The Double Life of Liann Zhang: The Vancouver-Born Author’s Debut Thriller, Set In The Cut-Throat World of Influencers, Is As Sharp And Addictive As The Feeds It Skewers 新世代小說家•張麗安

“I love being a dragon,” Liann Zhang says when the subject of the Chinese zodiac comes up. “It’s this random mystical beast in the middle of it all. I feel very powerful.”

Dragons, she adds, are brave and up for adventure, qualities that suit anyone writing a novel. Zhang just did. At just 23, she’s already seeing her debut thriller, Julie Chan is Dead, become one of the buzziest Canadian novels of the year, thanks in part to its setting in the murky world of influencers. The title is a tease; the story is even sharper.

Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseMarch 19, 2026Asian representaton, chinese canadian, Chinese Canadian, Personal StoriesComment

Flying High: Skye Chan Never Planned on Pageants, Television Hosting or Health Advocacy. But Pragmatism Has a Way of Opening Unexpected Doors 陳倩揚 • 每次轉身，活出自己節奏的港姐

During a break from her flight schedule in 2008, Skye Chan spotted a television advertisement for Miss Hong Kong pageant entrants. Most flight attendants might have dismissed the idea immediately. Chan had built her reputation on efficiency and professionalism, not the polished glamour typically associated with beauty competitions.

Yet something about the opportunity intrigued her. At twenty-three, Chan knew the eligibility cutoff of twenty-four made this her only opportunity to apply, so she downloaded the form and asked her mother to be her nominee. “You never know until you take a step forward,” she says.

Chan had no illusions about her chances.

Annie Huang Finds Purpose Helping Young Musicians in Toronto 重譜第二人生 • 黄靜

On screen, Huang sat in a softly lit room at home, framed by an intricately carved wooden cabinet, its surface etched with ancient figures and traditional buildings. She smiled, glanced back at the cabinet and let the moment linger.

Off camera, one can imagine that cabinet, rich with the charm of Chinese design, has witnessed many changing seasons since her arrival in Toronto from Shanghai nearly a decade ago. It seems to speak for itself: solid, silent and carrying its own history into a new country where Huang has built a new life.

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.

Personal Stories, Film & BooksFête ChinoiseAugust 12, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, photography, FilmComment

Artistry in Motion : Emily Gao 高婧瑤：用耳飾捕捉生活中「動」的瞬間

Born in Harbin, China, and raised in Toronto, Emily had a traditional Asian upbringing. This included parents who, naturally, encouraged her to pursue a livelihood that would be financially sound. She dutifully fulfilled her parents’ expectations, studying business and starting a stable career. They were pleased.

Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseJuly 18, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment

The Creative Mess that is Emma FYi Khoo: Photographer, Creator and Academic

Artistic soul Emma or “FYi” Khoo has straddled many mediums, including modelling, makeup and photography. She also is an accomplished singer, is pursuing a PhD and has an architecture background. Proudly showcasing her culture, Emma’s content includes stories that she grew up with, including anime, Ancient Egypt, Greek myths to Chinese legends and novels Journey to the West and the Three Kingdoms.

Personal StoriesGuest UserJune 29, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment

A DIFFERENT TYPE OF DESIGNER: JULIUS HUI 許瀚文: 建築更美的文字風景

Typeface or font designers are a rare breed. And Chinese typeface designers are even more scarce, which one can understand given this context: The average Western/Latin typeface is comprised of about 200 glyphs (the symbols that make up a writing system, including letters, numerals, punctuation, accents, etc. ) to create a functional set, whereas the average font used for Traditional Chinese in Hong Kong or Taiwan requires over 13,000 glyphs for basic usage. That number jumps up to a staggering 20,000 glyphs for when you add other Chinese dialects and regions, such as the characters in Simplified Chinese!

Personal Stories, Design DialogueGuest UserJune 17, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, Art, typographyComment

Beyond Borders: an exhibition in toronto on Reshaping the Ordinaries of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Arts Exhibition aim to showcase how Hong Kong artists adopt traditional craft to create culturally-rich contemporary artworks including mini cheongsam dummies, lion head crafts, galvanized iron coffee sets and letter boxes for home deco or use in daily life. The making of these artworks are considered an intangible part of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage and craftsmanship.

Mark Your CalendarFête ChinoiseJune 9, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment

Ishie Wang: The name behind the face 改寫海外華裔模特兒歷史的王旖溪

You may recognize Ishie Wang’s face immediately: she is one of the prominent Asian models in Canadian advertisements for Roots, Hudson’s Bay, Sporting Life, and The Shopping Channel. From an early age, her family clearly envisioned a cultivated life of aesthetics and artistic appreciation for her. Ishie began learning piano at the age of 3 1/2, studied calligraphy and Chinese painting at the age of 4, and learned erhu at 6 and percussion instruments at 8. By the age of 11, she had completed her Grade 9 Piano certification and was recognized in numerous musical competitions.

Personal Stories, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseJune 7, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment

TRIBUTE TO FRIENDSHIP EXHIBITION

On May 25th, in celebration of Jewish and Asian Heritage month, the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto hosted the TRIBUTE TO FRIENDSHIP EXHIBITION.

Opening night highlighted the cross cultural experiences of the two cultures, and featured the works of over 25 Jewish and Chinese artists who explored the 1000 year historical legacy of the Jewish and Chinese communities.

Current AffairsFête ChinoiseMay 31, 2022Asian Representation, Personal Stories, ArtComment

Conquering hate with art + Love 用愛與藝術征服仇恨 PART No.2

Art reflects our ever-changing culture and has the ability to shift society's values and views. Racism and injustice have been a huge topics during the pandemic, magnified by the heartbreaking discovery of thousands of unmarked childrenís graves at Indigenous residential school sites, the Black Lives Matter movement, and anti-Asian racism, discrimination and violence in North America.

Conquering hate with art + Love 用愛與藝術征服仇恨 PART No.1

Art reflects our ever-changing culture and has the ability to shift society's values and views. Racism and injustice have been a huge topics during the pandemic, magnified by the heartbreaking discovery of thousands of unmarked childrenís graves at Indigenous residential school sites, the Black Lives Matter movement, and anti-Asian racism, discrimination and violence in North America.