Flowers play a central role in celebrations across cultures, serving as symbols of love, prosperity, purity, and joy. Their role in the decor for weddings, festivals, and milestone events reflect deep-rooted traditions and evolving modern practices. In Chinese culture specifically, flowers carry deep symbolic meanings grounded in history, philosophy, art, literature, and traditional values, and are often chosen for celebrations like weddings and Chinese New Year based on their respective auspicious connotations.

This past Wednesday, NAAAP Toronto presented a panel exploring how Chinese cuisine in Canada has evolved from humble café staples into one of the country’s most dynamic culinary movements. Held at the beautiful Porsche Centre North Toronto and proudly supported by the dealership, the evening brought together chefs and culinary voices including Trevor Lui (Fête Chinoise Edition 8), Eva Chin (Edition 9), Braden Chong (Edition 11), and David Schwartz.

The modern diaspora is a tapestry woven from memory fragments: the half-remembered stories told by elders, the vivid iconography of classic cinema, and the lingering weight of ancient rituals. For Emily Cheung, the Artistic Director of Little Pear Garden Dance Company, these cultural echoes do not belong solely to the past. Instead, they serve as the living, breathing foundation for her latest ambitious work: Echoes of the Underworld.

In the intricate world of Chinese weddings, few roles carry the weight of heritage, superstition, and social etiquette like the Dai Kam (大妗)—a traditional female wedding emcee and consultant often tasked with orchestrating rituals, offering blessings, and ensuring customs are upheld properly. Literally known as “the elder auntie” (Dai Kam Jie 大妗姐), the Dai Kam is considered the indispensable soul of a Chinese wedding, a role traditionally filled by an older woman entrusted with guiding the couple through the complex rites. Once a figure closely associated with older generations and conservative values, the Dai Kam has evolved in recent years.

Acclaimed Malaysian contemporary calligraphy artist Jameson Yap has unveiled a commissioned series of artworks for CloutHaus Residences, the luxury residential component of TA Global Berhad’s latest mixed-use development in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). Presented at an exclusive exhibition held at the CloutHaus Sales Gallery on May 14, the showcase marked the venue’s first major cultural activation and reflected the development’s support for local creative talent, and ambitions to position itself as a destination shaped by art, culture, and curated experiences.

For the live audience and the thousands tuning in from their living rooms around the world, time seemed to stand still as a deep, velvety voice filled the room and stirred the souls of everyone listening. The lyrics of an Alan Tam classic were being sung with a storied richness that felt like the warm glow of love that was longed for. An unlikely silhouette emerged and Jackie Li stepped into the light to greet the judges.