Go to content

EVENTS

Home > Events > Event Highlights

Event Highlights

Art, History and Cultural Walking Tour & Tea Gathering in Central District

2022-11-24

The “Art, History and Cultural Walking Tour & Tea Gathering in Central District” organized by Maritime Silk Road Society (MSRS) was held on 24 November.

The tour featured an introduction to preserved historic sites and the murals with Hong Kong characteristics in the Central and Sheung Wan districts guided by two volunteer students of the Department of History, Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU). Prof Au Chi Kin, Assistant Professor of the Department of History, HKSYU, also gave detailed introductions on selective sites.

The first stop of the tour was the “Incense Culture & Pomander Workshop” held at the Chinese Cultural Studies Center (CCSC). During the workshop, Ms Chiang Oi Ling, founder of CCSC, and her sister, Ms Chiang Mei Ling, an incense cultural expert and also founder of Chinese Incense Culture Studies Center, gave a detailed introduction and sharing of the incense culture. Ms Chiang Oi Ling showed the book Xiang Pu | Xin Zuan Xiang Pu (Critical Edition) published by CCSC in 2015, which included the careful textual criticism on Xiang Pu and Xin Zuan Xiang Pu. Ms Chiang Mei Ling started with the introduction and the development of the incense culture from the Han Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. She also indicated that the name of Hong Kong was intimately related to the incense product. In order to let more participants understand the art of appreciating incense, Ms Chiang Mei Ling demonstrated the process of traditional incense appreciation, and displayed a variety of incense burners, incense boxes and sachets. In the second part of the workshop, participants had a hands-on experience in making incense pomander beads. 

The tour then headed to Graham Street and Shelley Street to see two murals with distinctive Hong Kong characteristics. Inspired by the tenement buildings in Kowloon District, and with the Kowloon Walled City as the backdrop, the mural on Graham Street portrays the unique architectural style and lifestyle of old Hong Kong. The “Shingo Art” on Shelley Street is the first public artwork created by Shingo Katori outside of Japan. The artist is a member of the former Japanese best-selling band SMAP.

On the way to the Man Mo Temple, the tour passed by the Police Married Quarters (PMQ), Hong Kong News-Expo and Shing Wong Street, which are three of the 16 spots of the Dr Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail. PMQ is the former site of the Queen’s College where Dr Sun Yat-sen studied, and the Hong Kong News-Expo was originally the American Congregational Church where Dr Sun Yat-sen inhabited and was baptized when he was studying at Queen’s College. Adjacent to the former site of Queen’s College, Shing Wong Street is the path where Dr Sun Yat-sen used to walk to Queen’s College every day. Participants traced the footsteps of Dr Sun Yat-sen in Hong Kong and further explored the development of his revolutionary ideas, while learning about the evolution of these historic sites.

The tour proceeded to Wing Lee Street, the filming location of the award-winning Hong Kong movie Echoes of the Rainbow, where participants experienced the cultural and architectural characteristics of Hong Kong in the 1960s. The tour then visited the Man Mo Temple located on Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, which was the earliest Chinese temple built during the colonial period of Hong Kong. Participants learned about the origin and history of the Temple, as well as the role and responsibility of the Temple to the Chinese community.

The programme ended with an afternoon tea gathering at LockCha Tai Kwun Tea House.