https://www.scmp.com/rss/523165/feed The latest news and top stories on Stephen Chow Sing-chi, the Hong Kong actor, director and film producer. He is known for his ’mo lei tau’ style of comedy, best translated as "nonsensical" or "absurdist". His notable works include the box office hits ’Shaolin Soccer’ (2001) and ’Kung Fu Hustle’ (2004). More recently, he ventured into producing animated features like Netflix’s ’The Monkey King’ and developing micro-dramas. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com SCMP SCMP This article was first published on February 27, 2021. By Phila Siu Legendary Hong Kong actor Ng Man-tat, best known for co-starring alongside “king of comedy” Stephen Chow Sing-chi in many popular films, died on Saturday afternoon of liver cancer. He was 70. Ng’s friend, Tenky Tin Kai-man, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, said the famous actor died peacefully at Tai Wai’s Union Hospital at 5.16pm, accompanied by his children and wife. “He left peacefully,” Tin said at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3344578/legendary-hong-kong-actor-ng-man-tat-dies-70-2021-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3344578/legendary-hong-kong-actor-ng-man-tat-dies-70-2021-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 03:15:08 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Which zodiac signs must appease the tai sui in the Year of the Horse 2026? Anyone familiar with their Chinese zodiac sign is likely to have encountered the term tai sui and discovered that their animal sometimes conflicts with this guardian deity. 2. 3 days of Lunar New Year traditions, from red envelopes to the Kitchen... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3343874/appeasing-tai-sui-lunar-new-year-customs-hong-kong-borscht-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3343874/appeasing-tai-sui-lunar-new-year-customs-hong-kong-borscht-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 04:35:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 70th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. For many of her admirers, the defining image of Athena Chu Yan remains a single, fleeting moment from 1995. As the Zixia Fairy in the two-part film A Chinese Odyssey, she gazes at the Monkey King (Stephen Chow Sing-chi) and delivers a wink – playful, radiant and hopeful. That split second transformed Chu into not just an icon of Hong Kong cinema but also one of its most popular “sexy... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343404/how-hong-kong-actress-athena-chu-escaped-sex-symbol-trap-after-chinese-odyssey-fame?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343404/how-hong-kong-actress-athena-chu-escaped-sex-symbol-trap-after-chinese-odyssey-fame?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 09:15:09 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Wealth and good fortune are the twin engines of the Lunar New Year film season, and Hong Kong filmmaker Philip Yung Tsz-kwong’s The Snowball on a Sunny Day is the latest festive offering to find humour in the hunt for millions. Boasting an ensemble led by Chung Suet-ying, Edan Lui Cheuk-on and Elaine Jin Yan-ling, the comedy-drama follows a working-class family living in a public housing estate who believe they have won the Mark Six lottery jackpot, only to discover that the responsible family... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343132/10-asian-movies-about-winning-lottery-and-why-jackpot-never-enough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343132/10-asian-movies-about-winning-lottery-and-why-jackpot-never-enough?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:15:09 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters Nostalgia for 2016 has been circulating on the internet over the last few weeks. People welcomed the new year by reminiscing 10 years into the past, sharing decade-old photos of themselves online. There is even a Wikipedia page for “2026 is the new 2016”. Of course, 2016 was before the Covid-19 pandemic rocked the world and the widespread use of generative AI (artificial intelligence) made us question what on our feeds was real and fake. Back then, people used social media mostly to stay... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341778/2016-trends-pokemon-go-poke-bowls-looking-back-10-years-goes-viral-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341778/2016-trends-pokemon-go-poke-bowls-looking-back-10-years-goes-viral-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 07:15:07 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Seeing a racehorse with a name that features witty wordplay or a link to pop culture is a common sight at racetracks in Hong Kong. And for some punters, the witty name is what stands out and the reason they gamble on a particular horse. But naming a horse is not as easy as it sounds. Breeders and owners in the city have to choose two names: one in English and one in Chinese. Many choose auspicious names, picking words for wealth, luck or health. Others go for humour, pop culture or even food and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3340126/wealth-luck-health-racehorse-owners-get-creative-choosing-lucky-names-english-and-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3340126/wealth-luck-health-racehorse-owners-get-creative-choosing-lucky-names-english-and-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Chinese superstar Gong Li rose to fame as the muse of China’s Fifth Generation directors, starring in art-house classics such as Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern and Farewell My Concubine. But during the 1990s, she found time to make a batch of lesser-known commercial films in Hong Kong. Below, we revisit a few of her most noteworthy outings in the city. 1. Flirting Scholar (1993) Gong had appeared with superstar comedian Stephen Chow Sing-chi once before, in a dual role in 1991’s God of Gamblers... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339254/3-times-gong-li-surprised-hong-kong-films-including-flirting-scholar-stephen-chow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339254/3-times-gong-li-surprised-hong-kong-films-including-flirting-scholar-stephen-chow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Chen Zhen, a fictional character first played by Bruce Lee in the 1972 film Fist of Fury, became a cultural phenomenon in Hong Kong because of the way he stood up to the Japanese in Shanghai in the early 1900s. A scene in which Chen makes students at a Japanese karate school eat the paper on which they had written “China is the sick man of Asia” was especially popular, as was the scene in which Chen smashes a sign outside a Shanghai public park reading “No dogs or Chinese”. Here, we look at two... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337793/how-stephen-chow-and-donnie-yen-reinvented-bruce-lees-classic-chen-zhen-their-own-ways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337793/how-stephen-chow-and-donnie-yen-reinvented-bruce-lees-classic-chen-zhen-their-own-ways?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words I have known two Chinas. One is the giant that remembers its humiliation – a nation carved open by gunboats and unequal treaties. The other is the maritime enclave that turned that humiliation into leverage – Hong Kong, the once-lost port that became China’s bridge to the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3330997/hong-kong-and-irony-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3330997/hong-kong-and-irony-history?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 03:30:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Stephen Chow Sing-chi became a Hong Kong superstar in 1990, inheriting the comic crown that was worn by Michael Hui Koon-man in the 1970s and kung fu comedians like Sammo Hung Kam-bo in the 1980s. But by the middle of the decade, overexposure had caused his star to wane. A more thoughtful filmmaker than his scatterbrained films often suggested, Chow realised he needed to make a change, focusing on increasing the quality and decreasing the quantity of his films. Consequently, the 1996 film The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3328469/how-stephen-chows-god-cookery-proved-hong-kong-comedy-star-could-do-much-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3328469/how-stephen-chows-god-cookery-proved-hong-kong-comedy-star-could-do-much-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 08:15:07 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Sailors from two visiting PLA naval vessels have shown their softer side by sharing their experiences touring Hong Kong during the National Day celebrations and revealing how the city’s pop culture has influenced them. Thousands of residents also headed to Stonecutters Island to board the training vessel Qi Jiguang and amphibious assault ship Yimeng Shan on Thursday, the final day they were open to members of the public able to secure one of the 11,000 tickets the People’s Liberation Army gave... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3327612/stephen-chow-films-beyond-hits-pla-sailors-share-hong-kong-affinity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3327612/stephen-chow-films-beyond-hits-pla-sailors-share-hong-kong-affinity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 07:34:34 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong actress Carina Lau Ka-ling always brings a strong sense of presence to her work, whether she is appearing in drama or comedy, as a leading actress or a supporting player. Here we chat with film historian Frank Djeng about her long-lasting career. Carina Lau has been acting since the 1980s – that is a long time for a Hong Kong actress to keep working. Yes, she started her career back in the mid-1980s at TVB, and she has kept going strong, although she has had quite a lot of career... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325122/how-hong-kong-actress-carina-lau-became-top-film-star-and-her-best-movies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325122/how-hong-kong-actress-carina-lau-became-top-film-star-and-her-best-movies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Yuen Biao is not as well known today as Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung Kam-bo, his “brothers” at their teacher Yu Jim-yuen’s Beijing Opera school, but the Hong Kong martial arts actor certainly has his own style. Biao, the youngest of the trio known as the “Three Dragons”, was lean, flexible and acrobatic in his youth, often mixing somersaults and backflips with his kung fu. The actor, who is still working, was also known for being the best looking of the three – although he has noted that did not... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322644/better-looking-jackie-chan-and-sammo-hung-yuen-biaos-rise-martial-arts-star?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322644/better-looking-jackie-chan-and-sammo-hung-yuen-biaos-rise-martial-arts-star?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 07:15:11 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 57th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Francis Ng Chun-yu is a curious Hong Kong cinema statistic: despite being nominated six times for best actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards, the local industry’s highest honour, he has never won – even though he is one of the city’s most acclaimed and versatile performers in recent decades. While his contemporaries like Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Lau Ching-wan have multiple statues to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3321980/how-francis-ng-transcended-movie-villainy-become-one-hong-kongs-most-revered-actors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3321980/how-francis-ng-transcended-movie-villainy-become-one-hong-kongs-most-revered-actors?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang Renowned Hong Kong lyricist Peter Lai Bei-dak is trending on Chinese social media platform Weibo after he disclosed that he helped his 37-year-old son – with whom he has a strained relationship – pay off credit card debt worth hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars. Many comments shared on Weibo expressed empathy for the 75-year-old single father, with many users lamenting his situation. Lai also shared with local media platform HK01 that he is currently looking for a soulmate, which sparked... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3319493/who-peter-lai-renowned-hong-kong-lyricist-trending-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3319493/who-peter-lai-renowned-hong-kong-lyricist-trending-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jul 2025 00:15:08 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui This is the 55th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. An enduring name in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, Adam Cheng Siu-chau has been a prominent actor and singer for the past five decades. Beginning his career in the 1960s, he went on to make a name for himself as a suave leading man, particularly in wuxia period dramas. Among his most popular television shows are The Legend of the Book and the Sword (1976), The Heaven Sword and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318715/how-hong-kong-star-adam-cheng-went-tv-heartthrob-stock-market-jinx?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318715/how-hong-kong-star-adam-cheng-went-tv-heartthrob-stock-market-jinx?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:17:23 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 54th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Karen Mok Man-wai is one of Hong Kong’s more internationally acclaimed stars. However, it is in the nearby Mandarin-speaking places that she has enjoyed greater success. Despite growing up in a city where the majority speak Cantonese, she has released 13 Mandarin albums – the most of any woman singer who debuted in Hong Kong – and has spent the better part of the past decade touring... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3316737/how-hong-kong-singer-actress-karen-mok-went-stephen-chows-co-star-mandopop-queen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3316737/how-hong-kong-singer-actress-karen-mok-went-stephen-chows-co-star-mandopop-queen?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2025 23:15:10 +0000