by Christopher Shay
Hong Kong theme parks are locked in a race to build attractions as they compete for visitors amid rising competition in the region.
The latest splash: A 500-square-meter Amazon exhibit, unveiled by Ocean Park on Tuesday, that features a jungle raft ride, an aviary and live animals, including a now-pregnant anaconda and two capybaras, the world’s largest rodent. In perhaps a gesture meant for competing theme parks, Allan Zeman, chairman of Ocean Park, opened the new attraction, called the Rainforest, wearing Amazon war paint along with a blue headdress and a grass skirt. Read the rest of this entry »
by Christopher Shay
When Central Market opened in 1939, the prewar Bauhaus-style structure housed one of the largest and most modern indoor food marts in Asia. These days, some 70 years later, the largely empty building sits decrepit at the foot of Hong Kong’s Central district escalator system. Only a newly renovated walkway hides the decaying interior from pedestrians. Read the rest of this entry »
by Christopher Shay
A crowd of shoppers gathered, eagerly snapping photos with their cell phones and cameras at the Hong Kong Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui. But it wasn’t a celebrity they were trying capture.
Over the weekend, Mercedes-Benz parked in the middle of the pier a cherry-red and white 1934 500K Special Roadster, one of only 29 models ever built. Sports Car Market, an automobile-collecting magazine, described the classic car as “sexy, slinky, the Jean Harlow of 1930s motor cars.” In 2001, a 500K Special Roadster sold at auction in Florida for nearly $3 million. Read the rest of this entry »
by Christopher Shay
Hong Kong had its worst-ever year in terms of roadside pollution in 2010, according to government data. It also hosts the world’s highest traffic density, says the Clear the Air, a local antipollution organization. But despite rising concern over roadside pollution levels and a government campaign to get consumers and companies to adopt zero-emissions vehicles, electric cars aren’t yet creating much spark. Read the rest of this entry »
by Christopher Shay
David Godfrey and his wife, Tracey, used to live in an apartment overlooking Discovery Bay. But years of watching boats from their balcony gave them a longing for life on the water—and in 2008, they moved into the 70-foot-long Strangely Brown, docked in a marina on the Gold Coast. Read the rest of this entry »
by Christopher Shay / Macau
On the evening of Nov. 20, Scott Flanders, CEO of Playboy Enterprises, was all smiles, and it wasn’t just because there were Playboy bunnies draped on either side of him. Going by the company’s third-quarter results — a loss of $27.4 million was announced earlier this month as the brand’s traditional outlets struggle with online competition — you wouldn’t think he’d be in the celebrating mood. But with this week’s opening of the Playboy Club Macao, Flanders is confident he’s found a place for the iconic company in the digital age. Instead of relying on American men buying magazines and watching cable, the company’s profits will depend on two seemingly unlikely demographics: Asian women and cosmopolitan clubgoers. Read the rest of this entry »