👋🌏🧵We are The Hong Konger, an independent English-language platform based in the UK. We consider HK as a concept beyond its geographical location, discussing topics of concern to the HK diaspora while exploring the HK cultural identity Content preview👇
Feature: Weaving their web: how the national security police recruits informants
Activists flee Hong Kong to escape the clutches of the police, who press them and their families into providing information
by
@krislc
Column: Sydney’s in the mood for Hong Kong cafe culture—The Australian city has embraced the mushrooming of ‘cha chaan teng’, the iconic eateries by which migrants keep the memories of their beloved home town alive
by Kevin Cheng
Analysis: ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ ban sets a chilling precedent
The Hong Kong court’s ruling on the popular protest song opens a Pandora’s box of free speech ban on the internet
by
@laiyanhoeric
Hong Kong’s wanted men join Australia parties; US lawmakers propose ‘Jimmy Lai Way’
Our round-up of the week from 25 April to 2 May gives a selection of 11 news briefs about Hong Kong and Hong Kongers
Compiled by
@krislc
Feature: History shows Hong Kong as harbour for political reformers
Once upon a time, the city under British rule tolerated the goings-on surrounding Sun Yat Sen, Ho Chi Minh and other revolutionaries
by
@IlariaMariaSala
Column: ‘Underground Express’ is a film that would not be made in Hong Kong today
Inspired by the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, the low-budget action thriller is a reminder of the existence of the tragedy 35 years ago
by
@whitebison66
Column: Hong Kong lives but not in Hong Kong
The diaspora has a duty to ensure the city’s culture survives and the new generation does not lose contact with the past
by Stephen Vines
Column: Hong Kong literature on the map
Voices from the diaspora are exploring shifting borders of migration and the question of erasure through fiction, poetry and creative non-fictionHong Kong literature on the map
by
@jennywcreative
Feature: Life in Taiwan proves a letdown—Migrants from Hong Kong are taking a reality check, four years after the Taiwanese government led the world with an offer of political refuge
by
@xinyun_tw
&
@erinhale
Column: Restaurants in Hong Kong face bleak times, even zero diners
Consumers aren’t spending enough, as locals prefer cheap and cheerful Shenzhen while mainlanders visit cafes for nothing more than an Instagrammable look
by
@BernUnitHK
Culture & Lifestyle | “Exile is a heavy word,” I told my friend, when she asked if I considered myself an exile. In all honesty, I don’t know what would happen if I did return.
by
@lokmantsui
📖 Read more:
#Exile
#FreeHongKong
#Democracy
#Freedom
News digest: YouTube bars local access to ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ videos; UK charges three men with spying
Our roundup of the week from 9 to 16 May gives a selection of 10 news briefs that matter to Hong Kongers by
@krislc
Feature: In love with comics made in Hong Kong
Illustrators and their booksellers hold out hope for an art that captivated the city’s readers before the internet came along
by
@theodorayuhk
3/ From politics and economy to cinema, food, Cantonese language, and more, our esteemed columnists discuss topics that interest those who share their passion for the culture and way of life in Hong Kong as we remember.
Feature: How the world remembers Tiananmen, 35 years on
From Sydney to San Francisco, events are marking China’s 1989 military crushing of peaceful protesters even as such commemorations can no longer happen in Hong Kong
Letter to Hong Kong: HK building turned deadly fire trap shows priorities are askew
The loss of five lives last month was a telling rebuke of bureaucrats and landlords who paid lip service to safety and looked the other way for years
by
@IlariaMariaSala
Letter to Hong Kong | In recent years, numerous cultural events and community exhibitions in the UK have prominently featured cultural elements. But isn’t there more to Hong Kong culture than this?
by Clara Cheung
📖 Read more:
#ImagiNationHK
#HKFuture
Letter to Hong Kong: Covering up in our own home
Instead of feeling unwelcome, we can make a place for ourselves, within ourselves, to encompass the many complex selves we have
by
@lokmantsui
7/ Last but not least, our weekly news roundup keeps you informed about what's going on in Hong Kong and among the Hong Kong diaspora around the world. It will be delivered to your inbox in our weekly newsletter. Subscribe here 👉
6/ Unpack Gallery takes its name from the process of migration or relocation, as unpacking one’s belongings is a must upon arrival at the new home. The gallery showcases artworks created by diaspora artists after leaving their homeland.
News digest: Court bans the song ‘Glory to Hong Kong’; cartoonist gets courage award on World Press Freedom Day
Our roundup of the week from 2 to 9 May gives a selection of 13 news briefs that matter to Hong Kongers by
@krislc
Feature: Football passion gives migrants new goal in adopted country
An ardent following of English football spanning decades is helping Hong Kongers make new friends and settle in the UK
by
@krislc
Feature | For the vast majority of the 180,000 Hong Kongers who moved to Britain under the BNO visa scheme started in early 2021, the general election on 4 July will be the first they participate in here.
by
@krislc
📖 Read more:
#LibDem
#Labour
#Tory
Letter to Hong Kong: HK, ever changing and endlessly appealing
The city is many things, and one can only hope it will change for the better
by Martin Lever
2/ Ours is a shared journalism-based platform, exploring the Hong Kong cultural identity through our rich and diverse content. In our Feature section, distinguished journalists dissect urgent topics about society, politics, culture, and more.
Column: Cinema classic ‘Long Arm of the Law’ is a time capsule of Hong Kong
Johnny Mak’s politically incorrect thriller captured the city’s golden age on a budget that showed money need not be the most decisive factor in filmmaking
by
@whitebison66
4/ We want to shine a spotlight on the literary talent of Hong Kong heritage. Our Literature column is a space dedicated to Anglophone creative writing by authors in HK and among the diaspora. It showcases poetry, essays, short fiction, and more.
Column: A toast to differences
Reactions to my bin-end wine at what bordered on a black-tie dinner spoke volumes about dissimilarities between Hong Kong and London
by Kelvin Lam
@wine_hongkonger
Reporting | On World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Hong Kong-based cartoonist Zunzi received the Kofi Annan Courage in Cartooning Award in Geneva alongside his Indian counterpart Rachita Taneja.
by
@krislc
📖 Read more:
#WorldPressFreedomDay
#Zunzi
5/ We invite Hong Kongers around the world from all walks of life to share their thoughts, memories, and emotions in Letter to Hong Kong, a space for us to get connected.
Feature: Pregnant then screwed: A Hong Konger’s first-hand account of UK childcare
Amid a countrywide crisis in costs and manpower, I found out I was pregnant, but with all government support omitting Hong Kong migrants
by
@yupinang
Feature: Attacks leave young inmates with body damage, some for life
Hong Kong’s youth prison Pik Uk is notorious for insults and assaults perpetrated by guards and their jailed helpers, according to ex-prisoners
by
@krislc
Literature: Poems—Shui Lung House, Florence and the Machine, Thornton Road
@timtimtmi
, a poet living in Glasgow, contributes a selection of poetry to
@HongKongerWorld
Feature | A warm ambience radiates from the unusual tenant, comic bookshop ZBFGHK Store, an art space that embraces not just pictorial fantasy tales but also real-life stories about chasing dreams.
📖 Read more:
#ComicBooks
#ArtInHongKong
#ComicsArt
Play review | Veteran Hong Kong theatre director Tang Shu-wing took his production of King Lear on a European tour in May 2024, opening with London at the Riverside Studios after a successful run in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
by Michael Tsang
📖 Read more:
Letter to Hong Kong: How Kew Gardens lights up the eyes of a Hong Konger
The Unesco world heritage site in London has no lack of reminders about a much-loved east Asian city thousands of miles away
by
@jeffpao3
Book review: ‘Pandemic Minds: Covid-19 and Mental Health in Hong Kong’
New book by journalist and psychotherapist highlights a grossly neglected element of Hong Kong society
by
@IlariaMariaSala
Reporting | Alvin Y.H. Cheung, a law scholar and former Hong Kong barrister who predicted China’s tightening grip on Hong Kong, has died aged 38. He highlighted authoritarian legal tactics and warned of diminishing freedoms in his hometown.
📖 Read more:
Food Features | The Australian city has embraced the mushrooming of cha chaan teng, the iconic eateries in which migrants keep the memories of their beloved home town alive
by Kevin Cheng
📖 Read more:
#SydneyEats
#ChaChaanTeng
#HKCulture
#Nostalgia
Letter to Hong Kong: A hearty bowl of wonton noodles would make my day
Finding authentic noodles beyond Asia is no longer knotty, but it can never replace the taste of Hong Kong
by
@pakwayne
News digest: Hong Kong finds 14 guilty of subversion, nabs more activists on sedition claims
Our roundup of the week from 23 to 30 May gives a selection of 11 news briefs about Hong Kong and Hong Kongers by
@krislc
Reporting | Twelve Hong Kongers were jailed for up to three years and four months for their participation in the protests at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in November 2019, reports Hong Kong Free Press.
📖 Read more:
#HongKongProtests
#PolyUSiege
Short Stories | Gabrielle Tse is a writer with Filipino and Hong Kong heritage based in the UK. She studied law and literature in Hong Kong, followed by comparative literature in Edinburgh.
📖 Read more:
#ShortStory
#GabrielleTse
#MemoryAndSpace
News digest: China holds war games around Taiwan; UK calls snap polls for 4 July
Our roundup of the week from 16 to 23 May gives a selection of 11 news briefs about Hong Kong and Hong Kongers
by
@krislc
Column—Book review: ‘Freedom Undone: The Assault on Liberal Values and Institutions in Hong Kong’ by Michael C. Davis
@profmikedavis
Reviewed by
@patrickpoon
Column: Fiction versus reality: Chinese dreams of America
Peter Chan Ho-sun’s ‘American Dreams in China’ still resonates a decade later
by
@whitebison66
Reporting | US newspaper the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has fired its Hong Kong-based reporter Selina Cheng, who was elected as the chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) in late June.
by
@krislc
📖 Read more:
#SelinaCheng
#HKJournalists
Opinion | Outside the borders of autocracy, the well-educated and financially sound Hong Kong diaspora can draw on freedoms in the adopted home to seek change in their birthplace
by Stephen Vines
📖 Read more:
#FightForDemocracy
#StandWithHongKong
Feature | Taiwan’s Sunflower Movement, notable for its occupation of the legislative chamber, has reshaped society and fostered camaraderie as it reaches the 10th anniversary this year
by William Yang
📖 Read more:
#TaiwanProtest
#HongKongProtest
Column: Jin Yong the classic novelist lives on
Timeless are the 15 books that astutely weave fantasy around history and explore conflicts between cultural values in Chinese civilisation
by
@alicepoon1
Opinion | Should we feel sorry for Hong Kong legislator Paul Tse? The poor man got into a panic and closed down his Facebook page after being castigated by Chief Executive John Lee in late January.
by Stephen Vines
📖 Read more:
#paultse
#JohnLee
#hkgov
Literature | Voices from the diaspora are exploring shifting borders of migration and the question of erasure through fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction
by Jennifer Wong
📖 Read more:
#HongKongLiterature
#DiasporaVoices
#MigrationNarratives
Feature: The 2014 cross-strait trade protest that bonded Taiwanese and Hong Kongers
Taiwan’s Sunflower Movement has reshaped society and fostered camaraderie as it reaches the 10th anniversary this year
by
@WilliamYang120
News digest: Hong Kong authorities cancel passports of six political activists in exile
Our roundup of the week from 5 to 12 June gives a selection of 10 news briefs about Hong Kong and Hong Kongers
by
@krislc
Column | Author Alice Poon delights in wuxia novelist Jin Yong’s key criteria by which to critique the genre, and reflects on how she pursues characterisation in her own work
by Alice Poon
📖 Read more:
#JinYong
#WuxiaNovels
#LiteraryCriticism
#WuxiaLit
Letter to Hong Kong: ‘ImagiNation’ with Hong Kongers
A symposium in The Netherlands tackles how to shape the future of Hong Kong through art and culture
by Clara Cheung
Read more:
Reporting | Chinese-American academic Wang Shujun was convicted in a Brooklyn federal court for spying on pro-democracy activists for China's government, facing up to 25 years in prison, Reuters reports.
📖 Read more:
#WangShujun
#USChinaRelations