Join Extension Activities
Talk Series on Hong Kong Memory (2026/27)
Upcoming Activity
| 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. |
| 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: |
2026/8/22 (Saturday) |
| Time: |
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Venue: |
Kowloon Public Library (Extension Activities Room)
|
| Description: |
As Hong Kong underwent rapid urbanisation, many villages were relocated, demolished or simply erased from maps. Today, memories of these villages are fading with time, teetering on the brink of oblivion. Through collections of oral history, archival documents and old maps, this talk revives the images of these forgotten villages, retells their stories and rewrites a collective memory of Hong Kong. |
| 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?” |
