In Hong Kong, public reaction to celebrity misbehavior is far exceeding metropolitan norms. Last year’s Edison Chen imbroglio—in which photos of the singer-actor having sex with former celebrity lovers were distributed online—led to preposterous scenes as sobbing fans and outraged community leaders struggled to come to terms with …
hong kong
Asia Braces for Spike in Suicides
Here‘s our piece on suicide in Asia in the wake of the current global economic crisis. A new study examines the dramatic jump in suicides following the Asian financial crisis a decade ago. Compared to 1997, suicide rates among men in 1998 rose by 44% in Hong Kong, 39% in Japan and 45% in South Korea. Governments need to come up with
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Last Cantonese Opera Theater Spared
Hong Kong’s last dedicated Cantonese opera theater, the Sunbeam, will continue to operate until 2012, the Standard reports. When we wrote about the Sunbeam last fall, the theater was facing a grim future, with its lease set to expire, and the building’s owner planning to turn the structure into a shopping mall (because Hong Kong could …
Breathtaking Stuff
If you have an idle moment, visit the Hedley Index. It tracks air pollution in Hong Kong and is run by the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health. The Hong Kong Government has its own widely criticized Air Pollution Index, which is not based on current international understanding as to what constitutes healthy or unhealthy …
And the runner-up is: Edison Chen
Just a couple weeks ago, TIME named president-elect Barack Obama Person of the Year. Second place went to U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. In Hong Kong, public broadcaster RTHK held its own POY poll. While the top spot also went to Obama, #2 went to Edison Chen, star of the city’s most notorious celebrity sex scandal. It’s not …
Cue Violins
Is it just me or does anyone else agree that Ricky Wong’s resignation letter was one of the most maudlin business documents ever uttered by a CEO? The head of ATV, the lesser of Hong Kong’s two terrestrial TV stations, ended his 12-day tenure yesterday for reasons that need not detain international readers. The ghastly sentiment of …
No Stars
The Michelin Guide to Hong Kong has been thoroughly rubbished by now, but it’s not too late for one final dig. I won’t be long because, let’s face it, it really isn’t manly to get hung up on questions of food, and besides most arguments against the guide have been made on this popular, Chinese-language Hong Kong food site.
However, I …