[Being Hong Kong] Collector's Edition – Hong Kong: The City Special

About this issue: In late 2024, "Being Hong Kong" proudly presents a newly curated "Collector's Edition"— "Hong Kong: The City Special." With 404 pages, featuring over 400 historical images, photographs, and illustrations, drawn from the out-of-print "Being Hong Kong" quarterly magazines of 2021 and 2022. Exploring 3 major themes: Hong Kong streets, urban typography, and the Kowloon Walled City. Including over 20 diverse visual narratives and stories. REedit REdesign REprint, Transforming the quarterly into a timeless book. REvisit REthink RECreate, Let's embark on a journey through the city's time and space together. We've come this far, Let's continue the journey into the future, hand in hand. Highlights of this issue: #REclaim REmap RElive HK Streetscapes REvisit// Hong Kong Streets Through Foreign Lenses From John Thomson, an early pioneer of photographic documentation in the Far East, to Ed Van der Elsken of Magnum Photos, and Keith Macgregor, who captured Hong Kong for over 50 years from the 1970s onwards, this section showcases the evolution and transformation of the urban streetscape through the lenses of three foreign photographers across different eras and styles. REcord// Bustling Streets, Ever-Changing Peter Cookson Smith, an urban planner who has lived in Hong Kong for over 40 years, has been meticulously observing Hong Kong's old districts since the new millennium, sketching the vibrant, mixed vitality of its streets. Meanwhile, Dr. Oscar Kwok, a design scholar from Polytechnic University, investigates key elements that shape Hong Kong's street culture, focusing on local neon signs, typography, and the unique environment of Garden Street. For them, the experience of "walking the streets" in Hong Kong is truly distinctive... REdiscover// Strolling Through Central Despite its transformations, Central still bears traces of its early planning from the founding of the colony. Its unique character, shaped by limited flat land, the coexistence of old and new, and a blend of Eastern and Western influences, along with its dynamic ebb and flow, defines the texture and layout of its streets. From 180 years ago to the present day, Des Voeux Road running east-west along the tramline, and the elevated roads, slopes, staircases, and escalators climbing the hills, reveal the city's decline and resurgence in their horizontal and vertical interplay. REgion// A District for Every Street Kowloon Tong, Tai Kok Tsui, and San Po Kong, three districts with distinct historical backgrounds and atmospheres, showcase the early 20th-century garden city concept and later industrial community planning. Hong Kong creatives Lam Kin-choi, UUendy Lau, and Penso, each with their unique styles, interpret their thoughts and feelings about these neighborhoods from various angles and artistic approaches. #REcollect REthink REwrite The HK Characters Reminiscence// Urban Typography, Hong Kong's Fading Beauty "Not all reunions are possible after a long separation." Lin Xiaomin, founder of "Fading Beauty of Hong Kong," has witnessed the rapid decline of traditional neon signs in recent years, with their vibrant lights gradually dimming following new legislation. Through images and text, she documents the beauty of the typography and craftsmanship found in various local signs. REvive// New Generation Typographers, A Font Revival Movement In recent years, a new generation of Hong Kong designers and independent typographers have been rediscovering the historical origins of common street fonts like Be Wei Ti, Li Han Kai Ti, and Prison Body. They are also redesigning or digitizing gradually disappearing fonts, aiming to preserve Hong Kong's unique street scenery while reconnecting with the city's cultural roots. REfract// Words and Pictures in Tai Nan Street Tai Nan Street in Sham Shui Po has become one of the most notable streets in recent years. Photographers have traversed Tai Nan Street and its surrounding neighborhoods, focusing on the strokes of typography to capture the interactions between new and old shops, different generations, and people from various backgrounds and social strata, thereby revealing the complexity and vitality of this community. REmember// The Disappearance of Tsang Tsou Choi from Hong Kong Streets In April 2022, the exposed "authentic calligraphy of Tsang Tsou Choi" under the railway bridge on Boundary Street in Mong Kok sparked a new wave of conservation enthusiasm. The "King of Kowloon's" calligraphy once graced numerous locations across Hong Kong, becoming a shared memory for many locals. However, following the "Emperor's demise" in 2007, his street calligraphy has gradually been covered up or disappeared. #REvisit REcord REbirth Kowloon Walled City Reborn REcord// The Dark City, Where Light Exists "City of Darkness—Inside Kowloon Walled City," co-authored by British architect Ian Lambot and Canadian photographer Greg Girard, is a classic record of the Kowloon Walled City. It dispelled previous one-sided impressions and serves as a crucial reference for subsequent research on the Walled City. REbuild// The Possibilities of the Walled City In 1991, American-Chinese architect Audrey He, daughter of Tao Ho, conducted ten months of architectural research in the Walled City. The adaptability of its residents deepened her understanding of humanity and later inspired her concepts and practices for creating comfortable living environments in high-density urban settings. REimagine// Post-Walled City Era: Infinite Rebirth Following the demolition of the Walled City, a proliferation of related creative works emerged across various media, both in Hong Kong and internationally, including novels, animations, films, and games. Among them are the novel "Kowloon Walled City" by local author Yu Yee, its comic adaptation by artist Szeto Kiu-chi, the comic anthology "Alienated City Chronicle" by designer/illustrator Rex Koo, and the virtual game created by post-90s game designer Poki Chan. Each artist expresses their unique emotional connection to the Walled City. ISBN:978-988-74818-5-0 Price: HK$200 Printed in: Hong Kong Publication Date: Late December