Neon signs: a shining example of Hong Kong's heritage

Glowing praise from curator who wants lights listed alongside Cantonese opera and egg tarts

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Lau Wan, one of the city's oldest neon craftsmen, fears the decline of neon reflects the decline of Hong Kong. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Published: 4:00am, 4 Jul 2014Updated: 5:01pm, 20 Jun 2018

The twisted, glowing glass tubes that have created garish images across Hong Kong for decades should be recognised as part of the city's cultural heritage alongside Cantonese opera, egg tarts and milk tea.

That's the view of a top art curator who says neon signs and the skills involved in making them are under threat from newer, light-emitting diode technology.

Aric Chen, curator of design and architecture for M+, the museum for visual culture that will take shape in West Kowloon, was speaking after the government last month unveiled a list of 480 items of intangible cultural heritage in need of preservation.

Hong Kong's neon-drenched streetscapes, which famously inspired director Ridley Scott's vision of a dystopian future in his 1982 sci-fi classic , only made it to a "follow-up" list.

"The entire world thinks of neon signs when they think of Hong Kong," said Chen, who is also the curator of neonsigns.hk an online-only exhibition that launched in March. "Unlike pineapple buns, neon signs once they're gone are gone. We need to recognise their importance to Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage before it's too late."

Cinema heavyweights Christopher Doyle and Wing Shya, who have both worked extensively with world-renowned Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-wai, have shown support by contributing original film and photography to the exhibition.

Chen believes their contributions demonstrate the importance of the issue to Hongkongers. "I hope that we can appreciate our neon signs as much as [the world] does," he said.