| Curatorial Statement |
Culture Blossoms And Bears Fruits Everywhere
The land gave birth to the infinite variety of life, and mankind’s livelihood relied on the earth’s ability to give. Ancient civilisations were built on the eternal fear of heaven and earth, and in order to survive and prosper, mankind needs to be in harmony with nature.
Ancient China was an agricultural country. Through admirable perseverance and resistance to adversities, the ancestors cultivated arable land and claimed the hills for farming, and they lived a simple life of self-sufficiency. Since those days, land has always been regarded as an asset and a symbol of wealth.
The Fusion of Nature and Civilisation in Tsuen-Kwai-Tsing
In the early days of Hong Kong, most inhabitants were either farmers or fishermen. This was also true in the Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing area which was then known as Tsin Wan or the “Shallow Bay”. Half a century ago, Tsuen Wan was developed into Hong Kong’s First Satellite Town; as a result of industrialisation and urbanisation developments, it has become a new town housing a population of hundreds of thousands. Fortunately, until today Tsuen Wan still retains her own beauty and cultural uniqueness not found in other districts. From the adorable countryside on Tai Mo Shan mountain skirts to the beautiful hills of Fu Yung Shan, there are still many old Hakka villages and numerous temples. The Tsuen-Kwai-Tsing districts not only contain the diverse characteristics of the city, villages and countryside, but also reflect the possibilities of civilisation in coexistence with nature under the premise of urban development. Admittedly, people can live and work in the city, yet in their leisure time they can still drop into the embrace of nature for relaxation and cleansing of the spirit, and be blessed within Mother Nature’s bounty once again.
The Hakka Cultural Heritage
Today, many Hakka villages are still located in the Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing area. According to historical records, the “Coastal Evacuation Order” in the early Qing Dynasty created so much hardship; many coastal residents were made homeless and farmlands were deserted. After the order was lifted, a large number of Hakka people migrated south to this area and built the early villages. As “guest-people”, this was where they had settled and it became their new home. As time goes by, the traditional culture and customs of the Hakka heritage have taken roots, such as Hakka Dialect, Qilin Dance, and Mountain Folk Songs featuring Hakka women’s tough daily life. Of course we also have delicious Hakka dishes and the famous Hakka Cha Guo or Tea Cakes, their cuisine featuring a large variety of ingredients due to a thrifty habit and their cherishing of food. These all reflect the Hakka’s industrious and adaptable pioneering spirit; their deep reverence for their ancestry may also be regarded as the driving force for prosperity and progress.
In this year’s “Hong Kong Jockey Club Heritage X Arts X Design Walk” Third Edition, HULU Culture is upholding the principle of “Creativity & Arts for All” and the firm belief that creativity comes from real life experiences. To again provide a strong platform for cultural display, we led over three hundred students and teachers into the Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi districts to conduct in-depth city and field trips, seeking out community characteristics and trivia to trigger creative inspirations, presenting to the students an entirely new city, village, countryside, and Hakka culture alternative experience.
Round Hakka Tulou Exhibition Hall Debut
As a refreshing debut for this year, HULU Culture has modelled after the famous Fujian Round Hakka Tulou while using Hong Kong’s unique bamboo scaffolding as the construction method to build an exhibition hall. This and several exhibition venues will display and highlight the works created by students, professional mentors, architects, and artists. The new ambience will help visitors understand better how each piece of art on display has been created with an intense heart-felt back-to-nature passion.
Hong Kong culture has always been both inclusive and diverse. Credit goes to the harmonious inclusion cherished by many generations which has led to the achievement of prosperity for today. Creative development needs fertile cultural soil; we need to cultivate whole-heartily and hard work is essential. We believe every one of us is holding the seeds of culture. Let us unite our hearts and efforts to sow our land, and may our local culture and creativity blossom and bear fruits everywhere, year after year!
Iman Fok, Simon Go
Chief Curators
