A marriage and one son later, the Lius find themselves north of the border, where the jack-of-many-trades is making noise these days at the 19th century church they purchased in the small Ontario town of Paisley. Currently converting it into a high-design home, he’s doing his own woodworking and welding — just some of his talents — while continuing to give good face (when duty calls), and even taking a role in a box office juggernaut Shang-Chi. Daniel is living life on his own terms. Pews, included.

Personal Stories, Long Reads, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseFebruary 21, 2023danielliu, model, actorComment

The Mother of All Fights: Lainey Lui & Judy Yeung 雷若芬與媽媽楊桂芳:奮勇駕馭那不可預知的未來

Elaine Lui is deep into what she does best – telling tales. But this time the subject isn’t a bad boy celebrity or an errant Royal, to mention just a couple of her typical targets. It’s her mother, a formidable personality in her own right who is presently battling cancer, with her daughter alongside her in the trenches, supporting the struggle. It’s not an easy task. At 72, mom’s no lotus flower. Never has been. Born in the Year of the Tiger, Yeung Kwai Fong has a roar that can be heard around the world, especially now that Lainey’s airing it, here, in these pages, as well as on Instagram, where she posts videos of her mother defiantly laughing in the face of the Big C.

Discovery With Her Camera: Sophia Chew

Currently 18 years of age, Sophia had an interest in the arts since childhood. It was, however, the pandemic that really pushed her into creating pieces when she was at home. In 2015, Sophia’s father gave her a Nikon D60 and lent her his camera gear. Prior to the pandemic, this camera was a constant companion, making an appearance everywhere on trips, hang-outs with friends, and neighbourhood walks.

Long Reads, Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseJune 6, 2022Asian Representation, Art, artists, fashionComment

The Inno-Visionary: Kevin Au-Yeung 創新令世界變得更好:歐陽浩東

We wondered aloud how Chinese principles have molded Kevin’s personal journey. Again, he pauses to consider his answer before sharing that his main, guiding sense of duty comes from witnessing how the Chinese community values and cares for seniors. He adds that “While this may not directly affect my business decisions, it moves me deeply as a person. Western communities spend so much time thinking about the future but don’t think about the past enough.” He credits the values that were instilled in him back in Hong Kong in his early days, which is that honouring, revering and respecting seniors is of supreme importance. And that this is something that the younger Chinese generation could do to remember...

Long Reads, Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseApril 19, 2022Asian Representation, BusinessComment

Putting Food and Compassion on the Table: Tina Lee 李佩婷：你吃了嗎？

Tina Lee’s pandemic experience has been all about people. From the thousands who are her work family, to the millions that her twenty-seven stores serve, to her own family at home; every one of these people was the reason Tina persevered and prevailed through the most challenging two years of her career. As CEO of T&T Supermarkets, Tina has faced many hurdles before, but nothing like when COVID-19 entered Canada. Almost overnight, Tina and her grocery staff became frontline workers. And just like all first responders, her employees could not stay at home; instead, they showed up day after day, driven by an overriding sense of civic duty.

Long Reads, Personal Stories, Community & PeopleFête ChinoiseApril 12, 2022Asian Representation, BusinessComment

Manfred Yuen: Daring to Be Different 阮文韜: 敢為人先的建築「覺‧渡」

The theme of this edition of Fête Chinoise resonates strongly with Manfred. He believes that proper perspective is the key to doing things the way they are meant to be. “Because most of us are now accustomed to seeing and feeling designs the wrong way. When judging something, it is common to add external factors into the equation — be it finances, politics or ethnic background for example. If we only relied on our five senses instead, I think we would find everything more enjoyable.”

Long Reads, Personal Stories, History & ArchitectureFête ChinoiseApril 6, 2022Asian Representation, ArchitectureComment

Justin Wu 吳一縉 : Representation in Image Making, Media and Film 圖像媒體中尋真我

My name is Justin Wu. My mother is a fine-art painter and my late father was a doctor. Both grew up in Hong Kong before emigrating to Canada to seek a better life. Typical of many first generation Chinese-Canadians, I felt obligated to attend university and enroll in sciences and business to satisfy my parents’ desire for me to follow in my father’s footsteps. However, much to their disappointment, I tore up my medical school application at the eleventh hour and chose to pursue my passion for the arts instead.

Long Reads, Personal Stories, Film & BooksFête ChinoiseMarch 30, 2022Asian Representation, Art, artists, FilmComment

Chef Mickey Zhao 趙健彬: Baking Bread, Breaking Boundaries「用心」烘焙無邊國度

Chinese bakeries are famous around the world for their unique selection of ‘Chinese Western Pastries’: buns, cakes and tarts that are best described as a combination of Chinese bakers’ imaginations and Western-style baked goods. Colonial life in Hong Kong brought together different ethnicities and demographics whose cultures and ideas inevitably co-mingled over time. Egg tarts, pineapple buns and coconut cocktail buns are perfect examples of this gastronomic mélange and can be credited to the legions of bakers colloquially referred to as ‘beng lou’ or ‘min baau lou’ — this literally translates to ‘bakery men’ or ‘bread men.’

Long Reads, Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseMarch 22, 2022Asian Representation, Food, PastryComment

Bernice Liu: The Metamorphosis of Perspective 廖碧兒：是「滴」是友

Like the metamorphosis from a caterpillar to butterfly, (coincidentally her favourite creature in nature), Bernice took time away from her work to heal. During this phase of her life, she spent time back in her home on the Canadian West Coast in the embrace of her home country, the love of her family and the serene beauty of British Columbia. It was in this cocoon of warmth and healing that she was able to breathe and slow down from the fast-paced life she had in Hong Kong.

Long Reads, Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseMarch 15, 2022Asian Representation, wine, CelebrityComment

Chef Ken Yau 邱璟琛: Elevating the Ordinary 舌尖上的人情味

After returning to Canada from years of working at groundbreaking restaurants like the Michelin 3 Starred The Fat Duck in England and Liberty Private Works in Hong Kong, Chef Ken Yau launched k.Dinners, a pop-up supper club concept in Toronto. These were multi-course, experiential tasting dinners for just 16 guests in a different location every week. Those lively evenings of great food and convivial conversations around a communal table came to an abrupt stop when the pandemic hit. Suddenly, Ken was left scrambling to think of another source of revenue.

Long Reads, Personal Stories, Food and LifestyleFête ChinoiseMarch 8, 2022Asian Representation, Food, Chinese FoodComment

PLACE DES SOUHAITS 《願望之城》: MONTREAL, QUEBEC 蒙特利爾

Montreal artist Karen Tam worked with designer Jean de Lessard to create the vibrant “Place des Souhaits/Place of Wishes” in the Quartier des Spectacles. This joyous, intergenerational public space and artwork, reminiscent of a typical Asian Night Market, welcomed visitors of all colours and creeds, while supporting local residents, families and businesses during its four-month run. It shone as a beacon of positivity and hope, highlighting the resilience of Chinatowns everywhere.

Long Reads, Personal Stories, Community & PeopleFête ChinoiseMarch 1, 2022Asian Representation, Art, artists, InstallationComment

Justine Yeung: Still Perspectives 楊應琪：電影定格

For a long time, many members of the Hong Kong film industry, both on and off screen, have moved to North America or constantly traveled between the two places for work, education, or simply in search of a better life. You can find them on film sets and post-production studios all over Hong Kong and Asia, while simultaneously making their mark in many North American film studios or international film festivals.

Long Reads, Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseFebruary 24, 2022Asian Representation, Art, artists, FilmComment