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My Hong Kong

My Hong Kong is a bi-weekly column by Luisa Tam that looks at the quaint and quirky traditions of Hong Kong from an unusual perspective and provides a unique insight to help readers expand their understanding of the local culture. It also explores how this global city deals with challenges in order to reinvent itself and stay relevant.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

The 100% Doraemon & Friends Tour made Hong Kong its first port of call. Photo: Dickson Lee

Hong Kong tourism

My Hong Kong | ‘Fun economy’ good, ‘de-stress economy’ could be even better for Hong Kong

Hong Kong has an identity crisis, and tourism initiatives such as the Night Vibes campaign haven’t worked. Fun events show promise, but what we really need is to pivot to being a ‘de-stress economy’.

20 Jul 2024 - 8:15AM

Asia travel

My Hong Kong | Less is more when it comes to Hong Kong staging ‘mega events’

27 May 2024 - 8:01AM

Gender

My Hong Kong | Welcome change: why Hong Kong should alter its image to be a diversity hub

11 May 2024 - 8:15AM

Hong Kong society

My Hong Kong | Don’t wreck our Flower Market by redevelopment. Canals belong in Amsterdam

We should welcome a revitalisation of Hong Kong’s Flower Market – but it must be done right. At first glance, plans for its redevelopment don’t preserve its culture or align with the joyful chaos of Mong Kok.

26 Mar 2024 - 12:36PM

An artist’s impression of the Flower Market and Sai Yee Street in Mong Kong after redeveopment. Image: URA

Hong Kong society

My Hong Kong | Why bash this Hong Kong art project? Its Chubby Hearts are in the right place

The Chubby Hearts art project was started in the UK by designer Anya Hindmarch. The Hong Kong edition drew criticism, but it has brought joy and laughter to the city, and we need more projects like it.

24 Feb 2024 - 9:15AM

Lionel Messi in Hong Kong

My Hong Kong | Beckham could have played for Messi in ‘PR disaster of the century’ match

There is much to reflect on after the Inter Miami vs Hong Kong Team fiasco, such as how David Beckham could have averted a PR disaster, Hong Kong fans’ behaviour, and what the government can learn.

10 Feb 2024 - 8:15AM

Hong Kong tourism

My Hong Kong | Hong Kong needs lessons on tourism. China’s icy north provides them

Hong Kong needs new ideas to attract tourists after underwhelming campaigns like ‘Night Vibes’. The success of Harbin, mainland China’s ice capital, offers valuable pointers.

8 Jan 2024 - 6:16PMvideocam

Children play at the Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin during the opening ceremony of the 39th Harbin China International Ice and Snow Festival on January 5, 2023. To reignite its tourist appeal, Hong Kong could take lessons from the mainland Chinese city. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong tourism

My Hong Kong | ‘Time travel’ tourism – could it be the boost Hong Kong needs?

By combining history, technology and entertainment, ‘time travel’ tourism could rejuvenate Hong Kong’s travel industry by attracting a range of visitors seeking unique and immersive experiences.

25 Nov 2023 - 8:15AM

Hong Kong population

My Hong Kong | How to fix Hong Kong’s baby crisis? Handouts alone cannot solve all problems

The government needs to adopt a more comprehensive approach that goes far beyond the promised US$2,500 cash handout to new parents if it wants to truly foster a baby boom in Hong Kong.

4 Nov 2023 - 7:45AM

Hong Kong

My Hong Kong | Does Hong Kong need expats back? Absolutely – our city is better for it

Foreign talent enhances Hong Kong’s competitiveness and expatriates enrich the social fabric and contribute to a more cosmopolitan environment – all crucial to us maintaining our international status.

21 Oct 2023 - 7:56AM

Hong Kong society

My Hong Kong | Forget new night markets, ‘Night Vibes Hong Kong’ should revitalise old ones

Hong Kong’s new ‘Night Vibes Hong Kong’ campaign should focus on revitalising places like the Temple Street Night Market and Ladies’ Market if it is to attract locals and tourists alike.

7 Oct 2023 - 11:15AM

The Temple Street Night Market in Jordan, Hong Kong, in 2017. The recent “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign aims to revitalise nightlife in the city. Photo: Shutterstock

Hong Kong culture

My Hong Kong | Donnie Yen as Hong Kong ambassador after John Wick 4 – make it happen

Donnie Yen’s stand-out appearance in John Wick: Chapter 4 is an excellent opportunity to raise Hong Kong’s global prominence, and the city’s government must step up to take it.

3 Apr 2023 - 7:35PM

Hong Kong society

My Hong Kong | Are we ‘Heartless Hong Kong’ after elderly woman hawker debacle?

Forget ‘Hello Hong Kong’, we risk being labelled ‘Heartless Hong Kong’ after the recent street hawker case, which really isn’t fair to our mostly hospitable and welcoming people.

20 Mar 2023 - 5:41PM

Hong Kong culture

My Hong Kong | Hong Kong’s lame attempts to attract tourists and talent smack of desperation

From the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign’s free air tickets to the need to ‘grab’ talent from elsewhere, Hong Kong seems desperate – and that’s ugly. We must focus on why we are unique.

19 Feb 2023 - 4:14PM

Singer and actress Sammi Cheng in a promotional video for the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign to attract tourists back to the city. Photo: Hong Kong Tourism Board

Hong Kong culture

My Hong Kong | Why Hong Kong needs a culture tsar – not just a ‘mega’ events committee

The city needs someone to identify what is unique about the Hong Kong experience and spread that message to visitors through genuine interactions. And I’ve got some ideas for them.

7 Feb 2023 - 7:49PM

A performance during the Hong Kong Dragon and Lion Dance Festival 2023 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in Tsim Sha Tsui, on Wednesday. Photo: Edmond So

Cantonese culture

My Hong Kong | Is Hong Kong’s soaring ‘2-dish-rice’ phenomenon a dark sign for the city?

A spike in eateries selling two-dish-rice boxes is reminiscent of the 1950s when open-air food stalls helped Hong Kong’s poor survive. Are we witnessing a return to widespread poverty?

8 Jan 2023 - 10:06AM

Trending in Hong Kong

My Hong Kong | Japanese fans cleaning World Cup stadiums an example for Hong Kong people

Fans of the Samurai Blue have been filling rubbish bags with theirs and others’ trash after World Cup matches in Qatar. Hong Kong people could learn from them.

11 Dec 2022 - 6:58PMvideocam

Coronavirus pandemic

My Hong Kong | Thai tour group deserves ‘Tourist of the Year’ medals after meal box fiasco

The group, who had to eat meal boxes for three days of a four-day trip and still described it as ‘very good’, should be showered with free air tickets and future hotel accommodation.

27 Nov 2022 - 7:47PM

Members of a tour group from Thailand show off their blue health codes in Hong Kong. The tourists were unable to dine out at restaurants until the final day of their four-day trip due to the city’s ongoing Covid travel restrictions. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Cantonese culture

My Hong Kong | Hong Kong’s ‘two-dish-rice’ is fully deserving of intangible heritage status

The two-dish-rice box, beloved by Hong Kong residents and, lately, diplomats alike, is an icon of the city – it should be declared part of our intangible cultural heritage.

13 Nov 2022 - 8:48PM

Cantonese culture

My Hong Kong | Hong Kong people, do your job! Be kinder or risk losing the tourism battle

The fight for tourist dollars is heating up as people embark on post-Covid travel, and while Hong Kong is a more exciting destination than Singapore, it isn’t as welcoming. It’s time for residents to make a change.

4 Nov 2022 - 11:16AM

Food and Drinks

My Hong Kong | Something needs to change after closure of Hong Kong’s Tung Po Kitchen

Hong Kong is being stripped of its distinctive culture and character as more iconic local restaurants and dai pai dongs shut down. The government needs to do more to help them.

10 Sep 2022 - 1:50PM

Robby Cheung (centre), co-owner and manager of Tung Po Kitchen, toasts with customers on the second to last night in business at the restaurant at the Java Road Market and Cooked Food Centre, in North Point, Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee

Cantonese culture

My Hong Kong | ‘Selling piglets’ scandal shows how desperate Hong Kong people have become

The ease with which victims of Hong Kong’s human-trafficking scandal – the ‘sold piglets’, a term that dates back to the Qing dynasty – were conned hints at a city in turmoil.

27 Aug 2022 - 9:45AM

Shutterstock Stock Photo ID: 615518267

A small piglet in the farm. group of mammal waiting feed. swine in the stall. Shutterstock Images

Cantonese culture

My Hong Kong | Avoid ‘borrowing’ umbrellas, and other Hungry Ghost Festival dos and don’ts

Your Hungry Ghost Festival survival guide: picking up an unclaimed umbrella, standing under a bus shelter at night and tapping someone on the shoulder are among the many things to avoid from now till August 26.

15 Aug 2022 - 4:12PM

Hong Kong culture

My Hong Kong | Old Hong Kong bakeries are dying – go to one while you still can

As we bid farewell to Happy Cake Shop in Wan Chai, remember there are still a good handful of these traditional bakeries around – so patronise them.

30 Jul 2022 - 9:45AM

Cantonese culture

My Hong Kong | Don’t hate the phrase ‘Hong Kong, add oil’ – we need it now more than ever

Hong Kong people should retake ownership of the phrase ‘Hong Kong, add oil’ – after years of Covid-19 and economic downturn, the city needs to add oil as well as peace and love.

16 Jul 2022 - 9:45AM

Football fans with an “add oil, Hong Kong” sign at the Hong Kong vs Iran 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying match in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Hongkongers should retake ownership of the phrase, which has recently been associated with anti-government protesters. Photo: Felix Wong

Lunar New Year

My Hong Kong | Why you should wear your lucky red underwear for Lunar New Year

In Chinese culture, red is a lucky colour, so maximise your Lunar New Year fortune by wearing red, giving out lucky red packets and wishing everyone kung hei fat choi.

29 Jan 2022 - 11:15AM

Increase your Lunar New Year luck by wearing lucky red underwear. Photo: Taobao

Hong Kong culture

My Hong Kong | Learning Cantonese could save lives in places like San Francisco

In cities home to large overseas Chinese communities, Cantonese should be about more than just cultural preservation and should be integrated into their infrastructure.

1 Jan 2022 - 11:15AM

Hong Kong culture

My Hong Kong | Cantonese is far from dead. It’s cooler than Mandarin and has cult status

Mandarin may have 10 times as many speakers but Cantonese is a one-of-a-kind linguistic art form, a cult Chinese language, and in no danger of an imminent demise.

18 Dec 2021 - 11:00AM

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