The Chinese civil rights activist Chen Guangcheng has become an icon in representing the fight against the repression and torment frequently employed on dissidents against the country’s authoritarian regime. The blind activist – often referred to as a “barefoot lawyer,” a term used to describe self-taught legal representatives in the country – became embroiled in [...]

The political career of the newly elected Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has not only been characterised by her determination to lead her country towards democracy, but also by the many personal sacrifices she had taken in the process. Amongst them is the decision she made to remain in Myanmar (Burma) throughout her [...]

For all the media coverage on the 100th anniversary of the Titanic tragedy over the past week, it is surprising that many publications have failed to draw attention to Lady Lucile Duff-Gordon, a noteworthy survivor on board the doomed liner, which sank on her maiden voyage. Known amongst the many elite passengers on the Titanic [...]

A little more than thirty years ago, the sovereign Arab state of Qatar was merely a secluded corner perched on the Persian Gulf. The territory struck gold with the discovery of oil and natural gas reserves, which led to it becoming one of the wealthiest states within the Arabian Peninsula. Having been ruled under the [...]

An exhibition featuring the iconic Italian fashion designers, Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, is to be hosted at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. With the former being a prominent designer and style maven throughout the early 20th Century, the latter is seen as a contemporary equivalent in terms of influence and innovations within [...]

The annual Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is part of a series of international rugby tournaments hosted under the IRB Sevens World Series. The 3-day event, held during the last weekend of March every year, was first established in 1976 and took place in the city this past weekend. Sponsored by HSBC and coordinated by the [...]

The world’s media has recently shone considerable spotlight on the developments at the Apple Foxconn manufacturers in China, regarding the inhumane treatment of workers and the brutal conditions they are forced to endure. Recently, the radio programme This American Life broadcasted a monologue titled The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs; it featured Mike [...]

The craze for the Keep Calm and Carry On slogan initially began in Britain in 2000, when a poster containing the message, originally created in 1939 prior to the beginning of the Second World War, was rediscovered in a small second-hand bookshop in North East England. The phrase was part of the British government’s efforts [...]

Over the years, the severe environmental damages caused by the many fast-paced developments in Hong Kong have been well documented. Which is why it came as a surprise to many marine conservationists this week, when the South China Morning Post reported on an amateur fisherman reeling in a one-metre sea bass on the Victoria Harbour. [...]

In the tech-savvy city of Hong Kong, most people are fortunate enough to be in possession of a Smartphone with top-quality camera lenses. The film director, cinematographer and photographer Yat-Nam Lai has compiled a series of candid images of passengers on the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) – Hong Kong’s metropolitan subway system – captured on [...]

The ancient Chinese tradition of ‘villain hitting’ is a spritual ritual popular in Southern China. Also known as Da Siu Yan in Cantonese, the phrase translates literally as ‘hitting of the little people’. A ceremony that originated from the Spring and Autumn Period of Imperial China, circa 771 BC, villain hitting is usually performed in [...]

The news of The Eastman Kodak Company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last month has not only been lamented by filmmakers and photographers alike, but also triggered a wave of collective memory amongst the masses. Founded by George Eastman in 1889, the photographic equipment company – with over a hundred years of history and [...]

The district of Wu Kai Sa is an area long been known for its outstanding natural beauty, as well as the presence of various historic villages dating back hundreds of years – both rarities amidst the concrete jungle that is Hong Kong. Over the years, it has attracted many tourists and locals alike, seeking a [...]

The Saamlung Gallery Hong Kong is currently hosting a solo exhibition on the works of Tsang Tsou Choi (1921-2007), the infamous street graffiti and outsider artist. Tsang, who first gained notoriety in the late 1950’s through his distinctive ink brush calligraphy, became well known for his execution of a unique form of street art all [...]

There is no love lost between Hong Kong and their neighbours who hail from China. Popularly referred to as Mainlanders, which has since become a negative connotation in its own right, visitors from north of the Hong Kong border are often stereotypically portrayed by the media as being inherently rude and obnoxious. The aforementioned characteristics [...]

Lately, the subject of photography seems to have attracted more international attention on Hong Kong – even more so than is normally bestowed on her. After the on-going Dolce and Gabbana fiasco, photographers Jason Hawkes and Brian Cassey have separately made Hong Kong a part of various foreign press’ headlines through their capturing of living conditions [...]