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Gillian Rhys

In 2023, when Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s inflatable giant yellow rubber duck returned to Victoria Harbour (this time as a pair, in the artwork Double Duck), the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong hotel took advantage of its bird’s eye view of the installation by posting on Instagram an image of a guest room with the hotel’s own rubber ducks in the foreground.
Now a new duck has joined the MO flock.
“All the Mandarin Orientals have a rubber duck but ours is the most glamorous,” says Susanne Hatje, general manager of the just opened Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, in London, the UK capital, where the toy waterfowl found in rooms and suites has gold plumage and a red bill.
“And our duck has a name – Douglas,” she says.

The first rubber ducks were made in the 1880s, although not as we know them today – the cheery yellow versions we recognise now were born in the 1940s.
While many credit US-based sculptor Peter Ganine for creating the yellow rubber duck in 1949, Hong Kong tycoon Lam Leung-tim, known as “King of Rubber Ducks”, had invented one in 1948, thinking a brightly coloured waterbird would be fun for children to play with in the bath.

It turns out adults find them appealing, too – rock star Iggy Pop recently said he enjoys having a bubble bath with a rubber duck, and it was reported that the late British queen had a rubber duck wearing a crown in her Buckingham Palace bathroom.
Julie Hastings, a recently retired marketing director of Northern Ireland’s Hastings Hotels, which has its own duck toy, summed up their appeal. “I read that a rubber duck in your bath can relieve the tensions and stresses of everyday life.
“I thought that the fun factor of finding a rubber duck in the bathroom would bring a smile to guests, and we encourage them to take the ducks home,” she said.
Hastings, also known as Lady Duck, has created more than 100 toy versions for the luxury hotel chain, including Rory “Quack” Ilroy, modelled on Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy, and a duck in honour of the fantasy series Game of Thrones, partly filmed in the country.
Accent Inns, in Canada, also has toy ducks in many varieties, including a saxophone player, a snorkeller and one in hair rollers.

Britain’s Apex Hotels has a different duck design for every property, each with its own name. Rennie, in Glasgow, is named after the artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and if you take a bath in Bath, you can do so with Oliver – named for a local cookie.
It is not just hotels – airline Lufthansa has a signature rubber duck, too.
The waterbird was first introduced in the bathrooms at the Lufthansa First Class Terminal at Germany’s Frankfurt airport, a spokeswoman says. It is currently available on request at the terminal and in first class lounges in Frankfurt.
Limited editions are launched to mark sporting events and holidays, and passengers have been known to book a flight with the airline just to get their hands on a duck.
Shops whose only item is costumed rubber ducks have cropped up at tourist destinations throughout Europe. One of the first was the Amsterdam Duck Store, which now has outlets in cities including Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Rome and Venice.

“The ducks bring people together and they bring a smile to everybody’s face, no matter who you are,” says owner Barbara de Vlam.
De Vlam, who ran a children’s gift shop, pivoted to ducks in response to a suggestion from her daughter and because she was inspired by Hofman, who is Dutch.
Dutch-themed ducks are particularly popular in the Amsterdam store. Amusing designs include one based on the Johannes Vermeer painting Girl with a Pearl Earring, and ducks with windmill sails. In the chain’s other European stores, localised ducks – a gondolier in Venice, a Colosseum-themed one in Rome, for example – are bestsellers.
Rubber ducks are beginning to turn up on cruise ships too, with passengers hiding them for others to find. The craze is thought to have been started by American girl Abby Davis as a fun way to pass sea days on board and to connect with fellow guests.

“We have many cruise ships in Amsterdam and the [passengers] all find their way to the Duck Store,” de Vlam says.
Although the hiding of ducks on cruise ships is clearly annoying to some – there have been calls to ban it, and it has been criticised for being wasteful – Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald said on social media platform Facebook recently that: “I read a few posts this morning, saying that … the cruise line have banned people from hiding ducks.
“I don’t know where this nonsense comes from so let me say this is simply and respectfully as I can, please. Hiding ducks. I support it. Carnival supports it.”


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Artist Florentijn Hofman’s Double Duck installation in Hong Kong in 2023.   Photo: May Tse

Artist Florentijn Hofman’s Double Duck in Hong Kong in 2023. From luxury hotel rooms to cruise ships to Hofman’s art installation, rubber ducks have earned a place in our hearts. Photo: May Tse

Douglas the Duck at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair. 

A rubber duck art installation at Ngong Ping Village, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

German airline Lufthansa’s rubber duck in celebration of an international football tournament.

Lufthansa’s duck was introduced in the bathrooms at the Lufthansa First Class Terminal at Germany’s Frankfurt airport.

Amsterdam Duck Store sells many themed rubber ducks.

From 1 Chinatown to 2, how Las Vegas’ Asian-Americans changed city’s food, sights, shops

Chinatown Plaza in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese-style steamed pork dumplings, or xiaolongbao, at a restaurant in the US city of Las Vegas, in Clark County, Nevada, where the Asian-American population has more than tripled since the year 2000 and a new Chinatown has recently been named. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinatown Plaza, Las Vegas’ first large Asian strip mall, was built in 1995. Photo: Shutterstock

The Chinatown Mall at Chinatown Plaza in Las Vegas. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese-style steamed pork dumplings, or xiaolongbao, at a restaurant in Las Vegas. Photo: Shutterstock

Going to Taipei in Taiwan? Visit hip Zhongshan district for its food, hotels and shopping

Many new restaurants have set up shop on Chifeng Street. Photo: Mavis Teo

Dusty workshops and hardware stores exist alongside trendy new cafes and lifestyle shops on Chifeng Street in Taipei’s Zhongshan district. Photo: Mavis Teo

The grilled eel with rice draws long queues of customers at Fei Qian Wu. Photo: Mavis Teo

Many new restaurants have opened on Chifeng Street. Photo: Mavis Teo

Kevin Rose is the head chef of Ad Astra. He was drawn to Taiwan by the quality of its produce. Photo: Ad Astra

Sea urchin waffle at Ad Astra. Photo: Ad Astra

Car repair workshops were once a common sight on Chifeng Street. Photo: Mavis Teo

Galerie, a cafe on Chifeng Street, is very popular for its retro look. Photo: Mavis Teo

The cafe inside Weight Books serves a brioche toast made by celebrity baker Chen Yao-hsun. Photo: Mavis Teo

The lobby of Hotel Indigo Taipei North has lively, cool vibes. Photo: Hotel Indio Taipei North

Is The World cruise ship a home, a luxury hotel, a country club? It’s all of them at once

Residents can reserve outdoor beds during the evening to stargaze. Photo: The World

A trip to the Antarctic Circle, a performance by Abba,  “six, seven-star” service – almost anything is possible on board The World, the world’s largest private residential yacht. Photo: The World

Among the facilities on board The World are two swimming pools (the main pool is pictured above), a fitness centre, a spa, a theatre, a golf simulator and a regulation-size tennis court. Photo: The World

Units in The World range from 300 sq ft studio apartments to three-bedroom apartments that span over 3,000 square feet. Photo: The World

This year, The World travelled to Antarctica as part of an expedition. Photo: The World

The World was docked in Hong Kong earlier this year. Photo: The World

One of the restaurants on The World. Photo: Mabel Lui

The World has been awarded “Best Ship Wine List” at the World’s Best Wine Lists Awards for nine consecutive years. Photo: Mabel Lui

Hong Kong’s nocturnal wildlife on view in a Kadoorie Farm night walk

A bicoloured stream snake, one of the species spotted on a night walk at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. Photo: Mabel Lui

The Asian common toad is the most widespread amphibian species in Hong Kong, and can be seen on a Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden night walk. Photo: Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

KFBG’s night walk begins with an introduction to the nocturnal animals in its conservation area. Photo: Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

Gary Ades, head of KFBG’s fauna conservation department, came up with the idea for the night safari – predecessor of the night walk – in the early 2000s. Photo: Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

Yang Jianhuan, KFBG conservation manager, takes visitors on night walks to see the nocturnal wildlife in its conservation area. Photo: Jonathan Wong

A vibrant green cascade frog at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. Photo: Mabel Lui

Bamboo snakes are among the reptiles which can be spotted on KFBG’s night walks. Photo: Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

Manis the leopard cat lives in an enclosure at the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden because it was born in a zoo. Nine wild leopard cats have been counted in the KFBG conservation area. Photo: Jonathan Wong

A Hong Kong newt, one of the amphibians that can be seen during KFBG’s night walk. Photo: Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

A day trip to Zhongshan from Hong Kong, from how to get there to what to do in the city

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link bathed in morning light. Photo: Xinhua

The mural that greets visitors as they enter Zhongshan City Museum. Hong Kong residents looking for a day-trip destination in mainland China should consider Zhongshan, now that a new road link from Shenzhen, including bridges across the Pearl River, have made it more accessible. Photo: Joanne Yau

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is expected to shorten journey times between the two cities. Photo: Joanne Yau

The entrance to the Zhongshan City Museum. Photo: Joanne Yau

The Zhongshan City Museum offers a lot of interactive exhibits and videos. Photo: Joanne Yau

The outside of Ge Xiang Ju, a restaurant specialising in roast pigeon. Photo: Joanne Yau

Hong shao roast pigeon is a classic Zhongshan delicacy. Photo: Joanne Yau

A statue of Sun Yat-sen at the peak of Sun Wen Memorial Park. Photo: Lindsay Feng

Inside Huizanlao Bakery in Zhongshan’s city centre. Photo: Lindsay Feng

The inside of Sun Yat-sen’s childhood home. Photo: Lindsay Feng

A restored traditional house in Cuiheng village. Photo: Lindsay Feng

Inside the ferry from Zhongshan to Hong Kong. Photo: Lindsay Feng

Lifestyle

Travel & Leisure

Rubber ducks adorn luxury hotel rooms, hide on cruises, and fly off store shelves. Giant inflatable ones drew crowds to Hong Kong’s harbour


From Mandarin Oriental Mayfair’s Douglas to artist Florentijn Hofman’s giant Rubber Duck to one in the late Queen Elizabeth’s bathroom, rubber ducks have earned their place in our hearts and bathtubs.


Luxury travel

Luxury Hotels