Hong Kong is one of the most expensive cities in the world, with its lavish food and giant shopping malls. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the city without stretching your wallet. With good planning, you can enjoy many things in Hong Kong for free.

1. Go gallery hopping and marvel at beautiful artworks

Hong Kong is home to plenty of independent art galleries that exhibit works from various artists around the world. While galleries are spread across the city, we argue that the best place to go gallery hopping is around Central and Sheung Wan.

2. Get up-close with nature at one of the scenic hiking trails

It’s easy to visualize images of Hong Kong’s breathtaking skyline when thinking of the city. But Hong Kong is also filled with thick greenery, mountains, and amazing natural landscapes. So, go hiking at any of the scenic trails the city has. For hiking beginners, the Peak trail is among the easiest and in the end, you’ll be treated to epic views of Victoria Harbour. Also perfect for newbies but a little more into nature is Dragon’s Back.

3. Step back in time at the traditional villages

Due to urbanization, Hong Kong’s traditional villages have been in massive decline throughout the years. With those still standing today, it serves as a time machine to showcase Hong Kong’s past. Among the best-preserved villages is Tsang Tai Uk. The original brick, timber, and granite materials are still well-maintained within the walls.

Household chores (家务活) may contribute to healthy aging, according to a study published in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers from Singapore found that regular physical activity, including tasks like dusting, scrubbing floors, and washing windows, can improve physical and mental health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and decrease falls, immobility, dependency, and mortality among older adults.

The study involved 249 participants aged 21 to 64 and 240 participants aged 65 to 90. Participants completed cognitive (认知) function tests and physical capability assessments. They were asked about their levels of physical activity, including light housework (such as dusting) and heavy housework (such as floor-scrubbing). The researchers found that older adults who engaged in high amounts of heavy housework had higher cognitive and attention scores compared to those who did low levels or no heavy housework at all. These participants also had lower sit-to-stand times and were at a lower risk of falling. Similarly, older adults who reported high levels of light housework had higher cognitive and memory scores compared to those who did low levels of such tasks.

Dr. Shiou-Liang Wee, co-author of the research, emphasized that health messaging on staying active should not only focus on recreational physical activities. He highlighted that housework is a purposeful activity performed by many older adults and is linked to sharper memory and better fall protection.

However, experts urge caution when interpreting the study’s findings. Professor Gill Livingston from University College London noted that people who are not well may be expected to do less housework, and the study did not establish a causal relationship between housework and health outcomes. Professor Charlie Foster from the University of Bristol highlighted that the study relied on self-reported levels of household chores, which may be inaccurate, and did not fully consider other factors that could influence the results. While the study suggests that household chore may have benefits for older adults’ health, further research is needed to better understand the relationship between housework and healthy aging.

Researchers in Australia have identified enzymes (酶) in the body of certain beetle larvae (甲虫幼虫) that can degrade or break down plastic. In a study published in Microbial Genomics, they write that these “superworms” could help reduce plastic waste in the future.

“Superworms are like mini recycling plants, cutting up the polysyrene (聚苯乙烯) with their mouths and then feeding it to the bacteria in their stomach,” said Chris Rinke from the University of Queensland in Australia. “The breakdown products from this reaction can then be used by other microbes to create high-value chemicals.”

In the study, scientists divided beetle larvae into three groups, feeding one group wheat bran, one polystyrene and one nothing. Over three weeks, they monitored their growth. “We found that superworms fed a diet of just polystyrene not only survived, but even had marginal weight gains,” said Rinke. “This suggests the worms can get energy from the polystyrene, most likely with the help of their stomach bacteria.”

On the other hand, the plastic-fed worms gained much less weight and were overall much less healthy than the bran-fed ones, though better off than the starvation group. After three weeks, some larvae were also set aside to grow into beetles, according to the study. About 93% of the bran-fed larvae formed adult worms, while about 67% of the plastic-fed larvae and 10% of the starved larvae formed adult worms.

The researchers investigated the superworm’s stomach bacteria to find the specific enzymes linked to plastic degradation, writes Fionna M. D. Samuels for Scientific American. The enzyme that degrades the polystyrene appears to live with the stomach bacteria, not the worm itself.

Polystyrene is one of the most common plastics used today. But it’s not very chemically reactive, and breaking it down with industrial recycling methods takes high heat. So, researchers have been looking for plastic-degrading enzymes and bacteria for years.

Further research will still need to be done to figure out how to employ these worms, bacteria and enzymes in recycling facilities.

Yoga has a well-deserved reputation for helping improve balance and flexibility and for inducing calm and relaxation.     1     While you might not burn as many calories by practicing yoga as you would by running or doing some other high-intensity activities, yoga can still raise your heart rate and help build muscle. Here’s more about how yoga is a complete body and mind workout.

·Reduce stress and reduce pounds. Yoga helps deal with stress.     2     Yoga has an impact on the body’s stress response and reduces the production of chemicals linked to weight gain, such as cortisol (皮质醇), a stress hormone.

·Move well and eat well.     3     Participants involved in yoga practice realize that they tend to notice not only the amount of food they eat, but also what type of foods they eat and the impact of eating those foods. They become aware of the effect of certain foods on their bodies during their yoga practice.

·    4     Doing yoga long term not only can help people lose weight but also can strengthen cognitive skills to help keep it off. A multiyear study examines the possibility of yoga maintaining weight loss. Its findings suggest that yoga may help to improve long-term weight loss outcomes via improvements in distress tolerance, self-compassion and a more positive mood.

Yoga is a very reasonable form of exercise, but you have to choose the right type. A 2021 study found no difference in weight loss totals for participants practicing a gentle, restorative yoga versus a more vigorous type of yoga.     5     Everybody can benefit from a yoga practice.

As the other four players enjoy the crucial victory in an Arena Of Valor competition, they remained unaware that their teammate Lu Dong is a Paralympic _________ champion who plays with her feet.

At 32, Lu Dong has _________ a lot of medals over her 19-year swimming career. Meanwhile, she has enriched her daily life by _________ into various hobbies.

Lu _________ an interest in Arena Of Valor in 2017. _________, her appearances in internet cafes drew a lot of curious glances, which made her _________ However, it also led to generous compliments when others _________ her remarkable skills. “They praised me after watching me play so well with my feet, which gave me a sense of _________,” Lu said. Besides video games, Lu has _________ an hour daily to piano practice for the past three years and has also __________ her skills in both cooking and beauty makeup.

Losing her __________ in a childhood accident, Lu stop participating in P. E. classes to avoid __________ in her elementary school days, which made her physically and mentally __________. Luckily, she was recommended to join the provincial swimming team in 2004. She won two golds and two silvers in the youth group of the National Championship in 2005, earning a __________ in the national squad (代表队). Lu’s __________ performances in the pool caught the eye of Beijing Sports University in 2020, __________ the beginning of her college journey.

Changing from a (n) __________ girl to a national champion, Lu gained immense confidence. She no longer __________ to wear T-shirts in summer or to tuck her sleeves into her pockets in winter.

“It was swimming that __________ the girl who always talked a lot and the girl who was brave enough to __________ the fixed image of the disabled.” Lu said.