Theme/Concept
As you open a box of dimsum, a wave of hot steam immerses deep into your body. The mouthwatering smell takes you on a journey towards heartwarming conversations and life long relationships.
Warm City: an investigation into the disappearing dim sum parlors of Hong Kong
Directed by: Dohyun Jennifer Kim
“Yum Cha” is a cantonese phrase which literally means “drink tea.” It’s a cherished old tradition in Hong Kong where people gather with their families in dim sum parlors and talk while eating dim sum with tea.
When I first came to Hong Kong, I was introduced to this tradition by upperclassmen where we would study till 2am and then go eat dim sum altogether. I experienced the power dim sum had in Hong Kong, especially for HKU students to bond together after struggling through late night studying.
Just like I witnessed, the yum cha culture embodies the warmness and the importance Hong Kong people put on the concept of family and relationships. It acts as a social condenser of the city, something which draws people together, encouraging interactions and a sense of community.
However, not many of these authentic Yum Cha places are left in Hong Kong. Many have disappeared and only a couple dozen remain, especially the authentic ones that serve late into the night and have self served dimsums. Devastated that it was on the verge of vanishing, I wanted to preserve the warmness this meaningful tradition held and therefore I decided to produce a short film about it.
Conducting Research
For the accuracy of my research and to get the full Yum Cha experience I decided that I needed to conduct fieldwork. I visited two different Yum Cha restaurants at night with my close friends which enabled me to get accurate observations of the architectural aspects of different Yum Chas. The interior and exteriors of the parlours were observed, the structure observed in different angles to scrutinize in detail of how the Yum Chas connect the city and the people inside.
One location was focused in my video essay, which was the “Sun Hing” restaurant in Kennedy Town, one of the only self serve restaurants left in Hong Kong that serves dim sum at 3am (Li).
Being at an actual parlour, I noticed how there were several spatial qualities that encouraged the “warmth” of the Yum Cha culture. First, all of the tables were round with no barriers between each other. The space was small and packed with almost no space to walk around without bumping into another. Sitting together at the same table with strangers was also a very common characteristic of these parlours. People from all backgrounds, no matter what they do or live, were pushed to invade into each other’s private spaces and have conversations. This kind of intimacy created made people need to get closer to hear each other, increasing senses of closeness and community. Additionally the food itself was served not to individual tables and orders but there was a self pick up zone where everyone would swarm to get the dim sum they wanted. Also the dim sum baskets are structured so that there are 3-4 dim sums in one, so that everyone has to share from one basket.
Through these observations, I came to realize the profound value placed on “sharing” within the local culture. It became evident that sharing is seen as an intimate act that involves the crossing of personal boundaries and body temperatures and the yum cha parlours are a space where this blooms and collides.
My research was also structured upon reputable news articles, professional reviews, and online publications. This ensured comprehensive research from multiple perspectives and an understanding of the detailed history of Yum Chas and dim sum shops in Hong Kong. This led to a deep emphasis on its cultural and historical significance. I also watched several Chinese films that contain scenes of dim sum back in the olden days such as “Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)” or “God of Cookery (1996).”
Additionally, I was curious about what these dim sum parlours mean for locals so I held interviews with some of my local friends. Questions I had were, “What does yum cha mean to you? How does it extend to your personal life and what is the significance this location carries for the city?” This was an important process as I had never experienced the yum cha culture as a young child.
All of my research methods created a comprehensive understanding of what yum cha and dim sum parlours meant and how they reflected the “warmth” of Hong Kong.
VIdeo Production Techniques
Storyboard
Before actually filming different shots, I wanted to organize what I wanted to portray and what was the most effective way to do so. Therefore I created a storyboard so that I had a visual understanding of what scenes I needed to take.
Figure 1. Storyboard
The key word of my video is “warm city” and therefore it was critical that the video reflected this concept. Therefore I intentionally directed many different ways to capture “warmth.” For instance, “warm” is portrayed through the light of the dim sum parlours that open late at night. Where everything is pitch dark and cold, it is the only thing that is shining brightly, inviting anyone that wishes a warm meal. “Warmth” is also demonstrated through the steam and actual heat of the dim sum and tea. Most importantly, “warm” holds a symbolic meaning to represent through the time spent with friends, embodying any relationship that is bonded through the food inside the walls.
Diverse Angles
Many cinematography techniques were used such as: Over the shoulder shots were taken to give the viewers an immersive experience of going through the packed interior of the shop to go and get the dim sum. High angle shots were taken of the dim sums to draw the attention of viewers to only the food and nothing else. Low angle shots were also taken in order to give a different perspective and portray how crowded the shop is. The camera movement of zoom in was used frequently in order to give the immersive experience of being sucked into the shop and the 3am yum cha experience.
Background Music
Disney has long been associated with creating a sense of family and warmth through their music and film. Therefore I intentionally used the ost “Married Life” from Up in order to enhance the emotions of comfort and nostalgia. Especially since the song is used to underscore the bond and love between Carl and Ellie in the movie, perfect match for my theme “warmth.” I also cut the music to match the atmosphere to the different sections of the film. When the film reached the end, the music also quieted and slowed to match the heaviness of the content of disappearance being emphasized.
Narration & Color
To emphasize cultural importance, I asked my local friend to do a voiceover narration in Cantonese with the interview answers she gave me. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she is someone that has experienced Yum Cha culture ever since she was born and therefore could add a reputable perspective through her nostalgic memories. I asked her to intentionally record her voice to be soft, gentle, and in a more conversational way in order to create an immersive journey into her memory and also reflect the theme of “warmth.”
I also only used the color yellow for all of the text in the video. Again this supported in giving the visual effect of “warmth.”
Creativity
Also for the beginning part of my film I directed a fun storyline of where four strangers meet together at a yum cha parlor and then in the end become friends through the yum cha experience. This grabbed the viewer’s interest and also effectively got my message through: that yum cha is a place where warm relationships are formed. This storyline also captured the spatial qualities of the Sun Hing shop in detail.
Reflection
Through this video essay I was able to gain a deep insight into the dim sum parlours of Hong Kong. What used to be locations that I would just pass by everyday became a valuable artifact of Hong Kong enriched with special memories and warm emotions of the people living here. This was a cultivating learning experience for me, because I am a foreigner living in Hong Kong, knowing nothing since I hadn’t experienced yum cha as a young child.
Through participating in this tradition I was able to immerse myself into the city, keeping me bound to the city and its people together. I became a historian of Hong Kong, preserving a common experience that brought “warmth” to the city, giving it a human-like emotion.
However, I definitely think I could’ve added more diverse shots such as extreme close shots of the dim sum or bird’s eye view shot of all of the dim sum baskets that I had originally brainstormed in the storyboard but did not film. Also I feel like there is too much different content in the video that might make it a bit all over the place to watch for the viewers. But I believe these are minor and overall I have done a good job in depicting the warmness dim sum parlours hold.
——– Dohyun Kim 3036192536
Sources
Apple, R. W. “Asian Journey; a Trip to the Heart of Dim Sum.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Mar. 2003, www.nytimes.com/2003/03/19/dining/asian-journey-a-trip-to-the-heart-of-dim-sum.html.
Cam, Lisa. “Hong Kong’s Disappearing Dim Sum: Why Old-School Trolleys and Pig Liver Siu Mai Are Being Replaced.” South China Morning Post, 22 Oct. 2023, www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3238622/hong-kongs-disappearing-dim-sum-why-old-school-trolleys-and-pig-liver-siu-mai-are-being-replaced.
Chiang, Karen. “The Yum Cha Rules You Need To Know.” BBC News, BBC, 25 Feb. 2022, www.bbc.com/travel/article/20190227-the-yum-cha-rules-you-need-to-know.
“Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)”
Falkowitz, Max. “The Changing World of Dim Sum.” Medium, Airbnb Magazine, 5 Mar. 2020, medium.com/airbnbmag/dim-sum-is-dead-long-live-dim-sum-f2eb94200cbb.
“God of Cookery (1996).”
Jones, Nick, and Nicky Burridge. “Dim Sum Connects Hong Kong People and Reflects City’s Ability to Reinvent.” South China Morning Post, 13 June 2023, www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/wrldcty-hong-kong/article/3116625/culinary-icon-dim-sum-connects-hong-kong?campaign=3116625&module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article.
Li, Jericho. “Very Early or Extremely Late Dim Sum at Sun Hing Restaurant .” Foodie, 24 Aug. 2023, www.afoodieworld.com/blog/2021/09/06/very-early-or-extremely-late-dim-sum-at-sun-hing-restaurant/.
Great video! I was thoroughly intrigued by your topic and the methods you used to convey your message. You showcased the idea of going to yum cha with your friends as a bonding activity very well, and immersed the audience into the scene. Overall, the composition of the video was well thought out and achieved your purpose of bringing a sense of warmth and nostalgia to the viewer.
The author takes a very famous restaurant near HKU as the entry point of the whole video, showing the pivotal position of “Yum Cha” as a traditional Hong Kong food habit in the whole city. The video shows the whole process of “Yum Cha” and related etiquette from the first perspective, and also shows the interaction between people under such eating habits through the form of micro-comedy to better call back the theme of the video – warm Hong Kong. In my opinion, although there is a little exaggeration and funny elements in this way, it also better highlights the relationship between the characters and the author’s intention to express his views. I will learn this way of expression and shooting technique, which is very eye-catching and help to gain the audience’s attention very well!