DISCOVERING HONG KONG: HONG KONG

SOCIOCULTURAL ASPECTS OF HONG KONG

“Hong Kong has created one of the most successful societies on Earth.” The previous quote probably describe what most of the people think of HK, and it is certainly true. HK, home to the majority of skyscrapers and the richest people in the world, has many excellent things to offer. In this article, we will present fascinating sociocultural aspects of HK, a city that has long viewed itself as culturally superior to the rest of China because of its traditions, civility and free expression.

First, the Lunar New Year o Spring Festival is the biggest and long-awaited holiday, which is celebrated with a fusion of modern fun and ancient customs. It is celebrated with a three-day parade, luxurious shopping, giant fireworks, and a horse racing event. On another front, there are diverse traditional customs like decorating flowers or plants and giving them as a gift, which denote different good wishes. Another tradition for Hong Kongers is to travel and to visit temples. Visiting temples is important to pay respect to their ancestors and pray for good fortune in the coming year.

Second, Hong Kong’s literature is a fusion of British colonial, Chinese, and sea-trading culture. Most of HK English writers had traditionally focused on its colonial history but now writers had also a stronger connection with the cultural flux, mobility and mix of identities that define Hong Kong. Xu Xi, one of the city's pioneering English authors, published “Chinese Walls” and “The Unwalled City”, which explores Hong Kong history through the years. On the other hand, Hong Kong’s music is a mixture of traditional and popular genres. Cantopop, the local version of pop in Cantonese, was developed in the early 1970s. Besides, Cantonese opera preserve a long tradition within Hong Kong. Music, singing, martial arts, acrobatics and acting are all featured in that genre.

Third, Hong Kong District Council election is an important event happening these days in the city. Last Sunday 22nd, November, Hongkongers voted in district level elections. HK have non-compulsory voting system and its congress have 431 seats for each congress member. Moreover, last year the Umbrella Movement, composed of university students, protested in front of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress because of the electoral reform crafted by the Legislative Council, which put the Congress in charge of the election of the new Chief Executive (the head of the HK government). Now, this year's election had a 44% of attendants, and gave an unexpected result because the Democratic Party obtained less seat than last election. According to the previous events, everyone expected the Democratic Party to stand out these election.

To sum up, in HK, the Lunar New Year is the most important celebration, full of modernism and tradition. Moreover, culture in Hong Kong can be described as founded in China but widely influenced by Britain colonialism, which reflects in their literature, music, sports, etc. Finally, the recent HK District Council election is one of the most important political issues happening these days in Hong Kong.