Hong Kong Free Press Yum Cha

Chankalun - A Bright Future for Hong Kong's Neon Heritage

The image of Hong Kong's neon-lit streetscapes is, like the signs that lent their glow to those cinematic scenes, largely a thing of the past. But although bureaucracy has stripped many buildings of their illuminated adornments, a new generation of neon artists - like Chankalun - are working to keep the draft alive.

Carol Liang - Happy Hong Kong?

HKFP Yum Cha's guest this week is Carol Liang, the deputy CEO of mental health charity Mind HK. Carol has been with Mind since it began in 2017, and over the years, she has worked tirelessly to change attitudes towards mental health in Hong Kong. We discussed why greater mental health awareness in the city has not resulted in reduced stigma, why so many people in Hong Kong experience mental health conditions in isolation, and why normalising talking about mental health is essential.

Astrid Andersson - Wildlife Trade and Alien Invaders

No one is quite sure how Hong Kong's yellow-crested cockatoo population came to nest in the city's cotton trees, but how the critically endangered birds arrived in Hong Kong is unequivocal - via the pet trade. Dr Astrid Andersson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hong Kong has dedicated her scientific career to investigating the invasive species - and raising awareness of Hong Kong's role in legal and illegal wildlife trade - with the hope of helping conserve yellow-crested cockatoos before it is too late.

Xyza Cruz Bacani - Migrant Domestic Workers and the Children Left Behind

Photographer and artist Xyza Cruz Bacani knows what it is like to grow up without a mother present; hers was overseas working in the home of a Hong Kong family to provide a better life for Bacani and her siblings, who remained in the Philippines. Years later, Bacani joined her mum to work in that same Hong Kong household as a migrant domestic worker, a move that proved fateful for the young Filipina, as she discussed in the latest episode of HKFP Yum Cha.

Cynthia Cheng and Maxime Vanhollebeke - An Invisible Web of Workers

Behind Hong Kong's clean streets and 24-hour convenience is a web of workers, many in low-paid positions, who toil tirelessly to keep the city going. Cynthia Cheng and Maxime Vanhollebeke have made it their mission to honour the people whose work too often goes unnoticed through social impact storytelling platform Hong Kong Shifts, which aims to put shift workers in the spotlight, and give them the recognition they deserve.