[Field-Homework 3]:Hybrid City-HK

Description of the theme:

Hypothesis statement:

Hong Kong is a hybrid city combining elements from different eras and spaces into a single image.

Every time I walk through the streets of Hong Kong, I see traditional HongKong tramways and modern buses passing side by side; I see dilapidated tenement  buildings next to new modern skyscrapers; I hear the different languages the pedestrians speak on the road; I smell the flavors of regional cuisines emanating from the various national restaurants. My experiences in Hongkong streets made me feel that Hong Kong is a hybrid city combining elements from different eras and spaces into a single image.

In the vertical dimension (across time), all aspects of Hong Kong’s life incorporate elements of modernity and tradition.

– Some people commute with traditional Hongkong Ding Ding Cars, while others travel by modern bus.

– The streets are lined with dilapidated buildings but also modern skyscrapers.

– People can buy goods with cash from small stalls on the back roads or pay electronically at busy malls. Traditional herbal teas with a long history and modern milk teas are sold on the streets simultaneously.

In the horizontal dimension (across space), all aspects of Hong Kong’s life incorporate multicultural elements.

Hong Kong brings people and cultures from other parts of the world together. We can see the faces of many non-locals in Hong Kong streets, see the different styles of urban architecture, hear people communicate in other languages, and eat the delicacies of many other countries.

Method of conducting the research and producing the video:

Before starting the filming:

I searched the Internet for pictures of different streets in Hong Kong and researched information about the history and characteristics of the roads. Next, I chose several representative streets of Central, considering the theme I want to present. The streets that appear in my video are as follows: Queen’s Road Central, Stone Slate Street, Upper Lascar Row, Douglas Street, and Li Lyuen Street West.

While filming the video:

I went to the streets mentioned above in turn. To present a single image of traditional and modern means of transport, I had to wait for a bus and a tram to pass in front of me simultaneously on the side of the road, and then I recorded the sequence with my camera. In the process, I used long shots to give a real sense of the integrity of time and space and to provide the viewer with a more open perspective. On top of that, when I shoot images of tenements and skyscrapers, I use a moving camera technique. By gradually moving the camera from lower to higher, the vast difference in height between the tenement and the building is highlighted. In addition, I used a sharp focusing shot to present single objects on the street to give the viewer a clearer view of what I was trying to say rather than misleading them into concentrating on areas irrelevant to my subject.

After filming the video:

I tried to split my video footage into two equal parts; the first part presents the hybrid of tradition and modernity in the streets of Hong Kong. In this part, I show the hybridity in three aspects of people’s daily lives, from transportation to shelter to dressing and food, in that order. The second section presents the fusion of different cultures on the streets of Hong Kong. Firstly, I photographed the traditional Chinese lanterns and American flags I saw for sale in the alleyways to show Hong Kong’s inclusiveness of different cultures. After that, I photographed the street graffiti of Dutch origin that appears along the streets of Hong Kong, indicating Hong Kong’s acceptance and learning of foreign cultures. Finally, capturing different races of people walking along the streets and interacting with people from other countries shows that Hong Kong is a very international city.

While editing the video:

When I was editing the video, I reflected on the style and rhythm of my whole video by adding background music to the entire video. In addition to this, I also added my narration to each transition to make the articulation of the images more straightforward.

In conclusion, I aim to show the audience a clearer hybridity of Hong Kong in time and space through my filming techniques and thoughtful video presentation. Due to the video’s length, I could only present some of the hybridity and could only choose the hybrid aspects that I felt were more obvious to present.

References:

1. Xu, J., Yan, L., & Mak, C. K. (2018). Visitor experience of the Hong Kong trams as an unconventional attraction. International Journal of Tourism Research, 20(5), 605-612.
2. Chan, K. B. (Ed.). (2013). Hybrid Hong Kong.
3. XXIII, U. T. (2017). Choosing between tram and metro in Hong Kong–utility, affect and demographics. Urban Transport XXIII, 176, 131.
4. Heiderich, T. (2012). Cinematography techniques: The different types of shots in film. Videomakers. Accessed September, 22, 2020.
5. Cartier, C. (2008). Culture and the city: Hong Kong, 1997—2007. China Review, 59-83.
6. Chan, S. C. (2010). Food, memories, and identities in Hong Kong. Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power, 17(2-3), 204-227.
7. Moerland, A., & De Potter, S. (2019). Copyright in street art and graffiti in the Netherlands. A. Moerland/S. de Potter (2019),‘Copyright in Street Art and Graffiti in the Netherlands’, in: E. Bonadio, The Cambridge Handbook of Copyright in Street Art and Graffiti (Cambridge Law Handbooks, Cambridge University Press, p. 224–238.
8. Cheng, E. W. (2016). Street politics in a hybrid regime: The diffusion of political activism in post-colonial Hong Kong. The China Quarterly, 226, 383-406.
9. Ho, C. Y. (2015). A study on the development potential of bus rapid transit and modern tramways in Hong Kong. HKU Theses Online (HKUTO).
10. Ho, K. Y. (2015). A skyscraper-city almanac: search for a Hong Kong environmental ethic. HKU Theses Online (HKUTO).

Name: LI Jia tong

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