Category: Exclusive—Reflection
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[ESSAY] “One Child, Three Lives” by Lina Ma HeyTea, High Salaries, and Family Money A HeyTea store in New York Inside a rooftop lounge in Manhattan, Scarlette sits in a cute pink T-shirt and wire-rimmed glasses, a cup of HeyTea’s…
![[ESSAY] “One Child, Three Lives” by Lina Ma](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/gettyimages-524755818.jpg)
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茶 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “What’s Queer about Hong Kong Comics?” by Ronny Chan What’s queer about comics? I’ve been grappling with this question ever since I took a stab at crafting my first queer…
![[ESSAY] “What’s Queer about Hong Kong Comics?” by Ronny Chan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/combsisters_008.jpg)
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茶 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Asian Pirates? In a Musical?” by Shanon Shah Zhui Ning Chang (director). Asian Pirate Musical, Upstairs at the Gatehouse, 28 July—2 August 2026. I have always been drawn to people…
![[ESSAY] “Asian 𝑃𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠? In a 𝑀𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙?” by Shanon Shah](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/asian-pirate-musical-2.png)
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[ESSAY] “The Unstuck City: Dorothy Tse’s City Like Water” by Luca Griseri Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon City Like Water. Dorothy Tse (author), Natascha Bruce (translator). City Like Water, Graywolf Press, 2026. 112 pgs. The novel resembles a décollage precisely because…
![[ESSAY] “The Unstuck City: Dorothy Tse’s 𝐶𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟” by Luca Griseri](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/city-like-water-dorothy-tse-cha-an-asian-literary-journal.jpg)
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茶 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Singing in Hiragana: On The Chronicles of Japan” by Mario Rustan All entries in Chaon The Chronicles of Japan Matthieu Felt (translator). The Chronicles of Japan—Volume I: Age of the…
![[ESSAY] “Singing in Hiragana: On 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐽𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛” by Mario Rustan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/71mw8p3wrll._sl1500_.jpg)
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[ESSAY] “I Reported Myself to China’s Ministry of State Security” by James Hilton Photograph by the author, Hekou, China. After his acquaintance ran afoul of China’s security apparatus in a netizen-led Red Guard pile-on, William Grice decided to find out…
![[ESSAY] “I Reported Myself to China’s Ministry of State Security” by James Hilton](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/william-grice-cha-september-2026-a.jpg)
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茶 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “(En)Gendering Japanese Literature and Translation: Joan E. Ericson’s Be a Woman” by Catherine Regina Borlaza Click here to read all entries in Chaon Be a Woman Joan E. Ericson. Be…
![[ESSAY] “(En)Gendering Japanese Literature and Translation: Joan E. Ericson’s 𝐵𝑒 𝑎 𝑊𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛” by Catherine Regina Borlaza](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/joan-e.-ericson-be-a-woman-hayashi-fumiko-and-modern-japanese-womens-literature-.jpg)
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茶 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Tony Leung in the Cinema: Between Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur” by Liew KH Tony Leung WKW went to Bangkok to film In the Mood for Love because there was…
![[ESSAY] “Tony Leung in the Cinema: Between Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur” by Liew KH](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/images-1.jpeg)
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[Artist Statement] “Shanghai Flower: A Tribute to Eileen Chang” by Antzu Huang 2025 marked the centenary of the legendary author Eileen Chang, one of the great figures of modern Chinese literature. In her honour, I wrote an electronic ballad, “Shanghai…
![[Artist Statement] “Shanghai Flower: A Tribute to Eileen Chang” by Antzu Huang](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/28181042-eileen-chang_cover_1444x2000.jpg)
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[ESSAY] “To Belong: Impressions of Hong Kong” by Raimondo Vanitelli Photograph © Raimondo Vanitelli You take in the city and the city accepts you, even if momentarily. 1 The intersection feels timeless. Red cabs with white roofs honk at each other,…
![[ESSAY] “To Belong: Impressions of Hong Kong” by Raimondo Vanitelli](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/raimondo-vanitelli-2.jpg)
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[ESSAY] “The Switzerland She Waited For” by Shiwani Dhiman Author’s Note: This story is personal, based on conversations I had with my mother-in-law, Dahlia Chaudhuri, as she spoke about her memories of marriage, her younger self, and her long-awaited trip…
![[ESSAY] “The Switzerland She Waited For” by Shiwani Dhiman](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/screenshot-2026-08-31-at-16.05.30.png)
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[ESSAY] “The Chinese Girl in Paris: An Unfinished Portrait of China” by William Grice “Je te souhaite une vie heureuse”, a final dispatch from Paris before the correspondence fell silent. Letters from Rue de la Sourdière, a full moon over…
![[ESSAY] “The Chinese Girl in Paris: An Unfinished Portrait of China” by William Grice](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/william-grice-1.jpg)
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[ESSAY] “A Look Back on Anime: Memoir, Poetics, and Literary Hedonism” by Franz Austin V. De Mesa Filipinos wave a One Piece flag as they take part in a protest against corruption at Rizal Park. Photograph: Ezra Acayan/Getty Image On 21…
![[ESSAY] “A Look Back on Anime: Memoir, Poetics, and Literary Hedonism” by Franz Austin V. De Mesa](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/e28098a-symbol-of-liberation-how-the-one-piece-manga-flag-became-the-symbol-of-asias-gen-z-protest-movement.jpeg)
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[ESSAY] “Shades of Huế” by Cheryl Chong The heat has a strange way of blurring things in Huế. We glimpse rust-coloured shophouses and dusk-toned homes, most of them melding into a haze as our chartered car nears the city centre.…
![[ESSAY] “Shades of Huế” by Cheryl Chong](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/view-from-the-melia-vinpearl-hue-otherwise-known-as-the-hotel.jpg)
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茶 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “The Ecstasy of Love: The Precarious Line Between Reality and Illusion in Kiwi Chow’s Beyond the Dream” by Hilda Wong Kiwi Chow (director). Beyond the Dream, 2019. 120 min. Is…
![[ESSAY] “The Ecstasy of Love: The Precarious Line Between Reality and Illusion in Kiwi Chow’s 𝐵𝑒𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚” by Hilda Wong](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/beyond-the-dream.webp)
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[ESSAY] “Home” by Daniel Cheng Right: A photograph taken by the author in NewfoundlandLeft: A photograph taken by the author during his first semester in Waterloo I’m flying home to Newfoundland for Christmas, for the first time since leaving home.…
![[ESSAY] “Home” by Daniel Cheng](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/22home22-by-daniel-cheng-.png)
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[ESSAY] “No Moral at Its End” by Matt Reeck Also read Matt Reeck’s story “Three Travelling Portraits: India”. When I wrote “Three Travelling Portraits,” I was interested in depicting some of the sexual tension that I had experienced and witnessed…
![[ESSAY] “No Moral at Its End” by Matt Reeck](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-10-at-19.06.38.png)
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[ESSAY] “The Internet Cafe That Died During The Pandemic” by Laurehl Onyx B. Cabiles There was a well-known internet café in our municipality. Like all other small businesses, it was located at our public terminal since there were no complex…
![[ESSAY] “The Internet Cafe That Died During The Pandemic” by Laurehl Onyx B. Cabiles](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/screenshot-2026-07-11-at-11.40.29.png)
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[INCIDENTAL] “Bear, Boar, Monkey, Mouse, and Cat” by Marsha McDonald Bear © Dima Solomin and Marsha McDonald I am returning this year to Japan for a month mid-November, staying near Osaka, and visiting friends, doing my creative work. I will…
![[INCIDENTAL] “Bear, Boar, Monkey, Mouse, and Cat” by Marsha McDonald](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-11-at-14.09.19.png)
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茶 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Into the Heart of Darkness in Rudraneil Sengupta’s The Beast Within and Nilanjana S. Roy’s Black River” by Rituparna Mukherjee 🌸 Rudraneil Sengupta. The Beast Within, Context, 2025. 352 pgs.🌸…
![[ESSAY] “Into the Heart of Darkness in Rudraneil Sengupta’s 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 and Nilanjana S. Roy’s 𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑅𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟” by Rituparna Mukherjee](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/rudraneil-sengupta.-the-beast-within-context-2025.-352-pgs.-nilanjana-s.-roy.-black-river-pushkin-vertigo-2024.-368-pgs.png)
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[ESSAY] “Liner Notes” by Jeremiah Dutch Also read Jeremiah Dutch’s story “Cool Jazz at the Dragonfly Club”. “Anyone who understands jazz knows that you can’t understand it. It’s too complicated. That’s what’s so simple about it.” —Attributed to Yogi Berra…
![[ESSAY] “Liner Notes” by Jeremiah Dutch](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/liner-notes-jeremiah-dutch.png)
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茶 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Finding My Own Silent Friends: From the Botanical Garden to Hong Kong’s Streets” by Jennifer Eagleton Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon SILENT FRIEND. Ildikó Enyedi (director), Silent…
![[ESSAY] “Finding My Own Silent Friends: From the Botanical Garden to Hong Kong’s Streets” by Jennifer Eagleton](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/screenshot-2026-06-02-at-10.42.17.png)
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茶 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “What Lingers: On Babitha Marina Justin’s The Way Madmen Smell” by Ankush Banerjee Babitha Marina Justin. The Way Madmen Smell, Red River Press, 2026. 149 pgs. Noted Trivandrum-based academic, poet,…
![[ESSAY] “What Lingers: On Babitha Marina Justin’s 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑎𝑦 𝑀𝑎𝑑𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑙” by Ankush Banerjee](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/the-way-madmen-smell-by-babitha-marina-justin-.jpg)
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茶 FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Simmering, Steaming, Spilling: On Hongwei Bao’s Queer Playtext Hot Pot” by Ronny Chan Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon Hot Pot. Hongwei Bao. Hot Pot, Poetic Edge Publishers, 2026. 112 pgs. “To…
![[ESSAY] “Simmering, Steaming, Spilling: On Hongwei Bao’s Queer Playtext 𝐻𝑜𝑡 𝑃𝑜𝑡” by Ronny Chan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/hongwei-bao.-hot-pot-poetic-edge-publishers-2026.-112-pgs.png)
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[ESSAY] “Hot Pot: A Queer East Asian Play About A Meal, Four Friends and What Remains Unsaid” by Hongwei Bao Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon Hot Pot. Hongwei Bao (playwright). Hot Pot: A Queer East Asian Play About A Meal, Four…
![[ESSAY] “𝐻𝑜𝑡 𝑃𝑜𝑡: A Queer East Asian Play About A Meal, Four Friends and What Remains Unsaid” by Hongwei Bao](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/hot-pot-poster-square-with-title.jpg)
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[ESSAY] “Memory and Music: Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Michael Raymond The first time I ever heard Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” I was watching the music video through a mosquito net late at night. Just me and the dim,…
![[ESSAY] “Memory and Music: Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Michael Raymond](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/screenshot-2026-05-27-at-20.06.27.png)
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FIRST IMPRESSIONS 茶 REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Yi-Ling Liu’s Portrait of China’s Digital Dissidents in The Wall Dancers” by Johanna M. Costigan Yi-Ling Liu. The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet, Knopf, 2026,…
![[ESSAY] “Yi-Ling Liu’s Portrait of China’s Digital Dissidents in 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝐷𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑠” by Johanna M. Costigan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/wall-dancers.jpg)
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[ESSAY] “Of Elephants and Peoples” by Aishwarya Narayanan Image Periyar Tiger Reserve is located in the South-Western Ghats of India, administratively falling under the Idukki, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta districts of Kerala. Encompassing 925 kilometres of protected wilderness, the Reserve is…
![[ESSAY] “Of Elephants and Peoples” by Aishwarya Narayanan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/elephants-https-periyartigerreserve.org_.jpg)
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Editor’s note: In this essay, Chris Song reflects on debates in Hong Kong’s Sinophone literary field since the 2019 Biennial Awards, where tensions between everyday poetics and politically engaged writing surfaced. He shows how prizes, criticism, and institutions shape poetic…
![[ESSAY] “Poetics Debates and the Shadow of Power in Hong Kong’s Sinophone Literary Field” by Chris Song](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/poetics-debates-and-the-shadow-of-power-in-hong-kongs-sinophone-literary-field.png)
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[ESSAY] “Assemblage of/as Faith: Max Balatbat Reimagines the Sacred in ‘Sampalataya’” by Jose P. Mojica When one imagines the church, certain images come to mind. Mannerist-style paintings of the Stations of the Cross hang on tiled walls. Sunrays brim with…
![[ESSAY] “Assemblage of/as Faith: Max Balatbat Reimagines the Sacred in ‘Sampalataya'” by Jose P. Mojica](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/sampalataya-max-balatbat.png)