This article discusses something about ghosts. There is a connection between ghost films and architecture, which is used in many ghost films to set off the atmosphere. Many Chinese horror films are full of traditional Chinese elements, usually they will put old houses, zombies, black and white and other elements, and then match some scary background music, in order to affect the audience’s mood. I once saw a Hong Kong horror movie called the Dead Man in the Village. Through the imitation of The Ring at Midnight and its own innovation, The Dead Man in the Village abandonsthe previous routine

Continue readingReading response

Abbas discusses the transition of the city of Hong Kong, the disappearance of its architectural history and the attempts of preserving history. Through constant restructuring, Hong Kong becomes unrecognizable when looking back at its past. The article mentions how market erodes place, and with the city’s economic transition, every piece of Hong Kong’s history is of imminent destruction, to make way for newer, more profitable spaces. Though, this fast-paced transition makes Hong Kong difficult in constructing an identity as local culture is devalued for economic success. As a city, there are attempts to preserve old architecture, a form of post-colonial

Continue reading[Reading Response: Abbas]

In the reading, Abba explores different reasons behind the architecture disappearance in Hong Kong and its impact on the disappearance of its identity and culture. According to him, the disappearance relates to several aspects, such as the economic aspect, the architectural style, and the people living in the area. In my understanding, first, the author provides an example of the Ritz Carlton Hotel to explain the impact of the economic market, wherein the building was sold due to the fact that the newly built building would produce more income. Second, the architectural style of Hong Hong is highly influenced by

Continue reading[Reading Response: Abbas, M. A.]

In his essay “Building on Disappearance – Hong Kong Architecture and Colonial Space,” Ackbar Abbas explores the complex relationship between Hong Kong’s architecture and its identity as a city. Published in 1997, the year of Hong Kong’s handover from the British Empire to the People’s Republic of China, Abbas argues that Hong Kong has a culture of disappearance due to its colonial past and its impending erosion by the market system and globalization. The author contends that architecture is the first visual evidence of a city’s identity, but preservation can be selective and tends to exclude the dirt and pain

Continue reading[Reading response: Abbas, M.A.]