THE CHOW is a Hong Kong-based publication covering the intersection of business and subculture, written by Patrick Kho. This newsletter uncovers how independent artists, local communities, and the creative industries evolve in response to new business trends.
I like to describe this newsletter as “what would happen if VICE Asia and Business Insider had a baby.” My coverage ranges from gonzo reporting on independent arts scenes, profiles of brands disrupting business playbooks, Asia-focused trend analysis, and essays on how food/art/music evolve in the age of platform capitalism.
To get a sense of THE CHOW’s coverage, read a few of my past works:
“Expat” is a Dying Subculture
A founding myth of the globalization age was the promise that geography no longer determined opportunity. In theory, you could live and work anywhere. You might stay put—working in manufacturing in the American Midwest, teaching in northern England, or running a small business in a vaguely known European country—and life would be simple, predictable. Bu…
A Punk Zine in the “World’s Most Expensive City”
It’s never been easy to be an artist in Hong Kong. Dubbed the “most expensive city in the world” by Mercer in 2024, the city’s raves are getting pricey and rent is increasing. Here, where the fifth largest international stock exchange resides and where investments in companies like POP MART and Xiaomi have doubled fortunes in only a year, artists are fe…
The Boys Are Dressed to Climb
Tucked underneath industrial warehouses is one of Hong Kong’s oldest bouldering gyms. On a Friday night, it’s packed with climbers unwinding after a long week. Bags are squeezed tightly along the floor, but life overflows even as the space gets cramped. Climbers eat home-cooked dinners in between sets, slurping pork and beancurd stew from metal thermose…
Some of my other writing...
Photographer Gab Mejia Shot the World. Now, He Envisions a New One (Rolling Stone Philippines)
The church of Roblox: How young Filipino Catholics are building more inclusive spaces (Rest of World)
Mother of Seven (The Yale Herald)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patrick Kho is a Hong Kong-based writer. His reporting appears in publications like Rolling Stone, Rest of World, Rappler, and Byline. He was formerly staff editor at The Yale Herald.
