"Here's a great resource about life in Hong Kong," Kevin told me one day late in 2009, as we walked into DotCod—an old school fish and chips restaurant in Central—for lunch. My then-new colleague picked up two copies of a magazine and handed one to me. "It comes out each week and will tell you all about what's going on here."
I guess I'd been in town less than a month at this point, and it was my first encounter with the legendary HK Magazine, an invaluable guide to all the happenings, histories, quirks and secrets of the incredible city I've been fortunate to call home for the nearly seven years that have since passed.
Coming out every Thursday (though officially dated Friday) and distributed for free to hundreds of bars, restaurants and shops around town, HK Magazine has been an essential ingredient of my Hong Kong life from that day onward. It would be impossible to tally up all the great eateries, pubs, deals and cultural events that first appeared on my radar by thumbing through its helpful pages.
Although it's sad to have to write this, today's issue of HK Magazine is, unfortunately, its last. After being sold to South China Morning Post a couple of years ago, which itself was then sold to Alibaba Group, the magazine announced a little over a week ago that its days were numbered, another victim of the increasingly precarious existence of traditional print media in the internet age. Advertising revenues were falling, they said, and profitability was way down, so after twenty-five years, the magazine was ceasing publication.
Hong Kong is a city of endless change. Old buildings are constantly being torn down and replaced by swanky high rises; friends get job offers in new cities or decide it's time to return to their home countries; restaurants and shops shut on the drop of a hat and new ones take their places (sometimes not until years later, if the landlords can't find affluent tenants able to afford the astronomical rents); and neighborhoods you'd rarely heard mentioned become the new it places to see and be seen.
But some things, you'd hope at least, are immune from this syndrome. The Peak will always be there on clear days to dazzle you with its out-of-this-world view; the Star Ferry will still be waiting to whisk you over to the Kowloon side; the iconic trams will continue ding-dinging their way across the north shore of Hong Kong Island just as they've done for more than one-hundred years; American sailors will keep flooding into Wan Chai each time their boat makes a port call here; and the horses will eternally run circles around Happy Valley Racetrack on Wednesday evenings long after I'm gone. Until last week, I would have thought the regular publication of HK Magazine surely had its place in that immortal echelon of Hong Kong mainstays.
Of course, life here will continue in a relatively normal fashion without the magazine, but the witty humor found in its columns, the colorful artwork gracing its cover, the expert insight into this city's intricacies peppered throughout its pages and, above all, the clear display of passion for the place it represented so well, will be sorely missed.
For the past couple of years, I've been saving my favorite issues of HK Magazine, dreaming of a distant day when I can decorate a study in my own house or apartment with the framed images of the place I love most. So, in memory of all HK Magazine has given me, I thought I'd take this opportunity to post a few of those covers that most grabbed my attention.
The earliest issue I can find is the Christmas edition from 2011, when I had only been in Hong Kong a mere two years. At the time, I felt like I knew it all, but now that I'm on the cusp of my seventh anniversary, I have a different perspective.
Over the years, HK Magazine has taught me more about Hong Kong's typical local street food than anything else, from pineapple buns and fish balls to egg waffles and traditional milk tea.
A highlight every spring was the magazine's sarcastic preview of the booziest weekend on the social calendar, the Rugby Sevens.
A simple but splendid cover from December 2012, with a traditional "chop" (or seal) and plenty of tips inside
I love the bold lines and atypical placement of the subject of this cover from June 2014.
In this summertime issue, the magazine guided readers through the sometimes-stressful process of organizing a daylong boat party. The carefree artwork, without even a pretense of realism, still somehow manages to encapsulate the magic of a typical Hong Kong junk trip.
I love this cover from March of 2014, encouraging Hong Kong stay-cations with an illustration of a couple basking in the glories of a rooftop swimming pool overlooking our glittering skyline.
The magazine loved to turn tradition on its ear, like in this cover featuring an ancient Chinaman riffing on his electric guitar in the mist-shrouded hills of old Cathay.
The stunning fold-out cover of the one-thousandth issue from June 2013 remains the gold standard. I spent most of that summer in the USA, but trusty Sarah sought out a copy for me to add to my collection when I returned to Hong Kong in September. I think the artwork epitomizes pretty much everything I love most about the magical city I call home.
This nostalgic watercolor of a bygone Hong Kong street scene shows a local hawker roasting chestnuts, still a common treat in the colder months of the year.
One of the things I love most about many of the covers is the artistic rendition of iconic Hong Kong treasures, like the green tin stalls set up across town selling all manners of goods.
A strong contender for my favorite cover, the 2012 Valentine's Day issue suggested ideas for cheap dates in the SAR.
Mimicking the iconic West Side Story movie poster, this issue from September 2013 introduced many readers to the up-and-coming neighborhoods to the west of Sheung Wan, including Shek Tsong Tsui and Sai Ying Pun. Previously uncharted territory, both places are now firmly entrenched in the social life of many a Hong Kong expat.
Issues like this one from October of 2012 helped me unlock the secrets of Hong Kong's history hidden behind something as small as a road sign, mailbox or johnny pump.
HK Magazine ushered in 2015's Year of the Goat with this cockeyed depiction of jockeys rounding a final turn not upon horses but rather the year's caprine mascots. As you probably guessed, the racing enthusiast in me was immediately smitten with it!
Fittingly, last week's penultimate issue advised drinking at Club Seven and other thrifty ways to make the most of a night out without digging deep into your wallet.
Today's bittersweet final issue, depicting a melancholy shopkeeper shutting the traditional metal gate on his store
You will be missed, HK Magazine, but you'll not be forgotten. Thanks for helping me fall in love with this place so fast, so hard and so true.
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