How former Miss Hong Kong Grace Chan went from TV star to content queen

But in 2018, Chan found a different motivation: she married actor Kevin Cheng, then gave birth to their first child, a son, the following year. She stepped away from acting to pursue content creation, trading the support of a professional crew for the flexibility of working on her own terms. Although the work could be isolating, it gave her more time to take care of her children—the couple went on to have a further two sons—and independence: all she needed to do her work was her phone.

Her early experiments on social media included posting animated GIFs of her photos—something she now laughs about. Her content has become more versatile and polished—she now posts daily, capturing scenes from all aspects of her life: red-carpet events, weekend hikes, and a cooking series in which she invites celebrities to prepare midnight snacks while swapping stories.

“When people look at my content, they hopefully see a very authentic and ‘lifestyle’ version of Grace,” she says. “Grace is someone who likes to be creative and have fun with her videos. While she promotes products [on social media], she tries to think of a storyline and act in the video so that it’s not just standard promotion. She loves to hike, she loves to eat sweets and she loves to read. [Her social media posts are] a mass of who Grace is as a layered person.”

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Chan also devotes time to volunteer work, particularly with LoveXpress Foundation, a local organisation that supports individuals with autism. One of its initiatives, The Edible Projects, for example, hires autistic individuals aged 18 and over who are about to enter the workforce to work at its cafés in Sham Shui Po and Peng Chau, providing them with opportunities to develop social and life skills through work experience.

Her involvement with the charity began during the pandemic, when she volunteered at its office to pack masks and bottles of sanitiser for those in need. “I felt like there was more that could be done than just staying at home during the pandemic,” she says. She met Kitty Poon, LoveXpress Foundation’s founder, and bonded with her over a shared belief in the importance of giving back to the community. That shared conviction led Poon to name her a co-founder of the non-profit group.

Chan has also involved her sons, aged two, four and six, in the charity’s efforts. “It meant a lot to me when they came to the Sham Shui Po café and helped hand out food to members of the community,” she says of a volunteer event the charity organised. “I want them to understand at a young age that things aren’t just given. People go through different challenges, and what matters is having the resilience to stand up for yourself and to ask for help when you need it.”

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Of all her roles, parenthood is the most important. “First and foremost, I’m a mother,” she says. “What drives me to do what I do is definitely my kids, all three of them. I hope that whatever I do can inspire them one day to be hard-working and passionate.” While she acknowledges the pressure many women feel to define themselves beyond being a mother, Chan doesn’t see any shame in just being confident as a caretaker.

Further inspired by her children—and hoping to reduce their screen time—Chan recently self- published a children’s book she co-authored with Canadian teacher Jillian Ma: I Love You From the Sun to the Moon, featuring stories that explore values such as love, honesty and integrity. “They’re all stories about things that have happened to [my kids],” she says. “It’s very approachable, so that other kids can also relate.” The book was launched in Canada and will be available in Hong Kong when the city’s annual book fair opens this month. Instead of rolling out a full-blown marketing campaign, Chan has first organised a number of readings at schools to enable more children to hear the book first-hand. 

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In late April, Chan also flexed her entrepreneurial muscle by launching a low-sugar chocolate brand, Dulce Vida, in conjunction with the founder of online patisserie Miss Marble Bakery. Both mothers, the pair wanted to give their children healthier versions of the sweet treat; but the flavours are far from dull; fillings include sea salt caramel with pretzel, strawberry with yoghurt and popping candy, and a pistachio version inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate.

Milestones like a huge following on digital platforms or starting one’s own brand are probably the metrics of success for most people, but this is not how Chan views it. For her, success is defined by the intention of meaning she finds in everything she does. “I think success means that you are fully intentional in what you’re doing and you’re pursuing that,” she says. It’s also about perspective—being grateful for what you already have, rather than chasing what you don’t. And it certainly isn’t tied to fame or fortune. “All of that is fleeting, and it can change,” she says. What matters is being content with who you are and what you do: “Success is when you truly are at peace knowing that you are going in the right direction and you’re happy with that.”

In a world that often prizes more, faster and louder, Chan finds quiet strength in knowing she has enough— and in continuing to build on that with purpose. “That’s good enough for me.”

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