LIFE+ Magazine Issue 3

Explore our stories 

Spotlight
Foreword
Chinachem Group always values technology and innovation. A Digital Transformation Division was set up in 2019 to enhance internal operational efficiency with the introduction of software and cloud solutions, and to boost competitiveness of our core businesses by adopting a wide range of innovative technologies in our property developments. Another mission of the division was to develop new business models and new revenue opportunities. In July this year, it was officially renamed the Business Transformation and Innovation Division, marking a new milestone in driving our digital transformation. Innovation is never a single event. We can truly succeed in digital transformation only when our employees embrace innovation at heart. In the early days, we adopted an “outside-in” approach. By collaborating with tech communities such as HKSTP, we introduced new technologies into the Group and supported local start-ups. And through exchanges with the industry, our employees were empowered to bro
Learn more
Coffee with the CEO
Dream Big, Start Small
Zeek constantly pushes back the frontiers of logistics and its recent launch of a one-hour express delivery service in collaboration with a major e-commerce platform is a fine example. Supporting the local smart logistics start-up are Radiant Tech Ventures and Chinachem Group – Zeek’s great advocates and early stage investors. In a conversation with Donald Choi, Executive Director and CEO of Chinachem Group, the Founding Managing Partner of Radiant Tech Ventures, Dr Gordon Yen, talks about how his venture capital business started and outlines his investment experience in supporting start-ups.
Learn more

Making Our City a Better Place

Livelihood

Urban Escape by Design

The scope of landscape architecture is broader than one can imagine. From botany to fine art, architecture, industrial design, soil science and environmental psychology, landscape architecture is all about the integration between greening, the environment and urban living.

“Landscape architecture is human-centric. You have to understand, first off, the users’ wants and needs, and reflect them in the design,” says Albert Cheng, who founded the international Landscape Consultant firm Cohere Design. “Design is never simply a scheme but solutions for living. Needs in real life should be taken into account.”

In the past, Cheng explains, recreational facilities, event spaces and plazas were all that was required in a large-scale residential development. But that has changed: “Now it’s more about functionality,” he notes. “For example, in Chinachem Group’s Sol City development in Yuen Long, we interlaced a human-centric landscape design with functional spaces. A range of themed green spaces, from an aerobic exercise area to a children’s playground, yoga corner and tai chi garden, offers residents an idyllic escape amid the hustle and bustle.”

Another project of note is Shinsun Yinhu Phase 2 Sales Area, on the outskirts of Hangzhou, where Cohere Design balanced aesthetics with function. With its irregularly-shaped pool, coupled with a waterside pavilion that features a curtain of falling water, the design resembles a poetic scene in ancient China where one could find a pavilion along a calm and clear lake nestled in a mountain – a perfect spot to rest after a long walk. For another landscape design project, apart from recreational facilities, Cheng deliberately added public event spaces that serve as interactive platforms for exchanges among community groups to enliven the neighbourhood. Learn more
Art and Culture

City of Colour

When Elsa Jean de Dieu first arrived in Hong Kong in 2008, she says there was hardly any street art, but now mural paintings are found across the city.

“People are now asking for street art on the facade, they want colourful patterns and meaningful artwork,” she says.

Jean de Dieu has contributed to the street art scene by painting 16 murals around the city, including four live mural paintings for French May Arts Festival at the revitalised Central Market.

“I create a story and characters, and I connect with people passing by, it’s unique. That’s why I’m obsessed with painting smiley faces,” she says, referring to the fun portraits at Central Market. She says that Hong Kong streets are more colourful than ever and before the pandemic people visited the city specifically to see street art.

Street art has helped transform Hong Kong’s image as a business-focused metropolis into a nature- and art-oriented city. Street art is now found in different neighbourhoods across Hong Kong, making buildings a playground for artists who paint in different styles. Their work turns the streets into public galleries and makes art more accessible and easily appreciated.

They also beautify neighbourhoods with their funky designs and kaleidoscopic colours; they draw people in to check out the street art and post images on social media for others to see what they have discovered.

While Jean de Dieu says it’s cool to have more artists painting street art, they aren’t in competition with each other. Rather, they are focused on finding their own style which will make the city look more visually striking. She credits HKwalls for organising legal places to paint and inviting artists to participate.

What makes her work most rewarding are the reactions she gets from people as she is working. “I have very touching contact and conversations with people in the streets, like the cleaners who tap my shoulder and have a big smile, and taxi drivers and bus drivers give me the thumbs up. Because I bring joy, smiley faces, it’s like a huge wave of happiness around. It’s really amazing.” Learn more
Community

Building a Vibrant Neighbourhood

In collaboration with the Neighbourhood Innovation Lab, Chinachem Group has turned the piazza of NINA MALL I into a dynamic community hub to energise the neighbourhood. Organisations such as Caritas Community Centre – Tsuen Wan, Asbury Methodist Social Service, Upstitch and Green Ladies & Green Little have been invited to host educational events and workshops in the piazza, offering local residents a chance to relax and enjoy life together in the neighbourhood. Happenings have included a free clothing exchange pop-up, an upcycling workshop that turns T-shirts into cardholders, and a booth game to help residents learn about their neighbourhood and the history of Tsuen Wan, complemented by the distribution of a community walking guide. Learn more

  • Spotlight
    Urban Mapping
    Look into Hong Kong’s urban planning history and you’ll find one obvious milestone: new town development. For half a century, such developments have been deeply entrenched in the urbanisation of the rural New Territories with an aim to build self-reliant, balanced communities.
    Learn more
  • Innovation
    Smartly Sustainable
    For the new generation of buildings, it’s not only the architecture that matters. A shift towards buildings that also place focus on energy efficiency means increasingly sustainable design.
    Learn more
  • Liveable Place
    Co-living on the Rise
    Co-living has been a rising international trend in recent years. A shared apartment usually accommodates three or more young people, with everyone sharing spaces such as the kitchen, living and dining rooms, as well as resources like cutlery and utensils. Renting the space and living there costs less, while one crucial benefit of co-living is having the chance to connect with others, fostering community spirit. The concept emerged in Copenhagen, Denmark in the 1970s and subsequently took off all around the world: from Europe to America, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.
    Learn more
  • Community
    Scenes of the Times
    Hong Kong cinemas have evolved in the past half-century, in keeping with changing trends in the local film industry and socio-cultural shifts.
    Learn more
  • People
    A Family of Visionaries
    Born into a family of architects, Kevin Lim had a childhood that made him witness to many of the challenges faced by his architect father. “Constraints such as money, time and the actual space make it hard for architects to realise their ideals,” says Lim, who nonetheless followed his father’s path and studied architecture at Cornell University in the US.
    Learn more
  • Dine & Wine
    Scents of History
    Aroma is the key to unlocking our memories and Perfume Trees Gin, the first gin created by Hongkongers, triggers our collective memory of the city. Launched in 2019 by Kit Cheung and Joseph Cheung, Perfume Trees Gin contains 13 botanicals, including five ingredients sourced from local farmers and traditional stores. Of these, white champaca, also known as white jade orchid tree, is the essence.
    Learn more
  • Happenings
    Central Market to Commence Operations Phase One
    Following extensive revitalisation, Central Market is ready to swing open its doors again in late August. Over its 160-year history, the building has gone through several transformations.
    Learn more
  • Happenings
    Nina Park Interactive Prototypes On Display

    Slated to re-open in 2023, and adopting the theme of “time”, Nina Park will be home to Hong Kong’s first wood fossil garden.

    Learn more
  • Happenings
    Relish the Ultimate Indulgence with Nina

    This Mid-Autumn Festival, Nina Hospitality is presenting mooncakes in three exquisite flavours: classic White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake with Two Yolks filled with premium lotus seed paste and salted egg yolks; Mini Egg Custard Mooncake that offers a velvety texture; and the old-meets-new Mini Red Bean Paste Mooncake with Mandarin Peel.

    Learn more
  • News Brief
    French May Highlights
    Committed to creating shared value for society by supporting arts and culture, Chinachem Group partnered with the French May Arts Festival for the first time to bring art works and performances into Central Market, as a preview to the imminent reopening of this revitalised landmark.
    Learn more
  • News Brief
    Nina Hospitality Unveils Nina Patisserie
    Nina Patisserie, Nina Hospitality’s first cake shop, has made its debut in Nina Hotel Tsuen Wan West.
    Learn more
  • News Brief
    Chinachem Group Publishes First Sustainability Report
    Chinachem Group has published its inaugural sustainability report, detailing its sustainability commitments, management approach and performance, including that of its property management subsidiaries and Nina Hospitality, during the period from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.
    Learn more
  • News Brief
    Energy-Saving Practices in Office Setting
    During the webinar titled “Energy-Saving Practices in Office Setting”, Ir Dr Paul Sat, Head of Research and Public Education at Hong Kong Green Building Council, shared holistic solutions to achieve energy savings and sustainability in offices – ranging from lighting, IT systems and electrical and electronic devices, to behavioural changes by users and synergy between owners and tenants.
    Learn more
  • News Brief
    CENTRAL MARKET+ CAREER DAY Offers Over 500 Positions
    With a goal of creating employment opportunities and providing platforms for career development, Chinachem Group recently organised a career day in Central Market providing more than 500 positions.
    Learn more
  • Flashback
    Our Deep Market Connections
    In Chinese society, freshness and seasonality is part and parcel of the food culture. Hong Kong sprouted open-air markets as early as its establishment as a free port, when vendor stalls lined both sides of roads with a staggering variety of fresh daily produce ranging from meats and vegetables to fruits and other groceries.
    Learn more
Happening
Chinachem Group’s 60 Years of Progress Virtual Exhibition Now Online
The exhibition Creating Places with Heart – Chinachem Group’s 60 Years of Progress has recently been brought online to allow the public to view the showcase at their leisure. It details the Group’s transformation over the past six decades, from its establishment in the 1960s to its recent rebranding. For those interested in seeing the exhibits at first hand – from touchless interactive installations to historical objects – grab your last chance to visit the physical exhibition at NINA MALL I before 31 October.
Stay in touch with us

Please enter a valid email address

 By providing your personal data and submitting the form you agree to our Privacy Policy and consent to receive information from Chinachem Group.

Are you resided or located in Mainland China?

Please fill in all mandatory fields below

If you are resided or located in Mainland China, then before using our services, please read carefully our Privacy and Security Policy Statement ("Privacy Policy") and its addendum, and tick the box before the item that applies to your situation

Please fill in all mandatory fields below

Since the personal data of minors under the age of 14 is required for the services or products you wish to use, if you are resided or located in Mainland China and consent to our processing of the personal data of a minor under the age of 14 who is under your guardianship for our provision of such services or products, please tick the box that applies: 

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing your visit, you consent to their use. To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our privacy policy.