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Chan Kwok-yuen: Cantonese Opera Headdress Maker

Written by Billy Potts

This article was originally published in Zolima City Mag on 4 September 2019

The scene opens on Temple Street with a backdrop of low hanging clouds and the steady pneumatic beat of roadwork. The neighbourhood’s usual players make their entrances and exits. Overhead, banners decorated with the flags of China and Hong Kong twist languidly in the tepid air. A discrete entrance sandwiched between fishmongers signals a scene change. 

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The Cryptozoology of Hong Kong: Pei Yau

Written by Billy Potts

This is the tenth in a series of articles in which we explore the imaginary creatures of Hong Kong, their makers and those that take part in their culture. The tenth cryptid in our fantastic menagerie is the much maligned Pei Yau, known for his rapacity and avarice. This article was first published in Zolima City Mag

As night descends on Tung Chung, a breeze whistles through the tenebrous playgrounds of HKFEW Wong Cho Bau Secondary School. Dark shapes hulk in pools of shadow. Among them is Chan Hon-kit, who roams the labyrinthine halls, explaining the story behind an unusual and elusive creature – the pei yau (pei4 jau1 貔貅).

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