culture study

DES4007 CULTURAL STUDIES CA PART 1 (INDIVIDUAL)

EVERYDAY LIFE OF HONG KONG DISTRICT: SHEUNG WAN

Name: Suen Hei Lam Class: 1C2 Student Number: 160336073 Programme Name: DE114106

Object: While traveling on the tram to Dried Seafood Street, I observed many unique things on the street, and one of the interesting things is this sign board.

The signboard attracts me since its about a western medicine clinic, but the signboard’s design has rich of Chinese style, for example the clinic name used handwritten Chinese Calligraphy to write it.

Also, the left side of signboard's style is very local, you may see kinds of these sign board in old Hong Kong. But nowadays, these signboards are rare as most of the signboards is becoming digital, and only a few people who mastered handwritten signboard craftsmanship. As a result, "Full of vitality" handwritten signboard is the symbol of Hong Kong, it proves many hongkonger’s growth.

Environment, People, Activities: Most of the old style stuff that represented Hong Kong are made by iron like iron mailbox etc., and many of above iron things are made by the old man's hands, he really focused on his "artwork" and used his professional skills and only a few minutes to create that bucket. Many handmade iron products stores are located in Sheung Wan, but this kind of shops are getting less and less in Hong Kong since modern people don’t appreciate these handicrafts as they are considered the price and aesthetics at first. In the past, handmade iron products are essential in Hongkonger life as they were being frugal living, they believe that the products made by iron are more durable.

Environment, Object: Tung Street is a special residential street, around the street is full of culture atmosphere, it probably because the residences and shops in tong street blended ancient and modern, such as these steel doors, those are one of the representative stuff in Hong Kong.

However, I found above steel doors and those doors are aesthetic, it uses plenty of color matches, every door expresses their own characteristics, that is the attraction for me.

Also, the pattern on the door is the "identification" of steel doors, every pattern represents the different era of the doors and Witness of Hong Kong's history. Also, some patterns not only aesthetic, it also has the meaning of bringing good luck like "Money" and "壽", the steels doors shows the Chinese cultural characteristics.

Environment, People, Activities: Tai Ping Shan Street gives people a casual atmosphere , there are many brand new creative stores and art galleries, at a meanwhile, Yuk Kin Fast Food located in here since long time ago, it is an old style Cha Chan Tang, the restaurant seems like traditional cooked food stall in old Hong Kong, the seats mainly placed at outdoor. Most of the diners are neighbors and Taxi drivers, and Table sharing culture is popular in Hong Kong, but in Yuk Kin Fast Food, the unknown diners not only sharing the seat but also will chat together and get to know each other.

People, Activities: Lascar Row is a street which contains rich of historical features, not only the whole street surrounded by curio, some quaint atmosphere are brought by the curio shop owners, like this photo, the shop owner went to find another curio shop owner when his shop was quiet They chatted many things about the old Hong Kong. Moreover, some visitors was interested in the old stuff, these shop owner told about the old goods' stories to the visitor in detailed.

DES4007Cultural Studies CA Part 2 (Group)

Everyday Life of Hong Kong (Secondary Research & Analysis) District: Sheung Wan

Student 1: Suen Hei Lam Student 2: Lam Man To Student 3: Wong Ting Yan Student 4: Tseng Tsz Ching, Perrine Student 5: Lau Ka Wing Student 6: Lau Pik Ching

Background of Sheung Wan Sheung Wan, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, its surrounded by Sai Ying Pun in the west, Central in the east, Victoria Harbour in the north and Victoria Peak in the south. Sheung Wan is one of the "四環九約", which is including "⻄西環、中環、下環(Wan Chai and Causeway Bay)". Since 1843, Sheung Wan has been a place where Chinese people who living in.

Sheung Wan is the earliest development area since Hong Kong was opened for trade. In 1850s, Taiping Rebellion Chinese refugees bring their funds and operating experience came to Sheung Wan. In addition, Sheung Wan has developed to the Chinese main business district.

History of Sheung Wan: From old to new

On 28 December 1851, Lower Bazaar had a conflagration. After that, the governor George Bonham used post-disaster rubbles for arranging the largescale reclamation works and opened up 2 new streets: Jervois Street and Bonham Strand etc. For that time, 2 streets were close to “三⾓角碼頭”, its automatically became the main place of entrepot trade in Hong Kong. Jervois Street was like Ladies’ Market, the shops mainly sell woman’s goods like embroidery, silk from Suzhou and Hangzhou etc., Bonham Strand Northern, southern China and Southeast Asia’s local specialties and groceries.

Nowadays, Jervois Street is a diverse street, it contains different types of housing, commercial building, some feature shops like cloth wholesale shops and old Chinese grocery store etc. Bonham Strand has divided into Bonham Strand and Bonham Strand West, many shops selling dried seafood and other medicinal goods is located in Bonham Strand West.

Place 1. \ Western Market

The building was built in 1906, originally ship administration agency site, then converted to Sheung Wan market. Building repair works started in 1991, will be converted into traditional industry and handicraft center, and renamed as Western Market. Western Market, using the Edwardian classic architectural style, the building has a red brick facade with a handsome granite arches at its entrance, so the colonial color is very strong.

Place 2. \ Dried Seafood Street (Wing Lok Street)

Dried Seafood Street is including Bonham Strand West, Wing Lok Street and Des Voeux Road West, which Is the largest seafood dry goods distribution center in Hong Kong. There are more than 100 ginseng seafood shops on the "Seafood Street", also there are a wide variety of seafood and even rare seafood treasures. And the price is relatively cheap, is also a good place to purchase New Year's goods.

Place 3.

\ Hollywood Road

Hollywood Road is connected to the Central and Possession Point, it is the first street built after the opening of Hong Kong. And today Hollywood Road is also a famous tourist destination, tourists are mainly to buy Chinese antique-based. The east end of the Hollywood Road is connected to Lan Kwai Fong, along the way filled with a lot of foreign restaurants and bars, they all have the characteristics of Hong Kong Chinese and Western culture.

Place 4.

\ Lascar Row

Lascar Row is located between Queen's Road West and Hollywood Road, is a concentrated sale of antique street. At the same time, it is also known as the cat street. Lascar Row since the 1920s, it has gradually developed into a wide range of antique markets, in addition to selling expensive works of art, vases, porcelain, wood furniture etc. There are other groceries including antique appliances, old toys, old postcards, calligraphy, and posters, this is a good place for the treasure hunt.

Social, Creative & Sustainable Contexts \ What is the most interesting finding you have identified in this place?

There are many different types of shops in Lascar Row, it sells different kinds of goods, like the antique shop, most of the vintage stuff are from the 1970s to 1980s and we aren’t familiar with those antiques, but those things excite our curiosity. In the society nowadays, the technology is developing faster and faster, at the meanwhile, more vintage stuff and its design will disappear, such as portable mahjong, Different looks and shapes of Buddha, incense burners etc.

These things are outdated but very playful and interesting as we've never approached these stuff, for us, we think antiques are brand new stuff, they are novel. Besides, it gives us a new horizon when we saw antiques. For that reason, we planned to explore Lascar Row.

Social, Creative & Sustainable Contexts \ State out what your group is going to investigate in this area and why you are doing it?

Every shop in Lascar Row has different of historical value. Lascar Row is like a time tunnel walking along the street everything seems ordinary but after observe in detail those things like telling you the culture of Old Hong Kong. As a result we want to investigate the shop in Lascar Row as every shopsŇ goods have its story or history.

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