by Rachel Au (Originally published in 2020, updated in August 2023) Aside from being Hong Kong’s cradle for countless culinary ventures, Tai Hang is also home to one of the city’s most spectacular festivities– the annual Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. This Mid-Autumn Festival, treat yourself to a dazzling display of fire and fury, where around 300 people parade a 67-meter-long dragon lined with sticks of incense from head to tail, enshrouding the neighborhood in a warm, smoky glow. How the fire dragon dance began Legend has it that this 138-year-old tradition began when Tai Hang was struck with three consecutive disasters a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 19th century. Still a small Hakka village at the ...
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by Rachel Au (Originally published in August 2020, updated in July 2023) Traditional Chinese Medicine stands by the practice of eating with the seasons. As the Chinese saying 不時不食 goes (pronounced “bud si bud sik” in Cantonese), foods that are not in season should not be eaten. Eating foods that are in season have multiple benefits. Fruits and vegetables will taste better, grocery shopping will cost less, and the environment will fare better. Traditional Chinese medicine has its own arguments for eating with the seasons as well. Ancient Chinese medical practitioners found out that our dietary requirements change with the seasons, as our bodies have varying needs depending on the weather and climate. With summer being hot in most countries, ...
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Don’t forget – Mother’s Day is just around the corner! Got anything planned for the special lady in your life this May 9? If you mom is a foodie like we are, you’re going to find this gift guide very helpful. We’ve put together our favorite Mother’s Day gifts, treats, and deals available in Hong Kong, all of which your food-loving mom is bound to adore. 1. Morton’s The Steakhouse x CHANEL Beauty – Feast and look fab! Looking to pamper your mom inside and out? Morton’s The Steakhouse and CHANEL Beauty are here to help! The unlikely duo (classic steakhouse and iconic beauty brand) is/are partnering to give moms dining at Morton’s a complimentary eye make-up session CHANEL Beauty’s ...
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According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, we need to nourish our bodies with different foods each season, as our dietary requirements change with the weather. In spring, excessive humidity and dampness affects the circulation of qi and blood in our bodies, causing heaviness in our head and limbs and making us feel lethargic. This is why Chinese medical practitioners recommend that we eat foods that rid our bodies of all that extra dampness. Moreover, TCM puts forth that the liver and gallbladder are the organs of the season, meaning that foods eaten in spring should also support the two, besides addressing dampness. So what foods should you be eating this season? To make it easier for you, we’ve put together a ...
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The Year of the Ox is approaching fast! Chinese New Year is a very special time of year for Chinese communities across the globe, and certainly in Hong Kong. What’s more, many of us in Hong Kong get days off work to celebrate this festival! If you are looking for things to do in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year, we’ve got you covered. Whether you call the festival Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year, Spring Festival or Tết, you’ll want to check out our suggestions for the top things to do during Chinese New Year 1. Try your hand at making Nian Gao Superstition and tradition are closely connected, especially with the food that is eaten during Chinese New ...
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In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), food is seen as medicine that helps to balance and heal our bodies. In summer, sugarcane juice and bitter melon cool us down, while snake soup and lamb warm us up in fall and winter. Besides warming and cooling effects, foods have also been discovered to offer other benefits such as strengthening the kidneys and improving sleep quality. We understand how difficult it is to figure out what foods offer what benefits, and when it is best to eat them. To help you get started on your wellness journey, we have put together a list of foods to eat in winter, with reference to the ancient wisdom of TCM. 1. Daikon radish Daikon radish comes ...
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by Rachel Au Chinese New Year falls on February 12 in 2021. With the biggest holiday in Chinese culture just around the corner, it’s time to equip yourself with some Chinese New Year greetings to impress your friends and family! Here is our selection of the ten essential greetings you need to know. Learn to say these Chinese New Year greetings in Cantonese with the pronunciations provided! 1. 恭喜發財 Gong Hei Faat Choy Pronunciation: gong hei faat choy Meaning: Wishing you wealth and prosperity More about it: One of the most commonly used Chinese New Year greetings in Chinese communities around the world, “gong hei faat choy” is usually the first thing that’s said when Chinese people greet one another ...
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What is the Double Ninth Festival (重陽節)? Also called the Chung Yeung Festival and Chongyang Festival, the Double Ninth Festival is an ancient memorial festival that falls on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar. In 2020, the Double Ninth Festival falls on the 25th October in the Greogorian calendar. On this day, families visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects. People also go hiking together as heading to higher ground symbolizes climbing to a higher position in life and living longer. Chrysanthemums are also ubiquitous on the Double Ninth Festival, as the Festival takes place when the flowers are in full bloom. Drinking chrysanthemum wine and admiring chrysanthemums have thus become part ...
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Food is seen as a form of medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). What we eat serves to harmonize our bodies, minds, and spirits. Ancient Chinese medical practitioners discovered that our dietary requirements change with the seasons, as our bodies’ needs differ depending on the weather and climate. In fall, the cool and dry weather affects our lungs the most, as it is the uppermost organ and especially vulnerable to the wind and cold. If you’ve been coughing, wheezing, or experiencing a sore throat more often than usual during fall, it may be due to weakening lungs. To make sure your lungs and body are at their healthiest despite the autumn weather, check out our list of 10 foods to ...
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by Rachel Au An interesting sight appears every August in Hong Kong. Mooncake advertisements begin to line wall after wall at any given MTR train station, starring celebrities ranging from veteran comedian Eric Tsang to Japanese actress Alice Hirose. Such is the result of aggressive marketing campaigns by various Hong Kong bakeries, hoping to capture maximum market share during the sliver of time mooncakes are consumed – the Mid Autumn Festival. But what is the Mid Autumn Festival? Why do Chinese communities across the globe celebrate it with such enthusiasm? Here, we explore what the festival is and the legends behind it, each a story that has been passed down for generations. What is the Mid Autumn Festival? The Mid ...
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