Weekly PostMag coverage: Ethereal manifestations in Hong Kong and the timeless antics of Old Master Q
In the bustling city of Hong Kong, remnants of its commercial and social history can be found in the form of ghost signs. These hand-painted advertisements, shopfronts, and bits of calligraphy, which have survived decades of redevelopment and repainting, serve as visual historical artifacts that offer a glimpse into the city's past.
Ghost signs, with their unique blend of Cantonese and colonial influences, mirror the city's rich cultural heritage. Often hand-painted on the walls of older buildings, they act as collective memories for generations of Hong Kong residents, tying to local history and identity, and bearing witness to the city's rapid urban development and evolving commercial culture.
The significance of these ghost signs is rooted in Hong Kong's unique cultural mix, a result of its history as a British colony and its strong Chinese (particularly Cantonese) influences. This cultural blend is evident in the city's architecture and urban landscapes, and ghost signs are no exception.
As symbols of efficient, egalitarian urban planning, municipal services buildings in Hong Kong once housed libraries, sports facilities, markets, and cooked food centres. Today, some of these buildings face the threat of demolition and redevelopment, sparking a debate about whether we are losing more than just buildings.
The tension between progress and preservation is a recurring theme in Hong Kong's urban development. This is evident in the cultural program for Chemnitz, a former East German city that is one of the three European Capitals of Culture for 2025. While Chemnitz is often overshadowed by more photogenic neighbours, its cultural events this year, scheduled to take place in former factories and public squares, contrast with the tourist-packed city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Meanwhile, in the world of comics, the character from Old Master Q, a comic strip created by Alfonso Wong Kar-hei in 1962, continues to hold nostalgic appeal for many who grew up with it. The spirit of Old Master Q remains charmingly old school, despite the advent of digital media, thanks to the efforts of Wong's son, Joseph Wong, who has preserved his father's legacy while nudging the character into the digital age.
In summary, ghost signs in Hong Kong are culturally significant as tangible relics of the city’s commercial and social history, reflecting its unique blend of Chinese and Western influences and urban evolution. They offer a visual narrative of Hong Kong’s past economic and community life embedded in the cityscape, providing a fascinating insight into the city's rich cultural heritage.
- The intermingling of Hong Kong's cultural heritage can also be seen in the world of entertainment, where the Old Master Q comics, created by Alfonso Wong, still resonates with nostalgia for many.
- Just as ghost signs reveal the city's past commercial culture, pieces of art and literature, such as books, serve as historical documents that preserve a city's cultural and social history.
- The future of municipal services buildings, once housing the essential aspects of a city's lifestyle like sports facilities, markets, and libraries, finds itself in a debate over progress versus preservation.
- Travel, whether it's venturing to a modern European city like Chemnitz or exploring the heritage sites in Hong Kong, offers an immersive experience into the unique cultural lifestyles and architectures of different cities and regions worldwide.
