Letters | K-pop videos effectively evoke Hong Kong’s allure

Readers discuss a Korean singer’s portrayal of Hong Kong, and how shopping malls could be more accesible to the elderly

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A man pushes a trolly across a street in the Kowloon on November 22, 2022. Two K-pop videos set in Hong Kong show how the city’s grittier side might be attractive to people around the world. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:30am, 9 Sep 2024

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Are tourists interested in upscale shopping malls in Hong Kong any more? A Korean singer’s music videos might suggest another draw – Hong Kong’s unique cityscape with its mixture of the old and modern.

While people in Hong Kong have long complained about cramped flats and crowded streets, many foreigners see these as points of interest. Scenes from 1980s and 1990s Hong Kong films showcased our city’s bustling streets with their iconic neon signage. Recent Hollywood films such as Godzilla vs Kong and Skyscraper offered a different view of the city – its magnificent skyline and modern skyscrapers.

Now there are indications that the music industry is intrigued too. Two videos released recently by Chanyeol, a member of the K-pop band EXO, were shot in Hong Kong. In addition to glimpses of the city’s neon-soaked streets, one of the videos features a public housing estate and a small flat.

The images of Hong Kong in these videos echo Western films like Transformers: Age of Extinction, which famously featured Yick Cheong Building, sometimes called the Monster Building, in Quarry Bay, and Contagion, which had shots of an old bus terminus in Shek O.

The music videos and promotional material also show recognisable characteristics of Hong Kong, such as red taxis and small alleyways.