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Published by HKFYG

SEPTEMBER September 2026

Urban Renewal, Heritage and Legacy

A City for the Future

Making Urban Spaces Liveable & Places Lovable

New Eyes on an Old City

2 Let us hear OVERVIEW 4 IN CONVERSATION 6

A Place We Call Home Judith Lee

CK Yip, Planning Department: A City for the Future

THEME SECTION

Donald Choi, URA: Urban Renewal, Heritage and Legacy

Alan Cheung, Onebite: Making Urban Spaces Liveable & Places Lovable

Sampson Wong, CUHK: New Eyes on an Old City

ON THE SIDE 13

Wander Meijer, KFBG: Ecology Comes First in Hong Kong’s Green Future

YOUTH SPEAK 20

New Development, New Imagination

Street Interview: What Do You Think?

IN PICTURES 26 YOUTH WATCH 30

Once Upon a Hong Kong The Great Asian Urban Experiment

YOUTH SPACE

BEAUTY 34

The Ultimate Glow-up Con Nicole Lau

MOVIES 36

Keeping Your Head Up Stephanie Kwan

BOOKS 38

Believing in Magic, and Its Shadows Winter Chiu

SCHOOL 40

To Fit In or Stand Out? Kylie Leung

Youth Hong Kong September 2026 Volume 18 Number 3 YOUTH HONG KONG published quarterly by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups EDITORIAL BOARD Hsu Siu-man Lakshmi Jacota William Chung Ada Chau Christa Cheung Judith Lee Marco Yu Miranda Ho Mia Yao EDITING Mia Yao (Managing Editor), Lakshmi Jacota, Michelle Leung, Elaine Morgan INTERVIEWS Mia Yao, Lakshmi Jacota, Michelle Leung, Stella Chen CIRCULATION (unaudited) 9,000 in Hong Kong, throughout the region and overseas VIEWS EXPRESSED are the authors’ and interviewees’, may come from official sources, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or publisher

ALUMNI 42

HKFYG HIGHLIGHTS

PUBLICATIONS 44 YOUTH EXCHANGE 46 RESEARCH 48 WRITING 50

Kobo Woo: The Dream Is Only the Beginning The 2026 Bookshelf Dragon 100: From Drops to Oceans Rethinking Marriage and Parenthood in Uncertain Times The 12th Young Writers’ Programme

REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS without written permission from the publisher is prohibited SECTIONS & TRANSLATION Mia Yao PHOTOGRAPHS stock images or in public domain TRADEMARKS All brand names and product names are registered trademarks. Youth Hong Kong is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in articles.

ARTWORK & DESIGN Bryan Tsui

COVER DESIGN Bryan Tsui PRINTING New Century Printing Industrial Ltd. ISSN 2071-3193 (Print) ISSN 2519-1098 (Online) WEB youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk CORRESPONDENCE to The Editor, Youth Hong Kong, 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong TEL 3160 8612 EMAIL youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Valerie Wong 3160 8583 Mia Yao 3160 8612 The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups was founded in 1960 and is the city’s largest youth service organisation. More than 25,000 activities are organised by over 90 units annually with attendance of nearly 4.5 million. Services Camps, Leisure, Cultural and Sports Services, Counselling, Creativity education and STEM, Education and continuous learning, Employment and entrepreneurship, Exchange, Leadership training, M21 Multimedia, Parenting, Research and Publications, Volunteering, Youth at Risk, Youth SPOTs WEB hkfyg.org.hk m21.hk Online donations giving.hkfyg.org.hk

EDITORIAL

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

HKFYG's “Vertical City: Reimagining Hong Kong’s Skyline” programme

Before a city becomes concrete, steel and glass, should the first question be: for whom is it being built? Beyond familiar districts, Hong Kong is now making room for new homes, industries, transport links and communities. In a city of limited land and changing needs, such development can bring opportunity. We may admire the ambition of new infrastructure, but we must also consider what these changes mean for future generations. Will emerging neighbourhoods be both smart and green, as well as being connected and having spaces for youth? Young people should not simply arrive at a new development planned on their behalf. As future residents and users, and as today’s planners, architects, designers, innovators and community-builders, they bring a perspective that no blueprint can supply: their aspirations for future liveability and their vision of what a new urban space might become. In this issue of Youth Hong Kong, we look at a city in the midst of becoming: its expanding horizons, its bold initiatives and the choices being made. Economic opportunities and practical needs will always matter. If a city begins, as a question, then Hong Kong’s answer should be shaped not only by what it builds, but by the hopes young people bring to it and by the stories we pass on to the next generation.

Hsu Siu-man

Executive Director, HKFYG September 2026

OVERVIEW

A PLACE WE CALL HOME

by HSU Siu-man

Have you ever stopped and asked what gives a skyline its soul? by Judith Lee

n late 2026, as the final spires of Antoni Gaudí’s

Across Asia, a delicate dance between heritage and

— completing a century-long dialogue across

Kyoto, preserving traditional wooden machiya

Sagrada Família reached into the Barcelona sky

generations — we were reminded of a quiet truth: cities

progress is taking place and defining urban survival. In townhouses weaves centuries of Zen spatial

are not built overnight, nor are they built merely for the

mindfulness into the fabric of daily life. In Seoul, the

stone, light and hyper-complex geometry; it stands as a

and restored waterway from the Joseon Dynasty,

intergenerational continuity.

co-exist with both ecological roots and historical

present. Gaudí’s masterpiece is so much more than

Cheonggyecheon Stream, an 11-km-long public park

tribute to perseverance, collective faith and

stands as a testament to how modern vitality can

It also raises a question for Hong Kong. As we look back on three decades of transformation, is our city

developing in ways that honour the lives lived within it? And what lasting spirit are we leaving behind for the generations that will walk these streets after us?

memory. These examples prove that conservation isn’t

about maintaining a static museum; it is about nurturing a living canvas for contemporary culture.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Human Memories & Modern Rhythms

Reclaiming the Streets

Turning back to modern Hong Kong, daily life is shaped

For today’s generation, living in a city should mean

extraordinarily efficient public transport network. Every

residents are treated as passive consumers, squeezed

by dense crowds, soaring skyscrapers and an

morning, millions navigate a hyper-complex web of elevated footbridges, air-conditioned malls and

subterranean pathways. Yet beneath this impressive feat of engineering lies a deeply personal human narrative.

For those who have grown up here over the past 30

years, urban development is far more than zoning rules or land deals. It is what shapes our daily rhythms,

routines and relationships. In other words, it is where a sense of belonging takes root.

Growing up in the 1990s, my childhood weekends were defined by simple, grounded routines. The rattle of the

Peak Tram, the smell of engine oil on the Star Ferry and the roar of low-flying jets cutting through the

laundry-lined roofs above Kai Tak were the soundtrack

having the active agency to shape it. Too often,

into ever-smaller apartments and pushed out of privatised commercial spaces.

Yet across Hong Kong, a quiet form of youth-led

place-making is underway. Young creatives are moving into the upper floors of aged structures in Sham Shui Po and Central, repurposing them into independent

bookstores, community archives and cultural salons.

Others gather along the Kwun Tong Promenade and in industrial lofts, turning leftover urban spaces into

vibrant venues for art and music. Rather than waiting for top-down municipal plans, they assert spatial

agency from the bottom up. They demonstrate that

heritage preservation is not about freezing time, but about providing an open canvas for self-expression and genuine connection.

to daily life.

Kai Tak Airport was more than just a reclaimed strip of

land turned into an international aviation hub. It was our shared heartbeat connecting thousands of neighbours in Kowloon City. When the runway closed in 1998 and the area was redeveloped, the city gained another

modern commercial district and high-rises, but it had

A Place We Belong When we strip away rigid commercial boundaries and sterile property metrics, urban planning can become an act of shared empathy, forming a compass for practical, liveable and wanted urban design.

lost something vital: that close-knit street-level network,

Looking ahead to the next 20 to 30 years, true urban

vitality that made my neighbourhood feel alive.

yield, or financial return. Like Gaudí’s Sagrada Família,

the informal gathering spots and the raw community

Moving from childhood into adulthood means learning to adapt to constant change. Yet, adapting to change does not mean forgetting what holds a community together. Amidst rapid construction, Hong Kong’s

urban soul still survives in human-scaled spaces: cha

progress cannot be measured alone by concrete, land the city we build will be inherited by people we may

never meet. Its value will lie not only in what rises above the skyline, but in whether it carries forward the

memories, connections and sense of belonging that make a place worth calling home.

chaan tengs that create a lively street-level rhythm,

That responsibility cannot rest with planners,

boutiques around Wanchai’s Sun, Moon and Star

who live, work and grow up here. Rather than standing

living neighbourhoods that anchor a sense of home as

we must take part in shaping it: by speaking up for the

alongside the quieter alleyways, indie cafes and design

developers or government alone. It belongs to all of us

Streets. These are a comfortable backdrop of daily life:

back and accepting the city as something done to us,

the city changes and grows.

places that matter, supporting the communities that keep them alive, and insisting that progress makes room for the lives already rooted here. Because

ultimately, we inherit not only the skyline of our city, but also the everyday places where we belong.

IN CONVERSATION：CK YIP

Liveable, Green and Resilient:

A City for the Future CK Yip, Director of Planning, shares the city’s plan for a liveable, green and economically resilient Northern Metropolis for future generations.

The rural and agricultural landscape in Ta Kwu Ling, once dominated by farmlands and rivers, now stands in sharp contrast to Shenzhen, which has evolved into a global technology and financial hub.

Growing up in the countryside gave Yip a special appreciation for Hong Kong’s cityscape: a dense, high-rise city framed by green peaks, harbour waters and islands.

To seize economic opportunities while developing within these blue-green habitats, he emphasised the importance of creating a sustainable and liveable Northern Metropolis. As he puts it, “We, as town planners, aspire to create a better living environment where all members of the public, including young generations, can live and work happily.”

K Yip spent his childhood in Ta Kwu Ling, a rural area in Hong Kong’s northernmost New Territories that faces Shenzhen across the border. Now the Director of Planning, Yip has witnessed a dramatic transformation in progress, as his old home becomes part of the megaproject called the Northern Metropolis and the new engine for Hong Kong’s development.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Between Mountains and Sea Yip shares with Youth Hong Kong the city’s overall planning framework, from renewing ageing districts to advancing the Northern Metropolis blueprint. The aim is to shape a liveable city for future generations while preserving its natural and cultural inheritance. “Hong Kong boasts one of the world’s most distinctive urban landscapes, a high-density city nestled between a natural harbour and mountains,” Yip says. “Whether in urban areas or new towns, it takes only about 20 minutes to reach a country park.” Yet the same geographic setting that gives Hong Kong its character, also presents considerable challenges in land use planning. With limited land resources, ageing building stock and evolving social and economic needs, town planners play a significant role in shaping the city’s development. “Every piece of land is precious. We must make good use of it,” he says. He explains that the city adopts a transit-oriented development approach, and for new development areas, a “15-minute neighbourhood” concept with a comprehensive pedestrian and cycle track network. “These together promote compact, mixed-use and walkable communities around public transport hubs that promote walking, cycling and use of public transport, thus creating more sustainable urban environments,” Yip says.

To continue to build on Hong Kong’s strengths, long-term planning is essential. The Planning Department conducts a territorial strategic planning review approximately every decade. The review takes into account the latest circumstances and adopts a forward-looking perspective. It sets out the long-term spatial development framework and direction, while identifying development opportunities and land resources to meet social, economic, housing, community facility and environmental needs. The latest framework, Hong Kong 2030+, was published in 2021. Having assessed land demand and supply from 2019 to 2048, it outlines a strategic vision and key development engines, including the Northern Metropolis, as well as the synergistic development of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA). To improve the quality of living environment, Hong Kong 2030+ proposes an enhanced standard of provision for open space from 2 m² to 3.5 m² per person. To enhance the city’s overall liveability and meet aspirations for a more spacious living environment, it has also put forward the vision of increasing the average living space per person. These enhanced standards have been applied in the planning of new development areas.

Reviving Old Districts Building a new urban area in the north is one kind of challenge. Renewing the older districts in the city is another. Every year, some 500 more buildings reach 50 years of age, but only about 1/5 of them were demolished for redevelopment. “To be honest, the living environment in Hong Kong’s old districts is not that pleasing,” Yip says, citing cramped space and dilapidated structures. In areas like Yau Ma Tei, Sham Shui Po and Kowloon City, narrow streets and congested layouts undermine liveability, while building decay often outpaces redevelopment. Therefore, comprehensive, tailor-made urban renewal plans are urgently needed, with financial viability taken into account. Urban renewal, Yip explains, cannot be resolved through town planning alone; it requires the concerted efforts of multiple stakeholders. To encourage redevelopment in the old districts, the Planning Department and Urban Renewal Authority developed new mechanisms such as Transfer of Plot Ratio. This allows developers to shift unutilised plot ratio rights from small, unviable sites (sending sites) to larger redevelopment sites elsewhere, including new development areas, thereby enhancing market incentives. Some sending sites may be redeveloped into public spaces and facilities, or conserved and revitalised if they possess historic values.

8 ⟥氪㼡 Mirs Bay

䯃兯ⱸ 很悌‪◐

㭱⠕⇾ 㳭㲯 ℳ 䢏◐ HSITP

㑮䏮䢏ㄾ⚌ San Tin Technopole Technop ⫔淹⌾ Tsim Bei Tsui 㯿㰬⬯ Lau Fau Shaan Sh

䔻㮣 Pak Nai Pa

㯨㫲㤉濘 ≤㘏 Hung Shuii Kiu / Ha Tsuen Tsuen

Robin's bin's Ne Nest Country untry Pa Parkk

桪切➝ Maa Ts Tso Lun Lungg

㑮䐊⇕㑮Ⳁ扬 New Te Territories North New Town

⊢㯜⇕ K Tu Kwu T ng North

∮㯰✖ Double Haven

䭇ⱸ⇕ Fanling N or t h 䭇ⱸ ᳈㫲 Fanling / Sheung Shuii Sheu

䄙㸫⫼ Nggau TTam am Mei

⟧㫲○ Tin Shui Wai

㭗曫墐 Sha Ta T u Kok

⇕徦徻㗁⇾㡀⺳䐊䲘 Northern Metropolis Conceptual Boundary

₷曫 Au Tau 㗕 Yuen Long

㗕∕ Yuen uen Long Soutth

高端專業服務和物高端專業服務和物流樞紐創新科技地帶口岸商貿及產業區藍綠康樂旅遊生態圈 High--end Professional High Services and Logistics Hub

Developing the Northern Metropolis While urban renewal addresses the past, the Northern Metropolis vision sets out a plan for a liveable, resilient, industry-driven metropolis for the future. Covering 3,000 hectares of new development land, the project will provide approximately 500,000 new residential units and 500,000 new jobs, thereby creating a new growth engine for Hong Kong’s development. “For a long time, Hong Kong’s economic focus has been on business and finance, concentrated on two sides of the Victoria Harbour,” says Yip. “To align with the national development strategy, Hong Kong 2030+ proposes the spatial development framework of ‘South-North dual engine’: finance in the south and innovation and technology in the north.” The strategy aims to build on Hong Kong’s strengths as an international financial centre while integrating into the GBA’s development. Hong Kong will fulfil its role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder,” and support the development of the GBA into a world-class innovation cluster, according to the National 15th Five-Year Plan. The Northern Metropolis follows three main principles: an infrastructure-led approach to provide comprehensive transport and supporting infrastructural facilities, such as railways and major highways; creating comprehensive communities to offer a high-quality living and working environment. The strategy also takes a new industry-driven and city-industry integration approach (產城融合), integrating workplaces, homes, community and recreation facilities.

Boundary Commerce and Industry Zone

Blue and Green Recreation, Tourism and Conservation Circle

and Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park at the Loop; the Boundary Commerce and Industry Zone covering the NDAs of Kwu Tung North/Fanling North, Ma Tso Lung and New Territories North New Town; and the Blue and Green Recreation, Tourism and Conservation Circle in Sha Tau Kok and Robin’s Nest areas. “Sustainable development is also our key planning objective,” Yip says. Take “sponge city”, for example: Yip explains how different measures have been adopted to enhance urban resilience in the face of climate change and extreme weather. These include underground stormwater tanks beneath parks, flood retention lakes, porous paving materials for better drainage and reuse of rainwater. A blueprint of this scale will take decades to realise. By then, global conditions, technologies and economic cycles may look very different. “To cope with changes and opportunities, urban planning must be flexible,” Yip says. In planned university towns, for example, flexi-zoning allows more land uses to provide flexibility and enable quick responses if demand changes.

Planning is for the future. Young people are our future.

There will be four major zones: the High-end Professional Services and Logistics Hub covering the NDAs of Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen, Yuen Long South and Lau Fau Shan; the I&T Zone including the NDA of San Tin Technopole

Innovation and Technology Zone

“Planning is an ongoing process,” Yip says. “We respond to the changing social and economic needs and review the scale and development parameters of our planning schemes in a timely manner.”

With Young People, For Young People “Planning is for the future, and young people are our future,” Yip says. “Through our outreach programmes, we aim to engage directly with young people, hear their perspectives and their needs, and understand their vision for Hong Kong’s future.”

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Indeed, engaging young people is central to the Planning Department’s outreach work, and the recent “Be a Teen Town Planner” competition reflected this, drawing proposals from 280 secondary school students on the Queen’s Hill area in North District. “The submissions gave us the opportunity to learn how the younger generation sees a community. We get to know their concerns and innovative ideas, such as their proposals for adaptive reuse and heritage conservation of the former Queen’s Hill barracks and disused railway station for community and recreation purposes,” Yip says.

“Hong Kong’s future is shaped by today’s planning decisions.” His childhood living in a rural area in North District gave him a deep appreciation for nature; now he is helping turn his childhood home into a modern, sustainable metropolis while preserving the blue-green habitats and conserving indigenous villages and heritage. Concluding the interview, Yip encourages young people to participate more actively in the town planning process. “The city will eventually be passed to today’s youth,” he adds, “the future custodians of our city.”

Our Takeaways

The interview showed me how green space improves daily life by reducing heat, improving air quality and encouraging physical activity. I used to see open-space provision mainly as a numerical target. Now, I am encouraged by the shift from ‘develop first, conserve later’ and aiming to treat wetlands and habitat links as essential infrastructure. The Director’s story of growing up in Ta Kwu Ling and now helping shape the Northern Metropolis indicates the need for good planning to be rooted in local knowledge. This interview also deepened my appreciation of urban planning’s complexity, showing me how much more I need to learn about ecology, policy and community engagement as I prepare to help shape Hong Kong’s landscapes.

“

Margaret

“

I used to think ‘new town’ meant just cramming in as many flats as possible, but the concept behind the Northern Metropolis includes pushing industrial zones back from country park boundaries. I understand that sustainable planning is not just a buzzword; it involves difficult choices that most people never see. In fact, the whole city has been a puzzle that I’d been ignoring, but now I can’t ‘unsee’ it. Imagine a basketball court being part of a ‘sponge city’ system, with underground tanks to capture rainwater. I have started noticing pavements, drainage grates, construction sites, and even the way trees are planted. Mr Yip grew up in North District and is now helping replan it for the next generation. He once walked these streets as a child, and he may still remember fondly the family-run shops, shortcuts and playgrounds that are disappearing. It reminds me the human side of urban planners. They are not just workers using maps and zoning codes but have to balance nostalgia with the pressing needs for housing, jobs and infrastructure. Sunny

“

Two students from Design Charrette 2026 joined the interview. The programme, “Vertical City: Reimagining Hong Kong’s Skyline,” brought together around 30 secondary school students for an immersive architectural learning experience. More of their insights can be found on page 20.

IN CONVERSATION：DONALD CHOI

Urban Renewal, Heritage & Legacy Donald Choi, URA's Managing Director, shares his perspective on balancing historical memory with modern liveability.

The “4R” Approach For many citizens, urban renewal has long been

rban development is not simply demolish and

equated with the demolition of dilapidated buildings to

dense metropolis like Hong Kong, city planning

one. Choi emphasises that the URA’s mandate is now

rebuild — out with the old, in with the new. In a

make way for skyscrapers, dealing with sites one by

is a delicate craft.

guided by a comprehensive “4R” framework:

Ar Donald Choi Wun-hing, Managing Director of the

Revitalisation.

Urban Renewal Authority (URA), shares his vision of a

Redevelopment, Rehabilitation, pReservation, and

city built with a mixture of modern skyscrapers, heritage

“In the past, we often looked at projects in isolation,” he

of the delicate balance between preservation and

potential and social value that urban renewal could

the heart of the URA’s work. A significant shift is already

lens of interconnected neighbourhoods.”

buildings and unique community identity. He is mindful

explains. “That approach fell short of unlocking the full

economic values, placing liveability and sustainability at

bring. Instead, the URA now views renewal through the

taking place, moving beyond piecemeal redevelopments towards a more holistic, “people-first” district-based urban regeneration.

“A city is defined by much more than its skyline. Its

character and community warmth reside in the spaces

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

URA preserves the unique character of older districts through initiatives such as themed murals and the promotion of the Songkran Festival in Kowloon City.

Balancing Heritage and Economy between — the streets and alleys where daily life unfolds. Replacing these cherished spaces with

four-lane highways completely dismantles the unique spirit of a neighbourhood. Whether it is a mature canopy of trees or a local corner shop, these

landmarks are woven into the lives of generations.

Guided by community feedback, we are dedicated to preserving the places and heritage that carry deep

Striking a sustainable equilibrium between heritage

conservation and economic viability constitutes one of the most formidable challenges in urban renewal. Projects that turn into lifeless museum pieces risk

losing relevance, whereas excessive commercialisation turns authentic old districts into sterile tourist traps.

Nonetheless, Choi rejects the premise that economic

sentimental meaning for residents,” Choi says.

viability and preservation are mutually exclusive, citing

For instance, in the heart of the Kowloon City District,

“Generating sustainable revenue streams,” he says, “is

annual Songkran Festival and Yu Lan Festival, are

youth entrepreneurship.” The TPR mechanism provides

neighbourhood, Thai artists were invited to paint

enabling developers to transfer the unutilised plot ratio

celebrating the unique spirit of the local Thai

of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, thereby enhancing

the government’s Transfer of Plot Ratio (TPR) scheme.

Thai and Chiu Chow cultural traditions, such as the

vital to supporting cultural development and fostering

being lovingly preserved. To breathe new life into the

market-driven incentives and regulatory flexibility,

murals on the facades of buildings, capturing and

from buildings designated for preservation within seven

community.

the overall financial viability of urban renewal projects.

In assessing the historical significance of buildings,

Drawing upon the Central Market as an illustrative case

Monuments Office, alongside its own teams of

inherently requires adaptive reuse. Rather than

experts to conduct comprehensive, site-specific

struggle to remain economically viable in the current

imposition of rigid thresholds: “Selection criteria must

transformed into a vibrant “playground for all.” This

pre-war buildings that fail to meet modern standards.

and dedicated spaces allocated to aspiring young

public consultation to ascertain what the community

initiative, blending historic heritage with contemporary

the URA works closely with the Antiquities and

in point, Choi emphasises that successful preservation

architects and planners who engage conservation

maintaining a traditional wet market, which would

assessments. Nonetheless, Choi cautions against the

context, the landmark has been meticulously

not be dogmatic. We cannot simply demolish all the

revitalised community hub features food stalls, cafes

Rather, we are committed to actively engaging in

local entrepreneurs under the “Made in Hong Kong”

truly values.”

social utility.

The revitalised Central Market hosts a variety of community and cultural events, and has become a “playground for all” within the bustling city.

Similarly, recent policy adjustments facilitate gross floor area exemptions to enable the possibility of installing lifts in old tenement buildings where

structurally feasible, thereby significantly enhancing

the mobility and quality of life of the elderly residents.

Choi maintains that resources should be channelled to serve the broader public interest rather than merely generating private gain.

Under this progressive planning philosophy, historic structures can be preserved without compromising

their inherent development rights, and underutilised

spaces can be productively capitalised upon without diminishing aggregate land values. Ultimately,

developmental “profits” are reinvested to fund the

construction of public parks and essential community facilities, securing a greater net benefit for the community as a whole.

Rather than perceiving urban density as a constraint, Choi advocates for innovative architectural and

planning interventions integrated with decentralised, community-led management models. When a local initiative successfully enhances neighbourhood liveability, creates green public spaces, and

stimulates economic activity across the wider district,

it yields substantial, enduring social value that extends far into the future.

In evaluating project outcomes, Choi stresses that the URA weighs qualitative feedback from end-users,

such as local shopkeepers and residents, alongside comprehensive, district-wide economic and social

datasets. He posits that success and failure are rarely

absolute, particularly when evaluated through a

long-term perspective, underlining the fundamental

principle that urban redevelopment must continuously evolve in tandem with the times.

Setting World-Class Standards Choi underscores Hong Kong’s unique natural

resources, alongside its rich historical and cultural

heritage. “We want to leave a warmer, better city for

the generations to come. We cannot simply consume all of our natural, cultural, or economic resources

today, leaving nothing behind for our children.” He emphasises the critical importance of sustainable development and intergenerational equity.

Looking ahead, Choi is confident that Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to establish new global

benchmarks. Drawing a parallel with the enduring

legacy of the Italian Renaissance, he suggests that

Hong Kong should aspire to standards of excellence so profound that they will continue to attract visitors from around the world 50 or 100 years from now.

“What we do today shapes tomorrow’s history,” Choi says. “The legacy we pass on is not merely about

preserving the achievements of the past, but enriching that heritage with our own contributions for the benefit of those who follow.”

ON THE SIDE

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Ecology Comes First to Hong Kong’s Green Future Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden (KFBG), a non-profit conservation institute focused on nature conservation, holistic education and sustainable living, explains why ecological planning must come first in development plans.

s Hong Kong pushes forward with new urban

frameworks such as the latest Biodiversity Strategy and

and urban growth should not be vying goals.

With initiatives like the Northern Metropolis underway,

development initiatives, nature conservation

Instead, it is crucial to incorporate ecological

considerations “strongly and early” in the planning process, according to Wander Meijer, Executive Director of KFBG.

Action Plan published in 2025.

large-scale development projects are also placing

increasing pressure on wildlife habitats. To protect these areas, Meijer stresses the importance of

identifying and protecting habitats at the earliest

“Nature is not a luxury to be protected. It is the

planning stage. Key environments in the Northern

Meijer, who has led KFBG since 2021.

and abandoned fishponds and farmlands,

foundation of a healthy and resilient society,” says KFBG is a non-profit organisation, with its main site

Metropolis include inland and coastal wetlands, active watercourses, woodlands and wildlife corridors.

located on the northern slopes of Tai Mo Shan in Hong

Meijer believes that planning must follow a sequence:

education and sustainable living come together. Its

unavoidable impacts, and only then considering

government, NGOs, developers, academics and

challenge, he notes, is designing projects to retain the

Kong’s New Territories, where nature conservation,

avoiding impacts where possible, minimising

Ecological Advisory Programme has provided advice to

mitigation or compensation measures. The real

communities on biodiversity‑friendly policies and project

“ecological assets” and “proximity of nature” that make

design.

Hong Kong liveable and unique.

Nature conservation and development should not be

Looking ahead, Meijer highlights that protecting these

complementary priorities where healthy ecosystems

mentions the concept of “Ecological Civilisation,” a

well-being and economic stability, according to Meijer.

and economic systems are redesigned for long-term

Despite being one of the world's most densely

Civilisation, he says safeguarding the environment is

viewed as “competing objectives,” but as

resources requires full community involvement. He

support sustainability, climate resilience, human

proposed human development model where social

populated urban areas with limited developable land, he says, Hong Kong continues to support rich

biodiversity and a wide range of valuable habitats,

reinforced by growing public awareness and policy

sustainability. Guided by the principles of Ecological not the job of a single age group or sector, but a responsibility shared by the whole community.

IN CONVERSATION：ALAN CHEUNG

One Bite at a Time: Making Urban Spaces Liveable & Places Lovable

Urban planning might sound massive, but Alan Cheung proves it actually starts small — listening to local communities to design the everyday details that matter.

The sliding door design model from a public-housing project with elderly residents

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

hen Alan Cheung talks about cities, he doesn’t begin with floor plans or building codes. He starts with people.

As the co-founder of Onebite, Cheung has spent the past decade trying to reshape how the city thinks about public space, community engagement and urban planning. Rather than focusing only on spectacular buildings, his interdisciplinary design company also works at ground level, in housing estates, public toilets, sports grounds, heritage shops or underused corners of the city. Onebite’s philosophy is simple: how can we make places that people truly enjoy? “We’ve been lucky to work on big developments in both the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong,” Cheung recalls the excitement of winning global awards and building huge mixed-use complexes using innovative materials. “But when we returned to some of these sites, we realised we could have built them almost anywhere. They didn’t really belong to the local context.” What stayed with him were the smaller projects: NGO renovations and community spaces where he could watch people use what he had helped create. “The design isn’t luxurious, but you see the smiling faces, or hear complaints. That’s when you feel you really designed for people.”

Design for People Onebite began in 2015 with a simple idea: everyone deserves “one bite” of design. The name is deliberately accessible and playful. “In Chinese, ‘Onebite’ (一口) is easy for elderly people to read,” Cheung explains. “It connects to food — everyone likes eating. We wanted people to taste a bit of design, then tell us what they want.” That commitment to listening led to One Bite Social (一口舍群) in 2017, a community-focused arm that uses design to engage overlooked groups, including elderly residents, disabled users, women and pet owners. “In Hong Kong, we talk a lot about function and practicality,” Cheung says. “But it is harder to say whether somewhere is truly liveable. For us, liveable is the second level. Loveable is the highest level. We want people to love the city and their neighbourhood.” The idea of placemaking developed from mid-20th-century urban planning and design theory, when urban pioneers like Jane Jacobs and William H. Whyte argued that cities should be designed for people, not just cars and commerce. For Cheung, genuine place-making is not a buzzword, branding or decoration, but an understanding that a place’s history, culture and everyday rhythms are important and that building with its community rather than over it is respect.

Sai Kung Hoi Arts Festival is an open-air art experience curated by Onebite.

He acknowledges that profit pressures, bureaucracy and top-down decisions can dilute good intentions. Yet he has also found clients willing to learn. “We show them prototypes, then use them as examples to persuade other clients,” he says. “That is how change happens: one project, one step at a time.”

Bread, Doors and Toilets Cheung’s favourite way to explain community engagement is through baking. “Sometimes people find the whole idea of ‘design’ too abstract,” he says. “But everyone understands making bread.” Onebite’s six-step process begins by creating a safe space where people can be heard. The team identify key needs from the many ideas that emerge, gather perspectives as the “dough” ferments, shape the options and eventually “bake” them into reality. Then comes the crucial final stage: taste the result together, evaluate it honestly, and give it to those who helped create it. “Evaluation is hard,” Cheung admits. “Usually, after the defect liability period is over, everyone moves on. But we like to bring people back, even if we are not paid. They should see how their ideas became real.” He shares the example from a public-housing project with elderly residents who live on their own. In a typical studio apartment, the kitchen and bathroom sit side by side. Most designers would give each room its own door, while an elderly participant suggested one sliding door across both. “If you are in the bathroom, you can close it. If you are cooking something with a strong smell, you slide it to keep it contained. When guests visit, you can give them privacy,” Cheung says. “It saves space and money, and the idea came completely from a user.” Four years later, when Onebite brought the group back to see the refurbished flats, the same participant

Ming Tak Sports Court features multipurpose amenities such as stretch bars, sit-up benches, mirrors and hooks.

pointed at the sliding door and said proudly: “This is my design.” “We must be humble and open-minded,” he says. “Community members can give us sparks we never would have thought of. Then we help turn those sparks into something even better.” Public toilets became another unexpectedly rich design challenge. In a two-year design-thinking project, Onebite looked beyond fixtures and finishes to management, maintenance and, crucially, users. They convened “toilet masters”: everyday users, elderly people, disabled users, parents, cleaners and even the chairman of the Hong Kong Men’s Association. “He told us that in some public toilets, you have to walk past the entrance of the women’s toilets to reach the men’s,” Cheung says. “You are simply trying to go to the toilet, but women may think you are looking inside and feel uncomfortable. As designers, we had not noticed that at all.” The workshops also revealed that many accessible toilets had been designed only for right-handed wheelchair users. After hearing directly from disabled users, the government changed its barrier-free access guidelines. “It was a small adjustment, but it made a huge difference,” Cheung says. “We constantly overlook some groups, and we need to hear their voices to correct us.”

Toilet Tells: Rediscover Public Toilet is a design-thinking programme to revamp public restroom design and services.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Women, Pets and Young Co-Creators A basketball-court project offered another lesson. A client survey showed that female players often felt invisible in the design and programming of sports spaces. Working with Women Sports Empowered Hong Kong, Onebite added simple details: hooks and ledges for handbags along the fence, as well as mirrors. “It is a small idea,” Cheung says, “but it shifts the message: sports spaces are for women too.” Pets became another lens on changing urban demographics. Cheung points to the scarcity of dog-friendly areas in older districts, and the tension that arises when pet owners occupy pavements and small parks. Onebite’s research platform “Urban Matters” responds to these questions through playful “Urban Candy”, themed bite-sized explorations of topics like pets, gender and healing in the city. “Because candy is something you can taste,” he says. “We share knowledge, collect data, and tell stories. It’s a way to help people see how everyday issues are all connected to urban planning.” Cheung is especially hopeful when young people become active participants rather than passive observers. During work on the redevelopment of Wah Fu Estate, a public housing estate located in Hong Kong's Southern District, Onebite recruited around ten teenagers and young adults as ambassadors. They now run Wah Fu Lounge, curate exhibitions about the estate’s past and future, and help residents understand the changes ahead. “It’s a cycle,” Cheung says. “We connect dots and provide resources, but ultimately we want young people to pick up the work themselves.” Asked to sum up the thread that ties his projects together, from sliding doors and public toilets to hooks in parks and art festivals, Cheung pauses. “One bite at a time,” he says at last. “Changes will come,” Cheung says. “But we cannot be too fast or too aggressive. Like bread, good places need time to rise. You start with one bite. After the first bite, there will be more bites, more steps.”

Participants collaborate in a co-creation workshop to design a showflat for senior independent living.

IN CONVERSATION：SAMPSON WONG

New Eyes on an Old City

“

Urban explorer Sampson Wong asks: Have you ever really “walked” through the city you live in?

“

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. — Marcel Proust

arcel Proust never made it to the gritty and

authentic neighbourhood of Sham Shui Po, but he would have understood Sampson

Wong's project instantly.

Wong, a geography lecturer at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), urban researcher, and author

of Hong Kong Strollology (香港散步學), spends roughly

What happened next was that people who were

around Hong Kong, and almost none of that time is

somewhere they’ve never been before, all within

50 days a year walking small groups of strangers

interested signed up and joined the walk to go

spent showing them new landscapes. He takes the

neighbourhoods with which they were already familiar.

participants to old neighbourhoods such as Kwun

Tong and Jordan. What he is offering, two hours at a

time, is not a tour, but a pair of new eyes with which to look at the place we inhabit.

Wander at Home Wong’s interest in urbanism and urban walking dates back to 2010, through art projects, research and

writing. It wasn’t until 2020, when the borders were shut because of the pandemic, that he started to consolidate the subjects he loves into a cultural

project. One day, almost randomly, he posted on

Facebook: let’s all do some Hong Kong strollology.

The term strollology comes from Swiss sociologist Lucius Burckhardt’s Promenadologie, the

experimental practices of becoming aware of how we perceive the environment during reflective walks. Wong borrows this term to give it a new context.

On one walk, he took participants to Prudential Centre, one of the oldest surviving malls in Jordan, to explore the corner of Tak Hing Street where a pocket park is

hidden among tall shrubs, and to a building that once housed a school for the city’s Portuguese community. “If I’m taking you somewhere for the very first time in your life, I feel honoured,” he says.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

In a 2025 Time Out global survey, Hong Kong landed

film, you go to karaoke to sing, you go shopping to

liveability and quality-of-life indices, the city falls

get used that way, like jogging lanes and cycling

10th among the world’s most walkable cities. Yet in

behind. Aware of that gap, Wong sees the difference between a city you use and a city you experience. “A place being good to walk in doesn’t mean you

actually walk in it,” he says. “What the hardware (in

Hong Kong) facilitates is efficiency — shopping and commuting. It doesn't necessarily facilitate pausing and relaxing. Very often when we talk about

shop.” Even our parks and harbourfront promenades tracks.

A non-functional walk, according to Wong, is more

relaxing and playful. Sometimes he simply goes out to look at how the streetlights are designed, while others may go out to count how many types of drain covers Hong Kong has.

walkability, we’re really talking about efficiency.”

Wong refuses to look at Hong Kong simply through

the lens of functionality. While most people picture a

guided tour with a flag, a headset, and a long history

to learn, his approach is spontaneous, meditative and non-functional. “It’s more of a walk, with no concrete

purpose at all. We walk together; we talk and share.” What he shares with participants on the street is more of an improvised reaction: he notices something, the group talks about it, and he asks what they think. “I

use the journey as a practice to sharpen everybody’s senses.”

As residents get used to their busy nine-to-five routine

Wander Happily Lately, he’s been drawn to what aimless city walks do to our brains. Conversations with mindfulness

researchers highlighted the correlation between

walking and mindfulness. While mindfulness turns inward to breath and body, strolling is actively

outward-looking. Both require concentration on the

present moment, without worrying about tomorrow’s

“

deadline or who you have to call next

“

Wander Aimlessly

Strolling is like fiddling with your fingers. It is a pleasure available to you at any moment.

in order to function in the most efficient way possible,

Along with these mental health benefits, urban walking

what’s special around them. “The more familiar a

that can make you happy very easily,” Wong says,

using your own fixed pattern,” he says.

surroundings and pay attention to what genuinely

they tend to lose their senses and the ability to see

can also add meaning to everyday life. “It’s something

place is, the more used to it you are. You explore it

encouraging city dwellers to learn more about their

“Our daily patterns are simply too functional. Hong

interests them.

Kong people are very busy. Apart from going to work,

This, he clarifies, is not about acquiring hard

entertainment, hardly anyone feels they should set

to memorise. Rather, it is about cultivating an intuitive

coming home, buying daily necessities, eating, and

knowledge — no dates, architectural styles or names

aside blank time to explore their surroundings.”

sense of what you enjoy looking at and recognising

In his new book, subtitled Looking for Happiness in

seen. In other words, it offers a way of seeing the city

the City, he points out that most of our leisure is

destination-based. “You go to the cinema to watch a

what is already out there on the street waiting to be

with new eyes: an experience that costs less than a plane ticket and begins right outside your door.

HKFYG HIGHLIGHTS：SPORTS YOUTH SPEAK

New Development, New Imagination How would youth reimagine the Northern Metropolis?

Kruz

Rex

Lynette

Vienna

Kalong

1. Have you heard of the Northern Metropolis? What comes to your mind first? Kruz: Yes, I have. The Under Secretary for Development visited our school previously to give a presentation on the Northern Metropolis, so I did a bit of homework back then to understand what it actually is.

Rex: My impression is that it seems focused on hosting major events and fitting into specific lifestyles, though it obviously incorporates financial elements as well.

Lynette: I think it’s a good idea to make better use of our land. Hong Kong is densely populated and lacks housing space. Developing more residential areas and building universities is positive. So many people compete for university degrees in Hong Kong, so adding another institution would be great. Kalong: Yes, I’ve heard about it on the news regarding plans for more buildings, public facilities, the MTR, and economic infrastructure. I think it’s a good concept, as northern Hong Kong hasn’t been developed much over the years. It adds more space, which helps accommodate mainland citizens who are settling here.

Jade

Kenneth

Andy

Jade: I heard about the project details at school, such as developing the northern part of Hong Kong. It reminds me of places I’ve visited recently in the New Territories, like the Wetland Park. Kenneth: My first thought was, is the government wasting money on mega projects like this, while we were facing deficits?

Andy: I’ve participated in competitions and events related to it, visited the site, and recently entered a competition directly focused on planning its development. I know the Northern Metropolis is included in the National 15th Five-Year Plan, featuring university town developments and an international-standard skatepark that is already open and very popular. I think it’s a great decision; a new city development like the university town will offer plenty of new work experience and opportunities for my future.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

2. What parts of the Northern Metropolis sound most exciting? Kruz: Being tech-oriented, I hope the area provides space for start-ups to conduct research and innovate. I’m also curious about how they plan to preserve the many natural conservation zones in the northern district.

Rex: I don’t hold particularly high expectations, but if it can drive Hong Kong’s overall urban development, that’s a positive outcome.

Kalong: Perhaps they will expand the marine ecosystems. It seems the government is finally recognising ecological risks. Implementing geoparks or marine parks would be very beneficial and give citizens another tourist attraction to visit.

Jade: It’s interesting that the government wants to construct buildings and revitalise the New Territories. Unlike the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, the New Territories feature extensive recreational areas and farmland. It’s important to maintain its natural resources and character so people from other areas can experience a different side of Hong Kong.

Kenneth: Honestly, more flats. At least then I’d be guaranteed a roof, and with more jobs around I wouldn’t have to worry about being unemployed. Worst case, I’d just drift over to McDonald’s and get myself a job! Andy: I am most excited about the transport infrastructure. The project is designed to connect Hong Kong directly with the Chinese Mainland and Shenzhen. Shorter travel times will make commuting much more efficient, benefiting both logistics operators and leisure travellers while boosting economic growth.

3. What worries you most? Kruz: Hong Kong’s wetlands are crucial natural treasures. While the government can set waste discharge regulations, I worry about enforcement, or that unscrupulous businesses might pollute these nature reserves.

Lynette: Building homes for Hong Kong residents is good, but we shouldn’t exploit animal habitats. Animals need to survive too, so we shouldn't take over their habitats.

Kalong: ⁠Building extensive infrastructure causes significant pollution. Global warming is already terrible, and constructing taller buildings will only harm the environment further.

Jade: It feels a bit alienating since there is a noticeable lack of street life. Walking down the street would feel like moving purely from point A to point B, rather than exploring independent shops along the way.

Kenneth: I worry that the government will run out of money, with elderly subsidies and student allowances already being cut. Projects like the MTR Tung Chung Line Extension, near where I live, keep dragging on, and if we pile on more mega-projects, finances could collapse.

Andy: Developing a self-sustaining “small city” covering roughly a third of Hong Kong’s landmass requires immense capital and labour. The construction cycle is long. For example, the university town might not be finished even after I graduate. In the short term, the economic returns will be low, potentially creating debt and placing Hong Kong in a period of economic stagnation rather than prosperity.

The interviewed students are from Design Charrette 2026, held under the theme “Vertical City: Reimagining Hong Kong’s Skyline.” The programme, jointly organised by The Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) and the HKFYG, brought together around 30 secondary school students for an immersive architectural learning experience.

Scan and enjoy the video here

YOUTH SPEAK

4. What do you think young people at your age

need most in a new city area?

Kruz: As a Secondary 5 student thinking about future university life, I would like to see proper library facilities, private study pods, and a tech-driven or eco-friendly environment.

Lynette: Hong Kong culture is heavily focused on academic success and making money, which requires physical development. I don't think every young person necessarily prioritises green spaces and nature. Kalong: Teenagers today desperately need parks and sports centres. Students spend all their time studying and lack the space to relax or play sports. A proper recreational centre would benefit them greatly. Andy: We primarily want recreational amenities, tech-focused hubs similar to the Science Park, and a wider variety of dining options.

Rex: I prioritise basic infrastructure and hygiene. I don’t mind if the surrounding amenities are sparse at first, as long as the area is clean. Some shopping malls in the Chinese Mainland rely on squat toilets and are quite dirty, which I’d like to avoid.

Vienna: When walking around Tai Wai, the old buildings block out the sky, which feels overwhelming. Seeing trees and greenery helps me relax.

Kenneth: A place to live and a job. Everyone’s scared of not getting into university, or not finding work. Even basic jobs need family connections these days. And without housing, you step into the real world and end up living under a footbridge with your uncle and your dad. Not ideal!

Jade: Social spaces are essential — places where young people can build communities, meet others, and share interests. For instance, I love anime, and visiting local anime shops allows me to connect with like-minded friends.

5. How do you imagine the Northern Metropolis

will affect your daily life when you grow up?

Kruz: I’ve considered starting a business or working on small startup projects with friends. The Northern Metropolis could serve as a solid base or research hub for us to expand our initiatives.

Kalong: It won’t affect me much because I don’t plan to move there. Being on the far northern border makes commuting to central business districts extremely time-consuming. A friend of mine who lives in the north has to wake up at 5:30 am just to reach his school in Admiralty by 8:00 am. Commute times are a huge drawback, though I might reconsider once the MTR connections are fully integrated.

Kenneth: I picture moving there to retire, honestly. If they really keep the fish ponds and conservation areas as they promised, I could go fishing (only if it’s legal), and a new town’s bound to be nicer than the old, grimy ones. Like Sham Shui Po had its day. Andy: I won’t be able to enjoy the university town facilities as a student myself, as construction will likely only finish around the time I graduate.

A sketch by Kenneth features public housing development with gardens, shopping areas, recycling facilities, a sports centre and a swimming pool.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

6. If you could design one new public space,

what would it look like?

Kruz: Without budget constraints, I’d model a public space after Google’s US campus, featuring networked smart amenities, open layouts, and autonomous shuttle vehicles or rental bikes for easy transit across larger distances. Vienna: I’d create a simple fitness space. Many students focus strictly on academics and money, but need a place to unwind during their free time. Adding quiet rest areas nearby with books, like a mini-library, would let people relax after working out.

Rex: I would design an inclusive community hub with clubhouse facilities for all ages to foster cross-generational communication. There is currently a generational divide, but a shared environment could help reduce awkwardness and allow different age groups to understand each other better.

Lynette: I’d construct a simple fitness trail designed for walking and running that causes minimal environmental impact. Runners could enjoy the surrounding natural flora without disturbing the ecosystem.

Kalong: I would design a sports centre. I’m an energetic person who loves staying active, so that would be my priority.

Jade: A climate-controlled park or greenhouse. Many people avoid nature due to the extreme heat and mosquitoes, so a greenhouse setup would let people enjoy greenery without the physical discomfort or risk of bug bites. Kenneth: If I could build whatever I wanted? A house for myself. Because, same old story: if I design the thing but I can’t even live in it. What’s the point? I can’t benefit from this.

Andy: I’d choose a site just north of Queen’s Hill Estate. The terrain there is very flat and sits alongside a small river near existing residential estates. I’d design an iconic landmark, which is similar to the Peak Tower or the Bank of China Tower, to give northern Hong Kong its own identity and drive local economy.

7. Message to the planners and leaders Kruz: Please focus on strict policy enforcement, particularly regarding industrial pollution and waste discharge, to ensure companies truly adhere to conservation standards and protect Hong Kong's environment. Lynette: I hope leaders cherish the land. Hong Kong has many people with housing needs, but we must strike a balance between human development and preserving natural plant life.

Vienna: Don’t focus excessively on innovation and futuristic expansion. Sometimes it’s better to maintain the existing environment rather than overbuilding.

Jade: Prioritise the needs of local Hong Kong residents over tourists. While harbour developments often target visitors, planners should consider local stakeholders, such as the fishing community.

Andy: Ensure robust flood prevention and drainage systems are in place. Flat terrain makes construction easier, but it carries a high risk of flooding. Proper infrastructure is essential for the new city to develop smoothly.

Kalong: They are doing a good job so far, but they should adopt less polluting construction approaches to minimise deforestation in northern Hong Kong.

Kenneth: Build more homes, mainly public housing, and stop building more malls. Hong Kong needs places to live, not places to shop. Malls are already everywhere. If you want to buy something, you can just step outside, but you literally cannot find somewhere to live. My ideal Northern Metropolis is heavy on public housing and actual conservation, not fish ponds built as a publicity stunt later left to rot.

YOUTH SPEAK

: w e i v r e t n I ? t k e n e i h T Str u o Y o D t a h W

Youth Hong Kong interviewed several pedestrians in Kai Tak, an area that has witnessed the city’s old days and new development. Once home to the city’s international airport from 1925 to 1998, Kai Tak has since been transformed into one of Hong Kong’s largest integrated sports and entertainment hubs.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Do you like living in Hong Kong?

I don’t like living in Hong Kong. The pace of life is too fast, and I feel like I can never truly relax, whether at work or studying. However, I do love the public transport. It’s fast, convenient, safe, and clean. I like living in Hong Kong. It’s a beautiful city, particularly my neighbourhood in Kai Tak, which feels very open and well-developed.

I have mixed feelings about living in Hong Kong. It’s extremely convenient, but it feels overpopulated, overly dense, and I feel the air quality is getting worse.

I was born here, so accepting life in Hong Kong is just part of reality for me. What I dislike most is the stark, visible divide in living conditions — rich and poor living right next to each other creates psychological pressure for everyone. Still, the convenience, transport, and dining options are great. My adult children choose not to have kids due to the financial pressure, educational challenges, and lack of child-friendly living space.

2. Are there too many malls? I rarely visit shopping malls because they are too crowded and cramped. I much prefer spending time outdoors in parks. Hong Kong has far too many malls, and they all feel repetitive and identical.

I don’t shop often, maybe once or twice a month to buy clothes or essentials. In my area, the number of commercial hubs (like AIRSIDE and the Sports Park) feels a bit high-end, though overall it’s acceptable. I love visiting big shopping malls with my family because I like looking at all the nice, pretty things inside. Outside of malls, I spend a lot of time playing at the big park near my building, especially on the swings and the flying spinner ride. I feel Hong Kong already has plenty of places to play and shop, and I'm very happy with what we have.

When I go to malls, I usually spend my time dining out or shopping for clothes. I feel the number of malls in Hong Kong is fair.

I occasionally wander through malls during my free time to browse shops, relax, and pass the time. I think the current number of malls in Hong Kong is quite reasonable.

Public communal areas like sky gardens and parks

I love living and playing in Hong Kong, especially in Tsuen Wan where I live with my parents and sister. My favourite thing to do at home is play games with my sister.

I don’t think there are too many malls given the large population, but I dislike how monotonous they are — they are dominated by identical chain stores, which squeezes out small local businesses with high rents. I rarely visit malls myself, mainly using them just to eat. On nice days, I prefer taking my family outdoors to parks or swimming.

I only visit malls if I have a specific need or need to buy things for my family. Otherwise, unless it's extremely hot and I need air conditioning, I prefer walking down the streets to experience the authentic local vibe. I think Hong Kong's urban planning and commercial infrastructure are highly developed. The interconnected footbridges, underground transit connections, indoor air conditioning, and shaded public seating (like around Chater Garden) make getting around very comfortable and efficient compared to the mainland. Malls are necessary and work well in high-density residential areas like Po Lam or Tseung Kwan O, where self-contained communities enjoy affordable dining, scenic cycling paths, and footbridges. However, most malls are copy-paste duplicates. I mainly spend time in malls during summer breaks to entertain the child I foster. I think public spaces exist if you look for them, but what Hong Kong truly lacks is adequate, affordable living space.

What would you add to Hong Kong’s urban space? More parks and greenery

As a traveller (though I previously considered studying here), I think Hong Kong has a great atmosphere. It’s a wonderful place for leisurely strolling as a tourist, though working here seems like it would come with high pressure.

Community spaces and leisure centres where people can gather, join classes, or enjoy park facilities

Interactive playgrounds for children Public sports facilities, like local basketball or soccer courts

Interviews: Karman Siu, Daniel Yan Tsz-kin

IN PICTURES

Once Upon a Hong Kong

by Ally Pok

ong Kong’s streets are full of objects we barely notice, until we stop and realise that each tells a story of its own, revealing layers of the city’s social history, regulatory shifts and the evolving relationship between public space and pedestrian life.

Morrison Lights Most people will recognise the bollard lights on pedestrian safety islands, with their white cubic “head”, yellow “body” and blue “face”. Known as the “Morrison light”, the design was introduced from the United Kingdom into Hong Kong in 1973 and named after the then Senior Superintendent Morrison of the Traffic Wing of the Hong Kong Police. The design was based on the then British illuminated bollard lights, which used the words “turn left” to indicate direction. However, in Hong Kong, the instruction was simplified to a single arrow, making it easier for both Chineseand English-speaking drivers to understand. Over time, these traffic bollards have been modified and replaced, with newer models like the “Flecta” and the “Night Owl”. These models now use reflected headlights instead of electricity and are more resistant to damage in the event of a collision. Even so, Morrison lights remain in use at bends or on roads with low visibility, where illuminated guidance is still deemed necessary for safety. Their distinctive appearance has become a quiet but enduring part of Hong Kong’s urban landscape.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Newsstands

Once a very familiar part of Hong Kong’s daily rhythm, newsstands are slowly disappearing from the streetscape. In the 1990s, the city had about 2,500 newsstands. By 2018, the figure had dropped to around 400, and just three years later, only about 350 remained. Hong Kong’s first newsstand opened in 1904 at the Peak Tram Terminal, selling the English-language South China Morning Post to the mostly wealthy expatriates and visitors, as Chinese were not permitted to live in that area. Initially serving only Western customers, newsstands expanded alongside the city’s growing population, becoming especially more important from the 1970s onwards, when public interest in current affairs fuelled a boom in the print news industry.

Newstands also served a social purpose. The government issued licences to people with disabilities, giving many a means of livelihood. At their peak in the 1980s and 1990s, some stalls sold more than 1,000 copies daily across 20 titles. Newsstands were widespread and often clustered near teahouses, while also serving as competitive frontlines for publishers. Today, online news and social media have transformed residents’ reading and consuming habits. As the government has stopped issuing new licences and prohibits transfers, it is harder for the businesses to renew themselves, especially for young people. With current daily sales now often below 100 copies, many vendors rely on selling cigarettes, drinks and snacks, with some no longer selling newspapers at all.

PARENTS SPEAK

Gas Lamps Sitting quietly in the heart of Hong Kong, four working gas lamps still glow as a rare survival in today’s electricity city. This corner of Duddell Street is now an elegant tourist spot and movie location that feels almost suspended in time. The first public gas street lamp in Hong Kong was installed at West Point (Shek Tong Tsui) in 1864, two years after the Hong Kong and China Gas Company was established. Gas lighting offered a more extensive and reliable alternative to oil lamps. From the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, they were installed widely in the city, with lamplighters rushing through streets and alleys at dawn and dusk to turn the lamps off and on manually.

After the Second World War, as electrical lighting emerged as a powerful substitute for gas lighting, most of the gas lamps in Hong Kong were switched off forever. In 1964, the four gas lamps on Duddell Street were the only ones to survive. Recognising their value, the government in 1979 declared the four lamps on Duddell Street, as well as the century-old granite steps on which they are located, historical monuments. Since then, experts and engineers have put great effort into keeping them shining. In 2018, super typhoon Mangkhut toppled several trees nearby, seriously damaging the steps on Duddell Street and breaking three out of the four lamps and a lamp post. Fortunately, they were all carefully restored by experts from the Antiquities and Monuments Office and the manufacturer in the United Kingdom. Duddell Street was reopened in 2019. Today, these gas lamps are still lighting up this small corner of a Hong Kong street.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Cylindrical Postboxes Hong Kong’s postboxes are easy to overlook, but they carry a layered history, with about 1,170 in the city, and 65 of them dating back to the colonial era. Scattered across the New Territories, Kowloon and offshore islands, they were all repainted green from red after the 1997 handover, with 59 still bearing royal insignia. The oldest surviving examples carry Queen Victoria's (1837-1901) mark, which are preserved for display only, and others featuring those of King George V (1910-1936), King George VI (1936-1952) and Queen Elizabeth II (1952-2022) are still in use. The early boxes were cast in iron, whereas newer models are made of fibreglass. One uniquely large postbox, which bears a Scottish insignia, can still be found in Statue Square, Central. From the 1960s to the 90s, some boxes were fitted with mechanical stamp-vending machines selling 10-cent stamps. The feature was welcomed, especially when post offices were closed for the day. These boxes were known by the Chinese nickname, the “piggyback posting box (揹仔郵筒)”, because the add-on resembled a child riding on his or her mother’s back. However, these postboxes have since disappeared from the streets.

YOUTH WATCH

The Great Asian Urban Experiment The urban fabric of a city depends on many factors. How do six Asian megacities handle density, population, housing, and environmental pressures through urban planning?

s home to many of the densest cities in the world, it’s impossible to exclude Asia from any discussion of urban planning or urban density. The diversity of the region showcases a variety of different approaches towards managing urban agglomeration, each influenced by their individual

histories, economies, and geographies.

Hong Kong

#Crowded #Unaffordable

Despite its reputation as one of the most densely

small group of property developers, Hong Kong’s

Quarry Bay’s Monster Building and the now-demolished

the world since 2010, disenfranchising young

up of undeveloped land. As a craggy collection of over

wealth gap. In September 2026, the Hong Kong

usable land has largely been achieved through land

first deviation from its free-market style of governance

Island, Kowloon, and New Territories’ coastlines, as

economic growth, and social welfare. A core focus area

populated areas in the world, with iconic structures like

housing market has been ranked the least affordable in

Kowloon Walled City, some 75% of Hong Kong is made

Hongkongers and deepening the city’s already-wide

200 islands and islets, Hong Kong’s expansion of

government rolled out its inaugural five-year plan — the

reclamation, including the extension of Hong Kong

since 1970 — to set long-term goals for its infrastructure,

well as landmark projects like Chek Lap Kok Airport.

is the development of a 30,000-hectare “Northern

With limited space and a monopoly on land held by a

for 2.5 million people, and further integrate the city with

Metropolis”, which aims to provide 650,000 jobs, housing the Greater Bay Area over the next decade.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Shenzhen #Migrants #HandshakeBuildings #GreenDevelopment Established as China’s first Special Economic Zone

In light of its economic success, Shenzhen has become

and industrial powerhouse with a population of 18

One major priority is sustainable development, with the

the core four districts of Luohu, Futian, Nanshan and

rerouted to protect native mangroves — setting an

were razed to make way for purpose-built industrial

maintained an impressive 45% of green coverage;

migrant workers flocked to the SEZ for economic

industrial buildings with solar panels and smart energy

clustered tenement buildings (called “handshake

corridors to connect forests, rivers, and coastal

within arm’s reach) were built by rural landowners to

Bridge, which provides safe passage to native wildlife

(SEZ) in 1980, Shenzhen has transformed into a tech

a pilot city for experimental technology and policies.

million in just four decades. Originally encompassing

Binhai Boulevard — a coastal highway that was

Yantian, pre-existing farming and fishing settlements

important precedent in the 1990s. Today, the city has

parks, transport links, and urban infrastructure. As

electrified its public transit system; retrofitted existing

opportunity, unplanned urban villages of densely

management systems; and built over 20 ecological

buildings” because neighbouring buildings were literally

wetlands. One such example is the Kunpeng Trail No.1

meet housing demand.

such as leopards, boars, and otters between two

mountains previously separated by an expressway.

YOUTH WATCH

Singapore

Tokyo

#GardenCity #Homeownership

#Massive #Decentralised #Resilient

Post-World War II, Singapore was reckoning with poor

The economic and administrative heart of Japan, Tokyo

natural resources and land, with many low-income

cities, towns, villages, and special wards — though the

sanitation, high unemployment, and a shortage of

residents squatting in tightly packed urban kampong villages. Upon taking office in 1961, Singapore’s

founding father and first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew

is a massive metropolis that technically consists of 61

23 special wards that make up its urban core are often referred to colloquially as Tokyo.

set out to transform the island into an efficient and

Tokyo’s urban design is deliberately decentralised, with

governance that prioritised stability and investment in

connected by a vast transit network. Major hubs act as

orderly city-state through pragmatic and strict its infrastructure, society, and economy.

The 1965 Land Acquisition Act, which empowered the government to purchase private land at controlled prices, enabled comprehensive urban planning of

Singapore as a whole, with city planners mapping out long-term needs for industry, transport, housing, military, and green spaces decades in advance.

Despite having a higher population density than Hong Kong, efficient land use and plentiful public housing

financed by compulsory savings funds mean that eight out of ten Singaporeans own their homes, while the average living space per person is 300 square feet versus Hong Kong’s 170 square feet.

In its efforts to make Singapore a “city in a garden”, the government has invested heavily in tree-planting and park-building, and emphasised the importance of

integrating greenery into both private and public property developments. Today, Singapore maintains nearly 50% green coverage through nature reserves, parks,

gardens, and landmarks like Gardens by the Bay.

the special wards functioning more like satellite cities localised “downtowns” with clusters of mixed-use commercial and residential spaces, and the

transit-oriented and pedestrian-centric layout keeps

personal car usage in Tokyo among the lowest for a

global megacity. While much of central Tokyo has been levelled on two separate occasions in the last century — the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and

firebombing by the United States during World War II — landowners rebuilt according to original property lines, preserving the historic layout of narrow streets and alleys and maintaining its human-scale feel.

Due to its vulnerability to natural disasters, resilience is a key consideration in Tokyo’s urban planning. As part of its official guidance for new development, Tokyo Metropolitan Government outlines measures like

providing evacuation routes in flood zones through elevated walkways and including private power

generators and three days’ worth of emergency supplies in large-scale urban developments.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Mumbai #Inequality #Congestion #Expansion

Jakarta #MostPopulated #LowWalkability

As the long-time financial, commercial, and

With the population of Greater Jakarta reaching 42

centre of commerce that’s home to the highest number

the most populated city in the world. As the commercial

entertainment capital of India, Mumbai is a thriving of billionaires in Asia. However, its extreme wealth

inequality and lack of affordable formal housing has resulted in over 50% of the population residing in cramped, unsanitary slums.

Part of Mumbai’s issues lie in its geography. Originally

million in 2025, Jakarta has beaten Tokyo to become

centre of Indonesia, Jakarta has seen explosive growth in recent decades, which has simultaneously boosted its economy while creating or exacerbating urban

challenges like overcrowding, poor air quality, heavy traffic congestion, and fragmented governance.

an archipelago of seven islands, aggressive land

Some of these issues can be attributed to Jakarta’s

peninsula, with business districts concentrated on its

modernity, Jakarta only opened its rapid transit metro

reclamation transformed Mumbai into one long, narrow southern tip. On a day-to-day basis, the linear

orientation of the city causes severe congestion, while gradual urban expansion towards northern Mumbai only extends the proverbial traffic jam.

In an attempt to decongest Mumbai and meet housing demand in the 1970s, architects and urban planners

built Navi Mumbai, a planned city across the harbour

historically car-centric urban design. Despite its

system in 2019, and walkability is low across the city as a whole. The most pressing of Jakarta’s concerns,

however, is its vulnerability to flooding. Situated on

low-lying coastal land, seasonal flooding is a regular

occurrence in the city, which has only worsened due to subsidence caused by groundwater extraction and urban development.

with housing for two million people, transport links,

In light of these issues, the Indonesian government

In 2026, officials are adopting the same approach with

capital to a planned city called Nusantara within ten

robust medical infrastructure, and ample green spaces. the ambitious Mumbai 3.0 project, while also pledging

to reduce the city’s slum population by building 510,000 new homes on redeveloped land parcels by 2030.

announced in 2019 that it would be relocating the

years, though Jakarta will continue to operate under a special regional framework that recognises its

economic and international significance. Meanwhile,

the city is prioritising improvement works like mitigating

subsidence and flood risks, increasing its transit-oriented development, and upgrading informal kampung settlements to provide better housing.

YOUTH SPACE: BEAUTY

THE ULTIMATE GLOW UP CON by Nicole Lau

Is AI the ultimate personalised styling tool, or just a sophisticated trap which makes us feel that our real bodies need constant editing?

ruthfully, the entire digital glow-up period on

Instagram was a total scam. Yet, we all fell for

it. Three years ago, everyone was using those

aggressive, heavy filters that pinched our noses into perfect little ski slopes, blurred our skin into smooth plastic and turned every face into the exact same copy-paste version of “perfection”.

But the trend was exhausting. The moment our phone

screen went dark, we had to look at our real, unfiltered faces in the reflection. The illusion broke, leaving us

sitting in the quiet, feeling completely hollow and deeply insecure. We have always let external forces determine how we look, from comparing ourselves with filtered

magazine covers to chasing the cloned “Instagram face” pushed by algorithms.

In 2026, however, things are shifting rapidly. People

are actively pushing back against these artificial digital faces. Rather than hiding from reality, everyone is

trying out sophisticated AI models like GPT Image 2.0 to see who they are deep down. This isn’t about

adding another layer of fake digital makeup. The tech

operates more like a highly personalised digital stylist. By analysing your real hair texture and skin

undertones, these tools build a style that works with your natural features instead of erasing them.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Searching for Control Why has this sophisticated photo-styling tech

suddenly exploded? Honestly, everyone is burnt out

from forcing themselves to fit in. For years, teenagers have been trapped between relentless DSE

preparations, strict school uniform rules, and

impossible beauty standards. The rush to these new AI tools is a quiet, almost desperate effort to take back control of our own identities. While old filter models slapped an unnatural haircut on top of your photo,

today, we want technology that actually respects our unique traits.

I decided to test this out myself with the viral "Hair Analysis" prompt circulating on social media. I

uploaded an untouched selfie and waited. What came back completely caught me off guard with its extreme

subtlety and accuracy. Since I have a soft, round face and straight, fine hair, the breakdown totally nailed

what works for me. I ended up with a suggestion of

half-up, soft curtain bangs and shoulder-length cuts.

Even though it’s just a reference tool, seeing those hair tips mixed with my neutral-warm colours made everything click.

“Steal-My-Prompt” trend has turned personal styling

from a lonely obsession into a collective experience,

where people trade their prompts for likes. It’s wild that a professional style consultation, which used to cost a fortune, is now free for anyone with a smartphone.

But where does this obsession with "perfecting" our identities really end? To me, it feels like a trap.

Absolutely, it’s amazing to see the executives of the fashion industry lose their power, and a safe online

space is created for people to experiment. But if you look closer, the new technology leaves you with a

heavy kind of anxiety. It makes you feel like your actual body is a project that you constantly need to fix and edit. We are not trying to imitate an inaccessible

Hollywood star. Instead, the software makes the threat much closer. We are forced to compete against an idealised, digitally perfect version of ourselves.

Owning Choices In the end, you can’t hand over true beauty to software or define it by a computer output. It belongs in the

messy, unscripted flaws that make us who we are —

Yet, as I stared at those flawless options on my screen,

the exact things that algorithms are designed to smooth

messed with my head. Having a perfect digital copy of

more sophisticated standard of perfection. If we allow

totally threw off how I feel about myself. I looked at the

random choices that make us human.

a quiet, heavy sinking feeling crept in. It completely

out. AI doesn't make us authentic; it just builds a much

myself didn’t make me feel secure. On the contrary, it

algorithms to shape our best selves, we risk losing the

screen and wondered: was this confidence real, or

Looking at this whole trend reminds me of the classic

was I just seeking validation from an algorithm?

and iconic runway lesson from The Devil Wears Prada: You can see beyond what people want and what they

Perfecting Identities Watching my schoolmates interact with this tech really broadened my horizons about how differently our generation perceives beauty. In days gone by, if

need, and you can choose for yourself. As Miranda famously implies, your style isn’t about seeking

approval; it’s all about owning your choices. Use the AI to open the door, but walk through it yourself.

someone found the ultimate beauty hack, they’d take

that secret to the grave just to stay ahead. Today, the entire culture of gatekeeping is gone. Everything is built on openness and collaboration. The viral

Nicole Lau, a student at HKFYG Lee Shau Kee College, is fascinated by the interplay of science and technology. She firmly believes that writing can effectively convert intricate concepts into captivating information.

YOUTH SPACE : MOVIES

KEEPING YOUR HEAD UP by Stephanie Kwan

From movie to teenage pressure, here’s a fresh, honest look at what dignity really means for the next generation.

ain is pouring on you. As the world rushes to

learnt about the extraordinary triumphs of talented

behind your small wooden cart, straining your

simple storytelling structure: challenges,

its next destination, you remain standing

throat to sell dumplings. In moments like this, you are no longer praying for the next customer to stop. You're contemplating whether to endure this life or to walk away.

The virtuous choice has always seemed obvious, because walking away means giving up. Before

Wanchai Ferry became one of the most recognisable Hong Kong dumpling brands across the world, its

founder, Chong Kin-wo, weathered through moments

like this. The film Dumpling Queen follows her story as a single mother selling dumplings on the street to support her family, long before her eventual success.

Similar to her, I chose to carry on with debate training

after a mortifying first attempt, hoping I would regain my

dignity and become exceptional at public speaking. Yet, two years later, I quit, and now I feel grateful.

It was a hard decision. For two years, I believed

perseverance alone would make me exceptional. I didn’t

realise that endurance isn't the same as growth, and that sometimes, quitting is also an act of dignity.

Growing up in a typical Asian family, I have constantly

heard about the seemingly effortless achievements from the children of our parents’ friends. In school, I have

individuals, whose lives can be neatly fitted into a perseverance, and then success.

While these stories are meant to inspire and steer

young people towards bigger dreams and conquests, they often attribute success solely to exceptional talent, or worse, glorified grit.

I believed in this never-give-up spirit too. Since young, political debates and argumentation have deeply

intrigued me. When I entered the impromptu debate class, a small part of me expected to thrive. But 15

minutes in, I stared blankly at a motion about economic sanctions while everyone skillfully scribbled their

scripts. As I trudged to the podium with gibberish notes, my only thought was: I better unlock great

speaking talent right now, or I will look like an idiot! To my dismay, the universe didn't answer my prayers. Under the watchful gaze of my teammates and the

pitying look of my teacher, I delivered an embarrassing speech.

Determined to prove myself, I went home and watched hours of debate videos. Giving up was not an option,

not in my childhood storybooks, and certainly not from the preachings of adults around me.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

But even as my hard work brought minor

In Dumpling Queen, there is a scene where Chong

dread followed me relentlessly; each class triggered a

who’s a former prostitute, tells her: “No matter what,

improvements, I had never felt content. Nausea and

wave of fight-or-flight anxiety. I thought: if I just push through the discomfort, I will eventually grow and

reach the success waiting at the end of the story, and be proud of my perseverance.

It took me a long time to realise that I had mistaken

toxic positivity for having a backbone. The pressure to succeed in each class made me feel like the world would end if I did worse. Dismissing my burnout

caused my genuine joy for public speaking to slip

away. I wasn't growing; I was enduring for the sake of endurance.

The moment I decided to stop taking debate classes, I felt relieved but immensely guilty. I felt I had wasted time and let people down. When I confessed these feelings to my grandmother, she sighed, "Young people these days lack ambition…"

For a moment, I doubted myself. Had I taken the easy way out? But the truth is, many of us don't lack “ambition”.

returns home feeling defeated. Her landlord friend, keep your head up.”

This isn’t just a motivational one-liner about grinding

until you succeed. It reminds Chong that her worth isn't defined by how many customers stop by or how her dumplings taste. When police raid her stall, when gangsters demand protection money, or when

passersby ignore her, she holds her head high anyway. She does so because of a quiet dignity that no one could strip away from her.

As Chong tells her daughters, ‘’All I want is devoted

love and dignity that allows me to hold my head high.’’ She refuses a life that would make her bow.

For years, I bowed to the idea that my worth was tied to how well I delivered arguments. The difference

between my endurance and Chong’s perseverance is

that Chong couldn't walk away. Her survival depended on her perseverance. I, however, had the luxury of choice. Choosing to quit wasn't laziness; it was self-respect.

The stories we read in our school textbooks, hear from

I'm not suggesting that endurance is wrong or that

forces behind success: be born a prodigy like Einstein

one as a moral victory. Sometimes, staying is brave,

our parents, and watch on television offer only two

or Mozart, or, if you're not naturally gifted, you'd better have endless grit.

For my grandmother’s generation, survival alone

quitting is always right. We should stop treating either but leaving is braver. The only real question is whether you're standing for something that matters to you, or standing just because you're too afraid to stop.

required ironclad resilience. Quitting wasn’t a choice,

Chong stood behind her cart for her family,

starve. Similarly, Chong, in Dumpling Queen, had no

debating, I realised that it wasn't the path for me.

but rather a luxury. If you didn’t work hard, you would choice but to keep pushing her cart to provide financial security for her two daughters.

independence, and dignity. When I walked away from Today, I channel my passion for public speaking into school leadership roles and competitions.

During my time in debate, I felt small, not because I

Choosing to change your path also takes immense

performance. Every class was a test to survive, rather

your head up”.

was bad, but because I had tied my self-worth to my than an opportunity to learn.

That's when I started thinking about Chong again, not about her ultimate success, but the way she carried

herself through her darkest days. What kept her going wasn't ambition; it was something else.

courage. In the end, it is just another way of “keeping

Stephanie Kwan, a student at Hong Kong International School, is interested in political thought, philosophy, music and the arts. She cares deeply about cultural identity and is especially passionate about protecting and reimagining Hong Kong’s unique creative and cultural heritage.

YOUTH SPACE：BOOKS

BELIEVING IN MAGIC, AND ITS SHADOWS

by Winter Chiu

Sometimes growing up means learning to see the complexities in our favourite childhood stories.

grew up believing in magic. At 5 years old, I

seem like I was backing out, I begrudgingly agreed to

storybooks and fairytales: Cinderella,

Though, to tell you the truth, I spent most of it peeking

am (and will forever be) a Disney kid. I still remember

Over time, I grew to love Harry Potter. I’m not exactly

started burying my head in all sorts of

Goldilocks, Pinocchio, you name it. Needless to say, I getting up at 6 in the morning, hopping on Disney

Junior, and sitting still with my eyes glued to the TV

screen when Sofia the First aired its finale in 2018. I

believed in happily-ever-after, and that “good triumphs over evil every single time”.

watch Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. through half-closed eyes.

sure when or how it happened, but it did. Harry Potter opened a door to a whole new world of magic and

imagination, and slowly, I found myself gathering the courage to explore stories with a darker edge. But

what I didn’t realise was the dark side of the story — at

But if I’m being honest, I didn’t just love magic — I

least not until I read Manacled, a fanfiction of Harry

moment the music tone darkened, or when a shadow

in the deeper meanings it carried beneath the surface.

feared what came with it. Villains terrified me. The

Potter. It’s dark not in the way that once scared me, but

appeared on screen, I would instantly tense up, bracing

Manacled completely changed the way I saw the

myself for the all-too-familiar entrance of evil. Even the tiniest jump scare made me flinch and sent my heart racing as I hid my face behind my hands, peeking

through my fingers just enough to know when it was

safe again. To me, evil wasn’t just part of the story; it

was something overwhelming, something I was terrified of.

Harry Potter was not a part of my life until I was 12.

Ironically, my first encounter wasn’t through books or movies, but a friend’s profile picture. It showed a girl

with bushy brown hair, eyes bright and determined, and a stack of books in her arms. “Who’s that?” I asked.

“That’s Hermione.” Hermione? What kind of name is

that? Who is she? Is she real? Curious, I looked up the trailer of the first Harry Potter movie. Dim lighting,

objects flying, and then — “TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!” — I was completely terrified. My younger sister,

however, was immediately intrigued. Not wanting to

wizarding world.

In the novel, Voldemort wins, Harry dies, and the world

that remains is neither one of magic nor wonder, but of control, oppression and survival. Hermione, being the last member alive, is imprisoned with manacles,

stripped of her freedom, and forced into a system

designed to break her. The story, spanning over 1400 pages, is unflinching in its portrayal of trauma, power,

and what people will do to endure them. Reading it felt like peeling back a layer of the deeper Harry Potter universe, which I never knew existed.

Manacled didn’t invent darkness; it merely exposed

what was hidden within J.K. Rowling’s original text. It brings forth a question the mainstream series often sidesteps: What if good doesn’t win? What if the

system never changes? What if pain isn't noble, but simply human?

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

That’s when I began to realise that Harry’s story was

not just about magic, but also endurance. He has lived in a cupboard for 11 years, neglected, unloved, yet no one in the mainstream discussion ever questioned it. We all accepted it as part of his journey, something that made him stronger for the wizarding world. But

when Harry enters the wizarding world, his suffering is not acknowledged. Instead, it is redirected to his new responsibilities, dangerous adventures, and

impossible expectations, as if pain was something to

be carried silently and buried deep within. What I once admired as resilience now looks like normalised neglect.

The world I once dreamed of escaping to also began

to look different. The wizarding world is portrayed as a

free, magical and superior alternative to our own. But it isn’t. The same things that exist in reality — social

hierarchies, stereotypes, racism and prejudice — are there too: Blood status divides witches and wizards, with Muggle-borns being insulted and treated as inferior Mudbloods; House-elves like Dobby and

Kreacher are trapped in servitude, and even when they are mistreated, many characters treat that as

weight. What ties them isn’t just friendship, but survival. What unsettles me most is how the story treats

suffering. Growing up, I believed that hardship made you stronger, that enduring pain meant you were

chosen for something greater. Harry’s struggles felt

meaningful, even necessary. But now I question that

idea. Why should suffering be a requirement for worth?

Why must being abused, hunted, and constantly placed in danger become part of what makes Harry “special”? Why is Hermione’s exhaustion from doing the work of

everyone around her treated almost like a joke? These details make me wonder whether the story quietly

teaches us to glorify pain instead of questioning it. Realising all of this did not ruin Harry Potter for me. If anything, it made me understand it more deeply. It

reminds us that not everything is as it is portrayed. The stories we grow up loving are not just sources of

entertainment; instead, they shape how we understand the world. When we accept them at face value, we risk

overlooking the deeper messages they carry. When we question them, we begin to see more clearly — not just the story itself, but the values it reflects.

normal; Trolls are feared and dismissed: and power

That is why Manacled matters to me so much. It does

erase inequality; it reinforces it. The wizarding world is

helps me see the shadow that had always been there.

dressed in robes and spells.

and to realise that even the most comforting stories can

remains in the hands of only a few. Magic doesn’t

not take away the magic I had once loved. Instead, it

not a perfect escape from reality; it is reality, just

It forces me to look again at the world I thought I knew,

Now, I see the characters I loved differently. Hermione

carry uncomfortable truths.

has always been my favourite: she is brilliant,

Learning to look beyond the surface is an essential

through effort, yet is rarely placed in the spotlight in

challenge assumptions, recognise hidden biases, and

is called a “nightmare” before becoming the very

be both magical and flawed, inspiring and unsettling. In

of Fire, she is the one who prepares, researches, and

darkness, but a reminder that light and darkness often

most. Harry Potter, on the other hand, is admired not

is: to truly understand something, we must be willing to

from a measly scar. Even friendship, what I saw as the

I grew up believing in magic, and I still do. But now I

hardworking, and relentless. She earns everything

skill, both in literature and in life. It allows us to

the way she deserves. In the Philosopher’s Stone, she

think critically about the systems around us. A story can

person who saves the trio from danger. In the Goblet

the end, Harry Potter is not just a tale of light defeating

thinks ahead, yet Harry is still the one people celebrate

coexist. And perhaps the most important lesson it offers

because of his heroic acts, but because of his fame

look beyond what we are first taught to see.

most innocent core of the whole series, is more

complicated than I once believed. I used to see it as pure loyalty, something unbreakable. But now? The

tension, jealousy, and pressure underneath are eating me alive. In Manacled, Harry’s sole belief in “good always wins” causes the Order to lose the battle,

know that magic is never only light. Sometimes, it is the shadow too.

Winter Chiu, 16, is from N.T. Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School. When she isn't working on her latest writing

rendering it tragically fragile. There is no doubt the

project, you can usually find her immersed

also shaped by the shared danger and emotional

MUNs, or volunteering across Hong Kong.

bond between Harry and his friends is real, but it is

in a good romance novel, participating in

YOUTH SPACE : SCHOOL

TO FIT IN OR STAND OUT? by Kylie Leung

How do we find ourselves when everyone else is trying to fit in?

magine being invited to a big community

As I step into adolescence, I have noticed a profound

don’t want to be left out either. A small voice

self-identity. Like many, I find myself anxious about my

event. You don’t really want to go, but you

in your mind says, “Just go, everyone else is doing it.” I

have personally experienced this too — moments when it felt better to blend into the crowd than to stand by your own choice. In the end, I attended the event because of my fear of missing out.

transformation in how I think and try to form my

academic performance, concerned about my social circle, and ultimately, worried about my future.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Yet, as I attempt to define who I am, peer relationships have come to play a significant role. Because we spend the majority of our daytime at school, we

naturally spend more time with our peers. Through observation, I realised that teenage dynamics are

incredibly complex and emotionally charged. On one hand, I crave the freedom to make my own choices

and follow my own beliefs. On the other hand, I fear

being different because the anxiety of being left out and the feeling of being alone are never pleasant. Though peer pressure is frequently considered

inherently negative, I do benefit from healthy peer

relationships. For example, my friends encourage me to study more diligently and productively by joining

weekly online study sessions. They have pushed me

beyond my limits and made me feel more motivated. Nevertheless, the line between positive and negative

influence remains precarious. Sometimes, that fear of rejection or isolation due to peer pressure can be paralysing, which explains why many prioritise

conformity over honesty, even if it means sacrificing our connection to ourselves.

Speaking from experience, my interests contradict

what my friends prefer, and seeing their drastically

different tastes used to get on my nerves. I have never been a big fan of shopping for fashion or beauty products. Yet, I prefer watching crime movies,

enjoying great food, and simply resting at home. There were times when I questioned my own likes and

with the general trend. Looking back, I see how that hindered my individuality and freedom to express myself.

Peer pressure can also influence greater, more

consequential decisions in our behaviour, study habits and personal goals. Stepping into high school, I

noticed that people around me were more determined about their future goals and the universities they wanted to attend. Anxiety did come along when

everyone seemed well prepared, while I remained uncertain about my own path.

Peer pressure is a complex psychological

phenomenon. It functions as both a source of positive

encouragement toward mental maturity and a negative force driving self-doubt. Although peer pressure

sometimes brings challenges, trying to eliminate it is unrealistic. Instead, we must learn how to cope with

self-doubt. Rather than simply viewing peer pressure

as a villain to resist or to succumb to, we can reframe it as an opportunity for self-reflection. It forces us to ask: which comes first? Personal values or societal expectations?

There is no easy answer. But as we strengthen our

sense of identity through self-reflection, we gradually learn how to assert our individuality while still

maintaining meaningful relationships. That, ultimately, is the key to striking a balance between belonging and authenticity.

dislikes, and altered my fashion choices just to fit in

Kylie Leung, 17, from Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School, has a deep interest in pursuing a career in law to address social inequalities and advocate for fairness among vulnerable groups.

HKFYG HIGHLIGHTS：ALUMNI

From HK200 to the UN:

A childhood ambition takes a student from a Hong Kong classroom to the United Nations headquarters in New York, and offers a grounded view of what it means to build peace.

The Dream Is Only the Beginning

t 17, Kobo Woo was asked to write down his biggest dream. While other students might have named a university or a career, he wrote: "Working at the United Nations."

That curiosity found a clearer direction when he joined the Hong Kong 200 Leadership Project, through which he developed leadership skills, volunteered in the community and learned how to build trust across groups.

Seven years later, that ambition took him to the UN headquarters in New York, where he worked across peacekeeping missions in some of the world's most fragile states. His journey was far from straightforward: it involved 300 job applications, a detour into marketing, a string of short-term contracts, and the constant uncertainty of working in a highly competitive field.

One exercise became a turning point: putting his dream of working at the UN into words. "I always had an idea," he says. "But that was the first time I wrote it down and said, 'This is something I want to do.'"

Yet his dream continued to guide his choices. "I wasn't sure if I could do it. It seemed so far away for a secondary student," he says. "But looking back, I really did it."

When a Dream Took Shape His interest in the UN began much earlier. At six, his mother brought home a brochure on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, introducing him to the idea that children have the right to be free from harm. The brochure opened up a world of global affairs, politics and diplomacy. Kobo then followed international news, read history books and travelogues, and grew fascinated by different countries, languages and cultures. The same year, watching the 9/11 attacks on television left him wondering: "Life is so vulnerable. Could someone help stop violence and maintain peace?"

The programme also connected him with seniors and mentors who offered practical advice. After entering university, he returned as a coordinator, guiding younger participants through similar decisions about their studies and futures. “Everyone who joins HK200 has a passion to serve and lead,” he says. "When you combine passion and connection, that's really powerful."

300 Job Applications Kobo began planning for his career early. He mapped out his goals, researched academic routes, and identified the qualifications and experiences that could bring him closer to his dream. He studied history, geography and economics at secondary school before pursuing international relations at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He also completed online courses, read widely and sought advice from mentors.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

But that was only the beginning. During an exchange, an academic adviser showed him that international relations was far broader than he expected, from international political economy and comparative politics to security, diplomacy, research and policy. At 20, he assumed he had plenty of time to decide. His adviser offered a more demanding perspective: time, too, was competitive. Ambition, he came to understand, requires preparation, a sequence of decisions and the humility to seek advice from those who have walked the path. After graduating from the London School of Economics and Political Science, Kobo came home and fired off 300 job applications. He briefly worked in marketing before securing a UN internship in New York, becoming a consultant six months later.

They had to leave the meeting and take shelter in a bunker. "To survive in this line of work, you have to be confident and resilient," Kobo says. “The contexts and the conflicts change every day. You have to adapt.” His year and a half at the UN eventually helped him see where he wanted to focus next. While peacekeeping addresses security and stability, he felt that children affected by conflict and natural disasters needed more long-term support. That commitment led him to Save the Children International, where his work centres on child protection and humanitarian assistance.

Writing to Share

Peacekeeping at the UN

After the UN, Kobo started documenting his experience on Threads (@kobo__san), writing about work, life and the reality of pursuing a career in international relations.

His role focused on monitoring and evaluating peacekeeping operations. His team collected data and assessed the performance of 12 missions, using the analysis to inform reports for the Security Council and the Secretary-General.

The posts found an audience interested in international relations and humanitarian work. He began connecting with them and helping some review their resumes, and has since done so for 30 to 40 people, including mid-career professionals.

His days involved meetings with colleagues in Mali, DR Congo, Lebanon and beyond. He gathered information, analysed changing conditions, prepared reports and briefed member states on resource use.

For him, this is another expression of the HK200 spirit: paying it forward.

The work spanned 17 time zones. Urgent meetings could take place in the middle of the night, while political upheavals or security alerts could shift priorities within hours.

His book, My 365 Days with the UN Between Peace and War (我在聯合國接近和平與戰爭的365天), grew from the same faith. It chronicles the unexpected turns behind a seemingly glamorous career. Its success surprised him, after it became a bestseller during the Hong Kong Book Fair.

The experience also changed his understanding of peace: peacekeeping often means preventing a situation from escalating, rather than eliminating conflict.

Working at the UN has not made Kobo believe that world peace is easy or fully attainable. Instead, he has learned that change happens, slowly and collectively.

A long-serving colleague told him that, in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it had taken decades just to maintain the status quo. That, too, was an achievement.

“In the darkest places, where you see many desperate children and families, this is also where you can see humanity and hope,” he says.

“Peace isn’t only about creating a peaceful environment,” he says. “It's also about protecting civilians, restoring justice, implementing peace agreements, clearing landmines and helping communities rebuild.” The role placed a premium on composure. His team operated around the clock, while colleagues in the field faced risks that were difficult to comprehend from New York. During one video call, colleagues in Mali received an alert that a missile was approaching their compound.

His advice to young people is to dream big, but define “big” on their own terms. It might mean working for the UN, opening a cafe, travelling the world or helping someone nearby. “Sometimes you just have to try,” he says. “Because if you never try, you'll never know.”

Now based in London, Kobo Woo is an international

affairs professional and author who has worked at the

United Nations headquarters in New York. He is an

alumnus and former coordinator of the Federation’s Hong Kong 200 Leadership Project.

HKFYG HIGHLIGHTS：PUBLICATIONS

The 2026 Bookshelf A collection of our latest published books Go for !t: A Toolkit to Explore Life 《Go for !t：人生探索工具書》 Firing off a CV in five minutes, then flying straight off to South Africa for a working holiday? Quitting a job out of the blue to go all-in on creating a local Hong Kong board game? What look like accidental detours are actually built on a series of deliberate choices and trial and error. This book collects the genuine career exploration journeys of ten Hong Kong youth, along with the landscapes they saw, the people they met, and the insights they picked up along the way. Perhaps life isn't about setting off only after everything is figured out, but rather finding your direction through action and experimentation. I hope this book serves as a handy tool as you move forward, accompanying you to discover and walk towards the path you truly dream of.

Held in Love: A Companion for Parents After Pregnancy Loss 《給小天使父母》

Pregnancy loss is a journey of grief that is far too often overlooked. This lightweight, accessible zine accompanies parents in understanding their emotional and physical changes following a loss, while helping them navigate different ways of grieving. It also offers practical advice on farewell arrangements, five-senses healing exercises, a supporter's guide, and community support resources to those during difficult times.

Dealing with loss brings feelings that are difficult to untangle right away. I wanted to use a gentler, more thoughtful way to carefully place all those memories, grief, and love into this book.

Words as a Way: Translating Hong Kong 《道譯有道：藏在譯名裏的香港故事》 Hong Kong’s streets carry the city's rich history and culture. Written from a translator's perspective, this book focuses on everyday bilingual (and multilingual) names, decoding the cultural mindset, translation strategies, and identity representations behind language choices. It guides readers through pragmatics and translation theory, showing how translated names become an invisible battleground between culture and authority.

May readers grow a little more curious about the names around them, as we decipher Hong Kong’s translations together and join in this creative craft. The road is long and full of turns. So let us walk, and translate, as we go.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Surviving Extreme Weather in Hong Kong (unofficial translation) 《極端氣候下香港人的生存指南：被改寫的健康法則》 When we talk about climate change, imagery of melting glaciers or distant polar bears usually springs to mind. As Hong Kong's first book to bridge climate science and medicine, this work brings extreme weather back into our daily lives, demonstrating how heatwaves, torrential rain, and air pollution directly affect our breathing, routines, and public health. All great changes stem from these small moments of awakening.

The Art of Being Wrong 《正確之外》

Non-Fiction Category Champion, School Writers’ Programme 2025/2026

In a cold city obsessed with being "correct", what we truly need is a gentle glitch. Formatted as a clinical dissection report, this work precisely cuts open 16 relationship specimens scattered across urban corners, capturing how modern city dwellers emotionally detach and alienate themselves amidst high-speed daily life. It turns out that beyond the “correctness” defined by a rigid society lies the true evidence of being alive and the most genuine reflection of the soul. When we learn to look past these clinical symptoms with empathy, we realise everyone is simply trying their best to survive in their own way.

The Speck of Light 《一點微光照亮而出》 A sensitive girl. A gentle hymn for wounded souls, this story depicts a young girl who navigates life alone inside a cold glass cloche and seeks a glimmer of light, telling readers that even the smallest spark is enough to illuminate a sky longing for rebirth.

Fiction Category Champion, School Writers' Programme 2025/2026

If you have ever doubted yourself in the middle of the night, please remember my line from the book: ‘You did nothing wrong’.

Decoding Neurodiversity: Empowering Every Child with SENs 《讀懂孩子的成長密碼 — SENs 學童支援手冊》 Featuring practical, interdisciplinary insights from therapists, SEN support teachers, psychologists and counsellors, this book guides parents and educators dealing with Special Educational Needs (SEN). How do we move away from traditional “deficit” labels and adopt a strengths-based, neurodiverse perspective to uncover a child's potential?

Please don't give up on any child! As long as you find the right combination, you can unlock their potential and help them achieve extraordinary things.

For more:

books.hkfyg.org.hk

HKFYG HIGHLIGHTS：YOUTH EXCHANGE

From Drops to Oceans,

“I” to “We” by Jessica Han

orn in Guangzhou, I moved to Vancouver at

The programme turned a personal question into a

private Christian school, where international

not be an either-or choice. We can carry more than

13 and began middle school at a local

students made up less than 5% of the K–12 community. Growing up in that environment inevitably shaped the way I spoke, thought and saw the world.

For a long time, I was unsure where I belonged. Much of my education and worldview had become Westernised, yet I never saw myself as fully “Canadian”. When I

returned to China, I was sometimes told that I seemed “a little too Western”, too expressive, enthusiastic or

direct. Like many young people who grow up between cultures, I found myself asking a simple but difficult

question: What does it mean to belong when so much of your life has been shaped elsewhere?

The Dragon 100 programme brought together young people from different countries, cultures and life

experiences. I was struck by how many delegates from around the world spoke Cantonese. Despite the

distance between us, there was an immediate sense of connection: branches of the same tree, streams from the same source.

shared conversation. It showed me that identity need one language, culture and perspective, while

remaining connected to where we come from. I have always been proud of my Chinese heritage and

made a conscious effort to learn about Chinese history and culture. Yet this journey made that connection

more immediate and personal. It was no longer simply

about knowing where my roots were planted, but about understanding what those roots meant to me and the responsibility of carrying them forward.

This became especially tangible during our journey

through Yunnan. Although I had visited the province before, Dragon 100 enabled me to experience it differently. Rather than moving through cities as

visitors, we were encouraged to understand them

through their people, traditions, industries and ideas.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

does not limit how far we can go.

“

Knowing where we come from

I remember gathering around a cup of tea with fellow

China as a living, evolving place. We saw

carries generations of history and philosophy. The three

alongside modern enterprises and technologies

participants. We were introduced to a Bai tradition that courses, bitter, sweet and lingering aftertaste, were more than three flavours. They echoed life itself: hardship, reward and reflection.

What stayed with me were our conversations about

preserving tradition. Heritage is not about freezing the

past. It is about carrying its spirit forward. For a tradition to remain alive, each generation must understand what is worth protecting, while finding new ways for young

people to see themselves in it. We do not simply inherit culture; in many ways, we are entrusted with it.

That perspective also changed the way I saw China. Too often, a country is understood from afar through

long-standing traditions finding new relevance, reshaping industries at a remarkable speed.

For me, that was the lasting value of Dragon 100. It did not give me a simple answer to questions of identity

and belonging. Instead, it showed me that identity can

be both personal and shared: that we can grow across cultures, look outward to the world and still remain rooted in our heritage.

Like individual drops joining an ocean, each of us brought our own story, language and experience.

Together, we became part of something larger, moving from “I” to “we”, without losing who we are.

headlines, statistics or inherited impressions. This

journey offered something different: the chance to see

The Dragon 100 Programme「龍匯 100」 is an annual flagship event organised by The Dragon Foundation. It brings together 100 outstanding young Chinese leaders from around the world for study tours in Hong Kong and mainland cities to expand their networks and deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and national development. Kindly sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, this year’s theme, “Heritage in a Changing Economy”, saw participants visit Kunming, Dali and Lijiang from 2 to 8 August.

HKFYG HIGHLIGHTS：RESEARCH

Rethinking Marriage and Parenthood in Uncertain Times Behind record-low fertility rates, HKFYG research uncovers young people’s mindset in marriage and parenthood.

or today’s young people in Hong Kong, getting married or starting a family is no longer viewed as a simple, natural milestone of adulthood.

Instead, it is shifting from a source of joy to a careful exercise in risk management, according to "Youth Pulze,"

In a world that feels increasingly uncertain, this

hesitation to marry or have children is rarely about

avoiding responsibility. Instead, it reflects a deeply considered, mature response to the immense

resources required to build a family in the city today.

a new research publication by the HKFYG Youth Research Centre.

Insecurity and Risk Management

While public discussions frequently focus on record-low

Through in-depth narratives from 11 young people, the

fertility rates and policy incentives, the research centre’s study moves beyond numbers into real-life experiences. The findings reveal that the central question on the minds of young people is not simply "why aren't you having children?" but rather, "is the society we would raise them

study mapped distinct emotional heartbeats of

struggle, resilience, and hope. The research found that young people are not rejecting family; instead, many

are postponing it because they are paralysed by fear. For married couples in their 30s, the dream of

in one worth reproducing?"

homeownership is no longer celebrated merely as a

The Shifting Attitudes

feel they must secure before even considering

How young people view life commitment has evolved

across generations. Previous generations see marriage as a "cornerstone", a foundation upon which young

happy milestone, but as a mandatory safety net they parenthood. In an unpredictable era, having children is deferred because the risks of economic shock or job loss make adding another life feel irresponsible.

adults built their adult lives, careers, and wealth

Furthermore, the anxiety extends far beyond finances.

"capstone", a final piece that can only be reached after

characterised by a painful tension between a parent's

social standing.

deep-seated fear that a high-pressure environment and

together. Today, young people see marriage as a

Parenthood is also an emotional struggle,

they have a secure job, financial independence, and

desire for their child’s simple happiness and a

fierce social competition will make that happiness difficult to achieve.

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

The HKFYG Youth Research Centre (YRC) is a research unit of the Hong

Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), dedicated to understanding the

needs and situations of young people in Hong Kong. Established in 1993, the YRC conducts systematic and scientific research, producing over 400

research reports in the past 30 years, including the Youth Trends in Hong Kong series and the Journal of Youth Studies series.

"Youth Pulze" is YRC’s new research initiative to look at youth trends beyond numbers, offering

qualitative analysis of social phenomena

concerning young people.

“Is the society we would raise them in one worth reproducing?” This fear looks slightly different for Generation Z, but

However, this happiness was unlocked by combining

rewriting what happiness means to them, where

secure housing, with strong, loving help from family.

the root remains the same. Younger youth are actively marriage and parenthood are no longer default items on a life checklist.

In a fast-paced city, intimate relationships are often

regarded as risky investments where individuals fear "losing themselves" or being "locked in" to an

unpredictable future. When avoiding commitment becomes a personal survival strategy to maintain

control over their fragile lives in a stormy world, society must ask whether the surrounding environment feels stable enough for youth to say "yes" to the future.

practical safety nets, such as financial stability and When society or extended family members provide

trusted care, the heavy blanket of fear that paralyses their peers is lifted. While the struggle of balancing parental duties with personal identity remains real, reliable social and family support transforms this

experience from a frightening gamble into a joyous journey of unconditional love and self-discovery.

At its heart, marriage and parenthood are deeply

personal choices, and every young person’s path

deserves equal respect and understanding. However,

for those who do wish to start a family, having the right

What Makes Hope Possible Yet, amidst these heavy challenges, joyful parenting

remains fully possible when comprehensive support is in place. The stories of young parents in our study provide a vital beacon of hope, proving that

parenthood can transform from a daunting risk into a

profound reward when the safety net is strong enough. For these parents, the joy of raising a child is indescribable and transformative, bringing

unconditional love, a deep sense of fulfilment, and a newfound resilience that redefines their purpose.

support makes a profound difference.

Ultimately, commitment requires a deep, humane belief in stability and progress to build a world that feels

"worth trusting." Rather than asking "why young people

aren’t having children," our focus should be on how we could build a society where the next generation feels

secure, valued, and stable enough to choose their own future, take root, and build their dreams.

HKFYG HIGHLIGHTS：WRITING

Every Young Person Can Be a Writer 第十二屆

Have a story to tell? Turn your publishing dream into reality. The Young Writers’ Recruitment Scheme is back for its 12th year, offering aspiring young authors the opportunity to develop and publish their own books with professional support.

What you'll receive Publishing Support

Apply Now

The 12th Young Writers’ Programme

大招募

2026-27

Selected entrants will receive professional guidance to develop their proposal and manuscript into a published book.

Selected works will be published in July 2027

Early Feedback The first 80 submissions will receive editorial feedback. All applicants may revise their proposal once during the application period.

Online Sharing Session Join former young writers and editors in September to hear practical advice on writing, pitching and publishing.

More Publishing Opportunities Promising works may be recommended to partner publishers.

Interviews

Early Nov 2026

Applications open

9 Sept –17 Oct 2026

Publishing support Jan – Jul 2027

Results announced

Mid–late Dec 2026

Who can reply Hong Kong permanent residents aged 35 or under who have not published a book before. Apply individually or in a team of up to three people.

How to apply Submit your proposal online, including: ．A synopsis ．A sample manuscript of at least 1,500 words or five chapters ．A full outline, where available ．Your biography or team profile ．Contact details

Deadline

17 October 2026 For enquiries and updates: hohoreading

Tel：3160 8613 / 3160 8524

September 2026 | Youth Hong Kong

Intergenerational Co-creation

Sustainable Living Future of Careers

Empowering Young People Through Professional and Diverse Services

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18.3 Shape of the City