Hong Kong - East Meets West

a Pop-Culture Mecca

written by Connie Lacobie for Mark Twain's First International Festival

on May 11, 2002 at Mark Twain Elementary School, Houston, Texas


Victoria Harbor in May 2001

2004 Hong Kong scenery 2004 Hong Kong scenery 2004 Hong Kong scenery 2004 Hong Kong scenery photos courtesy of Dora Man and Paul Yim, trip to Hong Kong in July, 2004

Hong Kong has been a busy commercial and cultural exchange center between East and West, since 1842 when Hong Kong became a British Colony. Before 1984, it played an important role for the westerners to trade with the communist China, and attracted a lot of attentions from foreigners. They came to Hong Kong to explore this exotic place, write novels, songs, and poems about Hong Kong and to make movies in Hong Kong.


Inspired by the article by Amy Wu in Time, 1997, I found the following productions which are quite interesting and worth to mention:


At the Movie Museum, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon Pennisula, the exhibits of 50s & 60s Hong Kong local movies reflected the cultural values then and holds a great significant historical distinction for Hong Kong Cultures.

Hong Kong 50s&60s lifestyles from those old movies
50s old movies Exhibits

From each of the film clips, the lifestyles of common local Hong Kong people who were mostly refugees from the mainland China during 1950s and 1960s were greatly revealed and presented.



the Biggest Buddha Statue in the World

On Ngong Ping Plateau, within walking distance from the Lantau Tea Gardens, the Po Lin Monastery houses this giant Buddha statue and three other magnificent statues of Buddha. Vegetarian meals and cold organic soft silken tofu puddings are available.


Some of the following scenes in Hong Kong Island are mostly taken by the movie camera. They are unique and unusal, like those groceries stores selling dry seafood and herbal produces; the scene of a old steep street with a lot of stairs; and the scene in Central District with a tram strolling on the rail.

The scene of Central District with a green tram shown.

See those high-rise residental buildings, packed and densely populated. Spot, at the low end of the photo, a green tram rolling along the rail.

Dry Sea Food Grocery Store

Hong Kong people like to eat dry sea food, like sea weed, suztaki mushooms, dry fish, dry shrimps, dry squids, dry octopus etc. It is a very interesting market scene in Western District.


Eastern Street which was attracted to quite a bit of movie camera

This Eastern Street has a significant value to me because I used to live on Bonham Road, one street above Eastern. Looking through the window of my old home (now demolished), I could see Eastern Street on the right. My family used this street every day.

Thank you Tony Man for these Hong Kong Photos

© 2019, Kevin & Connie Lacobie Some graphics by: www.Vecteezy.com