These bespoke, hand-crafted wall coverings keep traditional skills alive
The
Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris took two centuries to build; 15 hours to be almost lost to fire; and five years to reconstruct after that devastating 2019 inferno. But what does all this have to do with high-end wallpaper?
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If not for traditional skills passed down through the ages, says couture-wallpaper doyenne
Laura Cheung Wolf , one of architecture's greatest medieval achievements might never have been rebuilt.
It's why the
founder of home decor and lifestyle brand Lala Curio feels it is imperative to keep training new generations of artisans, like those who hand-paint and embroider her dreamy Chinoiserie wallpaper using a centuries-old gongbi (meticulous detail) technique.
Lala Curio founder Laura Cheung Wolf debuted a Feuillage ('foliage') collection of wall coverings at Paris Déco Off in January. Photo: Rodrigo Rize
'That 800-year-old crafts can be revived in a five-year time frame is thanks in part to modern innovation, but also because these crafts – ancient woodworking techniques, hand-painted murals and restoration of stained-glass windows – have been passed down through generations,' she says, returning to her
Notre-Dame reference. 'Europe has put so much energy in fostering these old crafts that when the skill is needed, it's right there.'
The act of harnessing ancient knowledge for contemporary design and architecture is gaining traction as consumers seek connection to heritage and craftsmanship. Hand-painted
Chinoiserie wall coverings inspired by traditional Chinese art and culture grace grand homes, royal palaces and luxury hotels across the Western world, extending to contemporary spin-offs. The secret sauce of these and other unique wall products, Cheung says, is their authenticity.
Splitting her time between homes in Hong Kong and Washington, in the United States, Cheung was back in town ahead of the May 1 opening of the Lala Curio flagship showroom at
The Peninsula Hong Kong
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This year marks 11 years since the debut of her first Lala Curio in Wan Chai's Star Street Precinct, but it's been three years since her brand has had a physical shopfront here. (Not that Cheung hasn't been busy, rolling out Lala Curio globally with distributors in Britain, the Middle East, Thailand and the US.)
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Asia Times
13 hours ago
- Asia Times
Eternal Queen of Asian Pop's last encore from beyond the grave
Several years ago, an employee at Universal Music came across a cassette tape in a Tokyo warehouse while sorting through archival materials. On it was a recording by the late Taiwanese pop star Teresa Teng that had never been released; the pop ballad, likely recorded in the mid-1980s while Teng was living and performing in Japan, was a collaboration between composer Takashi Miki and lyricist Toyohisa Araki. Now, to the delight of her millions of fans, the track titled 'Love Songs Are Best in the Foggy Night' will appear on an album set to be released on June 25, 2025. Teng died 30 years ago. Most Westerners know little about her life and her body of work. Yet the ballads of Teng, who could sing in Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese and Indonesian, continue to echo through karaoke rooms, on Spotify playlists, at tribute concerts and at family gatherings across Asia and beyond. I study how pop music has served as a tool of soft power, and I've spent the past several years researching Teng's music and its legacy. I've found that Teng's influence endures not just because of her voice, but also because her music transcends Asia's political fault lines. Born in 1953 in Yunlin, Taiwan, Teresa Teng grew up in one of the many villages that were built to house soldiers and their families who had fled mainland China in 1949 after the Communists claimed victory in the Chinese civil war. Her early exposure to traditional Chinese music and opera laid the foundation for her singing career. By age 6, she was taking voice lessons. She soon began winning local singing competitions. 'It wasn't adults who wanted me to sing,' Teng wrote in her memoir. 'I wanted to sing. As long as I could sing, I was happy.' At 14, Teng dropped out of high school to focus entirely on music, signing with the local label Yeu Jow Records. Soon thereafter, she released her first album, 'Fengyang Flower Drum.' In the 1970s, she toured and recorded across Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Southeast Asia, becoming one of Asia's first truly transnational pop stars. Teng's career flourished in the late 1970s and 1980s. She released some of her most iconic tracks, such as her covers of Chinese singer Zhou Xuan's 1937 hit 'When Will You Return?' and Taiwanese singer Chen Fen-lan's 'The Moon Represents My Heart,' and toured widely across Asia, sparking what came to be known as 'Teresa Teng Fever.' In the early 1990s, Teng was forced to stop performing for health reasons. She died suddenly of an asthma attack on May 8, 1995, while on vacation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, at the age of 42. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Teng's story is that Teng Fever peaked in China. Teng was ethnically Chinese, with ancestral roots in China's Shandong province. But the political divide between China and Taiwan following the Chinese civil war had led to decades of hostility, with each side refusing to recognize the legitimacy of the other. During the late 1970s and 1980s, however, China began to relax its political control under Deng Xiaoping's Reform and Opening Up policy. This sweeping initiative shifted China toward a market-oriented economy, encouraged foreign trade and investment and cautiously reintroduced global cultural influences after decades of isolation. Pop music from other parts of the world began trickling in, including Teng's tender ballads. Her songs could be heard in coastal provinces such as Guangdong and Shanghai, inland cities such as Beijing and Tianjin, and even in remote regions such as Tibet. Shanghai's propaganda department wrote an internal memo in 1980 noting that her music had spread to the city's public parks, restaurants, nursing homes and wedding halls. Teng's immense popularity in China was no accident; it reflected a time in the country's history when its people were particularly eager for emotionally resonant art after decades of cultural propaganda and censorship. For a society that had been awash in rote, revolutionary songs like 'The East is Red' and 'Union is Strength,' Teng's music offered something entirely different. It was personal, tender and deeply human. Her gentle, approachable style – often described as 'angelic' or like that of 'a girl next door' – provided solace and a sense of intimacy that had long been absent from public life. Teng's music was also admired for her ability to bridge eras. Her 1983 album 'Light Exquisite Feeling' fused classical Chinese poetry with contemporary Western pop melodies, showcasing her gift for blending the traditional and the modern. It cemented her reputation not just as a pop star but as a cultural innovator. It's no secret why audiences across China and Asia were so deeply drawn to her and her music. She was fluent in multiple languages; she was elegant but humble, polite and relatable; she was involved in various charities; and she spoke out in support of democratic values. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the Chinese immigrant population in the United States grew to over 1.1 million. Teng's music has also deeply embedded itself within Chinese diasporic communities across the country. In cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, Chinese immigrants played her music at family gatherings, during holidays and at community events. Walk through any Chinatown during Lunar New Year and you're bound to hear her voice wafting through the streets. Teng visits New York City's Chinatown during her 1980 concert tour in the U.S. Wikimedia Commons For younger Chinese Americans and even non-Chinese audiences, Teng's music has become a window into Chinese culture. When I was studying in the US, I often met Asian American students who belted out her songs at karaoke nights or during cultural festivals. Many had grown up hearing her music through their parents' playlists or local community celebrations. The release of her recently discovered song is a reminder that some voices do not fade – they evolve, migrate and live on in the hearts of people scattered across the world. In an age when global politics drive different cultures apart, Teng's enduring appeal reminds us of something quieter yet more lasting: the power of voice to transmit emotion across time and space, the way a melody can build a bridge between continents and generations. I recently rewatched the YouTube video for Teng's iconic 1977 ballad 'The Moon Represents My Heart.' As I read the comments section, one perfectly encapsulated what I had discovered about Teresa Teng in my own research: 'Teng's music opened a window to a culture I never knew I needed.' Xianda Huang is a PhD student in Asian languages and cultures, University of California, Los Angeles. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
RTHK
03-06-2025
- RTHK
Zheng ousted by Sabalenka in French Open
Zheng ousted by Sabalenka in French Open Zheng Qinwen of China falls in straight sets against Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open quarterfinals. Photo: Reuters World number one Aryna Sabalenka ended Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen's winning streak on the Paris clay with a straight-sets victory on Tuesday to seal herself a spot in the French Open semifinals. Sabalenka next faces three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland who posted a straight-sets victory over 13th seed Elina Svitolina. The top seed from Belarus won through 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 against the Chinese eighth seed in just under two hours on Court Philippe Chatrier. The 27-year-old fought back after struggling in the first set against Zheng, who had beaten her in the last eight on clay in Rome last month, extending her record against the Chinese player to 7-1. "The last tournament I was pretty exhausted," said Sabalenka. "Today I was more fresh I was ready to battle, to fight and give everything. "Honestly, I was actually glad that I lost that match because I needed a little break before Roland Garros." Zheng broke and led 4-2 in the first set. But numerous unforced errors – 31 in total – allowed the Belarusian to come back. The second set was also tight before Sabalenka broke back to lead 4-3, taking advantage of her opponent's errors. Sabalenka converted her first match point on a poorly-controlled drop-shot from Zheng to reach her seventh semifinal of the season. In another quarterfinal, Swiatek bested the former world number three Svitolina of Ukraine 6-1, 7-5 in just over 90 minutes to continue her bid to equal a 102-year record by winning four successive French Open titles. (AFP)
RTHK
03-06-2025
- RTHK
HK Post puts happy stamp on five themed sets
HK Post puts happy stamp on five themed sets One of the five sets features the panda cub twins. Photo courtesy of Hongkong Post Hongkong Post has unveiled five themed sets of stamps for release between July and December, with each featuring elements of the city's unique cultural identity from cute pandas and its unique skyline to the storied aviation industry. At the top of the shopping list for many is "Giant Panda Twin Cubs", which features Hong Kong's very own Jia Jia and De De. Also popular will be "Hong Kong Hiking Trails Series No 3: Wilson Trail", which offers 10 scenic views of one of the most distinct and challenging hikes, coming in at 78 kilometres from Stanley to Nam Chung. "Aviation Development in Hong Kong" is a set of four stamps showcasing the airport over the decades, from its relocation from Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok to its runway development. The "24 Solar Terms – Autumn" series features designs based on the Chinese calendar and marks the "change of seasons and meteorological patterns," particularly the six solar terms of transition into the cooler months. "Christmas Stamps V" uses the iconic Victoria Harbour silhouette to embrace Hong Kong's multicultural identity, with night views serving as the background and Christmas elements adorning the skyline. These stamps are available for orders at More details can be found on the Hong Kong Stamps FaceBook page at or at its website.
