They're trying to preserve Hong Kong's neon lights | CNN Travel

Hong Kong (CNN) — From Hollywood blockbusters to Wong Kar-wai movies, neon signs have been an iconic representation of Hong Kong. They'retryingtopreserveHongKong'sneonlightsSimranVaswani,CNN•Published13thOctober2021FacebookTwitterEmailUpnextHongKong(CNN)—FromHollywoodblockbusterstoWongKar-waimovies,neonsignshavebeenaniconicrepresentationofHongKong.Firstintroducedinthe1920s,thesesignsflourishedinthelaterhalfofthe20thcenturyamidthecity'seconomization.Restaurants,hotels,nightclubs,pawnshopsandevenmahjongparlorshungupneonlightsasawaytoadvertisetheywereopenforbusiness.Eachsignhasbeenindividuallymade--incorporatingWesternneonalongsidelocalcraft--ratherthanmassproducedinfactories.Now,neonlightsarebecomingincreasinglyrare.Asthecitytransformed,businessesrecastthemselvesfrommanufacturerstoserviceproviders,losingoutonoldtraditionalindustries.Neonhasnotbeenanexception.RelatedcontentCanHongKongsaveitsneonsigns?OnemuseumhopessoAvisualmemorySwiss-bornartistPascalGreco'sbook"HongKongNeon"exploresthemanyneonlightswhichhaveilluminatedthecity'sstreetsforyears.InspiredbyWongKar-wai'sHongKong-setfilmslike"IntheMoodforLove"and"ChungkingExpress,"GrecophotographedneonlightsonaPolaroidcamera,capturingonevanishingartformthroughanother.HetraveledtoHongKongforamontheachyearforeightyears,photographing170ofitsneonsigns."Around70%oftheneonsignsinmybookdon'texistanymore,"saysGreco.InacityasdenseasHongKong,neonsignshavebecomeinevitablevictimsofmodernization.Oldwalk-upbuildingsarebeingdemolishedandreplacedwithskyscrapers.Eventually,alargenumbeofoldsignshavebeenreplacedwithsaferandmoreenergy-efficientLEDlights.Onlyahandfuloftheseneonlightshaveararehomeofbeingputinstorage.Mostendupinlandfills.RelatedcontentFortunetellers,letterwritersandthelastofHongKong'straditionaltradesButthecrackdownonneonlightsmaygodeeperthanpurelysafetyconcerns.MostoftheneonsignsinHongKongdepicttraditionalChinesecharacters.MainlandChinausessimplifiedChinese,whichmaybeplayingafactorinthedisappearanceofHongKong'sone-of-a-kindheritage,saysGreco.It'salsoamatterofhardworkforminimalfinancialreward.Thearttakesyearstomasterandrequiresskilledphysicallabor.AlotofneonlightsartistsinHongKonghavenoonetopasstheirlegacyonto."Wemanagedtotakeneon,thisforeigninvention,andaddourowntouch,"saysCardinChan,spokespersonforTetraNeonExchange,anon-profitneonlightconservationgroup.Sheestimatesthatthereweremorethan400neonsignartistsinHongKongatitspeak,butnowthereareonlyabouttenleft.Neonlightsmastersdon'twanttheirsuccessorstostruggleinthenow-dyingindustryliketheyoncedid."Forthelongesttime,thesepeopleactuallyworkedsohardforHongKongtocreatethe(city's)landscape,"Cardinadds."Ithinktheydeservetobeseen.Theyhavebeentheunsungheroes."NeonlightsalongastreetinKowloon,HongKong.ReshapingthefutureKarenChanisthefounderofbothCeeKayEllo,alocalartdesignstudio,andHKCRAFTS,anon-profitartorganizationthatfosterslocalcraftsandartists.Shehasbeenstudyingneonsigntechniquessince2019inhopeofkeepingtheartalive.TheneonlightindustryislargelymaledominatedinHongKong,makinghertheonlyfemaleneondesignerandpractitionerinthecity.ShehasalsobeenlearningfromdifferentneonlightartistsaroundtheworldintheNetherlands,France,Taiwan,theUnitedStatesandSouthKorea.RelatedcontentWingShya:ThephotographerwhoimmortalizedHongKong'scoolButthe32-year-oldsaysthatmasteringthecraftisnopieceofcake."Thephysicalpartisdefinitelyoneofmyweaknesses,"shesaid.Fromglassbendingandblowingtohandlinggas,neonsignsrequirealotofattentiontodetail."It'salsoamatterofpracticeandmusclememory."Eventhroughthestruggle,Karensaysit'sworthitbecauseshegetstokeepsuchaningrainedandpreciouspartofHongKong'straditionalive.Whileneonlightsmaybetangiblyremoved,theirmemoriescontinuetoliveonamongHongKong'sresidents.Ayearoftheworld'sBestBeachesThere'saperfectbeachforeveryweekoftheyear.Joinusona12-monthjourneytoseethemallGotothebestbeaches