Multimedia

The number of disabled students at Hong Kong's universities has risen over the past decade. New facilities built on the territories campuses have to comply with guidelines for disabled access. But as some disabled students have told Varsity, barrier-free access is not just about getting around campus.

Foo Tak Building in bustling Wan Chai is an unexpected oasis of art and culture. The artists and cultural workers based here are able to do so due to the largesse of a mysterious benefactor.

Dance may not be the most popular career choice for most university graduates but for some who have been bitten by the dancing bug, a life without dance is unthinkable.

Biker groups are not all about bad boys in black leather and chains. Varsity talks to members of local motorbike clubs, who count doctors and businessmen among their number.

Hong Kong's squatter settlements are an integral part of the territory's history. Since the 1980's, these shantytowns have been steadily demolished to make way for public housing estates, private residential developments and malls. Varsity speaks to residents who are still living in some of the remaining squatter homes. Some are waiting to move to public housing flats. Others, like the villagers of Ma Shi Po view their squatter houses as their home and never want to leave.

Varsity's latest multimedia stories. Highlights include: the last sailing from Hung Hom to Central and a history of Hong Kong's cross-harbour ferries, Hong Kong's Shanghai barber shops and the growing number of Macau students in Hong Kong's universities.

Hong Kong's cross-harbour ferries used to be the only mode of transport for crossing the harbour between Kowloon and Hong Kong. The Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry crossing is still an icon of Hong Kong, but the golden days of cross-harbour ferry transport have faded. Varsity looks at the last day of the Hung Hom to Central route and the history of the cross-harbour ferries.

Hong Kong's barber shops used to be seen as stylish places to get the latest hairstyles and exemplary service. Now, they are seen as antiquated relics of a bygone age. Some Shanghai barbers are refusing to hang up their scissors just yet, but even they know the days of Shanghai barber shops in Hong Kong are numbered.

Local farmers are struggling to compete against cheaper imports from the mainland. The Accredited Farm Scheme is supposed to help local farmers get better prices for their produce and encourage consumer confidence in locally grown fruit and vegetables. But not all farmers are convinced of the benefits.

More and more Macau students are applying to Hong Kong's universities. You might not notice them on Hong Kong's campuses because they speak the same language as local students and share a very similar culture. Varsity finds out what attracts them to learn in Hong Kong.