Hong Kong artists revive city鈥檚 bygone era
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In a packed metropolis where old buildings are frequently replaced by gleaming skyscrapers, two Hong Kong model makers are trying to preserve the city鈥檚 architectural past 鈥 in painstakingly detailed miniature form.
Stepping into Tony Lai and Maggie Chan鈥檚 studio is like walking into a time machine, if that time machine also shrunk everything around except yourself.
In one corner, an entire fairground is laid out, complete with moving rides and a revolving Ferris wheel.
On the other side, a tiny reenactment of the city鈥檚 fire dragon festival is underway.
Elsewhere is a meticulously recreated revolving restaurant and an entire housing block, complete with window laundry and the fast disappearing neon signs that once lit up Hong Kong鈥檚 streets with kaleidoscopic abandon.
The two artists share a common passion in bringing their childhood scenes back to life, and say that Hong Kongers are keen to glimpse into the past or recapture faded memories.
鈥淲hen elderly people see our creations, it ignites their memories,鈥 said Lai, gesturing to their recreation of Kai Tak Amusement Park, which was demolished in 1982.
鈥淲e would often even see elderly people whose eyes would tear up when they saw our models,鈥 he added.
Preserving the past is difficult in Hong Kong.
Historical buildings are often pitted against powerful billionaire real estate developers and government planners who are eager to build more high-rise apartment blocks in a city where housing is in desperately short supply.
Many colonial buildings and features that were prized by architects, historians and locals have been torn down, although more recent governments have begun to take a slightly more proactive role in protecting heritage sites.
Fishing for memories
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Lai fondly remembers his father taking him out on a boat to the city鈥檚 outlying Lamma Island, where fishing communities lived in tumble-down wooden houses on the shoreline.
One of the most complex creations in Chan and Lai鈥檚 TOMA Miniatures studio is a diorama depicting residents doing their daily chores in such a village.
鈥淭hat memory has stuck with me up until now,鈥 he said.
Chan is equally talented in her memory and penchant for details.
鈥淭ony focuses on the big structures, I focus on the smaller details,鈥 she said.
Chan drew inspiration from her father bringing home local dishes and snacks, and began her career by creating miniature versions of Hong Kong foods.
鈥淓ven just a poster or a bowl of beef brisket noodles, it could get people to remember something and become emotional,鈥 she explained.
Last year, a historic theater in the city鈥檚 North Point district that opened in 1952 faced an uncertain future after it was purchased by real estate developers.
With its distinctive parabolic concrete arched roofs, it was featured in the 1978 film 鈥淕ame of Death鈥 starring Bruce Lee during the golden era of Hong Kong cinema.
The theater was saved from demolition last month, when property developers announced that it would be revamped as a multi-billion-dollar heritage site.
Other buildings are not so lucky.
Hong Kong authorities recently gave the green light to demolish a four-story, pre-war heritage building in Jordan district, a move which has been condemned by heritage conservation groups.
Another likely victim is the city鈥檚 General Post Office, a post-war modernist block on a prime piece of harbor front land that is slated to be replaced by a glitzy new commercial development.
鈥淗ong Kong is a big city, so there鈥檚 lots of architecture and things from our childhood that have disappeared one by one,鈥 said Lai.
鈥淚f we can use our abilities with miniature models as a way to recreate these, then it鈥檚 a happy thing.鈥
Aside from whipping up joyful, nostalgic memories for residents young and old, the two also hope that international travelers can see their models again once the pandemic ends.
鈥淗opefully when they visit, they can see that there鈥檚 lots of things here that they haven鈥檛 yet discovered,鈥 said Chan.
鈥淚 hope our creations can bring a sense of what Hong Kong is actually like.鈥
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