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South China Morning Post
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour doubles as a floating art gallery
There's one venue that has revolutionised the way art is consumed in Hong Kong over the past decade or so. It isn't the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, home to Art Basel; neither is it M+, the undoubted quality of the art museum's extensive collection notwithstanding, and nor is it any of the city's many clusters of private galleries. Instead, one of the venues most responsible for popularising art in the city is one that many of its residents walk past, gaze at or cross over every day, and might not immediately think of as an art space: Victoria Harbour. Advertisement In recent years, the waterway that defines the city has hosted a series of head-turning, agenda-setting artworks. The die was cast in 2013, with the pioneering visit of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman's Rubber Duck, a 16.5-metre-high replica of the classic bath toy that won the city's hearts; the duck returned to the harbour a decade later accompanied by a friend. The KAWS: HOLIDAY sculptural piece at Victoria Harbour. Photo: Felix Wong Then, in 2019, a 37.5-metre-long, inflatable incarnation of US art celeb Kaws' mouse-like character sprawled across the harbour. Rather more enigmatic were the harbour's 2024 visitors – a collection of glowing ovoids that spilled into it from neighbouring Tamar Park, and Japanese hi-tech art collective teamLab's 'Resonating Life Which Continues to Stand' exhibition , part of the Art@Harbour initiative from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), which kicked off in 2022. Then, in December 2024, the skies above the harbour were lit up by the city's first pyrotechnic drone show, as part of Hong Kong's ubiquitous recent descent into panda-related delirium. It's fairly obvious why any artist would like the harbour as a backdrop for their work: it's one of the world's most iconic scenes. It has the advantage of being able to both frame and become part of any work that's floated on its waters. 'Rather than serving merely as a backdrop for artworks, the harbour itself becomes part of the installations,' says a spokesperson for the LCSD. 'The expansive views and reflective waters enhance the visual impact, facilitating visitors to experience art in a context that is both inspiring and immersive.' Two giant inflatable giant pandas on the waterfront opposite the Tsim Sha Tsui Cultural Centre. Photo: Edmond So Indeed, the location, according to a teamLab spokesperson, 'was one of the unique points of this exhibition in Hong Kong.
South China Morning Post
24-03-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong police arrest man over HK$10,000 cash theft on inbound flight
Hong Kong police on Sunday arrested a man from mainland China for allegedly stealing more than HK$10,000 (US$1,286) worth of cash from a passenger's backpack on an inbound flight from Bangkok. Advertisement The force revealed on Monday it had received a report from an airline staff member that the money in the passenger's backpack – HK$6,500 and 30,000 Philippine pesos – which had been stored in the overhead compartment during the flight, was missing. After preliminary investigations, a 58-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft, and charged with one count of contravention of Aviation Security Ordinance. The case was brought before the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court on Monday morning. The case was brought before the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court. Photo: Felix Wong Hong Kong recorded 169 cases of in-flight thefts involving HK$4.32 million (US$555,716) worth of valuables in the first 10 months of 2024.
South China Morning Post
28-01-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
The Lunar New Year poon choi feast isn't just about food
Published: 4:00pm, 28 Jan 2025 Few traditions evolve more rapidly than food customs. Hong Kong is no exception. The popularity of variants on the once-humble poon choi ('basin dish') meal demonstrates how tradition and modernity can find their meeting point, especially when marketed as an enhanced seasonal convenience. Communal meals are a key element to Hong Kong society. Extended families, who may be unable to meet regularly, typically gather during festival times, Lunar New Year being an essential opportunity that few willingly forgo. At other times of the year, a regular gathering in a particular place becomes a default occasion for extended family members to drop by and catch up. Most Hong Kong families simply could not all fit into an average residential unit – much less cook and then serve a sizeable family meal, which makes restaurant gatherings the only practical option. But whether these get-togethers are held at someone's home or in a restaurant with a permanently booked preferred table kept occupied on the designated day, regularly shared meals – and the conversation that accompanies them – help keep family links going strong across the generations. An old-style village poon choi is a humble but tasty collation of pork, chicken and duck dishes prepared in various styles. Photo: Felix Wong In rural settings in the New Territories in earlier times, space was not a concern. All major life events, such as weddings and funerals, were celebrated with a communal meal, to which all participants contributed in one way or another. Serving dishes were a concern, as few farming families possessed more plates and dishes than their individual circumstances required. Larger receptacles were needed for more sizeable gatherings, and well-scrubbed laundry buckets and washing bowls were pressed into service on these occasions. Until the 1930s in New Territories villages, wooden washing buckets were all that was available. But that changed with the introduction of mass-produced enamelware after World War II. Along with such cups, plates, bowls and platters, large washing tubs and smaller basins intended for kitchen use, were important domestic items invariably found in a bride's dowry. Enamelware manufacturers shrewdly recognised the secondary use large washbasins periodically found in rural areas and typically emblazoned such items with the Chinese character for 'Double Happiness' – always used at wedding celebrations. Freely borrowing and lending such items to one another, as individual circumstances required, was regarded as a key marker of friendliness and cooperation. Long-term self-interest also played a role; in remote rural settings, everyone in the village knew precisely who had what available, and a churlish refusal to lend something when needed was an unnecessary invitation for lingering ill will. In 2012, Lions Club International broke the Hong Kong record of hosting the largest poon choi meal, with 600 tables for more than 7,000 people in Yuen Long, Hong Kong. Photo: Felix Wong An old-style village poon choi is a humble-but-tasty collation of pork, chicken and duck dishes prepared in various styles. All ingredients would have been sourced locally and incorporated what was readily available; seaside villages might also include prawns, fish and other seafood. Dried meats and sausages, fresh and preserved vegetables, bean curd and eggs were usual inclusions. Rice and soup were served separately. Food was prepared separately by different kitchens; when the time came to eat, the washbasins were piled high with various dishes, and everyone helped themselves.
