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South China Morning Post
25-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's Taipan bakery shuts after 41 years as city's retail struggles deepen
Taipan Bread and Cakes, a bakery chain from Hong Kong that invented snow skin mooncakes, has closed all its branches after 41 years in operation. Notices about the closure were spotted at various branches of the chain on Tuesday. 'Due to many unpredictable and irresistible shocks recently, our company regretfully announces that it will officially cease operations from [Tuesday],' a notice said. 'Thank you for your support and love for our company over the years. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.' Three branches at the MTR stations of Choi Hung, Tai Wai and Whampoa had stopped operating earlier. The chain was previously sued by landlords for unpaid rent, with some of its employees also reporting delays in receiving their wages. Taipan earned its reputation in 1989 by creating the snow skin mooncakes, also known as snowy mooncakes, which feature a chilled, glutinous rice flour skin instead of the classic pastry. A 68-year-old woman, surnamed Lee, said she learned about the closure of two stores from a Facebook post the previous day and planned to use her HK$120 (US$15) in coupons at the Causeway Bay branch on Tuesday. McDonald's location in Hong Kong poised to become world's busiest 'How could you have known? They all closed suddenly. Now, my coupons are nothing but out-of-print souvenirs,' the retiree, who had a Taipan membership, said. Lee said she had observed signs before the closure. 'As a member, I am entitled to a 10 per cent discount, but the machine [at the Causeway Bay store] has been out of service for two weeks, so I haven't been able to use it. I guess it's not entirely unexpected,' she said. Lee added that her friend also noticed the North Point branch had little stock on Monday, despite it usually being filled with cakes and tarts. A 77-year-old woman, surnamed Cheung, who had planned to shop at Taipan in the morning, expressed regret over the frequent closures of local chains. 'I thought it was its last day and wanted to buy its bread one final time,' she said after reading the news about the bakery chain's financial situation. 'Even the shops that have been around for decades are closing down. It is such a pity,' Cheung said. 'It's hard to do business now. People are spending in mainland China and the economy is bad.' Taipan is the latest chain to close in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's retail sales dropped for a 14th consecutive month in April, falling by 2.3 per cent, year on year, to HK$28.9 billion (US$3.7 billion). For the first four months, retail sales were down by 5.6 per cent over the same period last year, as witnessed in a string of chain closures.
South China Morning Post
22-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Bring back the Hong Kong that eats together without table dividers
The other day, I had the pleasure of sitting down in a small local restaurant in Tai Wai to enjoy some dim sum with my wife and my son. It was a rather large table, and after a few minutes, another nice elderly couple came and sat across from us and ordered their meals. As we greeted each other, a conversation ensued. We didn't discuss anything too deep or life-changing, but our exchange was engaging and insightful and soon we were leaving, the experience having enhanced what was already a pretty good weekend meal with family. In contrast, although tables are also shared in the teahouse my family and I typically frequent, that restaurant still uses Covid-era dividers for shared tables . It occurs to me that this is one aspect where Hong Kong has yet to make a full comeback (like the few souls who still wear masks even when they are not sick) and needs to. It's not so much about letting the world know we beat Covid-19 and it didn't beat us; it's more about keeping an aspect of Hong Kong culture alive. Hongkongers have an amazing capacity for goodwill, kindness and building connections. Remember the public flats in the 1970s, when neighbours felt more like family members, or the local businesses and dai pai dong that once filled the streets in some of the more populated areas. People in this compact, robust city have always taken pride in caring for one another in ways I never knew possible. This type of engagement is a part of Hong Kong that cannot disappear for new generations. As parents or grandparents, we need to keep the tradition alive and underscore its importance to our children or grandchildren. Take down the barriers at the restaurant next time. Join another group at a large table if you can. Meet other interesting Hongkongers and be that much richer from the experience. These are experiences that make all of our lives richer.
South China Morning Post
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How sustainable wood furniture maker in Hong Kong turns fallen trees into unique pieces
At the inaugural exhibition of the Tzu Chi Environmental Action Centre in Hong Kong's Tai Wai neighbourhood in 2021, one particular installation stood out: a school of more than 100 suspended sharks made from wood that had been entirely salvaged. It was an effective and subtle way to convey the message from its creator, Lam Che, that trees and sea creatures share space with those who use and discard them with little thought. Lam, who is in his mid-60s, began salvaging fallen trees and construction waste in 2003, repurposing them in his Kwun Tong studio. He predominantly collects fallen camphor trees and old Thai teak that was once popular in colonial home furnishings. As Hong Kong enters its typhoon season, Lam is about to get busy again. Lam stands with his installation of more than 100 sharks made from salvaged wood at the Tzu Chi Environmental Action Centre in Tai Wai. Photo: K.Y. Cheng Fallen trees are packed with moisture and require two to three years to dry out enough to sculpt into art and furniture pieces. Lam makes mostly stools and tabletop accessories such as radio and jewellery cabinets.
South China Morning Post
11-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- South China Morning Post
Wood may just be the next ‘quiet luxury' trend for Hong Kong homes
Building with wood is as much about feelings as aesthetics. Upcycled trees are warm to the touch, pleasant on the nose and, as a biophilic material, psychologically soothing. Advertisement Hong Kong might be bucking a global movement back to timber construction, but inside their concrete towers, some residents are finding that designing with wood transports them to a place of calm. Professional musician Kelvin Leung became so attached to his alma mater, King's College, in Sai Ying Pun , that he had his wedding photos shot there. Not only that but the wooden walls inside the boys' school, a classical declared monument built in 1926, informed the design of his Tai Wai home. Like the rest of Leung's apartment, the bedroom favours rich timber hues for a British colonial touch. Photo: courtesy Win Key Workshop 'In my first year of secondary school, when teachers taught us about the architecture of the building, I was not very interested,' says Leung, a chromatic harmonica player. 'Over time, I started to enjoy the atmosphere around me, which felt warm and cosy. I thought those vintage interior elements would be nice to have in my own apartment.' In his client's preferences, Vincent Leung Tsz-chun, Win Key Workshop's interior designer and project manager, detected a British gentleman's club sensibility. Although this design genre called for dark wood, rather than the lighter, Nordic-style timbers dominant in Hong Kong, Win Key's design made it work. It might even herald a trend , says Leung, who senses a shift back to the depth of classic timbers such as mahogany and walnut, alongside a growing appetite for 'quiet luxury' and appreciation of heritage. In the two-bedroom, two-bathroom 840 sq ft flat, vintage-inspired patterned floor tiles are complemented by walnut wainscoting and a walnut ceiling, the deep chocolate wood tones and ruby ceramics imbuing, Leung says, 'warmth and character with a colonial touch'. 'The colour of this timber also works well with the sunlight coming into the apartment's windows from different directions,' says Studio Adjective's Wilson Lee of this Parkview home. Photo: courtesy Studio Adjective The use of veneer, rather than solid wood, balances sustainability with sensibility, he continues, and avoids vulnerability to expansion and contraction as humidity levels rise and fall. 'Wanting the visitor to feel the richness of the decor, but without the heaviness, we layered the entranceway with floor and ceiling lighting,' he says.
South China Morning Post
31-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Tepid sales at Hong Kong's Uni Residence as competition heats up in new home market
Competition is intensifying in Hong Kong's new residential property market as improved sentiment and declining mortgage rates have prompted developers to offer attractive prices to entice buyers. Advertisement Homebuyers snapped up just 58 of the 100 flats on offer on the first day of sales at Uni Residence in Tai Wai, agents said. Five out of 10 flats offered by tender were also sold, generating about HK$38 million (US$4.8 million). In contrast, Henderson Land's The Henley in Kai Tak sold 78 of 80 units on offer less than four hours after sales began at noon on Saturday, according to agents. The batch, priced at a discount, consisted of 18 open studios, 50 one-bedroom units and 12 three-bedroom flats. The lowest-priced one, a 238 sq ft unit, sold for HK$4.62 million, or HK$19,415 per square foot. The developer said one group of buyers bought six units, three groups each acquired three units and seven groups each purchased two units. 'With ample new supplies launching in the market at attractive prices, developers may face competition as homebuyers increasingly consider project quality, supporting facilities and the nearby environment,' said Louis Chan Wing-kit, CEO of Centaline Property Agency. Uni Residence in Tai Wai. Photo: Handout Uni Residence's joint developers Wing Tai Properties and China Vanke priced the first 50 units of the new 32-storey, 240-unit building at an average of HK$15,481 per square foot, about 8.5 per cent lower than recent transactions in the nearby secondary market.
