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SCMP

We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Can you train your mind to be happy? Yes, experts say. Here’s how
Happiness can be elusive. When you get what you expect will bring happiness – a cool new job, a flashy car, the date you always wanted – for a time, you feel great. But that feeling subsides, and you start to feel that, really, you had it wrong, and you need that other thing you wanted to be happy.
2. How Charmaine Sheh went from Miss Hong Kong runner-up to the queen of TV

In the relentless machine that is Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, few television stars have shown the tenacity and dedication of Charmaine Sheh Sze-man. During her peak of productivity, she was easily one of the most prolific actresses working at Hong Kong broadcaster TVB. She once shot six drama series – 120 episodes of TV – in one year, routinely working at least 18 hours per day. She also claimed to have taken only nine days off in a three-year period.
3. The Hong Kong roots behind one of San Francisco’s hottest new restaurants
Even before its official launch on August 8, The Happy Crane in San Francisco was touted by local media as the city’s biggest restaurant opening of the year. Expectations are high, but chef-owner James Yeun Leong Parry is grateful for the support.
4. Is this the end of the Hungry Ghost Festival at Hong Kong’s Wah Fu Estate?

The annual Hungry Ghost Festival celebration held at the Wah Fu Estate in Hong Kong’s Pok Fu Lam neighbourhood is at risk of disappearing. The celebration, which has been on hold since 2020 due to the pandemic, returned at the end of August, but there is a chance the ceremonial traditions and practices, held in Wah Fu (II) Estate’s higher blocks, will disappear during the redevelopment of the entire estate.
5. How Hong Kong movie star Louis Koo fared in his action roles

Like all Hong Kong actors who have sustained long careers, Louis Koo Tin-lok has performed in many genres. The last 15 years in particular have seen Koo excelling in hardcore action roles, even though, unlike Andy Lau Tak-wah, he received no early training in martial arts.
6. What is the Chinese ‘red thread’ that ties fated lovers together?

In the Western world, one meaning of “red line” is a boundary that should not be crossed. In the East, there is a completely different understanding of the “red line” that refers to something much more tender.
7. Want to provide the best care for a dementia sufferer? Put yourself first
Caring for a loved one with dementia is about providing the best care you can. This is a core theme in Irish psychologist Dr Sabina Brennan’s new book, Still Me: A neuroscientist’s guide to caring for someone with dementia.


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SCMP Highlights

Training your mind to be happy, meaning of Chinese ‘red thread’: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Hong Kong actor and singer Louis Koo in a still from the action thriller Paradox (2017).

Want to feel happier? Think of happiness as a state of mind that can be attained through life practices. Photo: Shutterstock

Hong Kong actress Charmaine Sheh has starred in a number of notable TVB shows, including War and Beauty (2004), Maidens’ Vow (2006), You’re Hired (2009) and Line Walker (2014). Photo: Instagram/charmaine_sheh

Hungry Ghost Festival rituals are held at Wah Fu Estate in Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, on August 31, 2025. Photo: Karma Lo

According to legend in China and across East Asia, a red thread connects soul mates and prevents them from posing each other. Photo: Getty Images

Malaysian teen plays 30 instruments, Hong Kong mooncake deals: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Belle Sisoski’s unique sonic identity has earned her more than a million followers on each of her major platforms, with her YouTube videos amassing over 100 million views. Photo: Belle Sisoski

Kowloon Shangri-La’s durian mooncakes are one of the more creative offerings this year from Hong Kong hotels, many of which have early-bird discounts in the coming days and weeks. Photo: Instagram/kowloonshangrila


A dish at Samsen in Wan Chai. Photo: Samsen

Hong Kong-based photographer Derry Ainsworth at 98kg (left) before developing severe acute pancreatitis, which saw him quit drinking, change his diet and do more exercise, dropping to 78kg (right). Photo: Derry Ainsworth

Singapore firms gamify ageing well, 500 illustrations of toast: 7 Lifestyle highlights

James Gannaban performs a lateral bending compass pose in 2024. He reveals how he went from Disney performer to nightclub manager battling addiction to recovering through yoga. Photo: Instagram/jamesgannaban

An entire wall inside Ztoryhome is lined with Nomkakaii’s work. Photo: Nancy Wang


The bouchon gratiné is a favourite snack on Réunion Island, made with a baguette, chilli sauce, siu mai and melted cheese. Photo: X/ LudovicShooter

Dried tangerine peel, or chun pei, is used in various Chinese dishes and can be bought at specialist dried ingredients stores and traditional Chinese medicine herbalists. Photo: Shutterstock

Cantopop queen Sally Yeh’s reign, Chinese medicine for weight loss: 7 Lifestyle highlights

A TCM practitioner prepares traditional Chinese medicine ingredients. Photo: Shutterstock


Sally Yeh performs in Hong Kong in 1994. The singer and actress rose to the top of Hong Kong show business despite arriving in the city unable to speak Cantonese. Photo: Martin Chan

Ewa and Jeromy Ko eat a meal at a branch of Chiu Hing Fishball Noodle Rice in Hong Kong. Photo: Nom Life

Guests enjoy wine at an event co-hosted by China Wine Club’s Camden Hauge in New York. Photo: Daniel Huang

Hong Kong-born artist Josephine Cheung’s commemorative exhibition was recently held at Alisan Fine Arts in New York. Photo: courtesy of Alisan Fine Arts

An 80-year-old marathon runner, Year of the Snake monthly forecast: 7 Lifestyle highlights

How’s your luck in the Year of the Snake’s seventh month? Feng shui master Andrew Kwan gives his predictions for all 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs, including why it will be a good month career-wise for Monkeys and others. Photo: Shutterstock

Thomas Derksen at around 140kg before his weight loss in 2019 and at 83kg in 2025. He lost weight by embracing a healthier lifestyle, focusing on balanced meals and regular exercise. Photo: Thomas Derksen

Galloway, who just turned 80, is now in training for his 237th marathon. Photo: Jeff Galloway

Although Chinese eating customs have evolved over time and through cultural shifts, some aspects have remained the same, such as the oldest or most senior person starting a meal and where you put your chopsticks. Photo: Shutterstock

Kim Young-kwang as Moon Baek, a criminal mastermind who befriends Lee Do, in a still from Trigger. Photo: Son Ik-chung/Netflix

Hong Kong hotels for staycations, comedian’s weight-loss journey: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Novak Djokovic warms up in the gym prior to a match in the Davis Cup Final on November 23, 2023 in Malaga, Spain. Photo: Getty Images

Karanth in 2019, just before she decided that she was done making excuses for her poor eating habits. Photo: Maitreyi Karanth

The St Regis Hong Kong’s Aperol Spritz Ora d’Oro Experience is available until the end of September. Photo: St Regis Hong Kong

Fried cheung fun with XO sauce. The rolls have a crispy exterior that contrasts with the soft interior. Photo: Shutterstock

Hearing loss contributes to dementia for several reasons. The brain must work much harder to understand sounds, leaving it with less capacity to lay down memories, for example. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

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Chinese culture

From a look at Louis Koo’s career to a San Francisco restaurant’s Hong Kong roots, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting


From a look at Louis Koo’s career to a San Francisco restaurant’s Hong Kong roots, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.


Training your mind to be happy, meaning of Chinese ‘red thread’: 7 Lifestyle highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From a look at Louis Koo’s career to a San Francisco restaurant’s Hong Kong roots, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting

1. Can you train your mind to be happy? Yes, experts say. Here’s how

From a look at Louis Koo’s career to a San Francisco restaurant’s Hong Kong roots, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting