Based in Hong Kong and led by the city’s youth, these podcasts shed light on topics like parental pressure and personal well-being.
Led by young Hongkongers and based in the city, these five podcasts are worth tuning into. Photo: ShutterstockNeed a break from doomscrolling? Grab your earphones, head outside for a walk or finish some chores, and choose one of these podcasts to tune into. Featuring young people in Hong Kong, these episodes cover a range of topics like sustainability and mental health.
SustainaPod
When Belinda Ng was exploring career paths related to sustainability at 19, she quickly realised there was not much information readily available.
The South Island School alumna, who is now working as a sustainability consultant, decided to fill this void by examining lesser-known jobs related to the environment in fields like gaming and data analysis.
Her podcast SustainaPod highlights how everything, from environmentalism to urban planning and engineering, offers different ways to contribute to climate action.
The Hong Kong branch head, Chinny Kwok of West Island School, noted the city’s diverse natural elements provide inspiration and present unique opportunities to engage in environmental action.
Listen: SustainaPod on Spotify
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煩憂雜物房 Leave Your Worries
Ling, the host of Leave Your Worries, grew up in Hong Kong and experienced the relatable pressures of the city’s university entrance exam and adjusting to the pandemic’s “new normal”.
Inspired by Keigo Higashino’s novel The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, her podcast spotlights familiar sources of stress for teenagers, creating a safe space for them to vent and connect through their shared struggles.
Ling, often with a guest, shares her own reflections with sincerity, giving issues usually seen as “trivial” the importance they deserve. You will love the host’s serene voice and the podcast’s empathetic tone, making Leave Your Worries feel like a fuzzy blanket. It is the perfect listen for when the going gets tough.
Listen: 煩憂雜物房leave your worries on Spotify
China Echo
Curated, hosted and produced by journalism students at the University of Hong Kong, China Echo provides English-language coverage of news stories in mainland China that are usually unreported outside the country.
With so many Western websites and apps blocked in the country, residents use and share stories on Chinese social media platforms.
This podcast’s student hosts try to bridge this gap by providing factual accounts of recent and prominent events in China and bringing on experts in fields relevant to the headlines to offer a more in-depth look at the issues discussed.
Listen: China Echo
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Because Mental Health Matters
This Hong Kong-based podcast features numerous multi-part series that dive into mental health topics, bringing on experts to provide revealing insight and dispel common misconceptions. The teenage hosts keep things relatable, often drawing on personal experiences to connect the theoretical with real life.
Co-founder Hailey Wong, a recent Diocesan Girls’ School graduate, uses her experiences with parental pressure and academic stress to inspire many episodes.
“In Hong Kong, especially in [conservative schools], we’ve grown up learning to keep stress and mental illnesses a secret. So [we] decided to start a podcast so that people can relate and feel like they aren’t alone,” she said.
The podcast’s last episode was in 2023, but much of its content remains relevant. Its Instagram also has plenty of informative posts.
Listen: Because Mental Health Matters on Spotify
This Hong Kong Life
Hosted by students and published by KELY Support Group, these interviews highlight a range of young voices in Hong Kong, united by common coming-of-age struggles.
In addition to being a collective diary detailing the ups and downs of adolescence, the show produces episodes specifically aimed at providing tips for dealing with universal problems like finding internships and a work-life balance.
With its confessional tone and inclusion of teens from all walks of life, “This Hong Kong Life” is a valuable resource for young people trying to find their way. Even though its most recent episode is from 2023, the messages shared by each guest hold unchanging truths.
Listen: This Hong Kong Life on KELY Support Group’s website
This story was corrected on November 6, 2024, to correctly reflect Belinda Ng’s current role. A previous version stated that she was a student at Imperial College London.