Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Organised by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum
Located on the southern coast of China, Hong Kong took advantage of its unique geographical position and historical background to become a renowned international metropolis, where East meets West and diversity thrives. The story of Hong Kong popular culture began with the boundless creativity sparked by the post-war baby boom and economic take-off, cultural exchanges with other regions, and talented and adventurous artists. Over the years, as mass media continued to grow, Hong Kong popular culture developed different features as trends evolved.
This exhibition, titled Hong Kong Pop 60+, focuses on the development of Hong Kong popular music, film, and television and radio programmes, as well as comics and toys, from the end of the Second World War to the early 2000s. Through showcasing more than 1,000 exhibits and introducing their social context as well as artistic features, the development of popular culture in Hong Kong is meticulously illustrated. The exhibition encourages visitors to explore Hong Kong's past, while inspiring us to preserve Hong Kong's diverse culture and create a better future.
Exhibition Booklet
Exhibit Highlights
Wong Ka-kui’s acoustic guitar
Late 1970s
Donated by Mr Steve Wong Ka-keung
Film poster for A Better Tomorrow
1986
© 2010 Fortune Star Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Anita Mui’s stage costume
2003
Donated by Mr Eddie Lau
Josephine Siao Fong-fong’s mini dress
1960s
Donated by Dr Siao Fong-fong
Free-standing radio
1960s
Donated by Wing Lai Yuen Sichuan Noodles
Free-standing television set
Early 1970s
Donated by Wing Lai Yuen Sichuan Noodles
Vinyl record of Games Gamblers Play
1974
Donated by Ms Wong Kit-kwan
Leslie Cheung’s stage costume
2000
Courtesy of Mr Daffy Tong
Care of Mrs Florence Chan
Film poster for The House of 72 Tenants
1973
Courtesy of Hong Kong Film Archive
© Celestial Pictures Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Commercial Television Weekly, issue 34
1976
Courtesy of Ms Chong Shuk-kei
Trophy for Champion Award of Japan for Singers, won by Roman Tam
1975
Donated by Ms Tam Ming-yuk
Vinyl record of Love Without End
1960s
Donated by Ms Ho Shuk-ying
Film poster for Games Gamblers Play
Late 1970s
© 2010 Fortune Star Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Vinyl record of Just a Little．Spoonful of Sugar by The Lotus
1967
Courtesy of Ms Chong Shuk-kei
Vinyl record of Source of Love by Alan Tam
1984
Danny Chan was posthumously awarded the Most Unforgettable Melody Maker Award at The 16th Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Presentation Concert.
1993
Courtesy of Ms Siu Nga-lai
Admission ticket to the Miss Hong Kong Pageant 1973
1973
Courtesy of Mr Ng Kwai-lung
Trophy for the Ultimate Male Artiste Gold Award, won by Leslie Cheung
1988
Courtesy of Mr Daffy Tong
Care of Mrs Florence Chan
Anita Mui wore this stage costume at the concert Anita Classic Moment Live 2003
2003
Donated by Mr Eddie Lau
Stars Sharing
Online Programmes
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Pop Culture Across Generations?
What is your favourite pop culture? Is it distinct from those of the last generation? Or, pop culture may last across generations? Come listen to stories of different people - father and son being fans of Transformers, mother and daughter collecting train tickets, son tutoring his dad to play games, ladies dancing from ballroom to K-pop…
Cantonese version only -
My Pop Culture
Every generation has its own pop culture. Interviewees of this video shared their favourite pop culture, ranging from HK comedies, instant camera, dinosaur, saxophone, Western pop music and so on. What’s your pick?
Cantonese version only -
Connected or Disconnected?
We are very much used to the pop culture online. We have live shows on social media, online games, streaming movies, classics replay, etc. Cultural products across generations can be searched at our fingertips. Does it make culture more an “at-home enjoyment”? Or it gets us closer in another way?
Cantonese version only -
Curator Chat Room X MVS: “Hong Kong Pop 60+”
Cantonese version only -
Special Programmes for “Hong Kong Pop 60” Exhibition: “Buttered Pineapple Bun and Mirror” Rediscovering Hong Kong Pop Culture | Programme Replay (Highlights)
Drawing on the metaphor of “buttered pineapple bun and mirror”, the three speakers specialising in Hong Kong pop culture, including Dr Ng, Dr Cheung, and Dr Tsang, will share their personal stories from different eras in television, film, music and other media, to explore and discuss the uniqueness and transformation of Hong Kong’s popular culture throughout the years.
Cantonese version only -
“Hong Kong Pop 60+” Film Screening and Post-Screening Talk Series: Once Upon a Time in China (1991) Film Sharing Talk | Programme Replay (Highlights)
Dr Ng Chun-hung and Sam Ho will examine the film and the Wong Fei Hung legacy on various terms, from aesthetics to culture to history. It is an update of the heroics of folk hero Wong Fei-hung, taking him on an adventure loaded with historical weight. The legendary martial-artist is played by the youthful Jet Li, a dramatic departure from the mature and patriarchal figure embodied by Kwan Tak-hing in the earlier installments of the Wong Fei-hung franchise. Director Tsui Hark not only breathed new life into the long-running series but also took the Hong Kong martial-arts film to new heights with his masterful staging of fight scenes and subtle animation of historical geopolitics. Winner of Best Director, Best Action Design, Best Editing and Best Original Film Music awards at the 11th Hong Kong Film Awards.
Cantonese version only -
Special Programmes for “Hong Kong Pop 60+” Exhibition: “Pop on Not” Cantopop Sharing Chit-Chat Session | Programme Replay (Highlights)
Everyone must have an all-time favourite song that accompanies our growth. Whether it is a western pop songs in the 1970s and 1980s, a Cantopop song in the 1990s, a J-pop or K-pop song or even local bands and Indies, all these bring us different memories. What will be your pop song pick?
The rapid internet development has provided infinite opportunities for singers with different styles and dreams to gain popularity. Classics will always be enjoyed and remembered by future generations no matter they are mainstreams or minorities. Those that were not popular in the past might become popular now.
To celebrate the new permanent exhibition “Hong Kong Pop 60+”, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum will hold the “Pop or Not” Cantopop Sharing. Serrini (Dr Serruria Leung Ka-yan) and Prof Stephen Chu, the guest speakers of the chit-chat session, will discuss Cantopop from the cultural studies perspective to broaden our knowledge and imagination.
Cantonese version only -
“Hong Kong Pop 60+” Film Screening and Post-Screening Talk Series: Father and Son (1981) Post-Screening Talk | Programme Replay (Highlights)
Father and Son (1981) won the awards for Best Film and Best Director at the first ever Hong Kong Film Awards. The film is a simple story about a father and his son, their relationship a vivid illustration of the differences between two post-war generations and the profound emotional bonds between them despite sometimes fierce disagreements. A relationship at once heart-wrenching and heartwarming. The film’s remarkable touches of social realism, presented along the lines of 1950s Cantonese cinema, coalesce into a striking portrait of the lives of grass-root families in 1960s and 1970s Hong Kong. Dr Ng Chun-hung (Leung Foon) and Mr Sam Ho will share their views on this cherished classic of the Hong Kong New Wave with the audience after the screening.
Cantonese version only -
“Hong Kong Pop 60+” Film Screening and Post-Screening Talk Series: A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) Post-Screening Talk | Programme Replay (Highlights)
A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) is based on a romantic story in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, between the maiden ghost Nie Xiaoqian (cast by Joey Wang) and the scholar Ning Cai-chen (cast by Leslie Cheung). The use of innovative special effects and filming techniques to animate romance, horror, martial arts and comedy ushered in a glorious new era of storytelling for horror films.
Mr Poon Hang-sang (Poon Sir), who has won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Cinematography and the cinematographer of A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), will be sharing his experience in the post-screening talk. Dr Ng Chun-hung (Leung Foon) and Sam Ho will also discuss this 1980s classic from the perspectives of adapting literary masterpieces, cinematic artistry as well as visual and musical aesthetics.
Cantonese version only -
Rediscover Heritage 101 – Films & TV Time
“Six eggs and two teaspoons of sugar…” If you know the next line, you must have lived through the days when people “spiced up dinner with TV”.
Back in the old days, TV was one of the media that dominated the development of Hong Kong’s popular culture. Watching TV was the most popular form of entertainment for families. From enjoying free TV shows in the park or grocery store in the 1960s to watching TV during dinner at home from the 1970s onwards, TV programmes, be they cartoons, TV series adapted from Jin Yong’s novels or variety shows, were the talks of the town and the collective memories of generations of Hong Kong people.
In today’s episode, Films & TV Time, Judith Ng, Curator of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, will revisit some classic TV programmes and take us back to the old days when people enjoyed watching TV at home together. -
Hong Kong Heritage Museum x Hong Kong Film Archive “Hong Kong Pop 60+” Film Screening and Post-Screening Talk Series: All’s Well, End’s Well (1992) Post-Screening Talk | Programme Replay (Highlights)
What comes to your mind when you think of classic Hong Kong Chinese New Year comedy film in the 1990s?
All’s Well, End’s Well (1992) is about the romantic misadventures of three brothers casted by Raymond Wong, Leslie Cheung and Stephen Chow. The acting in this film was funny and heart-warming, while the nonsensical dialogues surpassed time and never grew old, showing the daily lives and culture of Hong Kong.
For the post-screening talk, we are honoured to have Dr Ng Chun-hung (Leung Foon) and Sam Ho to be our hosts. We have also invited Sheila Chin (Lanchi) to share with us her interesting experience about shooting this film!
Cantonese version only -
“Hong Kong Pop 60+” Online Highlight Tour
This online highlight tour will provide you with a glimpse of Hong Kong Heritage Museum’s latest permanent exhibition “Hong Kong Pop 60+”. Our Curator will guide you through the tour and share with you the interesting stories behind the highlight exhibits.
Watch the video now to learn more about the ever-changing development of Hong Kong’s popular music, film, television and radio broadcasting in the past 60 years – the collective memories shared and owned by Hong Kong people of every generation. -
Rediscover Heritage 101 – HKPOP Music
Speaking of Cantonese pop songs, which one is your favourite classic? Among the vinyl records and CDs covered in dust, are there any lyrics and melodies that you can never forget?
In the 1950s and 1960s, when Cantonese pop songs were not that popular, Cantonese opera songs and English pop music were mainstream. Apart from covering English songs, Sam Hui wrote Cantonese songs that reflected society with a Western rock style in the early 1970s. This was a breakthrough that boosted the development of Cantopop. In the 1970s and 1980s, stars like Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui emerged, giving rise to the golden age of Cantopop.
In today’s episode HKPOP Music, Judith Ng, Curator of Hong Kong Heritage Museum, will play us some classic songs that have stood the test of time. Let’s listen to these songs from another era together. You might as well sing along with us! -
“Hong Kong Pop 60+” Lecture Series: “Learning about Hong Kong’s Popular Entertainment through Old Photographs”| Programme Replay (Highlights)
With a surge in Hong Kong’s population and rapid economic development, did people’s daily lives and popular entertainment in post-World War II Hong Kong differ much from today’s? Through showing old and valuable photographs and objects, the guest speaker will give us a review in retrospect of the society from 1945 to the early 1970s with regard to clothing, food, accommodation, transportation, leisure activities and entertainment.
Cantonese version only
Audio Tour
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Vinyl record of Just a Little ‧ Spoonful of Sugar by The Lotus
1967
Courtesy of Ms Chong Shuk-kei -
Sun Ma Sze Tsang releasing a letter concerning fund-raising and disaster relief activities
September 1962 -
Film poster for The House of 72 Tenants
1973
Courtesy of Hong Kong Film Archive
© Celestial Pictures Limited. All Rights Reserved. -
Film poster for The Story of Woo Viet
1981
© Star Alliance Movies (HK) Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. -
Commemorative trophy for the musical Legend of the White Snake by Roman Tam
1982
Donated by Ms Tam Ming-yuk -
Leaflet for the stand-up comedies by Dayo Wong, and souvenir cup of his last show
1990 and 2018
Donated by Ms Ada Loke Lay
Courtesy of Mr Choy Ka-kin
