Hybrid Hong Kong

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

HONG KONG | Sunday, 6 November 2011 | Views [252]

Hong Kong's economic boom has hit only one side of this extraordinary building, leaving the other side to develop vintage rust.. a curious reflection of Hong Kong's skyhigh and still-rising Gini coefficient.

The surge in development has been welcomed by almost everyone, except for one demographic population who have notably been left behind - the elderly. It is a grey tale: in Chinese culture seniority commands the utmost respect, but in many places of Hong Kong from dawn till dusk, 'garbage grandmas' can still be seen to roam the streets trying to eke out a meager living picking up recyclable trash that, like them, has also been left behind by society.

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Grandma is in traditional Chinese clothing popularized by the elderly in Hong Kong, whereas Granddaughter is a symbol of the newer generation - she is wearing clothing from a Western retail brand, will learn both English and Chinese in school and maybe even go to university overseas one day. It is in this way that even the new generation of Hong Kongers have a hybrid upbringing with both traditional Chinese culture and Western influence in this era of globalization.

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Hybrid Hong Kong

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

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