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I purchased my plane tickets for Hong Kong last week. I\u2019ll be heading out a few days early and visiting my Uncle in Nanning. When I sent him my itinerary he sent a quick email back saying, \u201cI keep thinking about things I think you would find interesting\u2026I would like you to see old and new China.\u00a0 Do you have an aversion to any foods?\u00a0 Spicy etc.?\u201d I\u2019ve traveled all over the world but I\u2019ve never been to China and the truth is I know so little about China. Old and New? I should probably know but the truth is I\u2019m not sure I know what he means. And I love foods of all kinds but I sent a stereotypical American response saying, \u201cI love spicy foods, I just don\u2019t want to eat cat.\u201d (-:<\/p>\n
I know I have a lot to learn. Old and New China. I\u2019m curious to learn and even more curious to experience it myself. Hong Kong Culture, Word and Image<\/em>, edited by Kam Louie gave me a glimpse as to what we will get to experience in just a few months. Hong Kong seems to be a colliding of cultures. Not just two cultures colliding but two cultures colliding and making something new. In his intro Louie says, \u201cWhat is Hong Kong culture? Anyone who has been to Hong Kong before and after 1997 would know that when it belonged to Britain, Hong Kong culture was not really British, and now that the former colony is part of China, its culture is not exactly Chinese either. It is a clich\u00e9 to say that Hong Kong today benefits from the economic growth in China, without the political restrictions the rest of China has to operate under.[1]<\/a>\u201d Old and new have collided and made something all together new. I can\u2019t wait to experience it for myself.<\/p>\n I found Louie\u2019s comments about Hong Kong re-defining itself to be very interesting. Louie says, \u201cHong Kong culture, while unique, has many facets that can be traced to Chinese roots and global influences\u2026the city is haunted not just by the spectacular and more subtle changes that have occurred in recent times, it is also haunted by the urgency with which it feels it needs to re-define itself with reference to other cities such as Sydney.[2]<\/a>\u201d David Clarke (Chapter 3) goes on to explain this \u201chaunting\u201d with more depth. Explaining that Hong Kong has ambition to be a World City, and because of that ambition they are \u201chaunted\u201d to have an unique, impacting, and powerful footprint in our world[3]<\/a>. After reading Clarke\u2019s thoughts in chapter 3 I\u2019m left wondering if ambition pushes culture? As our urban centers around the world build bigger and bigger skyscrapers, as they develop the arts, and craft their unique identity, are our cities really doing this to \u201cone up\u201d others or maybe just to fit in? I\u2019m intrigued and I have a lot to learn. I\u2019m now even more excited to visit this country and this city.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Kam, Louie,\u00a0Hong Kong Culture Word and Image<\/em>. (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2010), 1.<\/p>\n
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