LIFE+ Magazine Issue 2

University Heights boasts well-proportioned living spaces and is close to hiking trails, providing plenty of space for outdoor activities. Calvin Chiu, his family and their pet dog are now living at the redeveloped University Heights. In his free time, he enjoys walking their child and pet to the nearby hiking trails to enjoy precious family moments and cultivate their child’s love for nature. When Mr Chiu and his family were looking for a place to rent, he said they wanted to find a place with access to plenty of outdoor space, but not too far away from the city. The apartment ideally would be spacious and well proportioned. As it happens, University Heights was freshly on the market at that time, and its apartments offer exactly what the Chiu’s needed. There are also floor-to-ceiling windows, which flood the living spaces with abundant natural light during the day. When night falls, the apartment becomes an oasis of calm.

Of all the choices available in an alluring dessert display, the Napoleon is famous for its refined sophistication.  This delicate French treat is made up of three golden layers of flaky puff pastry, sandwiching smooth custard and topped with fruit and icing. In Hong Kong, it is called the Napoleon Cake, but in France or other countries, it is best known by its French name, millefeuille, meaning “a thousand leaves”. The origins of the Napoleon are a mystery. “Napoleon” is believed to be a mistranslation of “Neapolitan” since the pastry is said to have originated in Naples, Italy. According to one of the earliest records, the gastronomic chronicler François Pierre de La Varenne had written “napoleon” in his cook book Le Cuisinier François in 1651. Almost 200 years later in the early 19th century, the renowned chef Marie-Antoine Carême refined and popularised the dessert. Decades after that, the Parisian pastry master Adolphe Seugnot made his mille-feuille a legend, and the dessert shot to stardom where it has remained since then. The secret of a crispy Napoleon is to give the puff pastry a thorough baking so that its delicate flakiness is maintained, even though surrounded by soft custard fillings or berries. A light but rich Napoleon is considered an absolutely imperial choice for afternoon tea. The Nina Napoleon Collection offers three choices of mixed berries, mango and strawberry and is now available online on Nina Patisserie eshop. And cake-lovers can purchase at the first physical shop in Nina Hotel Tsuen Wan West starting mid-May.

The late local artist Ha Bik Chuen was a well-known sculptor, printmaker and ink-wash painter. For 50 years he also recorded local and overseas exhibitions by collecting their print materials and photographing the events. His private archive is both a record and a participant in local art history. In 2012, three years after Ha passed away, his family invited Asia Art Archive (AAA) to initiate a research project using the 600-plus boxes from Ha’s collection, containing about 18,000 files and more than 3,500 photos. The project has continued for the past years since 2013. An array of materials and ephemera has been categorised then documented as digitised information. During 2020 and 2021, under Chinachem Group sponsorship, the digitisation project has continued. The project has promoted exchange and education on multiple art forms, and led to an exhibition of the work, named Portals, Stories and Other Journeys at Tai Kwun in Central. In the face of passing time, the liveliness of an artistic life, though rich, is short-lived. Technology plays an important role in ensuring that valuable information and works of art will remain in the history of art. Digitisation has made it easier for the public to access art works while allowing art literature to head off the fate of gradual disappearance due to depletion, thereby allowing artists to pass on their contributions to the Hong Kong art and cultural scene.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Chinachem Group, the Creating Paces with Heart – Chinachem Group’s 60th Years of Progress Exhibition showcases Chinachem Group’s transformation from its roots as well as Hong Kong’s changes since the 1960s through various interactive exhibits. Peek into the future of smart living, and prioritising sustainability alongside a display of historic photos and objects from Hong Kong’s industrial past and 3D trick art installations exhibited across NINA MALL I and II. The exhibition is now open to the public free of charge.

The rebranded Nina Hospitality promises the ultimate home-away-from-home experience, providing personalised services to create a relaxing and memorable stay. The Nina Hospitality service team treats each guest like a beloved family member. From preparing the medicine cabinet to small acts such as wrapping up wires in the room, the intimacy makes guests feel like it’s their second home.

Chinachem Group has teamed up with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) to launch two innovative programmes aimed at narrowing the commercialisation gap for local startups: “CCG Accel – Powered by HKSTP” is a pioneering pilot-first accelerator programme that speeds up technology adoption with corporate mentorship and support for aspiring startups, while the “Inno Place @CCG” programme breaks away from traditional innovation labs and puts solutions to the test in a real environment at Chinachem Group’s diverse range of properties. Successful innovations may be further adopted or invested by Chinachem Group.

Green homes do more than reduce carbon footprints; they also elevate quality of life and even productivity. In April, Chinachem Group organised a webinar on green living for the residents of properties managed by Chinachem Group. Tim Lo, Assistant Manager and Head of System Development at BEAM Society Limited, explained that through the four major areas of energy, water, environmental quality and materials, how a green, healthy living environment even under the Covid situation could be created through saving energy, reducing waste at the source, and implementing hygiene practices.

When Hong Kong’s economy took off in the 1960s and 70s, many employers arranged free meals for their staff as an employee benefit. Eat-in lunchbreaks reduce the barriers between individuals and departments and cultivate a sense of belonging. Chinachem Group, as a company tradition, has offered free meals to staff members with dishes varying on a daily basis. On special occasions, additional dishes were offered. The most popular dishes included steamed sliced chicken, barbecue pork, beef short ribs and so on. This practice was maintained until 2017. Since that time, the hotel canteen has taken over the role of serving free meals to staff members. The choice of dishes is more abundant now, including vegetarian options every Monday. The flow of operations from procurement and logistics to cooking and food waste recycling is more systematic than before.