Southside Mar 2017

FAMILY | FOOD | TRAVEL | ARTS & CULTURE

March 2017

Paint the town What’s on over art month

PLUS! Southside’s private membership clubs Matilda Hospital turns 110 years old Restaurants with a view Destination: Hoi An Inside SCAD

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The really useful magazine March 2017

PEOPLE 4 Snapped!

Southside’s social life.

THE PLANNER 6 Happening in March What’s on.

NEWS 10 What’s going on?

In your backyard.

GIVEAWAYS 12 Free stuff Fab things to win.

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

14 Eileen Tung Tai Tam resident and film star.

LOCAL 16 Duty-free shopping How property buyers are finding legal ways around Hong Kong stamp duty.

COVER STORY 18 Art month Must-see artists and exhibitions in the Southside.

FAMILY 26 Join the club The scoop on Southside’s private membership clubs.

READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS 36 Vote to win Have your say in our annual Southside awards.

EDUCATION 38 Behind the scenes at...

SCAD EATING 42 Point of view The best panoramas to whet your appetite.

BIG DAY OUT 52 Castle Peak Rory Mackay embarks on another adventure.

TRAVEL 54 Destination: Hoi An A trip to Vietnam’s ancient port town.

PETS 62 Ask Dr. Pauline “My dog struggles with noise. How can we help her to be less afraid?”

HOROSCOPES 64 You will meet a tall, dark stranger...

Adam White predicts your future.

ZIM-CITY 66 Paul Zimmerman wants to...

Save our country parks.

SOUTHSIDE SECRETS 72 Stray Birds 31 The first in a series on the Southern District Literary Trail.

HEALTH & BEAUTY 60 Medical attention Matilda Hospital celebrates 110 years.

“ANYONE WHO HAS NEVER MADE A MISTAKE HAS NEVER TRIED ANYTHING NEW.” — ALBERT EINSTEIN

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contributors

Ralph Kigisgt. eAllfter

Adam White

co ve r a rt ... is this m onth’s R a lp h hi n es e st u die s, efore g ra d u at in g in C d Hon g K on g, b n a a n hi C in d worke oodblock n to tra in a s a w g ’s m ov in g to Ja pa K on to d ep ict Hon g printe r. H e lik es r a e, in pa rt icul hills a n d coa st lin out hi s n g ba ys. C he ck ni n u st s e’ d si th Sou hkig g ell. co m work at www. ra lp

… is a H on g Ko ng -born write r, edito r a nd occa sio na l so ot hs ay er . H e th ou ght a bo ut sett in g up a fo rtu ne-t ellin g sta ll on Te m ple St reet, but it’ s a to ug h m ar ket out th ere.

Fo llo w hi m on Tw itt er a nd In sta gra m @a da m aw hit e a nd ch ec k out wh at he ha s to sa y a bo ut yo ur futu re th is m onth on p64.

Cindy SuCeinndy’s

M a n a g er. ... is ou r Des ig n e’ s a n life is food - sh in n io ss pa t a food re g h o will try a n y w r te ea s u ro u a dve nt fi n d h er ee ti m e, y ou ’ ll fr er h n I . ce u lg in g on a rath on s or in d m ie ov m g in wat ch g cl a y h a n dicra ft u si n h er pa ss io n fo r a n d leath er.

Want to write for Southside Magazine? Contact editorial@fastmedia.com.hk

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people Snaps from Southside

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say cheese

Share your event photos with us at editorial@fastmedia.com.hk. Get snapping!

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planner

MAR 3

Mums@PLAY Bazaar

Organised for mums, by mums, this event brings together small business vendors who do not have a store presence in Hong Kong for a day of shopping and networking. Food, fashion, handmade crafts and more. Free entry. 11am-7pm, El Charro, Shop 208, Cyberport. www.mums@play.com

MAR 1-9 Suits for Success Donate your old suits to charity so that they can be repurposed for great causes. This year’s collection is for a few different channels, including underprivileged youths attending internships and interviews, mothers looking to rejoin the workforce and asylum seekers & refugees attending training workshops.

Collection sites are dotted around Hong Kong but the main collection point is through Pure Yoga & Fitness centres. Organised by Women in Finance Asia.

To volunteer your time, email suitsforsuccesshk@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/S4SHK

MAR 4-17 Science Alive 2017 To encourage students’ participation in STEM education, Science Alive returns to Hong Kong with over 50 educational activities and workshops. The festival explores a range of topics including the earth, energy, dinosaurs, and more. Hong Kong Science Museum. For more information visit www.britishcouncil.hk

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MAR 6-17 Hong Kong International Young Readers Festival Encourage children to discover the joy of reading with a series of workshops, readings and even a chance to meet some of their favourite authors.

Visit youngreadersfestival.org.hk for programme details.

MAR 10-19 Hong Kong Flower Show Roses take centre stage at this year’s show, ‘Blossoms of Love’. Professional horticulturalists showcase their blooms and commercial stalls sell flowers and gardening products. Admission is $14, open from 9am until late. Victoria Park, Causeway Bay.

MAR 8 International Women’s Day Head to the Hong Kong Maritime Museum for a series of events to celebrate women’s contribution to one of Hong Kong’s oldest and most important sectors: seafaring. Secondary schools across Hong Kong are invited to participate in interactive careers workshops with women who currently work in the maritime industries. An evening lecture, “Women at Sea: Conversation with Women Seafarers”, is open to the public (6:30-8pm). RSVP required for both events. Interested schools and members of the public should contact education@hkmaritimemuseum.org

MAR 11 The Repulse Bay Wellness 360 Fair Health, fitness and wellness vendors, plus arts & crafts and activities for children. 11am-6pm, 109 Repulse Bay Road. Free entry.

Beach Yoga with Becky Fox

MAR 18

Yoga teacher, surf instructor and thai masseuse Becky Fox is starting regular morning beach yoga sessions around the Southside, including Repulse Bay. Sessions are an hour long and suitable for all levels, including total beginners. Pop along for a free trial session at 9.30am, Repulse Bay Beach, on the right side of the beach by Club One (look out for blue yoga mats). Mats are limited so bring your own if you have one, plus a towel and water. RSVP to becky@iseethesea.com. Sessions will be rescheduled if it is raining on the day.

happening in March UNTIL MAR 18 Hong Kong Arts Festival The 45th Hong Kong Arts Festival will showcase over 150 performances and over 250 special activities. This year will showcase two trilogies HKAF commissioned and produced, A Floating Family and New York’s Public Theatre, The Gabriels. Visit www.hk.artsfestival.org for more information.

MAR 18-26 Paws by the Sea Stanley’s annual doggie carnival is back - this time with an artistic spin and another imaginative Guinness World Records challenge: for the longest line of photo cut-out boards. Enjoy doggie art, architecture, seminars on training and nutrition, plus talent shows, games and workshops. www.linkhk.com

MAR 15-18 Hong Kong French Theatre Festival Back for a second year, this festival is organised

by Southside residents Sebastien and Beatrice Biessy. Enjoy five shows over four days (in French with English subtitles). All theatre companies are performing for free. Profits go to Pour un Sourire d’Enfant, a charity whose schools educate Cambodian children in need.

Book your tickets online at www.thkftf.com

MAR 16-19 Taste of Hong Kong A food lover’s paradise. Sample signature dishes from some of Hong Kong’s top restaurants and artisan producers at the festival. Central Harbourfront. $198 for weekend general admission on the door. Discounts for children, families and advance bookings. VIP tickets also available. For more information, visit hongkong.tastefestivals.com

MAR 17 The Irish Village 2017 Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with a five-piece Irish band, a full troupe of Irish dancers and an Irish comedy show featuring four celebrated Irish comedians. Plus food, drink and lashings of Irish hospitality. Entry is free and open to all. 6pm until late. Ocean View Court and adjoining terrace area at The Arcade, Cyberport. For further information, contact noelsmyth@delaneyspubs.com

MAR 25 Sous les déchets, La Plage Join members of Hong Kong’s French community for a half-day clean up of Hong Kong’s beaches. There are 26 teams taking part across Hong Kong, 16 of which are in the Southside. Open to all. For exact locations and to register, visit souslesdechetslaplage.hk

MAR 26 Mother’s Day (UK) Arrange some flowers and send her a card!

MAR 29 Shopping Hong Kong Spring Event Featuring new Spring Collections from vendors in every department including women’s, children, men, home accessories, jewelry and more. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to Hong Kong-based charity FOCUS, which promotes public awareness and understanding of AD/HD and SLD. Free admission. 10am-6pm, The American Club Tai Tam, Vista Ballroom. For information, email shoppinghongkong@gmail.com

MAR 17-20 Asia Contemporary Art Show: Spring Edition In it’s 10th edition, the show will allow collectors and buyers to browse and buy original paintings, limited edition, sculpture and photography pieces. This year’s event introduces two new features: China Perspectives - a collection of Chinese contemporary art - and Artist Projects - 30 art spaces dedicated to solo or joint artist presentations. General admission begins on Saturday, March 18. Tickets on sale for $220 (admits two if purchased online; admits one if purchased at the door) at www. asiacontemporaryart.com. Free admission for children under 16 accompanied by an adult.

40/F-43/F, Conrad Hong Kong, One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty.

MAR 18 Shi Fu Miz Southside Project A precursor to the Shi Fu Miz Festival in May. This day and night time costume party will be split between two spaces including an underground warehouse with international guests, artists and local djs. Sat, 4pm - Sun, 2am. Ovolo Hotel Southside, Wong Chuk Hang.

Tickets from $300 each at ticketflap.com/shifumiz-march

Children’s Bookfest at The Repulse Bay

MAR 26

Co-hosted with Bookazine. Head down to the Repulse Bay Arcade for a day filled with fun and book-related activities.

Enjoy storytelling sessions, arts & crafts, meetings and signings with authors, appearances by popular children’s book characters, an outdoor library, treasure hunt and prizes.

Not to mention, a wine and book tasting for the grown-ups.

Activities take place at The Palm Court, The Marquee and The Seaview Terrace. Free admission. To register, email enquiries@bookazine.com.hk. 11am to 5pm, 109 Repulse Bay Road. www.facebook.com/bookfestbybookazine

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planner MAR 18 - 26 HKwalls Street Art Festival 2017

Kong’s growing art community. Tickets start from $230 from www.ticketflap.com

A nine-day celebration of street art and creative collaboration in the industrial district of Wong Chuk Hang. The line-up includes live mural painting, a print exhibition featuring the artists and more. The Closing Block Party takes place at Ovolo Southside on March 26. www.hkwalls.org

MAR 20 Art Gallery Night Mix and mingle with fellow art lovers and enthusiasts. Participating member galleries of HKAGA will remain open until 8pm, with free special events and exhibitions such as performances and cocktail receptions for the whole community to enjoy. 6-8pm.

Free admission. No tickets/ registration required.

MAR 20-25 Art Central Art Central returns to Central Harbourfront for its third edition, featuring over 100 leading international galleries. Large-scale installations, performances, talks and panel discussions await Hong

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MAR 23 South Island Art Day Galleries and studios in the South Island Cultural District open their doors for the day. Visit exhibition openings, interact with artists, experience contemporary art, dance and music performances and enjoy free food and drink. Special events include HKwalls and a full art talk program organized by the Art World Forum.

Open to all, with free admission. 10am-2pm.

MAR 23-25 Art Basel The premier international art extravaganza returns for its fifth edition. With 242 galleries from 34 countries and territories, the fair includes large-scale sculptural installations and Art Basel Miami Beach’s Kabinett - a specially curated project with thematic group exhibitions, installations, collections of historical art material. Tickets range from $250-$650 and available from hkticketing.com or call 3128 8288.

MAR 24 Art Brunch Haven’t had enough art for one month yet? Art Brunch extends the fun and invites visitors to a morning of art and cultural events.

Around 40 galleries open their doors to early risers. Free, no tickets or registration required.

9am-12pm. To see a full list of participating galleries, visit www.hk-aga.org

happening in March

BOOK NOW APR 1 Sonar 2017

APR 7-9 Rugby 7s

Celebrating music, creativity and technology, Sonar debuts in Hong Kong with a lineup of live acts and DJs including DJ Shadow, Gilles Peterson and Dave Clarke. Tickets are $180780. 11am-3pm, Hong Kong Science Park, Sha Tin. www.sonarhongkong.com

Three days of beer, singing, dodgy dancing, fancy dress and not to forget the world-class rugby. Tickets are on sale for the city’s biggest sporting event, starting at $350-750 each and can be purchased at www.viagogo.com. Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, hksevens.com

APR 1 The Women’s Five A five-week running and yoga program which culminates in participants joining together for a 5km run through Aberdeen Country Park.

Launched in partnership with HK Running and yoga teachers and studios throughout the city, training includes videos, free classes and weekly meet-ups. Registration costs $800 per person and will be capped at 500 entries or 10 days before the run, whichever comes first. A fraction of the proceeds will go to RainLily, Hong Kong’s first one-stop crisis center for the protection of sexual violence victims. www.womensfive.com

APR 12-16 2017 UCI Track Cycling World Championships The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Track Cycling World Cup will be held in Hong Kong is back this year at the Tseung Kwan O Velodrome. Don’t miss the top riders from around the world battle it out for Olympic qualification points. Hong Kong Velodrome, 105-107 Ho Pong Road, Tseung Kwan O, www.trackworldcup.hk

APR 21-22 Shrewsbury International School Hong Kong Open House Meet the principal and team of this new international primary school at its Information Office in Central. Bringing 465 years of tradition and experience, the school plans to cater for students aged between 3 and 11 and will deliver a programme linked to the English National Curriculum. Select and confirm your place from Wednesday March 1. Visit www.shrewsbury.hk for more information.

Got an event? We can publish the details for free. Email editorial@fastmedia.com.hk.

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news

NEW GALLERY IN WONG CHUK HANG Wong Chuk Hang welcomes a new art gallery this month: de Saarthe Gallery. Relocating from Central, the gallery plans to open its doors on March 21.

De Sarthe Gallery was founded in 1997 in Paris, and later established galleries in America, Hong Kong and Beijing. Founder, Pascal de Sarthe, has over 40 years of experience in the art industry. Though his specialism is Impressionist masterpieces, in recent years he has focused on nurturing the younger generation, exploring new Chinese contemporary artists.

In fact, the inaugural exhibition, Reversal Ritual, invites five Hong Kong and Chinese emerging artists - Liang Ban, Mak Ying Tung, Tong Kunniao, Wang Xin, and Xin Yunpeng - to create multiple bizarre carnivalesque installations in response to “the Chinese new order”.

The gallery will also participate in Art Basel Hong Kong with 25 artworks by international renowned artists including Chu Teh-Chun and Atsuko Tanaka. Reversal Ritual runs from March 20 - May 13.

On March 17, Cali-Mex will open its first outlet in the Southside on Stanley Main Beach.

With table service, a bar and self-serve beer taps, Cali-Mex Stanley is to become one of the largest branches in the group. Tuck into a selection of Mexican classics (starting from $78) or opt for the grill menu which includes the 10oz grilled ribeye ($198), grilled chicken breast ($158) and grilled fish fillets ($148). The Stanley branch will also offer a weekend brunch ($238) from 11am to 4pm which includes free flow homemade chips and salsa, a main course, dessert and free flow drinks.

For those who don’t feel like venturing out of the house, Cali-Mex will also be offering free delivery in under 45 minutes to the whole of Southside, daily from 10am-10pm.

Order online at www.cali-mex.com

20/F Global Trade Square, 21 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 2167 8896, www.desarthe.com

NEW FITNESS FACILITY OPENS IN ONE ISLAND SOUTH

Trybe, a new movement training and event space opens this month in One Island South with its food and beverage partner, QUO HK. Offering an alternative to traditional fitness programs, Trybe’s daily classes in gymnastics, circus, dance, mobility, strength, and acrobatics ​ are designed to inspire both kids and adults.

Think backflips, Olympic weightlifting…

“The word tribe particularly appeals to us because of our diverse movement and fitness backgrounds,” says the team of seven cofounders, two of whom were behind Crossfit 852 and Aerial Arts Academy. “We are a team

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CALI-MEX COMES TO SOUTHSIDE

of professional athletes, performing artists, and teachers who have all worked in the field for over a decade. There is a large gap in our movement culture here and we want to provide a family friendly facility for high level training that simultaneously fosters creativity and community. Nobody should be left out.”

For information on weekly classes, youth programmes, speciality courses and workshops and special events, visit www.trybehk.com. Shops 209-210 2/F, 2 Heung Yip Road, One Island South, Wong Chuk Hang, 5532 6571.

NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK ON HONG KONG New illustrated children’s book Hong Kong from A to Z takes us on a colourful tour of the territory through a child’s eyes. The book follows the journey of a little girl, Ayma, and a lost frog, Romer (named after “Romer’s tree frog”, an endangered species found only in Hong Kong), to find the latter’s home. Along the way, they discover new places and experience the city’s rich culture. “My daughter Emma was born in Hong Kong and when she was a few months old, my husband and I started taking her to different places. I loved her curiosity and her sense of wonder and I really wanted to capture those emotions,” explains writer Ellen Ng. Illustrator Assia Bennani (founder of Marguerite & Gribouilli and Creative Director for Petit Bazaar) hopes that the book will appeal to children more than those of her own childhood, “I wasn’t a big reader as a child.

Maybe children’s books weren’t common in Morocco or were expensive at the time. I remember my parents reading me the traditional tales of Perrault, but I always found them to be very cruel - parents abandoning kids in the forest and wolves eating baby goats.”

Rest assured, there are no wolves in this tale.

Available to buy at Bookazine stores.

in your backyard

DINEART HOSTS NEW EXHIBITION

Combining a private kitchen with a gallery, this unique space blends both fine dining and an immersive art experience. Beginning March 20 the gallery will host a solo exhibition of new paintings by New Zealand-born artist Euan Macleod, inspired by a trip to China’s Yellow Mountains. The five-course menu this month features a pork loin wrapped in Guanciale ham,

a pasta course of ravioli with pesto sauce and ricotta cheese, Sicilian calamari and cherry tomatoes, a main course of breaded veal tenderloin and a creamy homemade tiramisu to finish off. Either a group of ten guests or a minimum spend is required.

16/F, Suite A Kwai Bo Industrial Building, Wong Chuk Hang, 2805 8555.

FLOODING AT SOUTH HORIZONS MTR STATION Last month, South Horizons MTR station was flooded in five inches of water thanks to a burst pipe. In pictures circulated online by passengers, water can be seen flooding the lobby and raining from the ceiling.

Normal service resumed after an overnight clean up although the lifts and escalators remained out of service.

In response to the flood, extra manpower was deployed and trains on the recently opened South Island Line were terminated at Lei Tung station, where an alternative shuttle bus service transported passengers heading towards the South Horizons area.

The Water Supplies Department said the private fresh water pipe, which runs to parts of the South Horizons estate, had been shut down. Two water trucks and eight tanks were sent to the affected areas.

Asked about the station’s waterproof design and capability, MTR’s Head of Operations Francis Li Shing-kee explained that this varied by station but committed to carrying out a review.

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win at www.southside.hk

GIVEAWAYS

enter to win!

Nude by Nature

The Optimist

Treasure Island

Australia’s #1 mineral makeup brand, Nude

by Nature, has officially arrived in Hong Kong.

The brand prides itself on being natural, 100% cruelty-free, and PETA-certified — best of all, it contains natural Australian ingredients that are great for your skin. We’re giving away a selection of products (highlight stick, eyeshadow trio, setting powder, BB cream and contour brush), worth $1,060, to one lucky winner.

Enjoy a Spanish brunch fit for a king (and his kingdom!) at The Optimist. Each brunch-goer gets to enjoy the cold buffet, a selection of shared starters, one delicious main and a dessert from the chef’s selection. One lucky reader will win a $1,000 brunch voucher (enough to cover two people for brunch, with a little to spare!)

Give a child an Easter break to remember at Treasure Island’s Spring Adventure Camp. Set on picturesque Pui O Beach, the week-long day camps include outdoor activities like kayaking, bike tours and hiking! Children aged 8 to 15 are welcome; one lucky child gets a free spot from us, worth $4,300.

Deadline: March 15

Deadline: March 30

Deadline: March 30

Bookazine

F45

In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8, Bookazine has compiled a list of ten inspiring books that highlight the lives and achievements of women from all over the world. The list includes Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, I Am Malala by Taliban shooting victim Malala Yousafzai, and The Female Lead: Women Who Shape Our World

by Edwina Dunn. 10 percent of sales made from this list until March 8 will be donated to local women’s charity HER Fund. We have two copies of The Female Lead, containing stories and portraits of 60 inspirational women, to give away.

F45 is the newest fitness sensation to take Hong Kong by storm, with three studios launched on Hong Kong Island within a year.

Originally from Australia, the functional training program consists of daily 45-minute long team training workouts. Rotating sixteen different

exercise programs, 2,500 moves, and interval training ensures that no workout at F45 is ever the same. Two lucky readers each get a twoweek pass to F45 Sheung Wan and Wan Chai.

Deadline: March 30

Deadline: March 30

Subscribe to our e-newsletter to get all our giveaways delivered straight to your inbox: www.southside.hk/subscribe 12 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

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five minutes with

EILEEN TUNG Publisher

The Taiwanese-born actress talks to Robyn Or about moving to Hong Kong to become a film star.

Tom Hilditch tom@fastmedia.com.hk

Editorial

Editor-in-Chief Shreena Patel shreena@fastmedia.com.hk Contributing Editor Callum Wiggins callum@fastmedia.com.hk Annie Wong annie@fastmedia.com.hk Carolynne Dear carolynne@fastmedia.com.hk Senior Staff Writer Eric Ho eric@fastmedia.com.hk

Design

Design Manager Cindy Suen cindy@fastmedia.com.hk

Hair styled by Calvin Chan@Mi Salon

Graphic Designer Anna Schulteisz anna@fastmedia.com.hk

Thanks to

Adam White Amanda Sheppard Belinda Bamford Graham Uden Kate Davies Dr Pauline Taylor Paul Zimmerman Ralph Kiggell Robyn Or Rory Mackay

Published by

Fast Media Floor LG1, 222 Queens Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Illustration by Ralph Kiggell

I was born in a military family in Taipei. My grandfather was the bodyguard of President Chiang Kai Shek and my father served in the air force.

My father died in a car accident when I was nine. My mother became working woman while my grandparents took care of my brother and I was sent to boarding school.

In boarding school, we lived like soldiers, strictly following the rules and the schedule. Every day I had to tidy my bed sheets like brand new and scrub my clothes.

I studied hotel management at university in Miami and would go back to Taipei every summer to visit my mum. While interning

14 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

at the Grand Hyatt Taipei, I organised a press conference for Hong Kong actor and singer Andy Lau. I was approached by a company for a movie character contract for The Most Wanted and flown to Hong Kong immediately for production.

In boarding school, we lived like soldiers.

I never thought of becoming an actress. My mother told me that once when I was six, we were at a restaurant and a TV commercial director approached her about casting me. I was also stopped in the street by scouts for modelling agencies, but my parents refused them all.

I am tough and independent but most of my characters are the other way round: quiet, sweet and gentle.

One of my favourite roles was Lok Mei (in Doctor Mack), a tough girl who arrives in Hong Kong from Mainland China and works as a prostitute to pay for her schooling.

I enjoyed playing the part of Lok Mei a lot because it showed the endeavour of a woman to fight for

too ra loo rye aye... a better life. The most difficult part of the role was learning how to smoke.

At the beginning, I cared so much about whether I looked pretty enough on camera.

But later, I realized that the audience was paying more attention to how I acted more than how I looked.

I have lived in Hong Kong for 22 years. We live in Tai Tam. Hiking to the reservoir with my dog is relaxing. My son plays and swims in Stanley in the summer.

I love Cantonese because it is really expressive and emotional. I had a private teacher when I arrived who just asked me to read out every single word in the newspaper.

Instead, I found that listening to radio, watching movies and dramas and chatting with locals is a far more efficient way to learn.

Being a mother has made me more understanding of my own mother - a tough and independent woman who raised her children single-handedly. Sadly, we didn’t spend much time together when I was young, so when my son turned 2 I decided not to

work overseas and spend more time with him.

Weekends are for family: my husband is often out of town for work but he must always be back by Friday.

Being a mother has made me more understanding of my own mother.

Being a celebrity in Hong Kong is not easy as there are paparazzi around. It’s part of my job and doesn’t inconvenience me much but it can affect my son who is now 13. He has become more conscious about his behaviour in public.

Competition for school places and the influence of the internet are the key problems facing Hong Kong parents. Our kids are under so much pressure to compete

for limited places from primary school to university. The internet is boundless and can expose kids to all sorts of things. But it also provides an opportunity to find out about what’s happening around the world. For example, my son and his classmates can discuss Donald Trump being President of the USA. I am still passionate about acting. In 2014, I took part in shooting The Neighbourhood on RTHK. It’s a 14-episode drama showing the human kindness and closeness of an old neighbourhood down from Victoria Peak.

In 2017, I will be performing on stage in Shanghai. The story is adapted from a movie in 1994 (Right Here Waiting). It’s about four best friends who want to find partners but eventually realize that nothing is better than being single.

I love Hong Kong. It’s where I started my career and found out who I am. The pace of life in Taiwan is much slower. The Taiwanese cherish quality of life in spiritual rather than material ways. I think I am a balance between Taiwanese and Hong Kongese.

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local

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The publisher, advertisers, contributors and their employees expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, whether a reader of this publication or not, in respect of any action or omission by this publication. Southside Magazine cannot be held responsible for any errors or inaccuracies provided by advertisers or contributors. The views herein are not necessarily shared by the staff or pubishers. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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HONG KONG HOMES: DUTY-FREE? The government has raised stamp duty in an effort to cool house prices, but wealthy buyers are finding legal ways around it. Eric Ho reports.

F

or the sixth consecutive year, Hong Kong has come out as the least affordable housing market in the world according to the annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey. Are loopholes in the city’s stamp duty regime helping to sustain these high property prices by allowing demand to remain high?

In an attempt to curb soaring prices, last November, the government increased the stamp duty to 15 percent for all except first-time buyers with Hong Kong permanent residency.

The government’s measure was originally aimed to help lowincome families own their first property and deter foreign buyers.

Instead, it has encouraged some buyers to dodge the tax altogether.

One of the trends is...buyers purchasing properties in the names of their children.

The recent sale of a property in the Southside provides a case in point. The mansion, situated along Headland Road complete with a view onto Repulse Bay, was sold for an estimated $670 million to an experienced buyer in Hong Kong (the estimation is based on similar properties within the neighbourhood). Assuming

the buyer has other properties in his name, the stamp duty would have cost $100.5 million. But the purchase was conducted through the acquisition of shares of an offshore company in whose name the property is registered, which meant the transaction occurred offshore and thus is exempt from the local stamp duty.

Utilising offshore companies for property transactions is just one way of avoiding the increased stamp duty. “One of the trends right now is buyers purchasing properties under the names of their children and simultaneously having their lawyers draw up a Power of Attorney for their children to sign. This allows them to continue making decisions on the property without strictly ‘owning it’”, says Lily Wong, Associate Director of the

home affairs Residential Division at OKAY.com.

A high profile purchase by Edwin Leong Siu-hung, founder of Tai Hung Fai Enterprise, highlights another possible loophole. Tai Hung Fai Enterprise is one of the largest real estate developers in Hong Kong and handles hundreds of properties under its portfolio.

Leong became the owner of Asia’s most expensive residential property last November when he purchased three units grouped under a single agreement for $1.22 billion. As Leong had no properties under his own name and as a result of group purchasing, all three units were exempt from the stamp duty - a saving of $132.5 million.

According to Wong, the avoidance of stamp duty is still infrequent and isolated enough (in the higher end of the market) that it is not to blame for higher prices overall. “From my observations, the loopholes are mostly used in the luxury sector as these are the clients who tend to be owners of more than one property, with extra cash for investment.

In fact, for every 10 owners of luxury homes, The government has now increased stamp more than five are multiple property owners. duty for the second time in three years, but Prices in the lower end of the market are so far it has done little to wane buyer interest. largely unaffected”, she says. “Overall, it “Price is secondary for high-end buyers,” says depends on how much this loophole continues Wong, who forecasts this will remain the case to be exploited alongside other economic in the luxury property market. “At the very fundamentals and government policies.” prices SouthStream Ad_19x12_O.pdf 1 17/2/17 least, 10:47 am for the luxury market will hold

strong as supply remains low and demand remains high.”

Got a local story?

Have your say by emailing editorial@fastmedia.com.hk

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cover story

Art month: to

Art month has arrived! Amanda Sheppard picks three exhibitions not to miss in the Southside.

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Photo by HKWALLS

op picks

paint the town

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cover story

KATIE GRAHAM, WATERCOLOUR ARTIST With South African roots, German heritage and 25 years spent abroad, watercolour artist Katie Graham thinks her hybridised identity is best represented by one of her favourite painting subjects: the zebra.

Now based in Chung Hom Kok, Graham worked in publishing and experimented with photography before painting drew her away from the digital realm.

Inspired by the bold brushstrokes in Chinese art, her watercolour paintings reflect her strong feelings on conservation and awareness of poaching and the prevalence of the illegal ivory trade in the city she now calls home.

Are you participating in any exhibitions during Art month?

How would you describe the art community in Southside, outside of Wong Chuk Hang?

For more information visit www.instagram.com/bykatiegraham

I have a couple of close friends who share my passion for art and creativity, but I have not found there to be a ‘community’ here.

The South Island Cultural District only includes galleries within Wong Chuk Hang and Tin Wan - it’s quite self contained.

Either the wider community is a well kept secret, or I am missing it because I am isolated in my studio most of the time!

Has Hong Kong influenced you stylistically?

Living here has given me more exposure to Chinese art and the magic of spontaneous watercolour painting. As an obsessor of light, I find the light in Hong Kong inspiring.

It can be magical or it can be dull and stifling. This contrast in light quality means I never take the warm glowing morning or evening light conditions for granted.

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A selection of my paintings are on show in an exhibition entitled African Spirit at the Cat Street Gallery from March 9, in association with The Elephant Society and Elementz Travel. At this rate, elephants will be extinct within a decade which means my own daughters might never see an elephant in the wild. We are collaborating to promote awareness of Hong Kong’s critical position within the illegal ivory trade and to encourage people not to buy ivory and to support the front line defenders in Africa fighting the war against poaching.

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cover story

HKwalls The HKwalls festival is a live painting street art event that’s coloured the walls (and shutters) of Stanley Market, Sheung Wan and Sham Shui Po. The festival was co-founded by Jason Dembski in 2014, a former architecture student who moved to Hong Kong from the United States.

Having honed his passion for graffiti and street art stateside, Dembski was immediately drawn to the local street art scene in Hong Kong and began to document it in his photography blog, HK Street Art. He became ingrained in the street artist community, collaborating on the Work In Progress exhibition in 2013, which paved the way for HKwalls.

This year, the festival takes place in Wong Chuk Hang from March 18-26.

Dembski plans to launch workshops for schools in the Southside later this year.

Plans for an artist residency and exchange program are also in the pipeline. We ask him about this year’s festival...

How difficult has it been to get permission to paint on these walls?

Operating in an industrial neighbourhood this year, as opposed to the previous areas (which have all been residential), has been more difficult. Sometimes, 100 people can own one building; we can’t just walk in and get permission in 30 seconds. But everyone we’ve spoken to - businesses and the people in the neighbourhood - has been very supportive and enthusiastic.

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There’s been an open call for participation...

The whole point of the open submission was to find people we aren’t already aware of.

I suppose it helps a bit if there’s some past connection to street art or graffiti, but it’s not a prerequisite. We’re open to collaborating with media artists, performers...we’re just trying to see what’s out there. At the moment, we’re looking at involving around 20 artists.

The HKwalls festival is held during Art Month each year…

That’s because during Art Month we found there wasn’t much happening to street art, graffiti, murals, or anything exterior or open to the public. Most of the events were either ticketed and about selling art or VIP parties.

We saw a gap.

What made Wong Chuk Hang the right fit?

We wanted a change of scenery, but it’s also because of the art scene and the creative community that’s here. There is a creative culture in the neighbourhood, but most of it is kept indoors, so we thought this could be a nice compliment.

For more information, visit www.hkwalls.org

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cover story

FLOATING PROJECTS COLLECTIVE Floating Projects is an artist collective in Wong Chuk Hang: a place where artists can keep making art and generating ideas, even if they aren’t famous enough to get attention from curators.

It was formed in 2010 by Professor Linda Lai (of The Chinese University of Hong Kong) and three of her Master’s students in need of a public portfolio of work. On completion of their studies, the collective was left seemingly without purpose; that is, until its overhaul in 2014.

That year, Occupy Central was the catalyst for a new wave of creative energy in the city which inspired Lai to reopen the space as a café and open area for people to sit, read, talk and enjoy the art around them.

In fact, the Cantonese name of Floating Projects means ‘Occupation Points’.

The collective, although located in the increasingly gentrified artistic hub of Wong Chuk Hang, is a far cry from the minimalist, white spaces of many of its neighbours.

The space is furnished and renovated with predominantly second-hand items. It relies on donations from visitors to continue functioning.

This month, the collective showcases the works of select media artists. The exhibition centres upon the notion of ‘expanded cinema’, which questions and challenges the way that video work is conventionally experienced - within the four walls of a theatre - by manipulating environment, displays and more. We speak to Artistic Engineer Wong Chun Hoi, who helped relaunch the collective.

Prints charming Like to wear your art?

Print House

What are the biggest hurdles the experiment is currently facing?

Money and rent. We are very practical but we rely on physical space for making artwork and trying out new ideas, especially media art which can entail large projections and installations.

How has the MTR changed the area for artists?

What are the core foundations of the Floating Projects Collective?

I have lived in the Southern district since I was born. Most of my friends who didn’t live here used to think of it as being on the periphery of Hong Kong, but not anymore.

It’s become a lot noisier, which is an issue for me as I am also a sound designer and engineer, but, of course, as artists we are part of the gentrification process.

We don’t write any proposals for government grants. We wanted to explore the other possibilities for artists to sustain themselves; it’s an experiment – to see if an alternative art space can survive like this.

Room D, 8/F,Kwai Bo Industrial Building, No.40 Wong Chuk Hang Road.

Open daily, 2-8pm, 9030 6444 / 6421 8378 www.floatingprojectscollective.net

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Print House offers custom t-shirt design and printing. “It’s a very affordable form of art,” says Co-founder, Hughie Doherty.

“With a t-shirt, it’s much easier to make the decision to buy and once you have it, you can use it as much or as little as you like.”

Since moving to Wong Chuk Hang, the team has bid farewell to the tourist trade, focusing more on artist collaborations, local customers, workshops and school visits.

Head to the Open Day in March during the HKwalls festival to print your own tee and enjoy live painting on the balcony by one of the HKwalls artists. See the website for further details. www.printhou.se

Louella Odié Brought to you by mother-daughter team Karen and Lauren Mead, Louella Odié creates handbags, scarves and other lovely things using original prints which Karen (mum) creates in the brand’s island studio.

“Printmaking is a process of multiples so the price of an individual image is likely to be less than that of a painting. This democratic aspect of the art makes it very attractive,” says daughter, Lauren. The new collection launches online and in shops on March 20 and is full of vibrant, fun prints for summer. The next pop-up will be in early April in Wong Chuk Hang - email info@louellaodie.com for more details. www.louellaodie.com

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family

CLUB HOPPIN’

Eric Ho explores what Southside’s private membership clubs have to offer.

Established in 1851 in Chater Road, Central, the HKCC is the oldest cricket club in Asia. It had a pitch in Chater Gardens until 1975, when it moved to Wong Nai Chung Gap. DotCod, the club’s Central seafood restaurant and oyster bar in Prince’s Building, is a relic of those days and is open to the public.

Clubhouses 137 Wong Nai Chung Gap Road, www.hkcc.org Facilities Cricket, rugby, golf simulators, putting area, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, squash, three all-weather tennis courts, table tennis, bar, tenpin bowling alley, pool, jacuzzi and sauna facilities, gym, bridge, dance classes, dodgeball, games room, snooker room, video library, children’s playroom.

Joining fees $238,000 (subscriber), $1,288,000 (perpetuity corporate nominee) Monthly fees $1,625.

Waiting list Around three and a half years.

No. of memberships Over 2,300.

Top tip Those who win a place in the main sports team (cricket, hockey, lawn bowls,

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Photo credit: Chan Lup Hang Harry

Hong Kong Cricket Club

netball, rugby, squash or tennis) may obtain accelerated sporting membership.

Did you know…11 of the 13 members of the Hong Kong cricket team died when the P&O

Steamship, SS Bokhara, sank in a typhoon on October 10, 1892. The team was returning from a match against Shanghai. Another 114 people also perished.

s club heaven Aberdeen Boat Club

members at reduced rates (those aged between nine and 21 can join with no entrance fees and a monthly subscription of $200).

Rates based on age group.

Did you know…The old ABC Nissen hut appears in Enter the Dragon (1973) starring Bruce Lee.

Shek O Golf & Country Club

Photo credit: Ivan Chen

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the ABC prides itself on its friendliness, with happy groups thronging The Gallery’s alfresco terrace overlooking Aberdeen Harbour on weekends.

More than just boating there is also dinghy and keelboat sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, dragonboating, SUP, fishing and scuba diving.

Land-based activities include golf, karate and yoga. It runs regular regattas plus the Four Peaks Race, an overnight sailing and hill-climbing race up four mountains and the more leisurely Classic Yacht Rally. Its sailing, kayaking and windsurfing courses are also open to non-members of all ages and abilities.

It has a reciprocal arrangement with Hebe Haven Yacht in Sai Kung.

Clubhouses Aberdeen and Middle Island, www.abclubhk.com Facilities Moorings, junk, dinghies, kayaks, paddle boards, dragon boat and keelboat, fitness centre, squash court, heated swimming pool, table tennis, table football, darts, snooker, library, playground.

Joining fees $5,000 (legacy) to $72,500 (Associate). $800,000 (Corporate debenture).

Monthly fees $1,350, plus a $350 minimum spend on food and beverage and $288 building levy.

Waiting list Only a few months, depending on category of membership applied for.

No. of memberships 1,280.

Top tip The new Youth Membership Scheme allows those aged under 29 to become

Unless you own property in Shek O or are particularly well-connected, the view of the Shek O Golf & Country Club from the Dragon’s Back is likely to be the closest you get to it. Established in 1919 and privately owned

by Shek O Development, it has the fewest members of any club on our list. It’s small but beautiful, with a golf course along the coast, red-roofed colonial clubhouse and terrace overlooking Tathong channel.

Clubhouses 5 Shek O Road, Shek O, 2809 4458.

Facilities 18-hole golf course, 10-bay driving range, swimming pool, pro shop, coffee shop, lounge bar, function room and halfway house.

Fees Your guess is as good as ours.

Waiting list You could be waiting a lifetime.

No. of memberships Just a few hundred.

Top tip Guests must be accompanied by a member. At the sixth hole (“Land’s End”) players must drive across an ocean inlet.

Did you know…Located around the club are 26 expensive homes, whose owners are closely vetted by Shek O Development, which sublets the land. The vetting process still remains a mystery.

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family

Hong Kong Country Club Opened in 1962 to break down social barriers between residents of all nationalities and races, the Hong Kong Country Club pioneered a cosmopolitan approach. Its membership system still reflects this, with applications dependant on openings in the relevant nationality quota. Staff tend to stay a decade or more, building relationships with members, and creating friendly, tight-knit environment.

Recent renovations have given the club a new lease of life, although the highlight is still the

large lawn running down to Deep Water Bay. Clubhouses 188 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Deep Water Bay. Facilities Lawn, seven tennis courts, squash courts, health centre, bowling alley, swimming pool, multi purpose courts, activities room, snooker, indoor and outdoor children’s area, teen room, pro shop. Six F&B outlets.

Joining fees $450,000 (ordinary membership), $5 million (corporate nominee) Monthly fees $2,300.

Waiting list 10 years minimum.

No. of memberships 2,000.

Top tip Outstanding sportsmen and women aged 16-28 may be eligible for Junior Sports Membership ($200 entrance fee, plus $200 per month; 15 spaces).

Did you know…In 2010, the then French consul general was ejected from the club and later sent home to Paris - after being caught trying to steal two bottles of red worth up to $50,000 from the Wine Cellar.

Waiting list Membership is by Invitation only.

No. of memberships Around 3,600.

Top tip All non-members must be accompanied by members and may be

subject to extra charges Did you know…When it opened, full debentures cost about $50,000.

Aberdeen Marina Club Founded in 1984, Aberdeen Marina Club is one of the newest and most polished clubs on the Southside. With eight restaurants, a children’s Adventure Zone, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and various racquet sports, you won’t be bored. The club even has its own ice-skating rink. Managed by Shangri-la international, memberships is by invitation only. Interested parties are required to write a letter of introduction for the club’s consideration.

Clubhouses 8 Shum Wan Road, Aberdeen, www.aberdeenmarinaclub.com Facilities Swimming Pools, Fitness Centre, Health Club/Spa, Childrens Play Area Tennis, Squash & Badminton, Bowling Alley & Billiards Room, Chill Zone Hair & Beauty Salon, Pro-shop, Video Shop.

Joining fees Everfine Membership Services Ltd. has individual and corporate membership available for $2,650,000 (excluding transfer fees). Transfer fees start at $1,150,000.

Monthly fees $2,280.

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family The American Club Founded in 1925, this member-owned club offers a small taste of home to Americans (apparently the burgers are particularly good), though there are membership options for non-US citizens as well. Its two clubhouses in Central and Tai Tam provide contrasting views of Hong Kong and the club has reciprocal agreements with over 80 other clubs across the globe. It also has a private box at the Happy Valley Racecourse.

Clubhouses Town Club, Exchange Square, Central; Country Club, Tai Tam; www.americanclubhk.com Facilities The Country Club is set on 3.5 acres in Tai Tam and has four restaurants, six tennis courts, fitness centre, clifftop spa, three-storey playzone and teen hangout, swimming pool, ballroom and a hair salon.

Joining fees $438,000 (American Individual) US citizens only, $2 million (corporate).

Monthly fees $2,420.

Waiting list 2-3 years for individual memberships, 3 months wait for corporate debentures and temporary memberships.

No. of memberships 3,000 Top tip The one-year temporary membership ($45,600 annual fee, plus $1,800 a month) is open to all nationalities.

Did you know…The American Club serves 250,000 meals a year.

Established in Happy Valley in 1889 by “thirteen golfing enthusiasts”, the Hong Kong Golf Club dropped the “Royal” from it’s name in 1996, ahead of the handover. Home of the Hong Kong Open since 1959, the waiting list for this exclusive golf club is said to be about 20 years. Li Ka-shing, who lives a few minutes away, is reported to be first on the Deep Water Bay course in the morning.

Clubhouses Deep Water Bay, Fanling www.hkgolfclub.org Facilities Nine-hole golf course (Deep Water Bay), three 18-hole golf courses (Fanling), 32-bay range, futsal court, street hockey court, two basketball courts, two tennis courts, coaching, golf shop, swimming pool, reading room, Mahjong room, children’s playroom, billiard room, chess room, gym, sauna, restaurant, pub.

Joining fees Everfine Membership Services Ltd. has corporate memberships available for $16 million.

Monthly fees $3,000 (marriage), $2,210 (single).

Waiting list Up to 20 years.

No. of memberships Around 2,200.

Top tip Visitors are welcome at Deep Water Bay on weekdays (excluding public holidays), 9am-2pm. A handicap certificate is required,

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Photo credit : birdiegolfblog.com and deepsea_dweller - watchuseek.com

Hong Kong Golf Club

tipping of caddies is prohibited and there’s a strict dress code.

Did you know…The 10th hole at Fanling is called “Tommy Tucker”. From the tee, the view of the green is obstructed by a hill, which a caddy would climb to check if the fairway was clear and the player would shout, “Tak ng tak ah?” which meant “Can I hit it?”.

Through the backdoor Many clubs have reciprocal agreements with clubs in other countries, so if you hold any other memberships, check if you are entitled to use facilities here.

Phone a friend - most clubs allow members to bring a guest.

Sign up for a course. Some clubs open their facilities to non-members for free.

Sports clubs may offer fast-track membership to good players, although practice requirements may apply.

Show them the money. Those with the cash may be able to buy their way in by purchasing or renting a transferable membership on the secondary market.

However transfer fees can be steep: the Hong Kong Golf Club transfer fee is $3.1 million for one membership listed by Everfine Membership Services Ltd., www.evergolf.com.hk Many clubs have venues available for private hire for weddings or parties.

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family Other options that won’t break the budget

Victoria Recreation Club Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Founded in 1890, this is one of the largest yacht clubs in the world. It was the only Hong Kong club that kept the”Royal” in its title posthandover, although its Chinese name is simply the Hong Kong Yacht Club. Unsurprisingly, membership is contingent on an interest in rowing or sailing. The club offers sailing courses to non-members, though priority is given to members. Sitting under the umbrellas on the terrace of its Middle Island clubhouse is surely one of the most relaxing spots on Southside.

Clubhouses Kellett Island, Causeway Bay; Middle Island, Repulse Bay; Shelter Cove, Sai Kung; www.rhkyc.org.hk Facilities Sailing, rowing, dragonboating, moorings, berths (Shelter Cove), restaurants;

Kellet Island has four restaurants, a swimming pool, bowling alley, squash courts, snooker room, gym, book and video libraries and hardstands.

Joining fees $125,200 (married), $83,000 (single), $2.22 million (corporate nominee).

Monthly fees $1,350 (married), $1,045 (single) - same for corporate nominee.

Waiting list 4-6 weeks.

No. of memberships 12,000 members including overseas.

Top tip Crossed cheque deposit from $2,000 (varying depending on membership type), short term no joining fee required.

Did you know…The front of Kellet Island is believed to be the only original landscape on the Hong Kong harbour waterfront.

Maggie & Rose Originating from London, Maggie & Rose opened its first international branch in Hong Kong back in late 2015. The 9,000 sq-ft Hong Kong beach club is located on the third floor of the pulse with views over Repulse Bay and the South China Sea. Membership at the club covers the entire immediate family: up to four children, plus parents, carers, and grandparents. Prospective members must be proposed by an existing member.

Clubhouses The pulse, 301 (3/F), 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, hk.maggieandrose.com Facilities Themed play booths including scrabble, lego, graffiti, library and dolls house. There is also a movie room, plus art and cooking studios, with daily activity programmes. A large soft play area houses a ball pond, rope bridges and walkways, while the 7,000 sq-ft roof terrace includes a secret garden, alfresco dining, mud kitchen, outdoor play and a mini race-track. Holiday Kids’ Camps, brasserie, bespoke events and children’s birthday parties are also available.

Monthly fees $1,800 (includes four activities per month) to $8,000 (unlimited activities).

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Founded in 1849 in Victoria harbour as the Victoria Regatta Club, the VRC now has two clubhouses: Deep Water Bay and Tai Mong Tsai in Sai Kung. It focuses on rowing of all descriptions - rowing, paddling, canoeing, kayaking, dragonboating - and open-water swimming. It hosts annual Deep Water Bay Dragon Boat Regatta, to be held on April 23 this year. Membership is $30,000 for an associate member, plus $1,430 per quarter, and less for sporting members, children (age 5-17) and junior members (age 18-28).

Details at victoriarecreationclub.com.hk

St Stephen’s Beach Water Sports Centre The former British military sailing club in Stanley is now a government-run water sports centre, which runs public training courses and fun days and rents out kayaks, dinghies and windsurfers at bargain rates.

Participants must be aged eight or above and able to swim 50 metres. Enroll online, in person, by mail or by phone. Wind conditions may vary: the bay is relatively calm in autumn, which is a good time for novices to learn the basics; choppy seas in summer are ideal for those wanting to test their skills. The centre is open Wednesday to Monday 8:30am-5pm (closed Tuesdays).

Details at www.lcsd.gov.hk

The Open Water Swimmers of Hong Kong

Waiting list Yes, it fluctuates monthly as the club reviews usage by members.

No. of memberships Over 300.

Top tip Membership includes 10 guest passes per year and an access package to Maggie & Rose’s Kensington and Chiswick clubs in the UK. Did you know…There are plans to open a city club and a country club.

This friendly group of swimming enthusiasts meets at 8:30am every Sunday morning at the main entrance to Repulse Bay beach.

Run by seasoned swimmer Ian Polson, there is no joining fee but all swimmers must use a safety buoy (provided).

Swimmers are split into three groups based on ability; newcomers must be able to swim two kilometres non-stop. On public holidays the group holds “adventure swims” in different locations. www.openwaterswimmershongkong.com, 9094 2101.

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education

CREATIVE CREATURES

Kate Davies visits the Savannah College of Art and Design where the next generation of artistic talent is being nurtured.

T

ucked away on Tai Po Road is the former North Kowloon Magistracy.

The historical building erected in neoclassical style in the sixties was once devoted to dispensing justice to small time criminals. Today it houses the Hong Kong campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), a university established in the U.S. that doesn’t teach law and order but rather is focused on grooming professionals that will go on to do justice for creative businesses and industries around the globe.

“We have a long history of historic restoration at SCAD”, says John Paul Rowan,

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vice president of strategy and innovation at SCAD. “Of the 115 buildings [we occupy] everything apart from four are historic structures”. Rowan was heavily involved in the development of the Hong Kong site. He and I are talking in Courtroom number 1, which still very much resembles the original space, complete with teak floors, prisoners dock, security bars and an iron gate. There is also a fabric chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a large decorated commemorative horse watching us intently from a ledge above the doorway that are both creations of SCAD alumni. In fact, the entire building

is a compromise between the modern and historical. The bronze-studded panel doors at the main entrance, the natural granite staircases, the main courtroom and an original detention cell have all been carefully restored, this is offset by every available inch of visible wall space filled with pieces of art by current students and alumni. SCAD’s efforts have been recognized by the UNESCO AsiaPacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation for their impressive revitalisation.

The Hong Kong campus is one of four the university runs. Students can attend the school from the Savannah or Atlanta campuses in

illustrating the point North America or Lacoste, France; and if they can’t make it to any of those there is also an e-learning option. “Why Hong Kong?”

I ask. “We saw interest [in SCAD] from all over Asia, but students didn’t end up joining because the school was just too far away”, says Rowan. He goes on to tell me that Hong Kong had a “special vibrancy” and that they thought they could offer something unique that wasn’t available here. “We are the largest non-profit art and design university in the world. That allows our students to have hyper-specialisations”. In essence this means that students do not enroll to SCAD to earn a broad degree in film for example. The size of the school allows the students to major in specialisations that run the gamut from visual effects to motion media design, 2D animation, 3D animation, stop motion animation, directing and producing among many others. Currently the school offers more than 40 degree programs including building, communication, entertainment, liberal and fine arts as well as design, fashion, digital media and foundation studies.

The courses at SCAD are global in a very real sense of the word. “Once a student is admitted to SCAD, they are admitted to all the locations,” Rowan tells me. “With just one week’s notice, when a new term is starting, a student can apply to join another campus where the housing costs and tuition are the same. Students are encouraged to take advantage of all the locations to get as much of a global perspective as possible.” Faculty on the other hand are encouraged to be as contextual as they can with the location they are in. In terms of Hong Kong, SCAD’s fashion department really lucks out. Being based in

Once a student is admitted to SCAD, they are admitted to all the locations.

Sham Shui Po means they have the “best fabric sourcing in the world on their doorstep”, Rowan explains. “That, and Hong Kong has a great tailoring tradition.” He tells me they hold

fine art exhibitions around Hong Kong, with a recent exhibition in Pacific Place repurposing old switch gears donated by China Light and Power (CLP). Students made them into kinetic sculptures, “one even turned them into a fountain, which was pretty cool.” SCAD are also the official education partner for Art Central and they collaborate with the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre. With March being a big month for art in Hong Kong I did ask if they had anything planned but Rowan refused to disclose anything in detail just yet. “Stay tuned”, he says “they’re going to be really good”.

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education The collaborations don’t stop there. One of the components that SCAD focuses on is adapting these skills for the professional world. “From the very first class you’re building a resume”, Rowan tells me. Every student has a ‘Student Success Advisor’ (as opposed to a general advisor) and a faculty advisor just within the student’s discipline.

On top of that, once the student has an idea of what career opportunities are, SCAD tries to connect the student with someone in the school who has career experience they want to replicate or experience in a company they want to work for. Students are also expected to hit the ground running, professionally speaking.

“We don’t wait until students graduate to have them working with companies in Hong Kong.

They work with HSBC, CLP, MTR, Hallmark cards, Coca Cola and Yves Saint Laurent [among others]”. Many of these companies go on to hire students after graduation. In fact, the SCAD prospectus states that in an alumni survey, 98 percent of the Spring 2015 graduates were employed, pursuing higher education or both within 10 months of graduation. To add to the ‘real world’ element of the schooling, many of SCAD’s faculty are ex-professionals who have come full circle to teach the next generation their craft.

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illustrating the point I didn’t meet any faculty on my tour of the campus but I did peer into a classroom filled with a dozen trendily dressed fashion students who didn’t notice my face peering through the glass as they busily chatted to each other over a project. The classes are kept very small on purpose I’m told, with a maximum of 20 students although the average is 12.

For those taking visual effects, animation, and motion media design programmes, the school also has a fully equipped Green Screen Studio while in the homework lab students have access to industry standard Wacom tablets and custom Apple Mac and Hewlett Packard machines, made for SCAD specs. Throughout the campus are little study nooks and interestingly decorated spaces for students to gather and while the furniture in the Hong Kong building is mainly bought, some of the furniture in the Savannah campus is made by the students and purchased from them. It’s all part of the process of teaching students business practices in how to sell their creations and

price them appropriately. On the ground floor is the original, though, refurbished cafeteria and the library, which, although it may appear small at first, is home to 15,000 circulating volumes, more than 100 periodicals, plus it has access to around 400,000 e-books.

Students can also request books from other campuses that can be sent over. “We try to make sure that students have any resource they could possibly need for any project they want to take on”, Rowan explains.

So, who are the students?

“The type of students that want to come to SCAD are those who are incredibly creative, great problem solvers and who want to be innovators,” Rowan tells me. “I want passion, we can’t teach that. I can teach you everything else, I really can.” From what I can see, there is no shortage of passion here.

Readers' Choice Awards 2017

School Report

Established: 1978 Class size: Faculty to student ratio: 1:19 Curriculum: B.F.A., M.A., M.F.A. Fees 2017/2018: Various undergraduate and graduate options, check website for details Non refundable capital levy: N/A Address: 292 Tai Po Road, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon Tel: 2253 8044

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WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 41

eating

A ROOM WITH A VIEW Enjoy a bite to eat plus the best vistas in Hong Kong. aqua Located on the top level of One Peking, aqua has panoramic views of Hong Kong Island.

The restaurant combines Japanese and Italian flavours to conjure up dishes like grilled umami Hokkaido scallop, roasted turkey breast and grilled Japanese sea bass. The brunch menu is designed to be shareable: it starts with an unlimited medley of Italian appetisers, including parma ham, Mazzancolle Sicilian red prawns and sushi and sashimi platters, followed by a primi course of handmade Italian pasta, main course and finishes with the restaurant’s signature dessert platter. ($498 brunch only, $598 with free-flow Veuve Clicquot, sake and cocktails).

29-30/F, One Peking, Tsim Sha Tsui, 3427 2288, aqua.com.hk

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panorama special

Cococabana Mediterranean Restaurant A great hideaway on Shek O Beach that counts Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson amongst its past clientele. The restaurant boasts a panoramic terrace and a 360 degree view of the beach. Headed by Chef Jean Paul Gauci, and inspired by his background, Cococabana serves up a delicious fare of French-Mediterranean cuisine using fresh seafood. The menu features French classics like bouillabaisse, pan-fried duck liver and grilled whole sea bass flamed with Pastis.

Vegetarian and gluten-free options and a kids’ menu available. Order a la carte or opt for a set menu (available weekdays, starting at $370 for three courses). Open daily, noon-11pm. Booking is recommended, especially at weekends.

G/F Shek O Beach Building, Shek O Beach, 2812 1826, www.toptables.com.hk/coco

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eating Above & Beyond Hotel ICON’s signature Cantonese restaurant offers a fresh angle of Victoria Harbour from its perch on the 28th floor. Nearly every seat in the luxurious restaurant faces the panoramic floorto-ceiling windows, showcasing the skyline by day and the light show by night. It’s an all day affair here, starting with sophisticated dim sum followed by afternoon tea, dinner and finishing with drinks at the adjacent bar. No matter what time of day you visit, expect creative dishes, a premium tea menu and an exciting mix of wines and liquors, including Chinese varieties such as Grace Vineyards.

This month, the restaurant welcomes chef Andrew Wong who will present a three-day pop up of his London restaurant A.Wong. Wong’s

CRFT-PIT specially crafted tasting style menu is available from March 30 – April 1 and includes a Forbidden City Champagne cocktail on arrival.

The main menu is served in five categories (egg, sea, pork, beef and chicken), with each dish inspired by a specific region of China.

Highlights include Andrew’s 63 degree tea egg, bao chicken with hot pot aroma and smoked chicken and sweet corn soup, foie gras cappuccino. Available March 30 - April 1 (dinner only), $688 per person (an extra $288 each for the wine pairing).

28/F, Hotel ICON, 17 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 3400 1318, www.hotel-icon.com

Smoked meat specialist CRFT-PIT sets out to supply Hong Kong’s top restaurants with traditional Southern-style barbecue, hickory-smoked pulled pork, rotisserie and seafood. While day to day the kitchen focuses on its industry initiatives, CRFT-PIT also has a tasting room which features a 30-seat dining room plus a spacious oceanview terrace. The tasting room menu changes monthly, with prices starting at $777 per person for a four-course meal.

Weekends are all about brunch. From 1-4pm every Saturday, customers can try a variety of CRFT-PIT’s products - think Montreal-style smoked pastrami, St. Louis-style spare ribs (our favourite), spring chicken, lamb ribs, Texas brisket and pulled pork sliders. And for dessert?

We recommend the pecan pie. (If you don’t fancy going out, you can buy direct from their retail website and recreate your own Southern style feast at home).

Unit 2, 3/F, Harbour Industrial Center, 10 Lee Hing Street, Ap Lei Chau, 2476 2800, crft-pit.com.

Seafood Room

Wooloomooloo Prime Located on the 21st floor of The One in TST, Wooloomooloo Prime sprawls across 10,000 square feet, with a lounge, private and public dining areas and an open kitchen. The restaurant is well-known for its premium Australian Black Angus beef (grain fed for 150 days) but there are plenty more steaks to choose from, plus more delicate dishes like seafood and steak tartare.

As for the atmosphere, think dark wood, deep red leather chairs, dim lighting and a 270-degree view of Victoria Harbour and the bright lights of the city. On weekends, Wooloomooloo Prime Readers' Choice Awards 2017

offers a four-course cow and crustacean brunch priced at $398 per person. Little ones don’t miss out either: the weekend brunch kids’ menu ($98 per child) includes a main, dessert and a juice or soft drink.

Level 21 The ONE, 100 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2870 0087, www.wooloo-mooloo.com/hk

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Stretching across 8,000 square feet, with a spacious outdoor terrace in Causeway Bay, Seafood Room gives diners stunning views of Victoria Harbour. As its name suggests, the restaurant’s menu is heavily focused on seafood and Asian, Mediterranean and South Americaninspired. The menu is divided into 12 sections including carpaccio, sashimi, tartare, ceviche, seafood platters and more, totalling over 50 dishes. Seafood Room pays homage to Hong Kong by bringing in Cantonese-style dishes like clams in black bean sauce and scallops with glass noodles. There are also two meat options available: chicken and Australian wagyu rib eye.

26/F, Tower 535, 535 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay, 3708 9668, www.seafoodroom.hk

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eating Amalfitana Amalfitana, the artisan pizza bar opened in the pulse earlier this year. Headed by Chef Michel Degli Agosti, the Italian restaurant serves up classics inspired by the colourful Amalfi coast.

The menu has something for everyone with a selection of starters and salads including the eye-catching ‘Tricolore’ ($90) a delicious combination of tomato bruschetta, avocado and Bufala Mozzarella. Using a long rising dough to make the pizzas lighter and easier to digest, the Amalfitana pizza ($250) is topped

The Ocean with Buffalo Mozzarella, tomato, porcini mushroom, rocket and Parma ham.

Kids are kept entertained with games and colouring sets while the Bambino menu features fun fish-shaped pizzas with a number of kid-friendly toppings including pepperoni and cheese and tomato. the pulse, G/F, Shop 105, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, www.amalfitana.hk, 2388 7787.

From the same group behind TRi and Bibo, The Ocean is an epic adventure from start to finish. The designers thought of everything, from the curvaceous wave-like interiors, captivating tropical fish, coral reef-inspired dining nooks and carefully plated dishes. The seafood-heavy menu changes regularly and focuses on Japanese techniques. The sushi bar “UMI” has now moved to Hollywood Road but there are rumours of something new taking its place... If you visit during the daytime, the floor-to-ceiling windows showcase views will blow you away - it’s ocean and islands for as far as the eye can see.

Shop 303-304, 3/F, the pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, 2889 5939, www.theocean.hk

DRINKS & NIBBLES SEVVA

Delaney’s

City skyline views and stylish interiors make SEVVA a highly sought after venue for a tipple or two. The penthouse space in the heart of Central is separated into five sections: Harbourside and Bankside Dining Rooms, Terrace, Taste Bar and a cake corner housing Ms. B’s sweets, giving guests different choices depending on their mood and the occasion. Alongside a small plates menu and a full dining menu, you’ll find SEVVA’s cocktail list created by mixologist Joseph Boroski, signature drinks include Honeydew Royale, Straight to the Head, Pink Sangria and a chocolate martini.

25/F, Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central, 2537 1388, www.sevva.hk

It’s all about the craic at the Southside’s favourite Irish bar. Guinness on tap, an outdoor terrace and a warm atmosphere have cemented Delaney’s as your go-to watering hole: the pub has been voted Best Place to Grab a Drink in the Southside Readers’ Choice Awards for the past two years.

The menu features exclusive Irish products, sharing plates and craft beers.

There is also a dedicated kids menu plus a play area on the terrace to keep little ones entertained. With the warmer months just around the corner, Delaney’s is also looking forward to bringing back live music on the terrace on the last Saturday of every month. And you can enjoy Happy Hour daily from 4-8pm: perfect for sundowners on the terrace. We’ll drink to that.

The Arcade, Cyberport, Pok Fu Lam, www.delaneys.com.hk, 2677 1126.

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InterContinental cocktails Drink in the view with InterContinental Lobby Lounge’s new range of Hong Kong-themed cocktails. Inspired by the city’s unique history and culture, the quirky cocktails capture the essence of our home city by featuring a number of local ingredients and flavours. Indulge in Hong Kongers love for afternoon tea with the ‘Tea Time’ cocktail - a butter rum, pineapple, local honey and pineapple bun-fused concoction - or visit the dark side with the ‘New Territories’ - a gin and tonic with citrus, cucumber and bitter melon.

The #852TAILS of Hong Kong start from $165 and a range of non-alcoholic cocktails from $125.

InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.

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eating

NIBBLES News from the dining scene.

Savouring art Like your food to be well presented? Head to Lan Kwai Fong as 12 of its restaurants welcome Art Month with a range of unique and innovative fine art inspired menus. The four-course menus range from $380 to $698 (depending on the restaurant). Choose from Mercato, JinJuu, Westwood Carvery, Porterhouse and more. We tried Fish & Meat ($650pp) which kicked things off with whole fresh burrata, followed by soft duck egg ravioli, mulard duck breast confit and peach pavlova for dessert. One of the more satisfying ways to appreciate art.

Available March 1-31. For a list of all 12 participating restaurants, visit www.lankwaifong.com

Hong Kong. Taking inspiration from traditional family recipes and his favourite Vietnamese street food, Chef Nguyen tries to use the freshest organic and sustainable produce for a modern, healthy take on Vietnamese cuisine.

Signature dishes include pan-fried rice cakes topped with tiger prawns, caramelised pork neck and pork floss; and Black Angus beef sirloin wok-tossed with Phu Quoc pepper and garlic butter.

Café Siam opens in Kennedy Town Taste of home Culinary festival Taste of Hong Kong returns to Central Harbourfront from March 1619. Expect cooking demonstrations and masterclasses from some of Hong Kong’s most renowned chefs, plus an opportunity to sample dishes from top restaurants including Rhoda, Amber and Arcane.

When you’re not eating, relax in the lounges to some live music or pick up a few tips for your next dinner party at one of the 24 intimate culinary discussions with chefs and industry insiders.

Weekday entrance starts from $138 with an advance purchase ticket (available until March 15). Family tickets (two adults and two children) are priced at $398.

For more information, visit www.tasteofhongkong.com.

To buy tickets, visit www.ticketflap.com

Celebrity chef brings new Vietnamese flavours In a city not short of Vietnamese dining options, any new opening risks struggling to gain much traction amidst fierce competition.

Step forward Luke Nguyen - celebrity chef, TV personality, restaurateur and award-winning cookbook author. Moi Moi by Luke Nguyen is the Australian-born chef’s first venture into

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Michelin-recognised Café Siam, first opened in 1999, has launched its second venture in the heart of Kennedy Town. We visited on a Tuesday night and there was hardly an empty table in sight.

The menu is inspired by all parts of Thailand, from North to South - it’s a little overwhelming but Operations Manager Chris Chan is on hand to provide helpful recommendations. Dishes include the signature chicken wings (cooked with lemongrass and tom yum spices for a deliciously spicy/sour taste), plus new items exclusive to the Kennedy Town location. We recommend the signature salad (with spicy peanut dressing) and, to end your meal, the mango sticky rice.

G/F, 38 Forbes Street, Kennedy Town (Kennedy Town, Exit C if travelling via the MTR), 2855 0810.

Nexxus Building, 41 Connaught Road, Central, 2808 1086.

Pici pasta bar opens in Wan Chai Nestled in St. Francis Yard, new neighbourhood pasta bar Pici serves up fresh handmade Italian fare in Wanchai’s trendiest district. Aiming for an approachable and affordable food and drinks menu, young Italian chef Andrea Viglione is hoping to serve up some “kick-ass” bowls of pasta from different regions around Italy and local wines.

The no reservation, 56-seat restaurant features casual barstool countertops and tables on its ground floor and a first floor mezzanine.

16 St. Francis Yard, Wan Chai, www.pici.hk, 2755 5523.

Fusion flavours via TokyoLima Tucked away on Lyndhurst Terrace, newly opened TokyoLima serves up Nikkei cuisine (that’s Japanese-Peruvian food for the uninitiated).

The menu is divided into small plates, raw and seared items, sticks, Nikkei sushi and larger plates. Standouts from the appetisers include La Causa: layers of beetroot, prawn tartare and charred avocado, topped with a lightly battered prawn tail tempura. The salmon Tiradito is a home-style Nikkei classic: raw salmon ‘cooked’ in passion fruit tiger’s milk and topped with ikura roe, avocado and crispy fansi noodles.

Wash it down with one (or a few) of TokyoLima’s creative cocktails or choose from the restaurant’s sake list which ranges from full-bodied to earthy flavoured.

G/F, 18-20 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, 2811 1152, www.tokyolima.hk

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big day out

CASTLE PEAK

Rory Mackay conquers the ranges of Hong Kong’s far west.

T

he hills of far western Hong Kong may not be so well known compared to other areas, but Castle Peak (Tsing Shan) and its surrounds are as dramatic as any other Hong Kong landscape and ought to receive more recognition.

Conquer this rugged range of hills and one will witness some of the territory’s finest views, gazing down upon Tuen Mun and absorbing the immense sprawl of Shenzhen behind. Meanwhile a gaze around the other side reveals Lantau Island and the expansive waters of the Pearl River Delta. Not only is

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arriving at the mountain top exhilarating but the walking to be had either side of it is most enjoyable.

Early afternoons make for an ideal time to set off, ensuring pleasant temperatures and sunset vistas from the summit. The route up is easily accessed from Siu Hong MTR Station.

Once at Siu Hong Station, one can walk across to the trailhead or w hat I recommend doing is hopping onto the light rail to shorten this walk.

Catch either the 505 or 615 bus to Leung King Station and from here, it is a five-minute walk through the housing estate to the trailhead.

The trailhead is best described as a singletrack concrete road with a grassy paddock on its right hand side at the junction with Leung King Estate. Follow this road and it will quickly climb up through banana palms and tall eucalyptus trees. After a few hairpin bends and 20-30 minutes of walking from Leung King, the road reaches a plateau spanning the hills above Tuen Mun. At this point the vegetation rapidly diminishes to grassland and a few small shrubs, allowing views of the surrounding area.

At this juncture there are a few options for route selection and the adventure really begins. One could spend an entire afternoon exploring the myriad of eroded ridgelines, gullies and canyons amongst the hills in and around where the road is. Some of the canyons that are currently forming here are stunning and truly rugged. They are created due to the lack of afforestation that has occurred elsewhere in Hong Kong in the last century, the hillsides have been gouged out revealing the red clay within. As amazing as this landscape is, for the more enthusiastic hikers it’s worth pursuing the summit of Castle Peak. As one traverses the undulating ridgeline

the wild west

A view from the summit of Castle Peak.

towards the mountain in a southerly direction, the views really open up.

At first it is more of an overview of your immediate surroundings, but before long you’re the surveyor of all things in western Hong Kong and on clear days, the views of Shenzhen are simply jaw dropping.

The footpath emerges from the radio towers to reveal unrivaled panoramas of Tuen Mun. The sheer size and scale of this city becomes clearly evident from this vantage point, as one can see all the way from Lo Wu in the east to Nanshan in the west. To think that 30 years ago there was next to nothing there defies logic.

Upon reaching the steep sided summit at 583 meters above sea level, the footpath emerges from the radio towers to reveal unrivaled panoramas of Tuen Mun and its surrounds. Pose for dramatic photos above large granite outcrops dating back to the Jurassic Period. Alternatively, take a perch and soak up the relaxing vibes as skies darken with the vibrant lights from the millions below come to life.

Only a few mountains in Hong Kong offer a 360-degree panorama of such variety, from the mountains of Lantau and South China Sea around to the mass development of Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Shenzhen.

Tsing Shan Monastery.

The return route down is fairly simple. Keep following the hiking trail directly downwards and you’ll be back to civilization in around an hour. Compared to the route up, the return trail is well-made and maintained but does include a lot of steps. If you have a spare moment, near the bottom of the mountain poke your head into the beautiful Tsing Shan Monastery.

One of Hong Kong’s oldest temples, Tsing Shan Monastery serves up a lovely dose of zen to end the hike before returning to the eclectic racket of Tuen Mun. The simplest way back to the MTR is to then walk across a few city blocks to Tuen Mun Station. One can alternatively board the light rail, although it’s a much shorter ride than at the start of the day so I personally wouldn’t bother.

Castle Peak is a classic winter route.

Almost anyone can have a go, yet one that keeps even the most seasoned of hikers honest. Although the western New Territories may not be especially well known amongst many hikers, the area has a few nice little surprises for those who venture out. Its enchanted forests below and spectacular vistas above will no doubt leave one wanting to revisit for another go.

Rory Mackay runs adventure company Wild Hong Kong.

For details, visit www.wildhongkong.com.

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travel

A picturesque view of the Thu Bồn river.

HOI AN Shreena Patel uncovers historic Hoi An’s ancient roots.

H

oi An has enjoyed a resurgence in the last 15 years or so as a tourist hotspot, but an international reputation isn’t anything new for the town. In fact, the area was once one of the most important seaports in all of Southeast Asia.

From the second to 10th centuries AD, Hoi An (or Lam Ap Pho as it was known then) was the commercial capital of the Champa empire, a great maritime empire that controlled the coast of central Vietnam, from the northern border of Quang Binh Province to the southern border of Binh Thuan Province. The Champa empire comprised five kingdoms ruled by regional royal families. At its peak, the it also included parts of Cambodia and Laos.

The Cham people established a lucrative spice trade in Lam Ap Pho which brought great wealth to the city. Their vast trade network extended to China, Taiwan, Japan and the

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Philippines, as well as Malaysia, Indonesia, India, the Middle East and North Africa.

The Champa empire prospered for many centuries but frequently came into conflict with its neighbours: the Dai Viet people to the north and the Khmer people of Cambodia to the south - even the Mongols invaded in the thirteenth century. In 1471, after centuries of fighting, the Champa capital Vijaya was captured by the Dai Viet. The defeat resulted in a mass Cham emigration to the south, particularly to Cambodia and Malaysia. Lam Ap Pho was reestablished as a Vietnamese trading town: Hai Pho (literally “seaside town”).

Over the next four centuries, ships came here from far and wide (China, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, India, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Spain, Britain, America) to buy the town’s famous high-grade silk, paper, ceramics, sugar, spices, sandalwood,

tortoise shell and lacquer, amongst other things. Chinese and Japanese traders would arrive in the spring, driven by winds from the northeast. They would stay until the summer, when southerly winds would blow them back home. Eventually, merchants began to leave full-time agents in the town, leading to the emergence of foreign colonies. In fact, Hoi An was the site of the first Chinese settlement in southern Vietnam. A Japanese settlement was also established at one end of town (via the now famous “Japanese Covered Bridge”), although the Japanese stopped travelling to the area after the enactment of Japan’s isolationist ‘Sakoku’ policy in around 1637.

Foreigners also brought with them new religions including Christianity, which permeated Vietnam via Hoi An. French Jesuit missionary Alexandre de Rhodes arrived in Hoi An in the 17th century and, according to his reports,

weekend break

Bikes are a popular mode of transport.

converted over 6,000 Vietnamese before he was forced to leave over concerns about the spread of Catholicism. De Rhodes, along with other missionaries, is also credited with devising Quᝑc Ngᝯ - a Latin-based writing system for Vietnamese. This romanised system was later mandated by French colonial authorities as the official written form of the Vietnamese language and is still used in Vietnam to this day.

Hoi An was almost completely destroyed during the Tay Son Rebellion in the late 18th century, which saw the Le Dynasty overthrown by members of the Nguyen family of Tay Son. However, the town was rebuilt and regained prominence as a port for foreign trade.

In the 19th century, worried by the growing influence of foreigners in the nation, the Nguyen lords implemented a closed trade policy. Hoi An stagnated and was eclipsed by other ports, in particular Da Nang, whose deeper waters could better accommodate the bigger modern ships.

By the end of the century, the Thu Bon River,

he tour on t t a o b t a sunse Bon River Thu

Japanese

covered b

ridge

which linked Hoi An with the sea, had silted up was too shallow for commercial shipping.

It is this economic stagnation and disappearance from the world stage that allowed Hoi An to avoid the type of development experienced by other cities in Vietnam and preserve its early appearance.

During the Vietnam War, it remained almost completely undamaged and in 1999, the town was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Now, at the heart of Vietnam’s tourism revival, it once again welcomes people from far and wide.

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travel Stay You can stay closer to the town or closer to the beach. I stayed at the Anantara, which is just a few minutes walk from the old town. It’s a beautiful, colonial style hotel with a prime riverside location, clean, spacious rooms and helpful staff. The hotel’s restaurant Lanterns runs a weekly buffet barbecue night with fresh seafood and traditional Vietnamese dishes.

You can also dine under the stars at the Riverside Cafe or enjoy live music and drinks at O’Malleys Bar & Grill. Activities include free bike hire, cooking classes and sunset boat rides on the Perfume River (the latter two are chargeable). There’s also a big outdoor pool, a spa, and free morning yoga sessions.

Anantara Hoi An 1 Pham Hong Thai Street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam Tel: +84 510 3914 555 Email: hoian@anantara.com www.hoi-an.anantara.com Room rates vary. Check the website for special offers.

roadsideket ar street m

Do

colou

rful F ren build ch colon ial ings

Colourful lanterns adorn the streets.

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The Anantara is built in a colonial style.

• Explore the old town, by foot or by bike.

You can buy a ticket to access the historic buildings or just take a stroll through the streets. The architecture of the city reflects its earlier mix of indigenous and foreign influences, from wooden Chinese shophouses to colorful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge.

• Go on a bike ride. Bike rental at the Anantara is free and the beaches are just a 20- to 30minute ride away.

• If you like diving and snorkelling, go on a boat trip to explore the coral and marine life off the nearby Cham Islands.

• Visit the Cham ruins at the nearby My Son Sanctuary. My Son was built by the Champa people during the fourth to seventh century as their religious capital and to worship the Hindu god Shiva.

• Do a cooking class - many of the Vietnamese restaurants in the old town offer cooking classes, as does the Anantara. Just ask!

• You’re also just a stone’s throw from China Beach and the Marble Mountains.

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travel

Shop You can get anything made in Hoi An – from custom-made suits to dresses and shoes, at a fraction of Hong Kong/western prices. Make sure you have at least a few days for proper fittings and go with a recommendation. Alternatively, Yaly Couture has a few outlets throughout the city - prices are higher but it’s a safer option. Top tip: if you already have a well-fitting pair of shoes or shirt, take it for the tailor to copy.

Lanterns also make great souvenirs. Handmade with wax, wood and silk, they come in a range of colours, shapes and sizes, are not too expensive and are easy to pack and assemble at home. I bought some from Pho Hoa, 01 Hoàng Văn Thụ.

Eat Ong Hai (Mr Hai) 6A Truong Minh Luong Street Located just a few minutes walk from the Anantara, Ong Hai’s menu comprises just two local dishes: Cao lầu and Mì Quảng. It’s not a glamorous place, but the food is good and prices are cheap.

Tiệm Bánh Mi Phương 2B Phan Chau Trinh street, near the crossroad of Phan Chau Trinh and Hoang Dieu.

The best banh mi in the world (according to celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain) at jawdroppingly low prices. There are about 12 fillings to choose from and place is usually packed but also offers take away. Delicious and exceptional value for money.

Cafe Mrs Diep Central Market Tasty and cheap Vietnamese pancakes and spring rolls cooked and served by friendly staff.

Basic surroundings but that’s all part of the experience.

Top dishes Bánh mì A baguette sandwich packed with greens and a choice of fillings, including paté, beef, eggs and pork.

street foo

d stall

Cao Lầu Thick rice noodles in a light soup, topped with pork, pork-rind croutons and lots of herbs, bean sprouts and greens. Authentic Cao Lầu is prepared only with water drawn from ancient Cham wells hidden around Hoi An and Quang Nam Province. Noodles are pre-soaked in well water and lye made from wood ash brought from one of the eight Cham Islands around 10 miles outside of the city.

Mì Quảng Thin, flat rice noodles glazed with a mixture of peanut oil fried with onion and usually yellow broth. Traditionally, its main ingredients are shrimp and pork, with peanuts and rice crackers and perhaps a quail egg.

Essentials

Mi Lau anHdai o a C g in eat ang at Ong Gu 58 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Cathay Dragon flies direct to Da Nang airport in two hours. From there, it’s about 30 kilometres to Hoi An.

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health & beauty

MATILDA INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL Eric Ho and Carolynne Dear visit Matilda International Hospital as it celebrates its 110th birthday.

T

he gloriously sugar-pink Matilda International Hospital sits proudly atop Victoria Peak, surveying great swathes of rolling forest, Aberdeen harbour and the white-peaked, container ship-dotted Lamma Channel below. Over the years, the hospital has seen thousands of babies issue forth from its world-famous maternity unit. This year, it celebrates its 110th anniversary.

The hospital was built as a result of the last will and testament of Granville Sharp, one of the earliest British colonials to settle in Hong Kong. Having outlived his wife Matilda by just a few years, Granville set out in his will his bequest to Hong Kong – a hospital to be constructed in her name, “not for the glory of the medical profession... but for the benefit, care and happiness of the patient.”

Matilda Sharpe (née Lincolne) lived an adventurous life. Born in the small Suffolk market town of Halesworth in 1829, she was one of ten children. In 1855, Matilda joined Thomas Cook (founder of the eponymous travel company) on his very first tour, where she met and fell in love with Granville Sharp, an accountant.

Their story carries all the hallmarks of a Hollywood blockbuster, or a satisfying BBC costume drama at the very least. Think adventures on the high seas, marriage and

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honeymoon in colonial India, life in Hong Kong in its earliest days under British Crown rule and even shipwreck.

During their time in Hong Kong, Granville accumulated a small fortune in banking, commerce and property dealing. Matilda was active with the Ladies’ Benevolent Society in their charity work for orphans and widows.

They were one of the earliest groups of settlers on the Peak and lived in a bungalow called Homestead at Jardine’s Corner.

[Matilda Sharp] used to roam the peak with a pistol in her pocket.

“Matilda was forward-thinking enough to learn Cantonese and she used to roam the Peak with a pistol in her pocket (there were several incidents of burglary while they lived there). She was quite a lady,” says Matilda Hospital CEO Linda Burgoyne.

Matilda died in 1893, aged 64, after suffering a chill that developed into

pneumonia. Granville died a few years later on a trip to England and his ashes were buried alongside hers in Happy Valley cemetery.

Granville’s will left money for a hospital to be built and maintained in Matilda’s name. It was to be dedicated to poor and destitute Europeans and all treatment and accommodation was to be free.

After lengthy debate, the trustees decided on Mount Kellett as the location. Despite the area’s lack of accessibility, it was thought to be cooler, away from the mosquitoes and diseases in Central. “When they built the hospital they were looking for ‘clean air’ as they called it,” says Burgoyne. “It was an amazing feat. The Peak Tram was there two years before us but you couldn’t really carry sick people on it. The only way up was by rickshaw or sedan chair. ” When it opened in 1907, the 24-bed hospital saw 84 patients in the first year, of which there were three deaths, one birth and fourteen operations. At this time it was operating as a general hospital and staff were dealing predominantly with malaria, diphtheria, smallpox, postnatal infection and tuberculosis.

“They used gas lights. In the operating theatres they had big open windows - just outside were huge sheets of metal to reflect sunlight into the room’s ceiling so they could see and operate better,” explains Burgoyne.

Electricity was installed in 1911 thanks to

happy birthday

Matilda Sharp.

Granville’s connections with Paul Chater, who was on the board of Hongkong Electric.

“The hospital also boasted one of the first x-rays, which in the 1900s was quite something. It was a very forward thinking institution,” adds Burgoyne.

But the lowest point in the hospital’s history came with the Japanese invasion of 1941.

Despite red crosses being painted on the roofs of the hospital, it received 97 direct hits from bombs throughout December in the lead-up to occupation because the British army had ammunition dumps nearby as well as guns and grenades stored in the basement.

“A massive hill fire occurred nearby when a fuel dump was hit. There are stories of doctors running out to try and douse the flames before it reached the hospital...all whilst under air attack from machine guns,” says Burgoyne.

It is believed there are hidden tunnels underneath the hospital which link to the Aberdeen harbour which were once used to smuggle people out and onto junks. Any patient who couldn’t be sent home was moved to the basement where they remained with the nursing staff for three weeks. On Christmas Day the white flag of surrender was flown from

Government House and the remaining staff and patients were forced by the Japanese secret police to walk the 17km down to Stanley for internment for the duration of the war.

The 26 doctors in Stanley prisoner of war camp brought whatever medical supplies they could and these were pooled to create a hospital and four clinics. The Matilda medical superintendent, Dr Montgomery, was medical officer for the Indian quarters and ran a clinic in Breezy Cottage, providing instruction to new mothers in babycare. And so perhaps it was here that the Matilda’s reputation as a maternity hospital began to blossom.

“When the Japanese took over they warned the Chinese population that if they helped the Europeans they would be beheaded,” later recalled fellow inmate Lady Mary Grayburn, wife of Lord Grayburn, the then chairman of the Matilda Hospital. “Well, the Chinese liked us you know, and… they gave my husband money. He gave it to the director of medical services and with it we were buying drugs and vitamins from China, to (smuggle) into the camps because men were dying for want of them.”

Lord Grayburn was eventually tortured to death for the part he played in this covert

operation and is buried in Stanley cemetery.

The hospital building was ransacked and taken over by the Japanese “but we don’t know what for, there are no records,” admits Burgoyne.

After the war, the hospital was requisitioned by the British army because of the threat of invasion by Communist forces in China. It reopened in 1951 with a new wing, brand new equipment and, for the first time, it began to charge, since it was calculated the Granville Sharp Estate would be swallowed up within 15 years.

“Although by now it was effectively private, the hospital still did an enormous amount of charity work, and still does to this today,” says Burgoyne.

Did you know?

• Matilda Sharp was the first European in Hong Kong to be cremated. The cremation was done on a Pok Fu Lam hillside.

• There are plans to introduce a Matilda Hospital historical tour by the end of the year.

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Ask a vet...

Dr. Pauline Pets Central veterinarian Dr. Pauline Taylor answers your questions.

Woof!

pets

Q: “My dog really struggles with noise in Hong Kong and is very scared. How can we deal with this?”

A: Sensitivity to noise is one of the most common concerns of dog owners. Allowing pups exposure to these noises before 6 months of age may have a preventive effect. Dealing with the problem in an adult dog isn’t easy and depends on the severity and frequency of the situation. Learning to predict the sound and when it may happen and protecting your dog from it is much easier than trying to attempt a cure. Safe dark quiet cupboards in your home at firework time is the way to start for a firework sensitive pet.

Q: “My dog keeps rummaging through our rubbish bin at home, how do I stop him?”

A: Stop him or her from getting access to the rubbish bin, or if that is impossible ensure that your dog cannot access the contents. Make sure the bin is solid and has a fitted lid, is chained or locked in place so your dog can’t knock it over. Human rubbish can cause a lot of problems for our dogs - it can become lodged and cause irritation in their digestive tract. If necessary, put something heavy on the top to keep that lid down.

Q: “My cat has started urinating all over the house.

What should I do?”

A: First, take your cat to a vet for a physical exam and some initial lab tests. There are many reasons cats do this, it is a common problem. Stress and anxiety are the main factors behind non-medical reasons. Medical causes include infections in the urinary tract, formation of irritating crystals and bladder stones, congenital problems and more. Input from your vet at an early stage can help steer you in the right direction. Good luck!

Got a question for Dr. Pauline?

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Horoscopes

hong kong horoscopes

AQUARIUS Jan 21–Feb 19

PISCES Feb 20–Mar 20

ARIES Mar 21–Apr 20

TAURUS Apr 21–May 21

Aquarius, I’m certain that something will go your way this month, and it’s all down to your hard work. Good job! But this is no time to rest on your laurels. Consider the city’s skyscrapers: each was the tallest in the city, until the next one was built, and so on. If you don’t keep reaching upwards, you’ll soon find others towering above you.

I predict that the month ahead will be a good one for you, Pisces. That’s not because I gazed into a mysterious crystal ball. Nope: I bit into a delicious fishball.

As a delightful mix of texture and flavour exploded in my mouth, I thought to myself: If I can buy a skewer of fishballs for less than $10, then happiness really can be had at any price.

What’s bugging you this month, Aries? Is your boss being difficult, talking about “KPIs”, “deliverables”, “milestones” and other such interminable business jargon?

It can be annoying to listen to, which is why I want you to channel your inner OL. Make like a Hong Kong Office Lady and you’ll be able to detach from the stress and concentrate on the important things, like encouraging admirers to send you flowers at work.

Taurus, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the world is against you at the moment.

What with geopolitics, love and finances all feeling a little shaky, no wonder you’re worried. But take heart and stay bullish, Taurus: we live in times of change. And like a wet market butcher brandishing two cleavers, change can cut both ways.

LEO Jul 23–Aug 22

VIRGO Aug 23–Sep 23

LIBRA Sep 24–Oct 23

SCORPIO Oct 24–Nov 22

Leo, what was the last really good party you went to? Was it a swanky soiree on the Peak? A messy Lan Kwai Fong bar crawl? A beachside Shek O BBQ? Chances are, what made it wasn’t the event itself, but the people you were with. Cherish your friends, Leo, before you end up at yet another cocktail party filled with people you can barely stand.

You probably know that “Kowloon” means “nine dragons”. But do you know why it’s called that? The nine dragons represent the eight peaks of Kowloon… and the ninth is the boy emperor Bing of Song, who fled to Hong Kong to escape the Mongols.

The innocent boy emperor ruled for less than a year and his dynasty ended with him.

Remember that what we build up can be taken away, Virgo: cherish the present and work to reinforce your future.

Libra, you’ve noticed someone else looking particularly good this month.

Why could it be? Is it a new haircut, or the new pair of shoes? No, it’s nothing superficial: They must have decided to work on their inner life. Are they making time for themselves? Following their dreams? Or just getting seven hours of sleep every night?

Ask them what the secret is, and next month others will be asking you.

Sometimes, getting life to go your way can feel just as impossible as trying to find a taxi willing to cross the harbour. But then again, there are cross-harbour taxi stands – and do you know about the “under the waves” hand motion that tells outof-service taxis you want to cross? In taxis and life alike, if you position yourself for success then it’s far easier to get to the other side.

As transmitted to Adam White, writer, editor and occasional soothsayer.

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GEMINI May 22–Jun 21

CANCER Jun 22–Jul 22

Door gods, IFC buildings, glasses of wine: Gemini, you don’t need me to tell you that good things come in twos. When it comes to pairs, you know best. But here’s a question: have you thought of doing things in ones?

Doubling-up often works, but sometimes the simple approach is best. Keep your life elegantly single for a while and see what happens.

Love can be difficult, especially in this transient city. No sooner do you fall for someone, than having them announce they’re moving to Dubai. It’s a tricky thing to manage, Cancer. But take heart from the fact that if they can move, so can you. But not to Dubai: I suggest that you just move on, instead.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23–Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22–Jan 20

What’s that smell? Is someone chowing down on stinky tofu around the corner?

Feel free to recoil and wrinkle your nose – but have you ever tried it, Sagittarius? I can promise you that the smell is a lot worse than the taste. And an adventure might be just what you need this month. Start with something culinary, and you might surprise yourself.

Capricorn, would you ever run for Chief Executive? Sure, it would be nice to be the most powerful person in Hong Kong. But it’s also a difficult job where everyone ends up disliking you. Are you willing to make that tradeoff? After all, there are many different types of power: Think carefully about what you really want before you throw your hat into the ring.

6

0 years after creating an ecological and recreational wonder right next to the world’s highest density urban areas, the government has decided to cull our country parks.

Following World War II, massive reforestation took place to increase our water gathering capacity and protect the hillsides from erosion. Around 1956, forestry officers started to make recommendations for managing forests for community services, however, only a few were listening.

As the population grew, pressure increased to protect the forestry and water gathering areas from unplanned development, hillside fires and littering. In 1973, Governor Sir Murray MacLehose told the Legislative Council that “the mountains and beaches are for the many but the golf courses and yachts are for the few” and pushed for the designation of Country Parks for recreation and conservation.

Park boundaries were carefully crafted considering topography, water gathering, ecology, land ownership, landscape and recreational potential. By 1979, 21 country parks covering 40 percent of the land area primarily steep hillsides and remote shorelines - were designated. Since then, a few areas, including the North Lantau Extension Country Park, have been added.

The country parks - already under threat from the ongoing approvals of houses in enclaves - are now under full-blown attack as the government has started to draft ‘objective criteria’ for excising land for development.

This goes in tandem with plans to increase immigration to counter our aging population and shore up future government land revenues.

To gain community buy-in, the government will test the boundaries with proposals for public housing and elderly homes on the periphery of the parks first. Plans to spare Robin’s Nest (in the former Frontier Closed

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Photo by Thomas Brown, mgiganteus

Saving country parks

zim city

Area) from development and designate it as a park to safeguard the ecological corridor between the Pat Sin Leng Country Park and the Wutong Shan National Forest Park in Shenzhen will be presented as new compensation.

Safeguards against this onslaught are limited. In excising part of the Clear Water Bay Country Park for a landfill extension in 2009, the governmentappointed Country and Marine Parks Board was shown to have no backbone. And negative vetting of the country park amendment bills severely limits the Legislative Council’s power to withstand the government’s greedy fingers.

So it will be up to the community to stand tall and protect what makes Hong Kong a great city.

Paul Zimmerman is the CEO of Designing Hong Kong, a Southern District Councillor and the co-convenor of Save Our Country Parks alliance.

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Stray Birds 31

southside secrets...

The Southern District Literary Trail Shreena Patel goes in search of five monuments that commemorate the Southside’s literary heritage.

L Xiao Hong (1911-1942)

ast month, another sculpture (Stray Birds 31) was unveiled at Repulse Bay as part of the Southern District Literary Trail. The trail pays homage to five notable contemporary literary figures - each of whom has a connection to the Southside - with five unique sculptures.

Stray Birds 31 commemorates writer Xiao Hong (1911-1942), best known for The Field of Life and Death. Fleeing war, she and her lover Duanmu Hongliang arrived in Hong Kong in 1940. Despite ill health and poverty, Xiao wrote many of her famous pieces here, some of which were published in local newspapers.

In 1942, critically ill, she passed away at a temporary medical station in St. Stephen’s Girls’ College. Her last words were, “I am going to be with the azure sky and blue water

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The Stray Birds 31 scuplture at Repuse Bay Beach.

forever”. Knowing that Xiao loved looking at the sea, Duanmu buried half of her ashes in The Repulse Bay. Allegedly, he buried the other half somewhere in the vicinity of St. Stephen’s Girls’ College. Though Xiao’s grave at The Repulse Bay was later destroyed, her ashes were retrieved and buried in Guangzhou.

Xiao described herself as a flying bird and her sculpture is designed to reflect this. Located at Xiao’s favourite seashore in Repulse Bay, the 31 birds represent her short life. They fly in different directions and postures, reflecting Xiao’s turmoil and life of wandering. Each bird is marked with a year and serial number to record Xiao’s life and her writing in that year.

For more information on the trail, visit www.travelsouth.hk

Pets Central North Point is ready to serve you —

day & night!

Starting this September, Pets Central NP is going 24/7!

That means all day, all night, every day of the week!

So come in anytime for round-the-clock service from our world-class vets. It’s care from the heart only Pets Central can give!

PETS CENTRAL NORTHPOINT HOSPITAL G/F, 66 Java Road,North Point, Hong Kong

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