Key words Search–Monthly Literary Talk 2026 : Enjoy the Moment with Jin Yong
| Date: |
2026/11/28 (Saturday) |
| Time: |
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Venue: |
Hong Kong Central Library (Lecture Theatre, G/F)
|
| Description: |
The Song dynasty scholar-official Su Shi (1037–1101) is renowned for his accomplishments and extensive impact on literature and the arts. His works created during his later years in exile in Huizhou were crucial in reshaping the human geography and heritage of Lingnan. His writings praising Lingnan recorded the local places, customs, and natural products. Although he only visited Mount Luofu once, his timeless verses adorned the mountain, and he contributed to transform Lingnan from a peripheral region into a culturally significant one. This talk focuses on Su Shi's poems, calligraphy, and cultural heritage as a starting point to examine his promotion of local knowledge in Lingnan and his contributions to shaping the cultural landscape of Mount Luofu. It will further explore the origins of the landscape in the Plum Village of Luofu and the flourishing of the Paintings of Fragrant Dream of Luofu since the mid-Qing Dynasty, focusing on their visual representation and cross-regional transmission. It ultimately demonstrates Su Shi’s unique place in the construction of Lingnan’s historical sites and in Chinese art history. |
| Date: |
2026/10/25 (Sunday) |
| Time: |
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon |
| Venue: |
Hong Kong Central Library (Lecture Theatre, G/F)
|
| Description: |
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, China witnessed a flourishing export trade. As a major trading port, Guangzhou not only received a large influx of foreign merchants and imported goods, but also absorbed new technologies and decorative styles, actively participating in the production of innovative products. It was during this period that Canton enamelled copperware emerged as one of the most highly prized and sought-after items in the market.
Workshops in Guangzhou applied enamelling techniques introduced from Europe to China in the early Qing dynasty to their copperware. Craftsmen painted and assembled a variety of decorations that blended exotic motifs with local visual elements, producing unique and novel items. On the enamelled copperware, stylish Western figures and classic Chinese settings were paired with patterns and borders drawing from both Chinese and Western cultures, creating fashionable items greatly admired in that era. Moreover, the production of basse-taille enamel copperware, featuring gold and silver foils placed beneath, between, and above layers of transparent blue and green enamel, was particularly representative. This technique can be seen as a reinterpretation and reinvention of the shiny decorative effects favoured in the West, achieved through local craftsmanship. This lecture will introduce the innovative decorations and techniques of Canton enamelled copperware from the Qing dynasty, exploring how Guangzhou artisans drew upon traditional techniques, applied their creativity, and responded to cultural stimuli from the West as well as market demands of the time. |
| Date: |
2026/9/13 (Sunday) |
| Time: |
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Venue: |
Hong Kong Central Library (Lecture Theatre, G/F)
|
| Description: |
The technique of making painted porcelain by applying overglaze decoration to white porcelain before firing is known as jiacai in the industry. During the 20th century, jiacai was a booming industry in Hong Kong. With a history spanning nearly a century, painted porcelain produced in Hong Kong, also known as Gangcai, is mainly made for export. Not only has Gangcai been influenced by painted porcelain making techniques from Guangdong, but it also represents a fusion of Hong Kong’s local culture with traditional Chinese culture and the cultures of various export markets. Drawing on oral history records, the speaker will share the development, distinct characteristics and technical highlights of Gangcai. |
| Date: |
2026/7/19 (Sunday) |
| Time: |
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Venue: |
Hong Kong Central Library (Lecture Theatre, G/F)
|
| Description: |
“Today, we are far apart, and meeting has become difficult; thus I drift alone under the cool evening sky on a silent boat.” These lines, from the classic Cantonese Nanyin “A Wanderer’s Autumn Grief”, are performed time and again by actors appearing in Hong Kong films. Whenever the tunes pop up, they stir a collective memory of Nanyin among Hong Kong people. From the movie “Rouge” more than thirty years ago to the more recent “The Last Dance”, the haunting melody of Nanyin seems like a secret code that always quietly plays on the heartstrings of the Cantonese community. This enduring resonance is no coincidence, probably because Nanyin has been performed by gushi (blind male singers) and Cantonese opera singers in Hong Kong for generations. In contrast, another form of narrative singing Yue’ou, which was presented in the Cantonese vernacular by shiniang (blind female artists) in Hong Kong half a century ago, has been almost completely forgotten. Both Nanyin and Yue’ou belong to the same tradition of narrative song art, with the former being remembered while the latter slipping into oblivion. Remembrance and forgetting are two sides of the same coin. When we speak of “Hong Kong memories”, one may ask, “What exactly have we forgotten?” |
| Date: |
2026/12/5 (Saturday) |
| Time: |
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Venue: |
Hong Kong Central Library (Lecture Theatre, G/F)
|
| Description: |
A considerable portion of Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage is closely related to food and drink. In particular, the everyday Chinese-style tea restaurants, better known as cha chaan teng, have earned a special place in the city’s heritage. The making techniques of Hong Kong-style milk tea, pineapple buns and egg tarts have been included in the Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong, underscoring their precious historical and cultural value. The rich aroma of Hong Kong-style milk tea speaks of generations of refined tea-making skills, while its silky smoothness tells the story of the dedicated masters who have perfected it. The pineapple bun, a creative product of cultural fusion, carries a history of changing names and evolving identity. Meanwhile, egg tarts have long offered a choice between flaky puff pastry and crisp “cookie” pastry, accommodating different tastes and connecting deeply to our daily life. Together, the intangible culinary heritage of cha chaan teng weaves an intriguing story of Hong Kong, one that lingers on with a lasting aftertaste. |
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