The Yick Cheong Building, more famously known as the “Monster Building,” is an iconic residential complex featuring a mammoth appearance, resembling the Kowloon Walled City. The Monster Building was originally built in the 1960s and, till this day, has successfully preserved its old architectural features that make it unique; however, through time, an often overlooked object that significantly adds character to the building is slowly disappearing from our city—the clothing drying rack.
I have chosen the seemingly mundane object of clothing drying racks as a research topic due to the lack of acknowledgement and appreciation for this simple yet innovative contraption. In Hong Kong, where some 17,000 people are packed into every square mile, space is too valuable to go unused (Poon 2016). Locals maximize the use of spaces and extend their resources beyond their apartment windows. This practice of hanging laundry outside windows has been passed on through many generations, reaching back to ancient times. So why would we stray away from this traditional yet practical method? This gradually disappearing clothing rack reflects the shift in lifestyle and urbanism. With new technologies like dryers, the necessity of a drying rack simply diminishes. In addition, health and safety regulations have been renounced and made more strict, preventing unnecessary health issues and accidents from these hard-to-reach and fragile contraptions. (Refer to Newsletter below.)
I went on a site visit to the famous ‘Monster Buidling’ in Quarry Bay to shoot my film on the disappearance of laundry racks. This site was chosen due to its old architecture as well as the nostalgic atmosphere it provides. There was a scene in the film where the camera pivots from the apartment windows down towards the busy streets below. This visual further reinforces the point of hygiene and sanitation issues for both the residents above and the pedestrian below. In the majority of the film, I used a zoomed-in ‘close-up’ shot while panning across the exterior wall of the Monster Building. These shots showcase the overwhelmingly abundant array of laundry racks extending out from each apartment window sill. I couldn’t help but to sonder about the stories of the families residing behind these windows, whether they were bustling with family members or quiet and tranquil. While walking through the area, I noticed a significant difference between the old architecture and the new architecture. In contrast to older buildings, new high-rises do not feature extended laundry racks; instead, they opt for small balconies or in-unit drying machines to promote safer and more hygienic drying practices. While some may appreciate this change, does this shift from tradition to modernity strip away Hong Kong’s sense of place, ultimately leading to a sense of placelessness? While Hong Kong undergoes constant transformation, we shall embrace these changes while also paying homage to these historic artifacts that not only shape our country’s identity but also pave the way for future advancements.
“Monster Building (Yick Cheong Building) in Hong Kong – the Tower Info.” n.d. Thetowerinfo.com. https://thetowerinfo.com/monster-building-hong-kong/.
Relph, Edward. 2008. “(PDF) Place and Placelessness, Edward Relph.” ResearchGate. 2008. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251484582_Place_and_Placelessness_Edward_Relph.
“Bloomberg – Are You a Robot?” n.d. Www.bloomberg.com. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-02/the-informal-storage-solutions-in-hong-kong-s-cramped-back-alleys.
BBC News. 2013. “Hong Kong Copes with Tight Living Spaces,” March 29, 2013, sec. China. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-21973486.
Newsletter:
Standard, The. n.d. “Woman Doing Laundry Suspectedly Slips and Plunges to Her Death.” The Standard. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/190395/Woman-doing-laundry-suspectedly-slips-and-plunges-to-her-death.
3036207525 CHING Hau Sik Monique
I appreciate the work that you have conducted as it leads me to reconsider the situation of clothing drying racks. Your argument that clothing drying racks are vanishing because of the city’s development, like advanced technologies, people’s living styles, etc., has surprised me — since I agree that things are vanishing because other things can replace them. Hence, I think this brought me new insight into a city, and the relationship between the city and vanishing things. I felt that the disappearance of things that have a great contribution to our daily lives was sad but unpreventable as people might not realize their significance.
The narration script is clear enough to bring out your message and the organization is well-fitted with the theme and content. Apart from the content and organization, your video tried to show clothing drying racks from different angles, from close shots to wide shots, which enables viewers like me can understand the topic from different perspectives. Therefore, I appreciate your work.
Ye Tsz Yu (UID: 3036075702)
Hi Monique, Your photography is very good, and the content of the voice over is also relevant to your theme of “clothes drying rack”. Good Job!
I really like that you chose “Monster Building” as the location for this shoot instead of Man Wah Sun Chuen. This is a very smart move because for us readers, we have been to Man Wah Sun Chuen many times, we have already seen its cityscape, so your choice will not only give us readers a fresh feeling, but also allow us to get to know a new place and appreciate Hong Kong’s alternative cityscape from your video.
Moreover, the “Monster Building” is not unfamiliar to us Hong Kong people, but I have not thought about paying attention to the details of the “clothes drying rack”, and I believe that many other readers have not done so. Therefore, your approach is very advisable.
As for shooting techniques, I like your wide-angle lens and top-down approach. This allows us readers to see the entire building at a glance.
In terms of suggestions, I think your entire video uses background music and your voice over as the main sound. I suggest that you could add some background sounds of city streets in the middle and end of the video. I guess if you do this, your video would be more interesting.
I am impressed about your photography and your content is very comprehensive. I think that choosing Monster Building is a brilliant idea to talk about the Clothing Drying Racks as we can see those in the main street easily, which has contributed a part of the landscape of Quarry Bay. And Monster Building has been well known among the world. It will certainly be concerned when these racks vanished. Anyway, well done!
Lee Tsz Chun 3036066373