Hong Kong Literature
Hong Kong literature encompasses a diverse body of written works produced in Hong Kong since the mid-nineteenth century, primarily in Chinese but also in English. This literary genre began to emerge after Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain in 1842, with significant influences from both traditional Chinese and Western literary traditions. It wasn't until the 1970s that Hong Kong literature gained recognition as a distinct genre, driven by native writers and those who migrated to the city at a young age.
The literary landscape of Hong Kong is marked by various forms, including fiction, drama, and poetry, and has developed into subcategories such as humor, urban fiction, and workplace novels. Notable authors include Liu Yichang and Xi Xi, whose works reflect the unique experiences and complexities of life in Hong Kong. The impact of political and social changes has also given rise to memoirs and nonfiction narratives that explore the city's evolving identity, particularly in response to significant events like the Umbrella Movement. Through its rich history and evolving themes, Hong Kong literature offers insights into the region's culture and the lives of its people.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Hong Kong Literature
Hong Kong literature refers to the body of written works produced in Hong Kong since the mid-nineteenth century. This genre—which primarily includes fiction, drama, and poetry—is primarily written in Chinese but also includes works in English.
Hong Kong was a small village when it was handed over to Great Britain in 1842. Hong Kong literature began to emerge about thirty years later, when the first modern Chinese newspaper was published there, and Western ideas began to influence writers on the island. It was not until the 1970s, however, that the literary world began to recognize Hong Kong literature as a significant and separate genre worthy of study.
Some authors of Hong Kong literature are natives who still live and work on the island. Others are Chinese writers who moved to Hong Kong at a young age, and still more are Hong Kong natives who left their homeland to write in other countries.
Background
Hong Kong was an island fishing village of China. China had little interest in trade with other nations, and only one port—Guangzhou (Canton)—was open to Western merchants. American and British merchants quickly recognized a demand in China for opium. British merchants operating in China began importing inexpensive opium in the early nineteenth century, and American businesses soon began the trade as well. The swift increase in opioid use among Chinese men of all socioeconomic classes strongly affected business activity, civil service productivity, and society. Millions of Chinese were addicted, and opium accounted for more than half of China's imports by 1837. Chinese leaders reacted with alarm, confiscating and destroying opium imports. This generated conflict with British businesses and the British government, which led to the Opium Wars in 1839. The 1842 Treaty of Nanking ended the first Opium War, and it stipulated that China cede Hong Kong to Great Britain.
British rulers in Hong Kong endorsed traditional Chinese literature. It stressed obedience to authority figures and conservative ideas. Over time, exposure to Western ideas and customs gradually began to influence literature in Hong Kong.
During the nineteenth century, Chinese journalist Wang Tao found himself exiled from Hong Kong when it came under British control. He spent two years in Europe, where he helped translate literature. While there, he learned a great deal about the West and Western institutions. When he was able to return to Hong Kong in 1870, he established a modern newspaper, Xunwan Ribao (Cycle Daily). In many of the essays published in his newspaper, he encouraged China to adopt Western ideas. He called for the reform of many Chinese institutions, including education, legal, and military systems. In 1883, Wang's essays were collected and published in Taoyuan Wenlu Waiban (Additional Essays of Wang Tao).
Hong Kong literature continued to develop in the pages of Banlu (Companions), a literary magazine that was launched in 1928. A literary society, Daoshangshe, formed in Hong Kong in 1929. The group counted among its members Lu Lun, Zhang Wenbing, and Xie Chengguang. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, many writers from mainland China flocked to Hong Kong to escape Japanese occupation during the Sino-Japanese War. Many of these writers reestablished or founded literary magazines. However, the flood of mainland Chinese writers pushed the work of native Hong Kong writers and the development of Hong Kong literature aside.
In 1949, the People's Republic of China was established. Hong Kong and the mainland were cut off in many ways, beginning in 1951 when China closed its borders. During this time, Hong Kong literature continued to develop without influence from Chinese writers or interests. Under British governance, which ended in 1997, arts and culture evolved without pressure or support in an atmosphere of freedom unknown in mainland China.
Overview
Hong Kong literature was first recognized as a distinct genre during the 1960s and 1970s. This development was related to a number of non-native writers who had begun to write about Hong Kong instead of writing about life in mainland China. Other writers, either born on the island or brought there at a young age, also became influential during the 1960s and 1970s. Frequent and prolonged contact with the Western world shaped many of their ideas. Hong Kong literature was increasingly distinct from Chinese literature. Some of the most influential Hong Kong writers during this time included Liu Yichang, author of short stories and the 1963 novel Jiutu (Drunkard), and author and poet Xi Xi, whose novels include the 1979 work Wo Cheng (My City).
Fiction became increasingly popular in Hong Kong throughout the twentieth century. Many newspapers published serial fiction, often incorporating slang and information that held meaning only for local readers.
Within Hong Kong literature, a number of subcategories developed, such as humor, suspense, urban fiction, romances, science fiction, martial arts novels, and workplace novels. These categories further advanced to include multiple subgenres, and many works include elements of multiple genres. For example, Huang Yi began his career as a novelist writing science fiction. He then began writing Xuanhuan, or mysterious fantasy novels. These novels blended time travel and historical fiction with wuxia, martial arts novels. Many of his works were later adapted for television.
Wuxia became popular during the 1950s through serial publication of novels. Jin Yong, the most popular wuxia author, began publishing these novels in his own newspapers and changed the format by including elements of history and popular culture. His contribution led to what came to be known as the new school wuxia.
Zhichang Xiaoshuo, or workplace novels, are a response to the hectic lifestyles led by many Hong Kong workers and the rapid rise of the middle class. Many employees turn to novels to learn how to cope with workplace politics, career sabotage, and sexual harassment, among other issues. The career advice is couched in stories describing workers who successfully navigate tricky workplace situations. In many cases, the authors themselves are working in or have worked in the settings they describe, such as law firms and large corporations. One of the most popular workplace novels, Du Lala's Promotion Diary, follows a woman who starts as a secretary and climbs the corporate ladder to become a human resources manager. The best-selling novel has been adapted for film and television productions.
As political fights for Hong Kong independence broke out in the early twenty-first century, many authors capitalized on their own experiences by publishing memoirs about the changing city. Karen Cheung's 2022 memoir The Impossible City documents the author's life growing up in Hong Kong and her interest in the Umbrella Movement during 2014. Similarly, Louisa Lim's nonfiction book, Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong (2022), tells the history of Hong Kong by weaving together Lim's own experiences in the city and the complicated history that shaped Hong Kong.
Bibliography
Cheung, Tony. "Tributes to Hong Kong Martial Arts Novelist Huang Yi." South China Morning Post, 7 Apr. 2017, www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2085448/tributes-hong-kong-martial-arts-novelist-huang-yi. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
Chu, Jaime. "Hong Kong Literature's Growing Pains." The Baffler, 11 Jan. 2023, thebaffler.com/latest/hong-kong-literatures-growing-pains-chu. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
"A Conversation with Tammy Ho Lai-Ming." Lantern Review Blog, 2 Feb. 2010, www.lanternreview.com/blog/2010/02/02/a-conversation-with-tammy-ho-lai-ming/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
DeWolf, Christopher. "The Evolution of English Literature in Hong Kong." CNN Travel, 10 Mar. 2010, travel.cnn.com/hong-kong/play/english-literature-hong-kong-565871/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
Farrar, Lara. "China's Weird and Wildly Popular World of Workplace Novels." CNN, 14 Sept. 2012, www.cnn.com/2012/09/13/business/china-workplace-novel/index.html. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
Kao, Ernest. "Louis Cha's Martial Arts Classic to Become 'Required Reading' for Beijing Pupils." South China Morning Post, 2 Apr. 2013, www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1205608/louis-chas-martial-arts-classic-become-required-reading-beijing. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
Zhu, Aijun. Feminism and Global Chineseness: The Cultural Production of Controversial Women Authors. Cambria Press, 2007.