Hong Kong Stories - The Quest of Life：Glooming Neon

Hong Kong’s spectacular night scene had attracted tourists from all over the world. In recent years, as the Buildings Department banned all illegal neon signs, the number of signs in the urban area was reduced by 80%, dimming down Hong Kong’s night scene. Brian KWOK, Assistant professor, School of Design of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who grew up in Mong Kok, has been in contact and observing the streets since his childhood. Through recording (in “rescue mode”) and data sorting, he hopes that he can retain this unique cultural scenery of Hong Kong.

Neon light requires sophisticated craftsmanship. Neon light makers have to learn for at least three to five years before they can bend the glass tubes precisely according to the design. A lot of inventive and creative neon signs in Hong Kong are now removed and sent to landfills. Neon signs are not only landmarks to local residents, but they also record the busy days in Hong Kong during its economic take-off and present the artistic design style since the 1960’s and the 1970’s until recent times. Facing these artefacts which are going to be crushed by the wheel of time, Brian KWOK and his like-minded friends can find nowhere to store them and they can only try their best to save as many neon signs as possible.