Canadian Think Tank Ranks Hong Kong No. 3 Globally For “Human Freedom”; Mainland China Is 100

Global freedom index
I’m guessing if you’re not a businessperson, you’ll likely disagree with a recently released ranking by leading conservative Canadian think tank Fraser Institute that places Hong Kong above the US, Canada, and all Scandinavian countries in terms of “human freedom.” In Towards a Worldwide Index of Human Freedom, the institute “focuses on creating the first comprehensive... Read more »

Leung Chun-Ying Is A Werewolf, A Green Monster, And The Joker: Picture Evidence That Hong Kong Dislikes Its Chief Executive

cy_shoot
Police estimate that about 2,600 protesters participated in a pro-government rally in Hong Kong on Sunday (or "as many as 40,000," if you believe organizers). It was the first half of a doubleheader of protests, with the nightcap coming yesterday -- the anti-government variety -- attended by 17,000, according to police. (In proportional hyperbole, organizers declared 130,000 people showed up.)

Comparing New Year’s In Beijing, Shanghai And Hong Kong: Who Wins?

New Year's Light Millennium Monument
Hong Kong had fireworks at Victoria Harbor. Shanghai had a 4D light show on the Bund. Beijing had a beam of light out of the China Millennium Monument (a sundial you probably haven’t been to, because Haidian district). We love our home city, but am also kind of okay admitting that Beijing loses this round (though... Read more »

Get Thee To A Nunnery! Uproar Over 14-Year-Old Hong Kong Site Making Unesco World Heritage Shortlist

Chi Lin Nunnery
We have no question that Chi Lin Nunnery in Kowloon’s Diamond Hill is a beautiful complex, possibly one of the most beautiful temple complexes in Hong Kong. It is apparently 33,000 square meters of tranquility and natural splendor, with the main building buttressed by hills, ponds, orchids, and topiaries, all against a backdrop of soaring skyscrapers.... Read more »

Chillax With Images Of Hong Kong’s Teeming Alleys, Glistening Skyscrapers And Shimmering Bays

Chillax With Images Of Hong Kong's Teeming Alleys, Glistening Skyscrapers And Shimmering Bays featured image
This video by Gregory Lane, "So Long, My Hong Kong," presents dozens of beautifully rendered shots of the true Pearl of the Orient. I've said it before but it bears repeating: Hong Kong does not seem like a city built by men of this world, such is the ambition of its design and overwhelming beauty. You get a glimpse of that here.

“Nasty China Style”: A Tolerable Gangnam Parody Highlights Hong Kong-Mainland Rivalry

Hong Kong Style Gangnam parody featured image
We're as sick of Gangnam Style parodies as everyone else, but this latest, "Nasty China Style," has a few redeeming factors. First, it's sung in Cantonese; I tend to think all Gangnam parodies are bad mostly because of the lyrics, but it helps when you don't know what they're saying. (There are subtitles though.) Second, file this one under "Red Army Orchestra meme" -- it'll help you get over the anti-Gangnam mental block so that you click play; other memes also make a cameo, such as "My dad is Li Gang." And third, it highlights the ongoing Hong Kong-mainland China rivalry, which transcends Gangnam.