The best original reporting from the Hong Kong Free Press team.
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‘Ghost bikes’ commemorate cyclists killed on Hong Kong’s roads
At a busy intersection in Prince Edward on Saturday, a bicycle placed on the roadside caught the eyes of passers-by. Completely covered in white paint, it sat hauntingly beside a bunch of white silk flowers and a plastic card which read: “In memoriam Mr Yuen-cheung, 68.” It included the date and time of the road…
In Pictures: Hong Kong’s Shek O Bus Terminus – a modernist architectural ‘icon’ restored
At the end of a twisting, 20-odd minute bus journey from Shau Kei Wan in Hong Kong’s Eastern District stands a modest modernist structure in concrete and masonry – Shek O Bus Terminus. For 67 years, it has silently and steadfastly welcomed residents and visitors to the sprawling seaside village of the same name, succumbing…
How int’l and local media reacted after Hong Kong committee selected John Lee as leader
Hong Kong’s small-circle leadership race made headlines not only in the city but around the world. Local newspapers focused on the large proportion of votes received by former chief secretary and security chief John Lee, while overseas outlets emphasised Beijing’s role in his ascension to the city’s top post. HKFP rounded up how local and…
Explainer: Small Chinese-language media outlets press on as Hong Kong’s big names disappear
According to both Beijing and Hong Kong officials, freedom of the press has survived unscathed since the national security law came into force in June 2020. But prominent independent outlets have shut down one after another and journalists have been detained on national security and sedition charges. The International Federation of Journalists says Hong Kong’s…
INTERVIEWS
‘Treat us fairly’: Meet the domestic worker YouTuber raising awareness of helper rights
“You think you’re so great because you’re rich?”, “How much do you pay? …working 24 hours, but don’t even have holidays.” A video of a foreign domestic worker sarcastically reprimanding Hong Kong employers gained traction last month. But Contrinx, the Indonesian YouTuber who won’t reveal her name for safety reasons – doesn’t normally jeer as…
How artist and writer Maoshan Connie helps Hongkongers see the trees from the city
Observant Hongkongers might have noticed subtle shifts in the city’s natural rhythms recently. The insects have awakened, the ocean has shed bioluminescent “blue tears” along the shoreline, and the trees have begun to bloom. None of these phenomena have escaped the attention of artist and writer Maoshan Connie, who is nothing if not observant. “Did…
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‘What’s his name again?’: Hong Kong stages election, unbeknownst to families celebrating Mother’s Day
The sole contender in Hong Kong’s small-circle chief executive race, John Lee, was selected by 1,416 pro-establishment voters on Sunday, which also happened to be Mother’s Day and Buddha’s Birthday, a public holiday. As votes were cast on Sunday morning, a dim sum restaurant in Mong Kok was packed with families, some taking advantage of…
Explainer: Hong Kong’s Election Committee determines who leads the city – what is it and how does it work?
Hong Kong’s chief executive elections have long been dubbed small-circle races, with only members of the Election Committee allowed to vote for the city’s leader. This Sunday’s contest – in which former chief secretary and security chief John Lee runs unopposed – marks the first such race since Beijing imposed sweeping changes to the electoral…
Explainer: How John Lee’s social media campaign compares to 2017’s chief executive candidates
As the sole contender in Sunday’s small-circle chief executive election, John Lee is destined to lead Hong Kong for the next five years. Lee formally announced his run on April 9 – less than a month before polling day, and just a day after his Facebook page was launched – albeit without a profile picture…
In Pictures: Hundreds of Hong Kong rail fans bid farewell to last 12-car train
Hundreds of railway fans in Hong Kong bid farewell to the last 12-car electric train on Friday, as the decades-old East Rail Line vehicle was retired ahead of the opening of a new station. The Hung Hom MTR station was unusually packed on Friday afternoon when train fanatics gathered at the platform to hop on…
In Pictures: Hongkongers wait in hours-long queues to register for proof of overseas Covid jabs
By 9 a.m. on Friday, a queue of dozens of people had formed outside Wan Chai Post Office, one of Hong Kong’s 18 designated post offices that issue Covid-19 vaccination record QR codes for anyone who received their jabs overseas. Some brought portable chairs and books, in anticipation of a long wait. Geraldine, who was…
Explainer: 7 charts showing voter demographics in Hong Kong’s first ‘patriots-only’ legislative election
Hong Kong’s first “patriots-only” Legislative Council (LegCo) election last December, held under a Beijing-mandated revamp of the electoral system that minimised the role of democrats, saw the lowest turnout in the city’s history. In seven graphs, HKFP takes a detailed look at the participation rate and other aspects of the poll. Low turnout rate among…
Explainer: Hong Kong’s national security crackdown – month 22
April 15 marked the second National Security Education Day in Hong Kong. The month also saw more blows to press freedom, with national security police arresting another journalist for allegedly publishing “seditious materials.” Press groups suspended awards, citing “red lines” and legal risks. HKFP continues its monthly round-up of developments. Press freedom Veteran journalist Allan…
In full: Winners of the axed FCC Human Rights Press Awards – revealed
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) scrapped the 2022 Human Rights Press Awards after defunct outlet Stand News was slated to win a number of prizes. It prompted a board member to step down and eight members of the club’s press freedom committee to resign. In a statement, the club cited legal risks and “red lines,” whilst…
Hongkongers take to the land to cultivate a sense of identity, as political expression withers
Sporting a face mask-induced sunburn and with a towel around her neck, Kelly Lau hacks away at the soil with a mattock. The 25-year-old is digging a ditch at a farm in Pat Heung, a village in Yuen Long, to stop crops being flooded during the rainy season. “Being a farmer is not romantic,” Lau…
Testing times: An unwanted ‘summer break’ for students in Covid-hit Hong Kong
“I guess time does fly. I don’t mean ‘time flies when we’re having fun’.” University entry exams began on Friday in Covid-hit Hong Kong, as schools resumed in-person teaching following a 38-day early “summer break.” HKFP spoke to two students who were left feeling confused, lost and frustrated during months of strict social distancing rules.…
Who is John Lee? 12 quotes from Hong Kong’s unopposed leadership hopeful
Hong Kong’s former chief secretary John Lee has officially thrown his hat into the ring for next month’s leadership race after he submitted 786 nominations on Wednesday. The 64-year-old is the sole hopeful in the small-circle election scheduled for May 8. Lee is on track to be elected the next chief executive by the 1,462…
Explainer: Hong Kong’s first small-circle leadership race since Beijing’s ‘patriots-only’ electoral overhaul
On May 8, Election Committee members will cast their ballots to determine – from one sole candidate – who leads the city for the next five years as Hong Kong holds its first small-circle leadership election since last year’s electoral overhaul. While the majority of electoral changes imposed by Beijing in March 2021 were related…
Covid-19: Arrivals and departures during Hong Kong’s fifth wave – explained in six graphs
After close to two years of keeping the Covid-19 pandemic under control, Hong Kong’s fifth wave led to over 1.1 million infections and almost 8,000 deaths, with mostly unvaccinated elderly residents falling victim to Omicron. Hong Kong has stuck with stringent travel restrictions and maintains some of the world’s strictest quarantine requirements. Rules were further…
5 years of Hong Kong under Carrie Lam – how many promises have been kept?
Carrie Lam took office as Hong Kong’s leader on July 1, 2017, after winning 777 votes from a 1,200-member Election Committee. In the five years since, the city has experienced great upheavals, including the protests and unrest of 2019, Beijing’s sweeping national security legislation and election overhaul, and the Covid-19 pandemic – the fifth and…
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