Your perfect week: what to do in Hong Kong, March 30-April 5
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa , this balletic biopic of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo makes its Asian debut on April 4 with the Hong Kong Ballet. Premiered in 2020, the production explores themes of artistic subjectivity and female liberation within a surreal and colourful world of Mexican culture, with performances that blur the line between dance and painting in a swirl of skeletons, Mexican skirts and animals.
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HKFP
10-08-2025
- HKFP
From local bars to global tournaments: Hong Kong dynamic duo on turning pro and making their mark in world of darts
When Hong Kong representatives Mathew Lee and Hugo Leung made their entrance at the 2025 World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, Germany, in March, a song many Hongkongers knew well began playing in the background. 'Hey ya hey ya hey hey ya hey ya hey…' – the upbeat tune featuring traditional Chinese instruments amped up the stadium as the dynamic duo high-fived enthusiastic spectators. Lee and Leung danced to the familiar rhythm of the theme song from the Cantonese sitcom Virtues of Harmony, which first aired more than 20 years ago. After shaking hands with their opponents, Lee and Leung threw their fists in the air and kept dancing until the music faded. It was a cheerful start to their quarterfinal match against Wales. Lee and Leung eventually lost to the No. 2 seed, but their top-eight finish still marked the best result achieved by any Hong Kong player in the past decade. Darts World magazine called the pair – the only Asian players who reached the tournament's quarterfinals – 'the pride of Asian darts.' To their surprise, their lighthearted entrance also went viral. Many netizens praised the song choice as both unique and representative of Hong Kong, while actress Nancy Sit thanked them for choosing her song and even invited them to perform her signature cross-step dance together. But the darts duo also faced questions from people who thought the song was 'too playful' for a prestigious tournament. View this post on Instagram A post shared by It's all about DARTS🎯觀塘飛鏢練習場•飛鏢用品專門店| Since 2017🇭🇰 (@targetarena_darts) Leung, 26, told HKFP that many international darts competitions allow players to choose their own entrance songs. He described the tournament as more of a 'large-scale carnival,' where players enter the stadium to music they personally enjoy. In the past, the Hong Kong duo have chosen Cantonese theme songs from iconic anime series – all meant to evoke passion and the spirit of perseverance – when competing in individual events. 'We received some messages asking why we picked that song, questioning whether we were there to 'make jokes' or actually compete. Honestly, we were just being ourselves,' Leung said in Cantonese. Lee and Leung say that they are the only darts players in Hong Kong who make a living from their cash prizes and sponsorships. Both waited years before going full-time, gradually collecting enough titles and winnings to prove they had what it took to turn professional. Nicknamed 'Dragon Boy,' 24-year-old Lee said his breakthrough came in 2020, when he earned second place in the 10th event of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) Development Tour. Setting foot on the international darts stage convinced him that going pro was no longer just a dream. Leung, who made his international debut at the 2017 PDC World Youth Championship, said launching a full-time darts career was challenging. It wasn't until 2022 – when he reached the top eight at the PDC World Youth Championship – that he began seriously considering it. His biggest hurdle was Hong Kong's high cost of living, which once forced him to take on part-time jobs between overseas competitions to stay afloat. As he started winning more prizes, sponsorship opportunities followed, allowing him to quit his part-time work and fully focus on darts. Still, the duo have to pay for their own flights, accommodation, and entry fees when travelling abroad for tournaments. Learning to cope with not earning enough prize money to cover these costs – and to make a living – remains a 'major lesson' for both of them, Leung said. Pointing at Lee, Leung joked that his teammate had 'more authority' when it came to persevering through a dry spell. 'It must be tough to open your bank account and see the balance when you keep missing out on titles but still have to spend money to compete,' Leung said. In response, Lee said he was currently adjusting after switching to a new darts brand. He said he was confident that he would eventually find the optimal combination of point, barrel, shaft, and flight to perform at his best. These days, Lee and Leung spend most of their time travelling – mainly across Asia – chasing tour rankings and prize money. On average, they spend only about 10 days a month in Hong Kong. Despite not being able to see their loved ones often, the duo said their families have been very supportive. In fact, family members played a role in introducing them to the world of darts. Lee, who grew up in Taiwan, first tried the sport when a friendly customer at his family's cha chaan teng invited his parents to a bar to play darts. He tagged along with them, and it turned out he loved it. Years later, after moving to Hong Kong and joining Asian leagues, Lee ran into the same man again – only to realise it was none other than Singaporean darts legend Paul Lim, who is still competing at the age of 71. Over in Hong Kong, Leung picked up darts at the age of 14 from his mother, who learnt the game at a bar. A former baseball player, he initially underestimated the sport, thinking it was just 'throwing stuff at a dartboard.' But once he gave it a try, he realised it was easy to pick up but hard to master. The sport, which requires players to repeatedly land their 'arrows' (slang for darts) accurately on specific beds of the board – and, of course, the bullseye – demands strong mental focus, especially during competitions that can last an entire day. 'You're competing to make the fewest mistakes,' Leung said. 'And it's very difficult to keep your mistakes to a minimum.' Lee added that physical stamina is also crucial in the sport. He recalled one competition that lasted for 19 hours – from 8am until 3am – during which he took around 38,000 steps walking back and forth to the dartboard. Lee and Leung often opt to compete in tournaments abroad – instead of local leagues – partly because of the need to maintain their rankings in Asia – a requirement for invitations to international events – and because of the disparity in prize money. Leung said that winning a single event in Japan could be equivalent to winning 10 in Hong Kong, and that overseas tournaments are held more frequently, increasing their chances of winning. As local darts competitions continue to attract more participants, Leung believes that what the city needs may not be greater monetary incentives, but rather more resources to help organisers accommodate larger numbers of contestants and host events more regularly. This will also raise awareness of the sport, he said. Large-scale dart events in Hong Kong were often held at the Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre (KITEC), which shut in June last year for redevelopment. Its closure meant the city lost one of its key medium-sized venues for concerts and other events. Another venue that used to host local darts competitions – Magic Fun Bowling World in Tsuen Wan – also closed in 2020. As a result, many competition organisers have been left with no choice but to hold events in bars, which limits the number of contestants and spectators. 'Enrolling in a local competition is sometimes as difficult as getting a concert ticket,' Lee said. In November, the Hong Kong Professional Darts League will organise an open tournament at a new venue in a commercial complex in Kai Tak. Lee said he was excited to see the venue's size for the first time. Lee and Leung are determined to unlock more achievements in the world of darts in the coming years, although both admit it is hard to predict how long their careers will last. Looking up to the Singaporean master, Lee said he would continue throwing darts 'as long as I'm not dead.' His partner takes a more pragmatic view, acknowledging that he may not be able to travel as much once he settles down and starts a family. He is also mindful that an unexpected injury could abruptly pause – or even end – his career. 'I can't tell you how long I'll go down this path' as a professional darts player, Leung said. 'I'll just keep going until I can't.'
South China Morning Post
27-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Write a funny caption for this child in a crowd of blue creatures
Have you met the Smurfs? These small, blue humanlike creatures are the main characters in a Belgian comic of the same name. This month, you can meet them in cinemas in Smurfs, an animated and live-action musical film reboot. The all-star cast is led by pop singer Rihanna and sees the Smurfs heading into the real world to save the beloved Papa Smurf. Staff writer Send us a funny caption by emailing us at editorial@ or filling out this form . The deadline is at 12pm on July 30. We'll publish the best ones next week. Last week's top caption Two people wearing hotdog hats line up to watch Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City. via AFP Hayley Sum, St Paul's Convent School: Looks like some people forgot their plates!
HKFP
02-07-2025
- HKFP
Bruce Lee Club closes archive doors citing operating costs
Bruce Lee aficionados gathered at a Hong Kong mini-museum dedicated to the legendary martial artist to bid farewell to the site on Tuesday, as operating expenses forced the itinerant archive to close once again. The Bruce Lee Club, which was founded by the Lee family, had put a collection of about 2,000 artefacts, including decades-old magazines and a large sculpture showing the superstar's iconic moves, on display in the bustling Yau Ma Tei neighbourhood in 2001. But a rent increase shut the project in 2016. Three years and a move to industrial Kwun Tong later, the club began welcoming visitors to see the collection again just before democracy protests roiled the city, dampening tourism. In a statement, the club wrote that the social movement followed by the Covid-19 pandemic had 'severely disrupted' plans for the archive. 'We anticipated a recovery, yet reality fell short,' it said. 'The accumulated expenses over these six years have compelled us to rethink how to most effectively utilise our resources to sustain the flame of Bruce Lee's spirit.' It added that it will 'explore new ways' to engage with the public, but for now, ahead of what would have been Lee's 85th birthday, it is shutting shop. At least temporarily, all the assorted ephemera related to the Hong Kong icon will be boxed up and stored. Born in San Francisco in 1940, Bruce Lee was raised in British-run Hong Kong and had an early brush with fame as a child actor. He later became one of the first Asian men to achieve Hollywood stardom before his death at the age of 32. 'Never give up' At the unassuming Kwun Tong archive on Tuesday, visitor and martial arts coach Andy Tong called it a 'great pity' to lose the place. '(Lee) helped build the image of the Chinese and overseas Chinese in the Western world,' Tong, 46, said. While the superstar is widely beloved and celebrated in the city, with frequent retrospectives and exhibitions staged, fans have struggled to ensure organised and systematic preservation. In 2004, petitioners successfully managed to get a bronze statue of Lee installed on Hong Kong's famed harbourfront, but a campaign to revitalise his former residence failed to spare it from demolition in 2019. Bruce Lee Club's chairman W Wong said the Hong Kong government lacks long-term and continuous planning for preserving Lee's legacy. But he added the Club 'will never give up' their dedication to championing Lee's spirit. 'Although Bruce has passed away, his spirit continues to inspire people of all kinds,' Lee's 76-year-old brother Robert Lee told AFP. 'I believe, rather than hope, the spirit of Bruce Lee will forever remain here (in Hong Kong).'
