Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Contemporary ceramics is another field in which Hong Kong artists enjoy an edge bey-
ond the city's borders. Fiona Wong, one of the city's best-known ceramic artists, makes life-
sized sculptural works of clothing, shoes and other familiar items.
ART VERSUS INVISIBILITY: LEUNG PING-KWAN
Hong Kong poet Leung Ping-kwan, aka 'Ya Si', born in 1948, filled us in on the literary
scene.
WWhy is f
e metapphorss? When Hong Kong was returned to China
in 1997, the West says, 'Poor you!', and China tells us, 'You should be happy!' But the
reality is neither… We carry on loving and eating. So instead of heroic tragedies, I write
about the wear and tear of daily life, about history, about our emotional complexities
through food and romance.
WWhat a
y is food o
d one o
e of y
f your f
ur favouuriite m
g literatuuree? A mature urban sensibility. It
was exploring the individual's psychology when mainland Chinese literature focused
on collective values, experimenting with modernism when the latter was writing real-
ist narratives about the building of a nation. Today the best mainland fiction is that de-
picting the lives of peasants - rural problems are the concern of contemporary China;
but portrayals of urban life or foreign cultures tend to be melodramatic and clichéd.
By contrast, Hong Kong literature talks about both with much greater sophistication.
WWhy is Ho
t are s
e some o
e of th
f the f
e featuures o
s of Ho
f Hong K
g Kong lit
ible''? We don't have our own literary museum;
our government does not promote literature through international cultural exchange.
Our society and its representative media are commercially oriented and lack cultural
vision. Hong Kong literature has evolved for the most part under colonial rule.
y is Hong K
g Kong lit
g literatuure s
e so '
o 'iinviisible
Music
Western Classical
Western classical music is very popular in Hong Kong. The city boasts the Hong Kong Phil-
harmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong
Kong. Opportunities to see big-name soloists and major orchestras abound throughout the
year, especially during the Hong Kong Arts Festival in February/March. The
Hong Kong
International Piano Competition
(
http://chshk.brinkster.net
), with its star-studded jury, is
held every three years in October/November. The
Hong Kong Academy for Performing
Arts
(
www.hkapa.edu
) has free concerts almost daily.
