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Yellow Couriers

Couriers in the yellow economy hope to challenge China-owned delivery giant SF Express.

By Bonita Wong

As a bid to challenge China’s courier giant, SF Express and foster the yellow economy – business owned by pro-democracy operators, Cool Chan* founded Ala Bee Express in May. 

Before that, Chan owned a Chinese stew factory from 2017 to 2019. She produced and delivered wellness food products like stewed lemon with tangerine peel and herbal tea to her customers by SF Express.  

“I thought of founding a courier company in 2019, but I was too busy. When the pandemic hit in February, food orders slumped and the plan resurfaced. Now, I have transformed my business to a courier company,” says Chan, in her thirties. 

In June 2019, the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement triggered months of social unrest and protests in Hong Kong. Pro-democracy supporters have started building a yellow economy – an unofficial affiliation of pro-democracy businesses to boycott pro-government ‘blue’ shops and ‘red’ shops which are owned by Chinese capitals such as SF Express. 

Chan joined the crusade by closing down her food factory and setting up her own courier instead of using SF Express’s delivery service.

Chan had a rough start as a one-man operation.

“I arrived at the office at 3 a.m. to pack parcels and deal with new orders. I had to enter every piece of information to excel files manually until the online ordering system launched in September. I traversed the18 districts in Hong Kong for delivery from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Still, I could only handle less than 20 orders a day during the first few weeks,” she recalls. 

Cool Chan* handling delivery orders. (Photo courtesy of Cool Chan*)

“After two months of working myself into the ground, I did think of giving up. But I was expanding my business and had recruited eight employees at that time. They would be jobless if I quit. And I chose to hold on together,” Chan says.

“Many comrades (pro-democracy supporters) lost their jobs because of the pandemic or political reasons. I hope my company can create job opportunities, no matter they are short-term or long-term, and protect these people like a shield,” she says. 

“We have workers facing criminal charges, but we all agree to wait for their return and not to fill the vacancies while they cannot perform duties here,” Chan adds. 

“We have workers facing criminal charges, but we all agree to wait for their return and not to fill the vacancies while they cannot perform duties here.”

SF Express owns over 700 pickup points and 900 lockers in various locations providing home delivery services across the city. 

“It takes Hong Kong people too long to realise SF Express has been blanketing the market for years. It is almost a monopoly,” Chan says.

Pickup points function like a post office except that delivery is done by other couriers. It is a popular delivery option among office workers and students who are often not at home to collect parcels in regular hours.  

“Yet I don’t think it is impossible to rock the boat. I hope that one day when Hong Kong people want to deliver a parcel, they will think of Ala Bee Express rather than SF Express,” Chan adds.

King Kong Express is another fledgling “yellow” delivery service provider with nearly 100 pickup points now. 

Pickup points map of King Kong Express.

“SF Express has far more pickup points and it is a more convenient option. But it is infamous for breaking and losing packages, not to mention poor customer services,” says Nut Liu*, founder of King Kong Express. 

Liu is a recent graduate who has no experience in doing logistics. She set up the company in May after only a month and a half of preparation. 

“I hope Hong Kong people could stand in solidarity. We will never forget what happened and will work hard to sustain the yellow economy,” Liu says.

“I want people to have options other than SF Express. Youth is my greatest asset. I started without cars, employees nor website. I simply use Google form and WhatsApp for orders,” she adds.  

“Youth is my greatest asset. I started without cars, employees nor website. I simply use Google form and WhatsApp for orders.”

The courier company mainly promotes itself by Instagram. The account has around 7,880 followers now. “Yet our Instagram followers growth is still too low,” Liu says.

Liu and her team are struggling with many difficulties. 

“We lack computer science talents. Our website is built free of charge by a retired uncle. There are time constraints when we need any updates on the webpage, as he is not always available like a full-time worker,” Liu says.

“Managing pickup points is harder than I thought. Pickup points’ staff are the ones to deal with customers after all. Some of them have lousy attitudes but I can’t do much about that as I don’t own them,” Liu adds.

“The competition is tough, but I don’t see other yellow delivery service providers as rivals. We should leverage complementary strengths and collaborate to jostle a bigger slice of the pie. The high wall is the only ultimate enemy against the side of the egg,” Liu says.

Hannah Lee*, a university student, uses yellow delivery service whenever it is available even the service is not as convenient. “I want to support the yellow economy and cut down the use of SF Express,” Lee says.

When using pro-democracy delivery service company, Lee finds there are some inconveniences like failing to receive notice for package pick up, unclear directions to pickup points. 

“But these are just minor problems and they won’t affect my choice,” Lee adds. 

*Name changed at interviewee’s request

Edited by Lasley Lui & Regina Chen

VPN- To Use or Not to Use?

Students cannot use Youtube without VPN in China.

Chinese students of overseas universities use VNP which is banned in China for online class.

By Coco Zhang in Shaanxi & Vivian Cao in Yunnan

 “I cannot continue my study if I do not have the Virtual Private Network (VPN) services,” David Chen* says. He is a student of Simon Fraser University (SFU).

Chen cannot go back to his school in Canada due to the pandemic. He needs to use ZOOM to conduct online classes and check his Gmail mailbox for daily communication with his school, as he is trapped at home in Kunming, Yunnan.

Gmail and Google services have been banned in China since 2013. Only people with a VPN can use them.

Chen’s school does not provide an official VPN for Chinese students. So, he has to buy private VPN service, which is banned in China, for his study.  

VPN is a kind of service that can help users bypass the Chinese “Great Firewall” to visit websites outside the firewall, such as YouTube, Facebook and the instant messaging application WhatsApp.

Chen understands the risks of using private VPN service. “I face a choice between breaking the law to continue my study and obeying the law to suspend my study. I prefer to choose the former one. Because I’m a student, and doing my study is not a crime,” Chen says.

“I face a choice between breaking the law to continue my study and obeying the law to suspend my study.”

Chinese VPN Policy and Government’s Punishments to Illegal VPN Users

The Chinese government introduced the Internet Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Management of International networking of Computer Information [中華人民共和國計算機國際聯網管理暫行規定] in 1996 and revised it in 1997. 

This regulation stipulates that no one can use VPN services provided by companies or individuals without an official approval of operating virtual private networks. Offenders might receive warning from the police and are subject to a fine of RMB ¥15,000 (US $2714). 

Offenders would not be punished before 2017 because the law was not enforced. The Chinese government tightened network policy in 2017.

On January 22, 2017, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China issued a circular on improving and standardizing network access [關於清理規範互聯網網絡接入服務市場的通知]. This regulation requires the monitoring of VPN services for internet security concerns.

Phil Huang is a Year Three student majoring in computer science at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He thinks the government should relax the VPN policy in response to the daily needs of the people.

“Lots of people are using VPN, especially oversea students and workers. They are trapped at home due to the pandemic. VPN is a necessity for them to work and study,” Huang says.

He thinks the government should abolish the Great Firewall. “In this new era, people should get to know what happens outside China, and they have the right to read news and enjoy access to information,” the 20-year-old student says.

VPN is essential for Huang’s study. He uses illegal VPN service to gain access to CUHK’s e-learning resources and download overseas programming software during the pandemic. “Should I be arrested for just using a private VPN for study?” he questions. According to a research conducted by China Internet Network Information Center in April, 2020, there were 904 million netizens in China. An internet traffic analysis platform, StatCounter shows that Google held a 2.04 per cent share of China’s search market in 2020.

“Should I be arrested for just using a private VPN for study?”

Although many people still use and sell illegal VPN services, only a few are arrested by the police. “The Chinese government uses a few cases to perform the waring function and demonstrate its tight control over the network,” Mary Li*, a staff member working in an internet security company in Xi’an, Shanxi, says.

Li thinks the public has easy access to illegal VPN, and it is convenient to use. Users can start using it for study, work, and entertainment after downloading an app. The monthly fee is about RMB ¥30 (US $4).

“The Chinese authorities cannot get full control of the private VPN market. They hope users can be deterred by possible legal consequences and stop using illegal VPN by making a few cases as examples to scare off those who want to use the illegal service,” the 35-year-old woman explains.

Chinese Overseas Students are Facing a Dilemma

The Chinese government only allows three mobile communication companies to provide legal VPN services. They are China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom. 

Legal VPN services are only available to government offices and enterprises engaged in import and export trade with authorized qualification from the government.

A corporate VPN user has to pay RMB ¥14,600 (US $2,224) for 10-45 Megabyte per second (MB/s) a month to access the legal VPN services, according to China Unicom’s official website.

“Members of the public cannot apply for legal VPN services. Oversea students cannot even use it for their study,” says Peter Zhang*, who works for China Telecom.

Many Chinese oversea students cannot return to campuses in other countries due to COVID-19. They have to attend online classes at home via ZOOM or Google Meet and search for online resources through school library websites or Google Scholar. Some also have to use a VPN for submitting assignments.

CUHK provides official VPN services to support mainland Chinese students. But the service is unstable, especially when the national leaders hold conferences or during public holidays.

Student failed to connect to CUHK VPN.

Nicole He, a Year Three student, has an official VPN provided by the school, but she cannot use it most of the time.

“It (CUHK VPN) causes me so much trouble,” he says. She asks for help from the Information Technology Service Center whenever she cannot use the official VPN service.

“Once my professor changed the deadline of an assignment and made an announcement on Blackboard. But the CUHK VPN connection crashed that week. So, I could not log in to Blackboard to read the notice. I missed the deadline,” the 21-year-old student who majors in cultural studies recalls. 

That assignment counts 40 per cent of her total grade. She is considering dropping the course. Though she has paid for private VPN service, she has to bear the risk of being arrested for using private VPN in mainland China.

Return to CUHK for Free Access to Information

Ally Xu, a final year student of CUHK, shares his problem and decided to leave home in Zhejiang for Hong Kong, where she can enjoy free access to information. She returned to CUHK campus on October 3 and underwent a 14-day quarantine in a school dormitory.

“Unstable network connection is one of the reasons why I decided to return to Hong Kong,” Xu says. She started using an illegal VPN in mainland China in late January this year, and the service was unstable.  

“I have heard about a case in which a man was arrested just because he used an illegal VPN service for entertainment. I don’t want to take any risks,” the economic major student adds.

“I have heard about a case in which a man was arrested just because he used an illegal VPN service for entertainment. I don’t want to take any risks.”

University College London student Zhang Zihan understands the risks of using illegal VPN services, but she still insists on using it. The Year Two student has been trapped in Chongqing since February.

“I have no choice. The pandemic situation in the U.K. is gloomy. Lockdown is imposed from time to time,” the computer science major student says. 

“I don’t want to break the law, but I don’t want to take the risks of being infected either,” she adds.

*Name changed at interviewee’s request

Edited by Lasley Lui & Regina Chen

Preserve Muscles, Preserve Youth

Ted Ho performed lunges to train his leg muscles.

Middle-aged and elderly people do strength training to slow down the ageing process and improve their quality of life.

By Linn Wu in Taipei

At 6 a.m., Jenny Chen, 63, walks into a gym where a few young adults are exercising. 

“I invest in my health. I have been exercising for about 30 years, mostly swimming and jogging. To avoid muscle loss and body aches when I get older, I began strength training three years ago to stay in shape and preserve my muscles,” the businesswoman says.

Ageing Research Reviews in 2018 reported people lose almost 10 per cent of muscle mass every decade from middle age. 

Chen trains every morning before work, alternating between strength training and cardio workouts.

“I started exercising for better recovery after giving birth. I was highly stressed at work and often woke up feeling upset. A morning workout always cheers me up and helps me stay fresh in the office,” she says.

Jenny Chen did strength training at 6 a.m.

“Strength training is good for my everyday life. It teaches me how to improve my posture and prevent a back strain. Ballroom dancing becomes easier too. Strong core and leg muscles allow my upper body to move more freely. I can even sing higher notes now,” Chen adds.

Although Chen often encourages her friends who are also in their sixties to exercise, they lack motivations.

“Many fear workout injuries. In the past, people thought strength training meant lifting heavy weights. But we actually start with a light load and build it up progressively. There is a risk of injury in whatever sports you do,” Chen says.

“Many friends in my age rarely exercise. They even consider walking exhausting, let alone training. My lady friends would rather cover their bingo wings instead of improving them,” she says. 

“Many friends in my age rarely exercise. They even consider walking exhausting, let alone training.”

To enhance physical function and reduce the risk of falls, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in September, 2020 advised adults aged over 65 to do multicomponent physical activity which includes balance training, aerobic activity, and muscle-strengthening activities on a weekly basis.

Yang Yijian, an expert on physical activity in ageing and assistant professor of the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, says that strength training cannot be replaced by aerobic exercise. 

“We need to maintain muscle strength to perform daily activities,” Yang says, adding that running and biking are not as beneficial to strength as resistance training such as lifting weights. “Strength training improves our control of movements,” he says.

“Strength training improves our control of movements.”

Yang points out falls are common among seniors.

“About 30 per cent of older adults living at home and over half of those staying in nursing homes fall at least once a year. Possible injuries from falls include a hip fracture which can cause severe complications such as loss in mobility and death,” he says.

According to the Department of Household Registration Affairs in Taiwan in 2019, more than 3.6 million citizens were above 65 years old, accounting for 15 per cent of total population. 

The Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong reported there were more than 1.3 million seniors in mid-2020, making up 18.3 per cent of the city’s population.

Yang says muscle strength enables people to protect themselves and minimise the risk of injury.

“When people with enough strength lose balance, they can avoid bumping their heads by taking a step forward or putting hands on the floor first. But we found many protective responses in falls ineffective due to a lack of muscle strength,” Yang explains. 

“Resistance training also strengthens bone density and that reduces vulnerability to fractures,” he adds.

Lee Li-chun, 52, joined a gym three years ago when she suffered from menopause discomfort such as anxiety. She tried strength training nine months later in hope of improving her back pain.

Lee Li-chun practised deadlifts in her training sessions.

“I realised that I need to train and stay strong to support myself, or no one will take care of me,” Lee says. The homemaker had to use a wheelchair when she first threw her back out two years ago.

“My lower back used to be so stiff in the morning that I walked slowly to the washroom with my hands on a wall like a zombie,” Lee says. 

Her situation improves after more than a year of training. “Only one can save oneself. If you don’t exercise, no one can help,” she adds.

“Only one can save oneself. If you don’t exercise, no one can help,” she adds.

Her situation improves after more than a year of training. “Only one can save oneself. If you don’t exercise, no one can help,” she adds.

“Only one can save oneself. If you don’t exercise, no one can help.”

Lee does resistance and aerobic training five days a week as she understands progress takes time and effort. 

“My body conditions may be almost the same as others in my age. But the differences will be huge five to eight years later when we approach our sixties. Those who never work out will age quickly and suffer from body pain while I can manage to stay in a better shape,” she says.  

Although Lee acknowledges the benefits of strength training, they do not come cheap.

“Money is a big issue. Hiring a coach is necessary for one to train safely and constantly,” Lee says. She pays for 80 training sessions with NT $1,550 (US $54) each and her gym membership costs more than NT $1,000 (US $35) a month.

“There is no return for me. I will find a gym wherever I go and keep exercising, with or without a trainer,” Lee says.

Ted Ho, 68, shares Lee’s view. The retired businessman hurt his back during exercise in his twenties and had suffered from the pain for more than ten years. But he gives strength training a second try. 

“My back became weaker after the injury, so I use a leg press machine instead of squatting with a bar on my back,” he says.

Ho took strength training classes for six months from late last year to early this year and learned alternative exercises such as lunges.

Ted Ho replaced squats with a leg press machine to avoid hurting his back again.

“I never challenge my capacity. I exercise merely to maintain muscle strength and prevent muscle soreness after doing household chores,” says Ho, who lives alone and has been training for more than seven years.

Chou Chi-feng, a 32-year-old private trainer, has coached more than 10 seniors aged from 65 to 77 years. 

He finds most of his clients start training too late. “In the first session, some could not even do two sets of squats with 10 times each without bearing any weight,” he says.

Chou thinks it is important to help the elderly build confidence as they fear heavy training loads and exercise injuries. 

“I always assure them the weights are within their capacity to give them a sense of security,” he says. Chou usually provides additional assistance such as handles in the first few tries and removes it later.

According to CDC, even if one has problems doing normal daily activities, such as climbing stairs or walking, regular physical activity is still safe and good.

In response to common misunderstanding, Yang clarifies that strength training can be easily done at home. “Lifting heavy weights or doing high intensity training is not necessary,” he says. 

Yang suggests people make use of water bottles, elastic bands, or stairs to train progressively.

“It’s never too late [to start exercising]. Even those up to 80 years old can still benefit from strength training.”

“You can hold on to a chair to prevent falls and do squats to train your lower limbs. To improve balance, you can try standing with one leg. It also trains your muscle strength if you hold the position longer,” he says.

Yang adds daily activities such as grocery shopping and cooking are also important for the elderly to maintain independence.

“It’s never too late [to start exercising]. Even those up to 80 years old can still benefit from strength training. Some research even shows people with frail bodies improve more,” Yang says. 

Edited by Lasley Lui & Regina Chen


Trapped in Campus

The gate of the university campus at Chengdu's Southwestern University of Finance and Economics was closed and machines are placed.

Most universities in Mainland China have relaxed restrictions on leaving campus, after students protested to voice their discontent.

By Gloria Wei in Harbin & Lynne Rao in Luzhou

A protest against campus quarantine policy broke out in Xi’an International Studies University student hostels on the night of September 20, 23 days after the policy was implemented. Students living on campus shouted slogans like ‘let me out’ from their hostels for about half an hour. 

The chanting was so loud that Daisy Wu*, a Year Three student majoring in tourism management, was woken up. 

“I went to bed earlier than usual after an exhausting day and was awakened by screams at around 11 p.m. I guess hundreds of students joined the protest,” she says.  

Similar protest was held on other university campuses across China.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, university students were banned from leaving their campus freely since late August. Students were required to seek official approval for leaving campus, while university staff such as professors and lecturers could come and go freely. 

Notice informing students cannot go out freely.

Wu was not surprised with the protest because most of her peers were unhappy with the campus lockdown.

“As we could not go out freely and order takeaway food, we had to rely on stores on campus to buy things. But the prices increased sharply,” Wu says.

“And the water supply system in hostels was broken the day before the protest,” she adds.

After the protest, Xi’an International Studies University relaxed the restriction and took actions to upgrade campus facilities such as fixing water supply system for students.

“Prices of goods at campus stores have gone down, and food delivery service has resumed,” Wu says.

“I went home for the national holiday. It is great that now we don’t have to stay at school all the time anymore,” she adds. 

Students getting takeaway food through fences. (Photo courtesy of Ruby Tang)

Students in other universities were also furious about the quarantine policy on campus.

Many students expressed their anger by leaving satire comments: “As we all know virus only infects students” and “Students and dogs are not allowed to go out” under the official account of the People’s Daily on Weibo, the Chinese twitter.

Responding to the protests, Wang Dengfeng, an official in charge of virus prevention at the Ministry of Education, said in a press conference on August 27: “Universities should not prohibit students from leaving campus and they can go out if necessary” and “Students and staff should be treated equally”. 

But most university campuses did not revoke the quarantine policy at once, students continued complaining that it was still hard for them to go out.

A thread entitled “Should universities adopt closure management?” was read for more than 300 million times until September 7 on Weibo.  

Emily Mao, a law major student who studies in a university located in Kunming, capital city of her hometown, Yunnan, has to climb a wall secretly to leave the campus every weekend since September. She is not willing to reveal the name of her university for fear of being penalised. 

According to a regulation enforced by her faculty, students cannot go out unless they have a written request for leave signed by a counselor, an associate dean and the vice secretary of the faculty. 

“The Ministry of Education’s remarks cannot satisfy me because the definition of ‘if necessary’ is vague. I think going home regularly to get clothes is necessary, but the university does not think so,” she says.

“I think going home regularly to get clothes is necessary, but the university does not think so.”

The 20-year-old girl tried applying for leaving campus to have a week-long of national holiday at home. But her request got rejected on September 29 because the university management thought the leave period was too long.

On the next day, Mao climbed a wall and had dinner in a restaurant with several other friends who also left campus without permission. 

After the national holiday, climbing wall to go out was strictly prohibited because more and more students began to do so. 

The university arranged staff to patrol around the wall. Students caught leaving campus without permission will be punished, and the incident will be marked in their files. 

“This may affect us when we apply for postgraduate program and look for jobs,” Mao says.

Guards checking everyone who enters and leaves school. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Luo)

The university quarantine policy also affected students’ internship opportunity. 

Alice Zhao, a Year Three student studying accounting at Qingdao University of Science and Technology, was forced to give up her internship opportunity at an accounting company in Qingdao. 

She received an offer in summer this year and was required to work in the office two days every week. “I had to reject the offer, as it was too inconvenient to leave campus,” Zhao says.

“I must ask my tutor for permission every time before I go to work,” she adds. 

“I had to reject the offer, as it was too inconvenient to leave campus.”

Although students are outraged by the quarantine policy, Wang Mu*, a professor and tutor at the Harbin Normal University, thinks that the policy is reasonable and necessary.

“To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the university has to limit people’s mobility as much as possible. Since most teachers are also husbands or wives who need to take care of children and the elderly in the family, the universities can only limit students going out.” Wang says. 

In early September, Harbin Normal University decided to relax quarantine regulation after student protest erupted at Harbin Guangsha University. Harbin Guangsha University also lifted the restriction after the protest.

“Actually, university management cares about what students think. That is why students now can go to restaurants and movie theatres freely,” Wang says.  

Most universities in China have relaxed quarantine restrictions after the national holiday which covers the first week of October.

But the policy may be introduced again because of the uncertainty of the pandemic, especially during winter.

The quarantine policy adopted by universities in Qingdao become stricter after three confirmed cases were reported in the province on October 11. 

Alice Zhao*, who is studying accounting at the Qingdao University of Science and Technology, says it is even more difficult to go out of school now.

Students of Qingdao University of Science and Technology need to ask for approval before leaving campus. (Photo courtesy of Alice Zhao)

“The pass card used to enter and leave campus is cancelled, and requests of leaving campus are less likely to be approved,” Zhao says. 

*Name changed at interviewee’s request 

Edited by Lasley Lui & Regina Chen

Period Poverty in China

Menstrual pads in a supermarket in China.

Girls from poor families use toilet paper, homework paper and even shreds of old clothes, as they cannot afford to buy tampons.

By Alice Wang in Shandong

Amy* is a fifth-grade girl of a primary school in Guizhou, China. The 11-year-old had menstruation for the first time on October 19. 

“I asked my dad to give me RMB ¥30 (US $4.4) for sanitary napkins. But he refused and scolded me that I should feel ashamed of shedding so much blood every month,” Amy cries.

“He refused and scolded me that I should feel ashamed of shedding so much blood every month.”

Amy’s mother has left home to look for jobs and her father is a gatekeeper at a factory. The monthly income of the whole family is around RMB ¥1600 (US $235). The family cannot afford to buy sanitary napkins every month. Amy and her mother have to use toilet paper during menstruation period.

Amy’s family is one of the millions who are living in poverty in China. “There are about 600 million people whose monthly incomes are under RMB ¥1000 (US $147) in China,”, says Chinese Premier Li in the third session of the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing on May 28.

Wang Wenjun, founder of UU Love Public Good Union says girls in poverty-stricken areas cannot afford to buy sanitary pads. “Girls in poverty-stricken areas would rather walk for two and a half hours in order to save RMB ¥5 (US $0.7) for a car ride,” she says. 

Wang says that girls from poor families use toilet paper, homework paper and even shreds of old clothes, as they cannot afford to buy tampons.

“Even if they can buy a sanitary napkin, they reuse many times. That may pose health risks,” Wang adds.

“Even if they can buy a sanitary napkin, they reuse many times.”

In August, netizens had a heated discussion about period poverty on the social media platform Weibo and a post featuring a picture of 100 sanitary napkins being sold at RMB ¥21.99 (US $3.2) – a price that is much lower than that of well-known manufacturers in China on Taobao, an e-commerce platform. Manufacturer of the sanitary napkins is unknown, and they are not packaged in bags.

About 247 thousand messages were recorded under the social media post, and many women admitted that they did not know some low-income women could not afford tampons till they read the Weibo post.

A girl being comforted by Wang Wenjun. (Photo courtesy of Wang Wenjun)

“For those who live on less than RMB ¥1,000 (US $147) a month, personal hygiene is probably the last thing they care about. They have no choice but to buy substandard sanitary napkins at a low price,” Wang says.

Wang started a national initiative to enhance women’s access to sanitary products and introduce sex education for girls in rural areas in 2015.

Wang suggests the government to distribute free pads to girls in rural schools because she finds that sanitary napkins by brand manufacturers cannot be transported to shops in rural area due to poor accessibility. 

“Girls can only buy poor quality pads. Many girls and even teachers have gynecological diseases because of using sub-standard sanitary pads in rural areas,” she says.

Wang thinks that handbooks about hygiene knowledge and sex education should be distributed to girls in rural areas and teaching materials should also be developed to promote health education. “Girls in rural areas are shamed for having menstruation and even shamed for being a girl,” Wang adds.

Students in sex education class. (Photo courtesy of Wang Wenjun)

Consumers in China, regardless of their gender, are given a black plastic bag if they buy sanitary pads, as if they are doing something shameful.

In October, some university students launched “menstrual pad mutual help box” campaign at more than 40 universities nationwide. 

Liu Ruiming is one of the students who started this campaign at Tianjin University.

“Any woman in need can take a sanitary pad from the “menstrual pad mutual help box” for free and replenish the box later. We want to tell the public that menstruation is just a normal biological phenomenon,” Liu says.

A “menstrual pad mutual help box” in Tianjin University. (Photo courtesy of Liu Ruiming)

Liu says that girls at Tianjin University all agree it is a great idea to set up the “menstrual pad mutual help box” to help each other. And the girls hope that the campaign can be turned into a regular exercise on campus. 

“But some boys criticise us and even make fun of those who take part in the campaign. I have been accused of doing a big show by some male students,” Liu adds.

“I have been accused of doing a big show by some male students.”

Liu plans to leave some post-it notes outside toilets to encourage open discussion.  She is planning to hold workshops too. Students can share their experience and feelings. “I wish this can change students’ mindset, especially male students,” she says.

Liu thinks the people have changed their mind bit by bit as series of activities focusing on “period poverty” have aroused their awareness in 2020.

“It is a good start. More and more people are aware and show care about this issue now,” Liu adds.

*Name changed at interviewee’s request

Looking for “Free Periods”

While governments around the world seek to alleviate period poverty in their countries, NGO and volunteers step in to help.

By Fiona Cheung 

It all started with a chat between Sara So, founder of Support Africa with trAde (SAWA), and Jessica Young, a social worker who volunteered in Kenya in the summer of 2018. In her trip, Jessica visited slums, distributed meals and gave tutorial classes to students.

“Jessica told me some girls in Kibera (the largest slum in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya) engaged in transactional sex for menstrual products. I was saddened by it.” So, who travels to Kenya frequently, recalls.

In 2019, the duo launched a programme called “We Choose” together. “I thought our organisation could mobilise people on Facebook to volunteer in the project and produce more reusable menstrual pads for the girls,” So says.

After recruiting volunteers through Facebook, So organised briefing sessions about “period poverty” problem in Kenya and held workshops on hand-made reusable pads. 

According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), at least 500 million girls and women worldwide do not have what they need to manage their menstruation. The inability to manage menstruation with safety, dignity, and comfort may negatively impact the physical and mental health of those who menstruate around the world.

In the end, around 100 volunteers produced 1,000 hand-made reusable sanitary pads for 100 women and girls in Nairobi. 

With her experience from SAWA, which aspires to enable Africans living with more abundance and more dignity through trade on a fair basis since its operation in 2013, So arranged the distribution of the products and taught locals how to use them.

“For many women living in the slum, sanitary pads are luxury. They often turn to other alternatives, such as old clothes, in some rural areas, even leaves and chicken feather. This jeopardises their health,” So says.

“For many women living in the slum, sanitary pads are luxury.”

“Or sometimes they may choose to stay home from school and skip school every month. It affects their study and exacerbates gender inequality,” she adds.

So points out menstruation is a social taboo in Kenya, citing a suicide case in which a 14-year-old student killed herself after being humiliated by a teacher for staining her uniform during her period in September, 2019. 

In 2018, the United Nations Population Fund published a review paper in menstrual health management in east and southern Africa, stating there were schoolgirls obtaining sanitary pads in exchange for sexual relations. This situation puts young girls at risk of HIV, unwanted pregnancy and school dropout, according to the report. 

So believes COVID-19 makes the situation of girls and women suffering from period poverty even more vulnerable.  

“Many people become jobless due to the poor economy. Menstrual products become even more unaffordable for underprivileged women,” So says.

“Also, schools in which schoolgirls can seek protection are closed due to class suspension. Schoolgirls cannot receive free sanitary pads like before and they become more vulnerable to being impregnated by people in the community,” So adds.

In view of the impact of the pandemic, So is planning to establish local production of sanitary pads in Kenya. “In recent months, I am thinking of making the project local by training schoolgirls to produce menstrual products for themselves,” So says. 

In 2004, Kenya became the first country to drop tax on imported menstrual products for girls and women. In 2011, the government also committed US $3 million to distribute free sanitary pads in schools. The distribution of “free, sufficient and quality sanitary towels” is then expanded to every girl registered at schools in 2017. 

This year, Scotland is the first country in the world to make period products free after its parliament unanimously passed the Period Product (Free Provision) Scotland Bill in November. Local authorities would be required to provide free sanitary products to anyone who needs them. 

Edited by Lasley Lui & Regina Chen

Decluttering amidst Pandemic

How pandemic gives rise to decluttering – a way to cope with heightened global uncertainty.

By Kelly Yu

Carmen Chan Ka-man, a 38-year-old photography assistant says the coronavirus outbreak was a turning point for her to rethink her lifestyle and start practising decluttering after she lost her job earlier this year. 

“I don’t even know where to start (decluttering). It gets to a point where I feel like my whole life is a mess,” Chan says, adding that her room was cluttered with random items like receipts, accessories and small gifts, a lot of which were not even unwrapped. 

She finally sought help in October from Orange Tam, a certified professional organiser providing home decluttering service in Hong Kong, after her repeated attempts to clean up her home had failed. 

Tam helped Chan to remove clutter and categorise her belongings in storage boxes within a few hours, clearing out a personal space in her room where she can finally put her books and music albums. With Tam’s help, Chan says she can now tell what item is important in her life and what is not. “It is a life-changing moment for me,” she says.

Orange Tam provides home decluttering service in Hong Kong. (Photo courtesy of Orange Tam)

Organise Home to Organise Yourself 

Tam created a Facebook page JuppUk (執屋) in 2016 to share decluttering tips and to offer organising service. The Facebook page has attracted more than 11,000 likes and followers as of November, 2020. It has gained about 1,000 followers during the pandemic. 

Tam has seen a growing demand for decluttering service in Hong Kong due to the pandemic. 

“People want to have a higher standard of living environment now as they need to work from home all day. Some clients request specifically to have their workstation cleared,” Tam says.

As the only Hongkonger certified by the U.S.-based National Association of Productivity and Organising Professionals, Tam says she hopes to advocate decluttering in Hong Kong.

She describes decluttering in a city with excess consumerism as a vicious cycle. 

“We work so hard, so we buy things to treat ourselves. We end up hoarding things at home and wake up the next morning to work hard again,” Tam says. She advises clients to think twice before they buy.  

“Space planning is important for optimising physical space. It helps create a clutter-free environment and boost productivity.”

According to a survey conducted by Greenpeace, a non-governmental environmental organisation, Hong Kong topped the charts in unhealthy consumerist shopping habits in 2017. 53 per cent of 1,000 Hong Kong respondents are owning clothes that they had never worn.

Tam says decluttering is not merely about throwing everything away. “Space planning is important for optimising physical space. It helps create a clutter-free environment and boost productivity,” she says. 

She suggests beginners to start decluttering step by step. “Start from small corners in your house, or else it (the process) will be too overwhelming,” she says.

Chan’s room before decluttering. (Photo Courtesy of Carmen Chan)
Chan’s room after decluttering. (Photo Courtesy of Carmen Chan)

Mental Decluttering and Minimalism

Tam thinks decluttering is not just for physical freedom, but also mental freedom.“Decluttering is a journey of understanding yourself. It makes you understand more about your own needs,” she says.

“As we are tidying our stuff, we are also reviewing our past. It is a process to settle our past feelings and relationships. We will find it easier to get rid of old habits and unpleasant experiences in the past,” she adds.

“As we are tidying our stuff, we are also reviewing our past. ”

Tam is not alone in her pursuit of decluttering. Erica Ip Ka-yee, a 28-year-old tax consultant, thinks living with less has helped her to focus on the essentials in her life.

Before practising mental decluttering, Ip found it difficult to let go of others’ expectations. But now, she says she is able to commit more time to herself by journaling. 

Ip set up a blog Minimalist HK in 2017 to promote a minimalist lifestyle among Hongkongers. Minimalism first emerged as an art movement in late 1960s in the United States, characterised by extreme simplicity in art-related spectrums. Today, it has become a lifestyle trend. 

“Minimalism is about going back to yourself. Sometimes we are not aware that we try too hard to live up to others’ expectations. It is always beneficial to get rid of the clutter in your mind and in your surroundings to focus on what’s important,” Ip says.

Ip says keeping a clear mind is important. “The root of minimalism comes from philosophy – keeping a curious mind and exploring within yourself. It goes back to what to focus in life and how to spread this vibe to people around you,” she says. 

Ip says the pandmic has forced us to go back to the basics as we have fewer travels and social gatherings.

“The root of minimalism comes from philosophy – keeping a curious mind and exploring within yourself.”

Erica Ip set up a blog Minimalist HK to promote a minimalist lifestyle among Hongkongers. (Photo courtesy of Erica Ip)

Focus on What We Can Control

Carole Bradshaw, a U.K.-based Core Process Psychotherapist and one of the directors at Integrated Medicine Institute of Hong Kong, points out decluttering can also help deal with uncertainty during the pandemic.

“The pandemic has heightened uncertainty on a global level. Our environment further affects our health. When we are surrounded by clutter, this often triggers stress responses such as anxiety,” she says. 

She adds that decluttering helps to create structure and order which can reduce stress and anxiety amid the lockdown. 

“Whilst we cannot control the wider effects of the pandemic, we can focus on what we can control in our environment. Clearing out our space, our homes, our desk, is one example of what we can control,” she says. 

“Living more simply is less stressful and less clutter supports clarity of mind,” she says.

Edited by Regina Chen

Podcast Boom

Podcasters in Taiwan witness a growth in the industry during the pandemic.

By Charleen Chen in Hsinchu

Huang Jhih-ping spends three to four hours listening to podcasts every week. “I listen to podcasts whenever my hands are busy, such as commuting, doing the dishes, and riding a bike,” he says. 

Podcasts helped the Taiwanese student, who started the habit in 2019, pass time during the pandemic when he was attending an exchange programme in Switzerland. “I was stuck in my room because all stores were closed,” he says. 

“I felt bored staying in my room, so I listened to podcasts, such as the show hosted by Froggy Chiu,” he says.

Chiu is a Taiwanese politician and YouTuber, who launched his podcast in 2019 commenting on social issues in Taiwan.

The global studies major student Huang thinks podcasts are informative and entertaining. “They allow me to make better use of time. I can gain new knowledge when commuting,” he says. 

Breaking Time Constraint

The term “podcasting” was coined by The Guardian journalist Ben Hammersley in 2004, who combined “iPod” and “Broadcasting”. 

According to Apple, podcasts are audio shows composed of individual episodes. 

Huang listens to news podcasts that address current affairs and issues on Spotify. He is a fan of Bailingguo News (百靈果News) and The Reporter (報導者). 

Spotify is a Swedish-based audio and video streaming service provider, launched in 2008.

According to the company’s 2019 annual report, there were over 500,000 podcasts on the platform. The company witnessed a 200 per cent increase in podcast listening from 2018 to 2019. 

“Spotify makes listening to podcasts relatively easy. I can switch between music and podcasts on one single platform,” Huang says.

University student Pang Yun-chi shares Huang’s thoughts.

“I want to learn something new by listening when my hands are busy. Listening to music turns out to be quite monotonous,” the business major student says.

Pang started listening to podcasts on Spotify in 2018, when she was commuting, cooking, and cleaning. 

“I hope I can gain new knowledge from podcasts, especially language skills,” the Chinese University of Hong Kong student says. 

She subscribes to chat shows in which podcasters speak in English or Cantonese, such as On the Floor and Alohagwa. “Because of the pandemic, I cannot go back to Hong Kong at the moment. But I am trying to brush up my Cantonese,” Pang says.

“I also listen to Talent Connect. You know, career preparation is the most urgent thing for seniors now. The show invites practitioners from technology industries to share their work experiences,” the Year Four student says.

Spotify witnessed a 200 per cent increase in podcast listening from 2018 to 2019.

Rapid Development in Taiwan

Kuo Yan-hsin, a part-time podcaster, has been working on user growth in SoundOn since March, 2020.

SoundOn, a Taiwanese podcast company which provides hosting service, was founded in 2019. It helps podcasters store and distribute their podcasts’ audio files.

Kuo says there are three factors contributing to the rapid development of podcasts in Taiwan.

“First, the prevalence of Chinese contents lowers the barriers to enter the industry,” she says.

She points out before SoundOn was founded, most resources for podcasters to start their business were in English, posing challenges to producers who wanted to create podcasts for Chinese audiences. 

“Second, the bluetooth headsets optimise the experience of listening to podcasts. Users find wireless earphones much more convenient than traditional ones,” Kuo says.      

“Lastly, the pandemic helps the podcast industry grow when listeners get more free time staying at home. They spend more time on podcasts,” she says. 

According to Kuo, the total podcasts hosted by SoundOn has increased from 700 to 3,500 from April to September in 2020.

Hsieh Lu-yang is a freelanced Taiwanese podcaster. She also witnesses market growth in the industry.

“In terms of the total number of listens per episode, the number doubles from 10,000 in the first quarter to 20,000 in the third quarter of 2020,” Hsieh cited her show as an example.

Different from Kuo, she thinks the growth in podcast listening results from the increase in podcast shows. “YouTubers and KOLs who join podcasts production also contribute to the growth, since they have already built their audience base,” Hsieh adds.

Hsieh started her podcast show Sex Chat in April, 2019. “I want to record my learning process of sex and ‘debug’ the problem that women rarely talk about sex,” she says.

Hsieh interviews experts from medical field and the LGBTQ community to share sexual knowledge and advice. 

“Some write me letters about their sexual concerns or thoughts,” she says. Making use of her podcast show as an open forum, Hsieh reads letters in her show. “Many audiences really like this part, because they can relate to others’ experiences,” she says.

“Those who enjoy my podcast say the content is really genuine and down-to-earth. They like the way I share my opinions from an ordinary person’s viewpoint,” she says.

“Podcasters in Taiwan have to start embedding advertisements into their shows to sustain the business.”

Tony Chou, a Taiwanese podcaster based in Toronto, says many of his audiences are commuters who love the sense of companionship of podcasts. Chou and Esther Tu, co-host of the show, launched On the Way to Work in May, 2020.

The podcast provides the latest business news every day, focusing on global economy and business. It reaches 4.9 out of 5 on Apple Podcast rating within six months. 

Chou says reading news has always been his habit. He summarises news every day after the North American stock markets close, and he says the timing is good for the podcast production.

“Due to time difference, commuters in Taiwan can get the latest news in the morning,”he says.

Despite the rapid growth in the podcast industry during the pandemic, Kuo predicts the development will reach a plateau before long.

“The donations from the audiences are not enough. Podcasters in Taiwan have to start embedding advertisements into their shows to sustain the business,” she says.

Edited by Regina Chen

Health Alarm Rings

COVID-19 reminds many of how important a healthy lifestyle is.

By Charlie Yip

 “I had two bowls of rice for dinner, and very often, I had ice cream for dessert,” university student Stephanie Chan says, recalling her eating habit at the beginning of the pandemic earlier this year.

Physical classes in Hong Kong were suspended and online teaching was adopted by all schools from kindergartens to universities in January this year. 

Chan is also one of those affected students. Her physical activities have been greatly reduced due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Like many she has been doing her study at home and practising social distancing.

The change of lifestyle is reflected in her weight which went up to 58 kilograms in COVID-19.

“I went hiking during school suspension in February. Looking at photos taken during the hiking trip, I realised how much weight I put on. I looked really chubby!” Chan says, blaming the change of lifestyle caused by the pandemic. 

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has tightened social-distancing rules like mandatory mask-wearing at all public venues, limiting social gatherings and closing leisure venues and gyms since the beginning of this year.  

Many Hong Kongers self-quarantine at home. They choose to work and dine at home to avoid going out.  

An insurance company Sun Life conducted a survey in September this year. Findings show 52 per cent of them gained weight, and over 40 per cent of them did not exercise at all, starting from the beginning of the pandemic.

Over 900 Hong Kong people aged between 20 and 55 were interviewed about their eating and exercising habits during the pandemic period in the poll. 

Acknowledging health problems brought by the change in lifestyle during the pandemic, Chan starts preparing healthy meals for herself.

“Having online classes at home allows me to cook my three meals and to think about how to eat healthier. I lost 5 kg from February to May. Now I look much better on camera,” she says.

Chan cut down carbohydrates intake at dinner from February to May.  “I have reduced portions and eaten more vegetables, and also stopped eating ice cream after dinner,” she says. 

Stephanie’s meal. (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Chan)

Immune System is the Key

Certified international nutritionist and weight loss coach, Thomas Kwok, observes that there is a rising trend of weight gain when people try to avoid infection by staying home. 

“People stay at home for too long. They consume more (food) and expend less energy,” he says.  

Kwok explains that walking is the basic and easiest way to burn calories, but those who are working from home walk much less. 

“All recreational activities have been restricted. Many watch movies at home, giving them a very good reason to have snacks,” he adds.

Kwok says the key to fight COVID-19 is having a strong immune system. He recalls nobody had any idea about how to fight the virus at the beginning of the outbreak. 

“What people did was purely washing their hands and practising social-distancing. The importance of a strong immune system is highlighted when symptoms appear to be more severe on elderly and chronic patients,” he explains.

In June, 2020, the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong held a press conference unveiling the balance of the benign and harmful intestinal bacteria is the main immune system that combats COVID-19. 

Kwok says more people have started to purchase probiotics and vitamin C supplements to enhance their immune system after learning the study results.

“People are now more conscious about their health, knowing that not every illness has a cure,” he says.

Health Taken for Granted

Lares Beauty, an online food company that provides meals that are low in calories and fat by using ingredients high in fibre such as fresh vegetables and fruits, has gained popularity during the pandemic, as more are becoming health conscious. 

Founder, Eli Lam, says her business grew by 20 per cent on average from July to September, 2020. 

“We have new promotion plans that are designed during the pandemic such as ‘Stay At Home Set’, consisting of meal plans for people working from home,” Lam says. It includes various meals like curry chicken, beef burgundy and braised beef etc.

“In the past, my customers consulted us on what to eat to lose weight. Now, they want to learn more about processed food, and whether preservatives and additive agents are added in my products,” Lam adds. 

She recalls some young customers once told her that healthy food was not what they would choose in a promotion event before the pandemic. 

But Lam now sees a change in their mindset. “They have become more health conscious after learning that anyone can be infected by COVID-19 regardless of age,” she adds.

(Photo courtesy of Lares Beauty Meal)

Energy Expenditure is Indispensable

Marcus Tong, a qualified fitness trainer and a physical education teacher, also finds the public have become more health conscious. 

He has received more requests for health consultations and advice on doing exercise during the pandemic. 

“Many are lacking basic cardio training like walking. I can see that my students have gained weight. They have become less willing to exercise after months of school suspension,” Tong says.  

As a founder of a fitness club, Tong thinks the pandemic has changed the exercising habit of many. He says many go hiking or do water sports and some do household exercises like high intensity interval training, which is a cardiovascular exercise of alternating periods. 

“After the government has decided to limit social gathering to only a few, many fitness training groups use Zoom as a communication tool to monitor progress of participants. This is an unprecedented breakthrough in exercising mode,” he says.  

Marcus teaching exercise to do at home. (Photo courtesy of Marcus Tong)

The Department of Health says physical activity can boost immune system and defend the body from infections including respiratory infections.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends adults to engage in at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or at least 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity, as well as muscle-strengthening activities involving major muscle groups on two or more days a week,” a spokesperson of the department says in a written reply.  

Edited by Lasley Lui & Regina Chen

Self-love – An Endless Journey

(Photo courtesy of Joyce Cheng Yan-yee)

Say no to body-shaming. How is the city embracing body positivity?

By Kassandra Lai

The daughter of the late Hong Kong comedian Lydia Sun, Joyce Cheng Yan-yee is the best person to tell the city to stop fat-shaming and embrace body confidence.

From TV drama featuring skinny artists to advertisement selling slimming pills, thinness is overwhelmingly idolised in the media. Cheng thinks that the media has a strong negative influence on body image. 

“The way that people use models, actors and entertainers in the media is still very cookie-cutter. There is still a certain image that you must fit. If a person is constantly bombarded by this certain type of body, it is easy to feel bad with your own flaws,” the singer says.  

Under enormous social pressure, the now 33-year-old singer-actress, who possesses a considerably larger figure, went through a time in her life that she tried to lose weight to conform to the social norm. 

“It felt really crappy because no matter what I did, even though I had lost, at that time, close to 100 pounds, my calves were still too big. My torso was still too long.  My thighs were still too muscular… like I could never fit that ideal body type, that ideal look,” Cheung recalls. 

“Whenever I lose weight, my face slims down first. And people would say I look like an alien and my nose looks even bigger. It got to a point that I only see my own flaws and I wasn’t appreciating the accomplishment that I had already made,” she says. 

In 2014, Cheng published a post on her Facebook account, announcing that she would no longer lose weight, but to start leading a healthy life instead. The post went viral on the internet and she received many positive comments and support. 

Cheng’s beloved friends’ support helped her overcome fat shaming.

“I am very loved and supported by friends who don’t care about how I look and what I do. We just never put each other down. Because of them, I know that even though I am fat, I am actually a pretty good human being,”  she says. 

“If you hold on to these negative comments, hold on to these critiques, you are unable to live your life fully and be the bright person you’re meant to be.”

Throughout the years, Cheng has also learnt how to deal with criticisms.

“I have been in the game since the very early on in my life. And I have learnt that if you hold on to these negative comments, hold on to these critiques, you are unable to live your life fully and be the bright person you’re meant to be,” she says. 

With the hope to empower women and create a positive impact in  society, Cheng released two Canto pop songs, Slim Enough?! (《你瘦夠了嗎？》) and Goddess (《女神》) in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Both songs are considered as inspiration for encouraging self-love and body positivity. 

“I would never allow someone to speak poorly of my best friends, so why would I allow myself to say mean things to myself in the mirror?” she says.

“I always believe that we are our own harshest critics. I personally need to hear  messages in these songs as much as I want to put these messages out to the world,” she adds.  

(Photo courtesy of Joyce Cheng Yan-yee)

“Confidence should not come from anyone else, but from yourself. “

Apart from creating songs, Joyce has also started a YouTube channel, Joyce is Moist, where she  shares videos about fashion, beauty and sports. 

“Through this channel I want to deliver a message that it is okay to be not okay. Personally, doing makeup, styling my hair, putting a cute outfit together make me feel good about myself. Confidence should not come from anyone else, but from yourself. I think there are ways to make yourself feel more confident, to trick yourself into feeling more confident, until you have achieved that self-assurance,” she says.

Cheng’s mission to  promote body positivity in the city is shared by Makayla Ng, who founded a plus-size fashion brand, Fashion Corner Plus (FCPlus) in 2014, aiming to provide comfortable clothes for girls of every size.

“I started FCPlus because I couldn’t find any best fit or stylish clothes when I was a teenager,” Ng recalls.

“Most stores in the city only sell items with limited choice of size. The society seems to have deprived plus-size girls of the right to be fashionable,” she says. 

Wearing size 3XL herself, the shop owner sells clothing ranging from size L to 8XL. As the designer of the brand, Ng says her design aims to break all restrictions.

“There is no ‘should or shouldn’t’. Just choose what you love or hate!” To me, being confident and loving yourself is the key to beauty,” she says.

Plus size fashion (Photo courtesy of Makayla Ng)

Ng recalls one of the unforgettable moments she had with her customers. 

“A customer who looked very shy at first chose some clothes at my store and tried them on in a fitting room. She was totally amazed when came out from a fitting room exclaiming:, ‘Wow! I never knew I could carry these types of clothes and styles. I look so good and different in them!’” Ng says.  

The founder of the shop says she feels happy and fulfilled when she sees her customers being confident wearing her designs. 

To those who are still struggling with their body shape or think they are ‘imperfect’, the shop owner would like to tell them: “There are different kinds of beauty standards around the world. We don’t have to change ourselves for others. Our faces and body shapes do not define who we are. Most importantly, I think true beauty comes from within.” 

Echoing Ng’s thoughts, Cheng thinks beauty is a quality that everyone has.

“We are beautiful in our own way. And if we are able to recognise the unique beauty in ourselves and others, the world becomes a more beautiful place,” she says.

To Cheng, self-love is an endless journey.

“Taking the time to love yourself and to accept yourself is a lifelong homework and project that you must continuously put in the time and effort to do. But trust me, if you are willing to work on it, you’ll thank me later hahaha,” the singer says with a hearty laugh. 

Edited by Lasley Lui & Regina Chen

Power of Art

Badiucao’s cartoon showing "Carrie’s Mask Ban”. (Photo courtesy of Badiucao)

Chinese-Aussie political artist Badiucao stands by Hongkongers with his cartoons.

By Mandy Yim

Badiucao, a Chinese-Aussie political cartoonist, describes himself as an “artist hated by the Chinese Government”. The 34-year-old artist lives by his nickname and stays anonymous for the sake of protecting his parents who now live in Mainland China. 

Born and educated in Shanghai, he holds a law degree from the East China University of Political Science and Law. He gave up his Chinese citizenship and moved to Australia in 2009.

Start an Artistic Life

When studying at the university, he watched a video about the Tiananmen massacre in 1989 in his dormitory with his friends. He was shocked to learn how the Chinese authorities censored information about the student movement.  

The clip, coupled with the tragic story of his grandfather, sowed the seed for his artist life.  

As a filmmaker, Badiucao’s grandfather was targeted by the Chinese Communist Party during the “Hundred Flowers Campaign” in the 1950s. He was sent to a rural concentration camp and died later in the camp. “I realise that being an artist is extremely dangerous in China, so I left the country and restarted my life in Australia,” he says.

“Art can be dangerous for artists.”

Magnet of Danger

The artist started drawing political cartoons and posting them publicly on his Twitter account two years after moving to Australia. “Art can be dangerous for artists, especially when what the artist says or creates becomes a problem for the government,” Badiucao says.

Badiucao planned to hold his first international solo exhibition《#Gongle #共歌》in Hong Kong in October 2018. Yet, the event was called off because the Chinese authorities urged him to do so by threatening his family in Shanghai. He realised that his identity was known to the authorities. ‬‬‬

“After the authorities learnt about my identity, I have become a potential threat to anyone I know in China. They might be in trouble just because of their connections with me. So, I cut connections with my parents and my friends,” Badiucao says.

Proudest Moment

The pursuit of freedom of speech and the sense of responsibility to educate the public are the two major driving forces that keep him creating arts despite all the troubles he is facing.

“As an artist, I have great respect from society. People look up to my artwork. My art serves the public,” he says.

His interest in political issues in Hong Kong started to grow when the city underwent the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (Anti-ELAB) Movement in 2019. The national security law, which came into effect on June 30, 2020, also captures his attention.

Badiucao was covering his right eyes to show support to the girl who was shot with a beanbag by the police in an Anti-ELAB protest in Hong Kong. (Photo courtesy of Badiucao)

His friend once sent him photos, telling him that his drawings were held by Hong Kong protesters during a rally in June. 

“I feel like, wow, that’s a great honour,” he smiles. “The cancellation of my exhibition in Hong Kong in 2018 was a huge setback. But I felt fully recovered when I saw my artwork was held by Hong Kong protesters. I felt really proud,” he says.

He designed the Lennon Wall Flag in September 2019 and posted it on his personal website, hoping that it could be a new symbol for Hong Kong’s freedom and resistance.

“Protests in Hong Kong since June have become the biggest inspiration of my art creation,” he stated on his website.

The Lennon Wall Flag consists of 96 coloured squares which symbolise colourful post-it notes on Lennon Walls in Hong Kong. The number – 96 – refers to the year before the handover in 1997. Every colour on the flag represents a different voice from Hong Kong.

On September 17, 2020, Badiucao received the 2020 Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent from Human Rights Foundation for his design which has become a protest symbol of the Anti-ELAB Movement in Hong Kong and the global community.

“This award belongs to all the protesters of #HK #Uyghur #Tibet #Mongolia & #China. You are my inspiration and reason to make art!” he tweeted the day after receiving the prize.

Badiucao’s cartoon showing Chief Executive Carrie Lam resigns with a box of police equipment. (Photo courtesy of Badiucao)

Unbounded Art

Badiucao believes artwork will become more powerful after the introduction of the national security law because people can express their opinion in different art forms. He thinks there is always room for political artists to manoeuvre.

“The government can hardly control art because art has the power to define things.”

“Even if it (a word or a symbol) is banned, we can create new art,” he says citing a girl holding blank placards in a protest in Causeway Bay to show her defiance against the national security law on July 1, 2020, as an example.

He thinks the blank placard is already a form of expression in arts. “It is ridiculous and absurd for the government and the police to forbid holding blank placards in protests,” he says.

Badiucao’s cartoon showing the national security law book with a bomb replacing the Regional Emblem. (Photo courtesy of Badiucao)

Badiucao says some Chinese artists are inspired by how Hongkongers share political posters and cartoons via Telegram groups.

Chinese political artists create a similar Telegram group which is called “Voice of CN” (In Chinese: 文宣中国). Group members are all Chinese.

“As they are afraid of the Chinese government, they make memes and pictures anonymously. I also share my artwork there,” he says.

“The government can hardly control art because art has the power to define things,” Badiucao says.

Edited by Lasley Lui & Regina Chen 

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