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‘Joys of Life’: Hong Kong Food Traditions Endure in City of Flux

This picture taken on June 8, 2023, shows a bamboo steamer of Yum Cha, Cantonese brunch involving tea and dim sum, on a table at a restaurant in Hong Kong. (AFP)
This picture taken on June 8, 2023, shows a bamboo steamer of Yum Cha, Cantonese brunch involving tea and dim sum, on a table at a restaurant in Hong Kong. (AFP)
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‘Joys of Life’: Hong Kong Food Traditions Endure in City of Flux

This picture taken on June 8, 2023, shows a bamboo steamer of Yum Cha, Cantonese brunch involving tea and dim sum, on a table at a restaurant in Hong Kong. (AFP)
This picture taken on June 8, 2023, shows a bamboo steamer of Yum Cha, Cantonese brunch involving tea and dim sum, on a table at a restaurant in Hong Kong. (AFP)

Bent over a low bench in his cluttered Hong Kong workshop, dark-framed glasses perched on his nose, Lui Ming deftly assembles a bamboo steamer, a utensil essential to Cantonese cooking.

It's a craft the 93-year-old has been perfecting for seven decades, and steamers like his are an indispensable part of yum cha, the Cantonese brunch involving tea and dim sum -- perhaps the most prized culinary ritual in the city.

The circular bamboo baskets are ferried in small trolleys around yum cha restaurants, filled with bite-sized dumplings and other delicacies.

"My only hobbies are yum cha and Cantonese opera," Lui tells AFP while twisting thin strips of bamboo to build the single most important dim sum-making tool.

"Those are the joys of my life."

Hong Kong is equally acclaimed for its fine dining restaurants and its street-side eateries, and the enduring use of handwoven steamers in both is part of a set of unique food traditions that have shaped its culinary landscape for generations.

As in many modern metropoles, the flow of commerce in the finance hub brings constant change, but Hong Kong´s cuisine remains wedded to a network of traditions that residents view as staunch markers of local identity.

"Bamboo steamers absorb moisture and there won't be condensation (on the lid)," Lui explains, adding that metal or plastic versions would never pass as part of an authentic yum cha experience in Hong Kong.

But he does add steel around the bamboo rim to make his steamers more durable and improve insulation, an innovation he says he pioneered.

"For steaming buns, there is no substitute."

Hong Kong institutions

Liu's shop is located on Shanghai Street, a historic stretch of road in Hong Kong's Kowloon district that is a treasure trove of kitchenware and utensils.

One block north is Chan Chi Kee cutlery -- a family-run Hong Kong institution more than 100 years old.

Retired craftsman Mr. Chan, who is part of the clan that runs the shop and now in his 80s, spends much of his time there.

He started forging cleavers when he was around 15 years old as part of the already-established family business.

"I was given a piece of metal and shaped it into a knife," he says, giving only his surname.

"It was on the mountainside in the squatter huts... But eventually there was not enough space -- they built housing there."

Today, Chinese chefs from around the world visit Chan Chi Kee's storefront on Shanghai Street to buy handcrafted cleavers and woks.

"At least 80 percent of Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong use our knives," Chan tells AFP.

But rising property prices and the city's shift away from manufacturing has pushed the bulk of production for the knives, woks and steamers to Guangzhou, China -- though a small select stock is still "Made in Hong Kong".

Increased wages have also contributed to soaring costs, says Wong Yan-wai, a dried seafood trader for over three decades.

"Most dried seafood is not processed in Hong Kong because of the high cost," Wong, 53, tells AFP.

The fresh seafood is caught across the world and dried on-site -- in South Africa, Japan, Brazil and Australia -- before being shipped to Wong's shop on Des Voeux Road.

More colloquially known as "Dried Seafood Street", it and its neighboring side streets are home to nearly 200 vendors hawking dried scallops, bird's nest, abalone, sea cucumber and more.

Pulling out a dried fish bladder from an ornate gold box, Wong says it is priced at 168,000 Hong Kong dollars ($21,500) due to its age and size.

"For businesses that do well, they can make 800 million to a billion Hong Kong dollars a year in revenue."

'Modernize Cantonese food'

Ten minutes away, ArChan Chan deftly flips dried shrimp in a carbon steel Chan Chi Kee wok to make her version of the classic Cantonese dish known as stir-fry king.

The 37-year-old chef at Ho Lee Fook, located in the glitzy Central district, is one of the city's most celebrated women chefs and among a handful of young innovators redefining Cantonese food.

"One of the biggest challenges I have is how to modernize Cantonese food," ArChan says.

The answer lies in sourcing quality ingredients while making small tweaks to dishes' flavor profiles, such as adding fermented aged garlic soy to a classic razor clam dish.

In her sleek kitchen, Archan lifts the lid of a bamboo steamer to unveil three glistening vegetable dumplings, ready to be served.

"There is such a big wealth of knowledge," she tells AFP. "I want to be able to learn and absorb as much as possible and just to pass it on."

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Culture

Saudi Heritage Commission Announces Discovery of 20 Rock Engravings in Soudah Peaks Project

The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)
The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)
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Saudi Heritage Commission Announces Discovery of 20 Rock Engravings in Soudah Peaks Project

The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)
The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission, in collaboration with Soudah Development, a Public Investment Fund company, announced on Tuesday the discovery of 20 ancient rock art sites within the Soudah Peaks area.

Spanning more than 636.5 square kilometers across Soudah and parts of Rijal Almaa, the project area is now recognized as home to some of the region’s oldest cultural landmarks. The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old, offering valuable insights into the region’s rich history.

The findings include Thamudic inscriptions, along with vivid depictions of ibex, hyenas, and ostriches, as well as scenes of hunters, dancers, palm trees, and weapons, reflecting the environmental and social practices of the ancient communities that once inhabited the area.

The survey forms part of a memorandum of understanding signed between the Heritage Commission and Soudah Development. Conducted in four scientific phases, the initiative began with data collection and site analysis, concluding with the documentation and classification of high-value archaeological sites in preparation for future development and preservation efforts.

Soudah Development remains committed to protecting and promoting the natural and cultural heritage of the project area. The company continues to work towards creating an integrated cultural and tourism experience that reflects the authenticity and historical richness of the region, in line with its vision to transform Soudah Peaks into a premier luxury mountain destination rooted in heritage.

Culture

Ancient Rome Meets Modern Technology as Tourists Visit Restored, Frescoed Home via Livestream Tours

Colosseum Archeological Park guide Valentina uses a head-mounted device to livestream a guided tour for the press of the newly-restored underground House of Griffins, dated between the II and I century B.C., on the Palatine Hill next to the Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP)
Colosseum Archeological Park guide Valentina uses a head-mounted device to livestream a guided tour for the press of the newly-restored underground House of Griffins, dated between the II and I century B.C., on the Palatine Hill next to the Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP)
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Ancient Rome Meets Modern Technology as Tourists Visit Restored, Frescoed Home via Livestream Tours

Colosseum Archeological Park guide Valentina uses a head-mounted device to livestream a guided tour for the press of the newly-restored underground House of Griffins, dated between the II and I century B.C., on the Palatine Hill next to the Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP)
Colosseum Archeological Park guide Valentina uses a head-mounted device to livestream a guided tour for the press of the newly-restored underground House of Griffins, dated between the II and I century B.C., on the Palatine Hill next to the Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP)

One of the best-preserved ancient Roman homes on the Palatine Hill is opening to the public for the first time, albeit via a livestreamed tour of its hard-to-reach underground frescoes and mosaics.

The House of the Griffins was first discovered during the excavations in the early 20th century of the Palatine Hill, the verdant hill that rises up from the Roman Forum and dominates views of central Rome today with its striking red brick ruins.

The hill, located just off the Colosseum, was the site of temples and homes of leading citizens during Rome’s Republican era, which is traditionally dated from 509 B.C. to 27 B.C. It became the aristocratic quarter during the Roman Empire that followed, when new palaces were built on top of the older homes.

The House of the Griffins is one of those earlier Republican-era homes, and was hidden to the world underground after the Emperor Domitian built his palace on top of it in the first century A.D.

Now for the first time, the general public can virtually visit the House of the Griffins and its newly restored frescoes, including the decoration that gives the home its name: An arched lunette fresco featuring two griffins — the half-eagle, half-lion mythological creatures.

Visitors won’t actually walk through the home’s intimate rooms, which are only accessible via a perilously steep staircase underground. Rather, visitors above ground will watch as a tour guide wearing a head-mounted smartphone descends into the domus and walks through its rooms, livestreaming the visit and narration.

The live, virtual tour serves multiple purposes: It allows visitors to “see” a domus that, because of its underground location, would otherwise be off-limits. And by limiting the number of people in its rooms, the livestreaming protects the delicate frescoes from too much humidity and carbon dioxide.

Project chief Federica Rinaldi said archaeologists don’t know much about the family who lived there, but said they were clearly well-off. The level of decoration recalls some of the elegant homes of the era in Pompeii: The frescoes feature richly colored faux marble designs, and floor mosaics of three-dimensional cubes.

“Its location at the highest point of the hill, its distribution over several levels that take advantage of the slopes of the Palatine Hill itself, and its preservation make it today an almost textbook reference," she said. “It was certainly a domus of the highest standard.”

Starting on March 3, the livestreamed tours will be held weekly, on Tuesdays, with one in Italian and one in English, though more are foreseen. Groups are limited to a dozen people and require reservations, as well as an additional ticket beyond the typical Colosseum-Palatine Hill entrance fee.

The restoration of the House of the Griffins is one of 10 projects funded by the European Union in the archaeological park and is part of an effort to spread tourists out beyond the must-see Colosseum and Forum, which often get overwhelmed with visitors.

“It’s a great occasion to value the full territory of the park,” said the head of the park, Simone Quilici.

Culture

Sudan Recovers 570 Artifacts Looted During War

Artifacts that were recovered after being looted from the National Museum in Khartoum during the country's long-running war, are displayed during an official ceremony in Port Sudan on January 13, 2026. (AFP)
Artifacts that were recovered after being looted from the National Museum in Khartoum during the country's long-running war, are displayed during an official ceremony in Port Sudan on January 13, 2026. (AFP)
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Sudan Recovers 570 Artifacts Looted During War

Artifacts that were recovered after being looted from the National Museum in Khartoum during the country's long-running war, are displayed during an official ceremony in Port Sudan on January 13, 2026. (AFP)
Artifacts that were recovered after being looted from the National Museum in Khartoum during the country's long-running war, are displayed during an official ceremony in Port Sudan on January 13, 2026. (AFP)

Sudanese authorities displayed ancient figurines, ornate vases and scarab-shaped amulets at a ceremony Tuesday in Port Sudan celebrating the recovery of more than 570 antiquities stolen from the national museum during the country's long-running war.

The artifacts, arranged on large tables under heavy security, were recovered after months of investigation and brought to the wartime capital of Port Sudan.

The National Museum in Khartoum, which housed some of Sudan's most important archaeological collections, was looted and badly damaged after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized the capital in the early days of its war with the army, its former ally.

At the time, satellite images showed trucks carrying artifacts west, towards the vast region of Darfur -- now completely under RSF control.

Since then, Sudanese authorities have worked with UNESCO and Interpol to track down the stolen items.

Authorities did not detail on Tuesday exactly how the artifacts were recovered.

"Sudan heritage is not only of national importance, it is a treasure of humanity," said UNESCO's representative in Sudan, Ahmed Junaid, referring to international efforts to combat illicit trafficking of cultural property.

"Many people do not know the value of the objects displayed on the tables, but they reflect the identity of the nation and its history," said Sudan's finance minister Gibril Ibrahim.

Khalid Aleisir, minister of information and culture, announced a "financial reward" for anyone returning antiquities to the authorities, without specifying an amount.

Officials estimate that the recovered items account for about 30 percent of the objects looted from the museum.

Still missing are the contents of the so-called "gold room", the museum's most valuable collection, which included ancient jewellery and 24-carat gold pieces, some nearly 8,000 years old.