Life Style

This weekend many people celebrate the Duanwu Festival, also known as the Tuen Ng Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival.The festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the traditional Chinese calendar, is observed by Chinese all over the world, as well as by Japanese, Koreans, Ryukyuans (or Okinawans) and Vietnamese.The festival has long been associated with the poet Qu Yuan (342–278BC). It is because of him, the legend goes, that we row dragon boats and eat zongzi, sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, during the festival. The only problem with this story is that the Duanwu Festival, or at least many of its customs, predate Qu.At some point in time, the Chinese probably appropriated him and events in his life, eventually putting Qu at the centre of the ancient f...

Are you a smoker – or does someone you love smoke? If so, you, or they, have almost certainly had family, friends or colleagues give them reasons to stop.On World No Tobacco Day, we are reminded that most smokers themselves would like to quit – even if they will not admit it.In 2022, more than two-thirds (67.7 per cent) of the 28.8 million US adults who smoked cigarettes wanted to quit, more than half (53.3 per cent) tried to quit, but fewer than 10 per cent succeeded, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Grisly photos on cigarette packs warn of smoking’s dangers, but do not go far enough, says Tony Mok, professor of clinical oncology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.Health warnings on cigarette packs. Some say they aren’t enough to deter people from l...

One of the more welcome changes to Gage Street Market was the addition of fruit spirit cocktail bar Orchard. The venue is Hong Kong’s first and only concept specialising in eau de vie, a type of brandy distilled from fruits other than grapes.With that definition, eau de vie seems straightforward enough. But when Orchard opened its doors, founder Alex Pun realised he still had some explaining to do. “The common misconceptions we encountered were that all fruit spirits were flavoured vodka, or that all fruit spirits are sweet. The reality is that these distinct products are made from distillation of the fruits themselves rather than infusion. Many fruit spirits can be dry or even bitter, depending on the production process.”Alex Pun, founder of Hong Kong’s Orchard bar. Photo: HandoutRedempti...

This is the latest instalment in our From the Vault feature series, in which we reflect on culturally significant movies celebrating notable anniversaries.It is hard to imagine a world in which Star Wars is not the galaxy-conquering behemoth we know today.As of 2025, George Lucas’s sci-fi franchise includes nine films and three movie spin-offs, with more streaming and animated series being added all the time.Of course, none of this would have happened without the 1977 original, a pitch-perfect popcorn odyssey buoyed by John Williams’ triumphant music and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)’s dazzling special effects.But it was the 1980 sequel, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, which is 45 this month, that turned this stand-alone success into an enduring pop-culture phenomenon....

Chilli is a spicy spice, but how hot it is depends on the cultivar – some types are mild, while others can burn on contact with the skin.They also differ in spiciness according to the conditions in which the plant has been grown, how ripe the chilli fruit is when it is harvested and whether the hottest parts of the chilli are used.Dried chilli is much hotter than fresh because the flavour is concentrated.Chilli is used in sauces and pastes, where it is almost always mixed with other ingredients to help balance the spice level and give them a fuller, more complex flavour.How hot chilli spice is depends on various factors, including how ripe the fruit is when harvested. Photo: ShutterstockSome cultivars are so hot that you do not even need to come into contact with the chilli – just smelling...

If you’re looking for some inspiration on what to do this weekend, we have you covered.Culture vultures can catch Wes Anderson’s latest offering, The Phoenician Scheme, or artist Ernest Chang’s exhibition “Artifice” at The Stallery.Fans of all things South Korean can celebrate its traditional alcohol at the inaugural Taste Sool: The First Sip, an artisan liquor festival taking place at PMQ, while K-beauty brand Glint launches in Hong Kong, available exclusively at Sephora.For something more relaxing, spend Sunday at a chilled meditation and sound healing session at The Glasshouse at Celestial Heights, in To Kwa Wan.Read on for more details.1. ‘Artifice’ at The Stallery“Artifice” features a strange, indoor Zen garden full of traditional Chinese scholar rocks that are shaped like contemporar...

With so many of us planning, or about to take, a trip out of Hong Kong before the summer sun really turns up the heat, June is a great time to catch up with friends and family before everybody scatters.Looking for somewhere special for a decadent meal, a happy hour catch-up or a coffee and snack? These newly opened bars and restaurants may take your fancy.1. Yorucho and MadaraA modern izakaya has opened in Causeway Bay’s Tang Lung Street, founded by two chefs who have worked in kitchens with modern flair – think Liberty Exchange, Silencio and Fukuro.Crispy nori tacos at Yorucho. Photo: YoruchoExpect dishes such as crispy nori tacos topped with red prawn head oil and prawn salt, and pickled plum-marinated tomatoes with yuzu ricotta.Attached to Yorucho’s dining room is a secret bar, Madara, ...

Fancy catching the many big acts that are taking to the stage in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and other Greater Bay Area cities?Launching this month is the Post’s curated list of coming performances, all within easy reach of Hong Kong, with a focus on those likely to appeal most to an international audience.1. Yang Liping’s The PeacockDongguan Magnolia Theatre will stage Yang Liping’s 2022 dance drama The Peacock. Yang, a celebrated contemporary dancer from China’s Bai ethnic minority group, rose to fame in 1986 for choreographing and performing The Spirit of the Peacock.The Peacock weaves together light and shadow and a rich tapestry of movement to create a surreal and visually breathtaking world. The performance captures the peacock’s essence – the bird’s agility, pride, delicate grace and resili...

If you are chronically online like I am, then it is likely that in the past month or so you have been fed the shenanigans of Darshen and Dr Samuel, two Singaporean content creators who have gone viral for their adorable dynamic.The two besties – many have been openly wishing for the two to announce their relationship as romantic, not platonic – have hit on a formula for their viral travel videos: the calm Dr Samuel starting each reel with the line “My name is Samuel, and I [insert act of service here]”, followed by Darshen, striking a pose and flashing a winning smile, who says “My name is Darshen” – the subtext being that he never lifts a finger to do anything.And Darshen? Well, he is just fabulously Darshen, the quintessential “passenger princess”. What works in this combo is that both s...

At first sight, you probably would not guess that Jephina Lueche could speak Hakka, a Chinese language variety most widely spoken in China’s south, let alone that she teaches it to others.But the content creator of Chinese and Guyanese descent has been giving short lessons on basic but useful everyday Hakka phrases on social media for over four years, wowing tens of thousands of followers along the way.An Instagram video of her speaking Hakka while sharing Peking duck with her multicultural relatives has racked up more than 2 million views.Other “Hakka 101” clips, in which she covers practical phrases like “good night”, “I like you” and “don’t speak”, have also generated much online interest and reaction, as have her culture-focused videos, earning her more than 90,000 followers.The video ...