Latest news with #KowloonBay
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong should allow cinemas to host live events to survive: lawmaker
Hong Kong should relax the licensing renewal criteria for cinemas to allow them to host live performances or sports broadcasts, a lawmaker has said, as the city continues to grapple with a slew of theatre closures. Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, who represents sports, performing arts, culture and publication in the legislature, made the suggestion on Thursday after the Golden Harvest cinema at MegaBox shopping centre in Kowloon Bay announced it would be closing down at the end of the week. Fok said that while he believed the rate of closures was slowing down, he feared that residents would gradually stop going to the cinema to watch films, with fewer choices of theatres available to them. 'The government should consider relaxing the licensing requirements to allow cinemas to operate different types of businesses,' he said, citing live performances and live sports broadcasts as alternative events that would allow more theatres to survive. Fok added that box office revenues in Hong Kong were largely dependent on American films, with Hollywood blockbusters taking up 70 to 80 per cent of earnings. As such, the current downturn in the United States box office was also affecting Hong Kong, he explained. US domestic ticket sales amounted to US$8.7 billion in 2024, down 3.3 per cent from US$9.04 billion the year before. According to the Hong Kong Theatre Association, only 51 cinemas were left operating in the city as of May, a sharp drop from the 112 venues in 1994.
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong should allow cinemas to host live events to survive: lawmaker
Hong Kong should relax the licensing renewal criteria for cinemas to allow them to host live performances or sports broadcasts, a lawmaker has said, as the city continues to grapple with a slew of theatre closures. Advertisement Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, who represents sports, performing arts, culture and publication in the legislature, made the suggestion on Thursday after the Golden Harvest cinema at MegaBox shopping centre in Kowloon Bay announced it would be closing down at the end of the week. Fok said that while he believed the rate of closures was slowing down, he feared that residents would gradually stop going to the cinema to watch films, with fewer choices of theatres available to them. 'The government should consider relaxing the licensing requirements to allow cinemas to operate different types of businesses,' he said, citing live performances and live sports broadcasts as alternative events that would allow more theatres to survive. Fok added that box office revenues in Hong Kong were largely dependent on American films, with Hollywood blockbusters taking up 70 to 80 per cent of earnings. Advertisement As such, the current downturn in the United States box office was also affecting Hong Kong, he explained. US domestic ticket sales amounted to US$8.7 billion in 2024, down 3.3 per cent from US$9.04 billion the year before. According to the Hong Kong Theatre Association, only 51 cinemas were left operating in the city as of May, a sharp drop from the 112 venues in 1994.
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
It's a hit: pickleball takes off in Hong Kong as an easy way for kids to exercise
A small plastic ball flies through the air between a few teens on a badminton court in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay. But they are not playing badminton. They are trying a sport called pickleball. Although they just learned this game, they are already hitting the ball back and forth across the court. Seventeen-year-old Chan Yat-long just started learning pickleball, but he wants to continue playing. 'Now I know this sport ... I want to find [more] friends to play together,' said the student from United Christian College. Kennedy Lai is the founder of the Newly Emerged Sports Association. He said pickleball was a hit among young Hongkongers. He hopes that the easy-to-learn sport can get students moving. How to encourage Hong Kong children to get more exercise Anyone can play In 1965, three fathers wanted to create a game their families could easily play together. They used items they had to make this new sport: badminton nets, table tennis paddles and a plastic ball known as a wiffle ball. Pickleball spread over the years and became especially popular during the Covid-19 pandemic. The sport could be helpful for youth in Hong Kong. This is because more than 90 per cent of the city's youngsters do not get at least 60 minutes of medium or intense exercise every day. Pickleball offers them a fun, easy way to get active. Lai was a physical education teacher in Hong Kong for about six years. He turned to pickleball after his students struggled to pick up traditional sports. '[For] basketball, after I teach dribbling, they don't know how to play the game. I need to use many lessons to let them know the sport,' Lai said. He said this made kids lose interest in his classes. He realised that if a sport was too difficult to learn, most students would not enjoy playing it. When Lai started teaching pickleball in his classes, he noticed that students could play from the first day. Other advantages of the sport are the cheap equipment, low injury risks, small amount of space needed and opportunities to socialise. Badminton courts can also be easily converted to play pickleball. Kennedy Lai is excited about pickleball's future in Hong Kong. Photo: Kathryn Giordano Opportunities for a new sport in Hong Kong Lai is looking to include pickleball in physical education classes across Hong Kong. He also hopes to launch school and community leagues. Still, he faces some challenges in getting people interested in pickleball. Lai said that most schools already had a curriculum filled with other popular sports, making it tough to convince schools to try a new game. He added that it would take time to train physical education teachers in the sport. Pickleball players also struggle to find courts. But Lai noted that the private sector and government had been increasing the number of courts that could be used for the game. Students are now trying pickleball through the Fly High Charity Sports Programme 2025, which is using sports to improve the lives of youth. During their first pickleball lesson, the students learned the rules of the game and practised forehand and backhand shots. Then, they tried hitting the ball across the court. Tina Xu Piying, an 18-year-old from United Christian College, said she enjoyed the social side of the game. 'I think the most fun part is, this is a teamwork game,' said the teen, who was trying the sport for the first time through the programme. 'Now Hong Kong has many new sports, and people will want to have a chance to try.' Reflect: Do you enjoy playing sports? Why or why not? Why this story matters: Hong Kong children are not getting enough exercise, but a new sport could help people of all ages get moving. Since pickleball is easy to learn, it can give beginners the confidence and excitement of playing a sport.
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Pokemon card revival sees adults collecting for nostalgia, competition and cash
At the end of a corridor in a nondescript industrial building in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, stands a unit with a big illuminated sign beside the door. Inside, hundreds of trading cards, mostly from the Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering game series, are displayed neatly on shelves on one side of the room. The cards are sealed in transparent cases, with price tags ranging from around HK$90 (US$11.50) to more than HK$6,000. Near the display, two Pokemon card game enthusiasts battle it out. Sunny Ma, chief executive of Premier Hobby Collective, says his business is about building a community among trading card lovers and creating a space where they can gather and share the joy of their hobby. Sunny Ma, chief executive of Premier Hobby Collective, a trading card store in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay neighbourhood. Photo: Leopold Chen He regularly invites customers to open their newly bought trading cards at the shop, and organises game competitions. 'I do not [want] people to come to buy cards and then just walk away,' he says. Ma, a Pokemon card collector himself, co-founded Premier Hobby Collective in December 2024. It is part of a recent boom in trading-card-related businesses in Hong Kong fuelled by an increase in the number of collectors in the city.
