Naomi Ng

In China, “dama,” which literally means big mama, is a derogatory term used to refer to middle-aged women. They’re commonly portrayed as rude, boisterous and fans of group travel as well as square dancing. For years, so-called dama performers have been singing and dancing in a park in Hong Kong. But these shows have effectively been banned after protesters accused the women of staging noisy, indecent performances.  The government said on Tuesday it would stop accepting applications from those who wanted to perform at two public entertainment areas at a park in the Tuen Mun neighborhood, which is close to mainland China. An estimated 10,000 people joined the demonstration over the weekend ag

More than 30 million oysters have been restored to New York’s waters since 2014. That could now have an impact 8,000 miles away, in Hong Kong. The oysters, planted as part of the New York “Billion Oyster Project,” have brought noticeable improvements in water quality. Anecdotal evidence points to a thriving habitat attracting more marine life and protecting the coastline from storm surges. “Our biggest goal is to get New Yorkers to recognize that they live in a marine environment,” said founder Murray Fisher. “People think the ecosystem is rainforests, mountains, coral reefs; they don’t think of the ecosystem in their own backyard in New York City.” Fisher was in Hong Kong this month, as an

One of Hong Kong’s most beloved bovines has fallen to the city’s plastic problem. Billy, an eight-year-old wild bull who lived on Pui O beach on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island, was found dead on Friday, with a stomach full of plastic waste. An examination showed that the animal’s stomach and intestinal tract had been blocked with enough plastic bags to fill two trash bins, the city’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said on Monday evening. Announcing the bovine’s passing, the bull’s Facebook fan page, titled Billy “the Pui O legendary cow,” said he had been attacked by dogs when he was only a few months old. He became used to humans after being nursed back to health by vets and

Hong Kong’s leader refused to hand over a fugitive to the US last year following a request by mainland Chinese authorities, American officials have revealed. It is the first such case since the city’s handover from Britain to China in 1997. Hong Kong is run as a semi-autonomous region of China, with a separate governance and legal system. The extradition request concerned a hacker from Macau who was arrested in the city while accused of breaking into US law firms’ computers, and making millions from stock trades fueled by ill-gotten information. The US Department of State said in its annual Hong Kong Policy Act Report on Tuesday that Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam had turned down the

Hong Kong has the most expensive residential property in the world, according to US property think tank Demographia. With limited supply and increasing demand, property prices have shot through the roof in the last two decades. The average apartment in the city costs $700,000 and is tiny by mainstream (non-Hong Kong) standards. The city government has long followed a policy to sell land to the highest bidder. But with prices – and discontent – so high, is it time for a change?