-revive-hong-kong-music-his-nostalgic-dj-sets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332572/how-cantopop-drummer-helping-revive-hong-kong-music-his-nostalgic-dj-sets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 04:15:10 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 63rd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. For over a decade, Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong Chau-sang has navigated a career defined by conflict: he is blacklisted by some in his home city and in mainland China for his support of the “umbrella movement” protests in 2014. While many of his peers have faded or pandered to new political realities, Wong has persisted. Despite rumours he had moved to Taiwan – which he denied in a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331616/chaotic-life-anthony-wong-three-time-hong-kong-best-actor-shut-out-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331616/chaotic-life-anthony-wong-three-time-hong-kong-best-actor-shut-out-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak If there is one cocktail synonymous with the karaoke craze that swept Hong Kong from the 1980s to the 2010s, it is whisky and green tea. The combination, which mixes the boozy notes of whisky with the fresh and mildly herbal taste of unoxidised tea, is fondly remembered in the city. Many Cantopop-loving Hongkongers of drinking age enjoyed the tipple before the city’s karaoke lounges shut down in droves during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the cocktail is something of a lost memory, at least... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3331325/asian-canadian-duos-canned-ode-hong-kong-cocktail-woos-dragons-den-judges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3331325/asian-canadian-duos-canned-ode-hong-kong-cocktail-woos-dragons-den-judges?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak To most people, “terroir” means the natural environment in which wines and whiskies are produced, and which gives them their unique characteristics. To Beijing-born whisky distiller Yang Tao, it can also mean the human spirit. He showcases this in The Chuan, “China’s first prestige malt whisky”, launched in mainland China in December 2023 and in Hong Kong in August 2025. The Chuan Malt Whisky Distillery sits at the base of Mount Emei, one of Buddhism’s four sacred mountains of China, in Sichuan... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3331018/chinese-whisky-distillery-making-tipple-local-accent-about-balance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3331018/chinese-whisky-distillery-making-tipple-local-accent-about-balance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:15:12 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak A sweaty, velvet-suited Colin Farrell runs panicked through humid, neon-lit Macau, stalked by Tilda Swinton disguised as a tacky tourist and yelled at in Cantonese by locals – such is the intense, somewhat surreal energy of Ballad of a Small Player, a new film that begins streaming on Netflix this week. Set and filmed in Macau, the fast-paced psychological thriller drags us from posh casino floors to dodgy back alleys through the eyes of Lord Doyle (Farrell), an aristocrat drinking expensive... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3330464/how-netflixs-ballad-small-player-colin-farrell-was-inspired-macau-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3330464/how-netflixs-ballad-small-player-colin-farrell-was-inspired-macau-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak To understand Chinese culture, it is necessary to go back to the very beginning of its civilisation. In this series, we look at the most influential dynasties in Chinese history and how each, with its technological inventions and cultural advancements, helped propel the nation forward. The Tang and Song dynasties are often viewed as two of imperial China’s most prosperous periods. While the Tang dynasty (618-907) was so powerful that Chinatowns around the world are still referred to in Cantonese... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3330195/how-chinas-song-dynasty-was-great-time-nation-terrible-one-many-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3330195/how-chinas-song-dynasty-was-great-time-nation-terrible-one-many-women?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 23:15:10 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Hong Kong has no shortage of quality Italian restaurants run by Italian chefs who are very serious about making authentic pasta. Those true-to-their-roots kitchens are quite different from the newly opened Twist Pasta Bar, which serves Hong Kong flavours with a down-to-earth vibe. The restaurant on Bridges Street in Sheung Wan specialises in approachable Hong Kong-inspired dishes and has a creative and diverse menu of small plates, desserts, wines and cocktails. “Hong Kong is a melting pot of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3330033/new-hong-kong-restaurant-twist-pasta-bar-puts-casual-local-spin-italian-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3330033/new-hong-kong-restaurant-twist-pasta-bar-puts-casual-local-spin-italian-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak In a world where hatred and despair take precedence, how do we make sense of it all? This was the question that weighed on Polly Yeung Po-man’s mind when she wrote and produced Another World, a Hong Kong animated fantasy drama film loosely based on Japanese author Naka Saijo’s Sennenki: Thousand-Year Journey of an Oni, also known as Millennium Ghost. It was the sudden death of a close family friend about a decade ago that inspired Yeung to start the project. The incident shook her to her core... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3329671/how-another-world-dark-hong-kong-animated-feature-film-turned-grief-glory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3329671/how-another-world-dark-hong-kong-animated-feature-film-turned-grief-glory?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 09:49:29 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak One of the most talked-about works at the 2023 Art Basel Hong Kong fair was a giant plush installation depicting huge pieces of faeces oozing from a bunk bed. This bizarre, unsettling, yet playful creation, called Poop Me To the Moon, tells you a great deal about the weird-and-wonderful world view of Hong Kong artist IV Chan Tsz-man. A sculptor, performance artist, costume designer and more, Chan makes intensely personal pieces that blend dry humour with a defiant look at women’s relationships... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3328769/body-parts-and-egyptian-gods-hong-kong-fabric-artist-iv-chans-weird-and-wonderful-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3328769/body-parts-and-egyptian-gods-hong-kong-fabric-artist-iv-chans-weird-and-wonderful-show?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 61st instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. For five decades, Chow Yun-fat has been two people. There is the global superstar: the impossibly cool anti-hero of John Woo Yu-sum’s action classics such as The Killer (1989) and Hard Boiled (1992); the stoic, high-flying warrior of Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000); and one of the highest-paid actors in Chinese-language cinema. And then there is the man Hongkongers... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3328297/how-chow-yun-fat-became-hong-kong-cinema-superstar-without-losing-his-humility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3328297/how-chow-yun-fat-became-hong-kong-cinema-superstar-without-losing-his-humility?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 23:15:13 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Every immigrant story is different, but Calif Chong Ngai-man, a Hong Kong-born, London-based filmmaker, has found a way to make one relatable as well as humorous. Chong’s debut feature, High Wire, premiering at the BFI London Film Festival in the UK on October 15, is a coming-of-age film centred on a Hong Kong-British girl wanting to join the circus in a rural part of England. It is a story about taking risks, chasing dreams and realising them. “This could be an impulsive decision, but it is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3328083/high-wire-hong-kong-born-filmmaker-uk-reflects-her-immigrant-experience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3328083/high-wire-hong-kong-born-filmmaker-uk-reflects-her-immigrant-experience?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Bar Leone in Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan neighbourhood has topped the World’s 50 Best Bars 2025 list, the first time a Hong Kong bar has topped the rankings. The list was announced at a ceremony in Hong Kong on October 8, also the first time the awards have been held in the city. “It’s an amazing feeling to be here in Hong Kong and to be recognised for this award in our city,” said Lorenzo Antinori, co-founder of Bar Leone, in an exclusive chat with the Post just minutes after the awards... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3328301/worlds-50-best-bars-2025-hong-kongs-bar-leone-takes-top-spot-first-time-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3328301/worlds-50-best-bars-2025-hong-kongs-bar-leone-takes-top-spot-first-time-city?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 03:09:54 +0000