I don’t think reminiscence films should be mixed with voices and background sounds, so I use pure video and background music to express what I convey. My theme is colorful Hong Kong, mainly through Hong Kong’s unique neon signs to reflect my theme. My shooting location is Mong Kok, Hong Kong, starting from the Mong Kok Flyover. My shooting method is from far to near, starting with the big picture of the whole shooting site, and then gradually narrowing the shooting to focus on a specific light sign. I have invited Ms. Zhang Lingge to play a friendly role to help me play a lady who is attracted by the gorgeous appearance of neon signs in Hong Kong movies, so she goes to Hong Kong. The few light signs make her feel that Hong Kong has lost a lot of its former charm. Below are some of the research I did on the history of Hong Kong’s lights and the reasons for their gradual disappearance, as well as my general outline of the content of the video.
Hong Kong’s neon signs mark the prosperity of Hong Kong during the period of economic recovery after the end of the Second World War, which is a unique historical memory of Hong Kong. In many early Hong Kong movies, we can see large and small light signs passing through the streets full of people, and their colors add a unique color to that era of rapid recovery. Neon signs are like people’s hopes lit up with brilliant colors.
At the end of World War II, many neon signs appeared in Hong Kong, which symbolized the prosperity of Hong Kong after the war. However, with the passage of time to 2024, many neon signs have disappeared, and a small number of existing light signs have been replaced by LED lights, which undoubtedly announces the end of an era in Hong Kong. I am curious about the scene of neon signs all over Hong Kong and the meaning of neon signs to Hong Kong, so I made this video.
First introduced to Hong Kong in the 1920s, the use of neon signs exploded in the 1950s through the 1980s. At that time, all the buildings in Hong Kong were covered with neon signs, and at that time the National Panasonic sign on Nathan Road, which Guinness declared to be the world’s largest. Over the past few years, various factors such as development pressures, government regulations, and shifting attitudes and preferences have caused significant changes in Hong Kong’s formerly illuminated areas, resulting in the transformation of many of these places into zones that are mostly free of neon lights. The contrasts between the before and after states can be quite remarkable.
There used to be plenty of neon signs on every street in Hong Kong, but now only in the Mong Kok, Yau Tsim Mong area can you barely see these neon signs. As I can see in my video, there are only one or two scattered signs on an entire street in Mong Kok, which has the most neon signs. However, although the number of lights has decreased, we can still experience the glory of Hong Kong lights.
After investigation, we found that there is a very important reason for the decline of neon signs, and that is light pollution. In a bustling city like Hong Kong, the streets are filled with numerous street lamps and large neon signs, causing significant light pollution. According to data collected by the HKU Department of Physics since 2003, the brightness of the city’s night sky is at least 30 times higher than in less populated rural areas.
Due to the heavy reliance on artificial lighting for evening activities, it is expected that areas with higher population density will have more intense outdoor lighting, resulting in more severe light pollution. As a result, urban areas can only see a few stars on clear nights, while astronomy enthusiasts can still enjoy stargazing in remote countryside locations with less light pollution. However, these remaining sites are at risk of being affected by increasing light pollution due to Hong Kong’s ongoing urbanization. If this issue is not addressed, the beautiful starry nights in Hong Kong could be lost forever.
Reference: Dr. J.C.S. Pun (n.d.). The Seriousness of Light Polution in HongKong. from https://nightsky.physics.hku.hk/en-hk/light-pollution-resources/educational-resources/seriousness-light-pollution-hong-kong.
Shan Yiyi
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The content is rich and full, neon signs are actually one of the most famous characteristics in Hong Kong, and the logic is powerful. The design of the video is very innovative, and the addition of characters adds interest. It would be better if there were subtitles, making the narration clearer.
I found your video and script to be highly informative and interesting to watch. Prior to watching, I had no knowledge about the historical significance of neon lights in Hong Kong, particularly their connection to World War II, nor was I aware of their declining presence. The video footage and shots you captured were visually pleasing and effectively supported your explanations and points. However, as for areas of improvement, I suggest considering a lighter or softer background music choice instead of the current popularly heard track. Additionally, incorporating past videos or photos from formal documentaries could enhance the comprehensiveness of your video and provide a more expansive timeline for explaining your points. Overall, great job!
I found your videos very interesting!! For the first time, I realized that there was a story behind neon lights. The style of your shooting and the final photos are very nice! Love it! But hopefully you’ll dig a little deeper in the text into different aspects of why neon lights are disappearing. This video is great!!