Li Zhaoxing writes about Hong Kong: Imperial Theatre, Little Shanghai and the North Point Renaissance – VERSE

71 years of historical dust, the long-gone theater dream of the 1950s, and the long-sleeping historical relic of modernist architectural style – the Imperial Theater, are the only precious cultural monuments left in Hong Kong today. New World Development’s restoration project of the Imperial Theater aims to preserve its architecture and nurture its soul. How can the magnificent stage of the Imperial Theater in the 1950s be reborn? Writer Li Zhaoxing tells us about the imperial capital in Hong Kong people’s memories from his childhood memories, as well as the city’s “Renaissance” of that era.

If a child grew up in Shau Kei Wan at the east end of Hong Kong Island in the 1970s, there would not be many places to play. The goal of children’s fun is to try to run out. People who live here have an old saying:

The hero is trapped in Shau Kei Wan and does not know when he will arrive in Central.

At that time, the first-generation subway had not yet opened to traffic, and the means of transportation to and from various districts on Hong Kong Island mainly relied on trams and buses. Every time I travel from Shau Kei Wan to Central, there is only one narrow road, and there are often traffic jams. I often reach Causeway Bay halfway, and I feel like I have crossed the Ten Thousand Mountains in a light boat.

The tram track has not been changed for more than a hundred years. Before entering Causeway Bay, which I thought was the world of flowers when I was a child, it must first pass through North Point. If you can identify it by the architectural landmarks along the street, the Royal Capital Theater is located at the dark diagonal intersection. The long King’s Road slightly changes its direction here, which indirectly makes it the focus of the intersection of the two major roads. Regardless of whether you enter North Point from Causeway Bay from east to west, or turn west from North Point into Fortress Hill, the “STATE” reflected on the outer wall of the Metropolitan Theater appears in the eye as a perspective point, as if it symbolizes North Point. Eternal mark.

All studies of that building are hindsight. For example, the top structure that is most easily identifiable from its appearance, commonly known as the “flying buttress” structure, is actually an upward parabolic arch bridge-type truss. In addition to its beautiful and rare curvature, it also has a mechanical support function. Especially for buildings that are used as theaters downstairs, the top of the building is used to support the weight of the building below, so there is no need to erect too many pillars in the screening hall to avoid hindering movie viewing – don’t forget, it is a A large theater with more than 1,300 seats was huge in the 1950s. (In Hong Kong, the term “theater” at that time usually included both film screenings and live performances.)

The least known but extremely important thing about the rational structure is that in the original architectural drawings, you can see the smoke ventilation window on the top floor of the stage. The large stage designed nearly a century ago took into account the smoke ventilation in the backstage in case of fire. Windows will open to disperse the smoke and prevent spectators from becoming trapped in it.

But what should not be ignored is the history of North Point, which belonged to the imperial capital, or was formerly known as “Chun Palace”. It constitutes a certain period of Hong Kong history full of legend and migration.

Or we should start from the little Shanghai in North Point.

That was 1952, and it was almost as if Hong Kong’s Renaissance had appeared in North Point at that time.

Especially from the beginning of the 1940s to the 1950s, more talents and capital flowed in. Families, entrepreneurs, officials, technicians, and even gang leaders from wealthy towns in East China, especially Shanghai, brought their belongings, lovers, Capital, talents, business acumen, and even the interests and hobbies of life are all moved to Hong Kong for different reasons. Of course people who speak similar dialects like to live in the same area and speak the same language.

Thus, a small Shanghai emerged. Nightclubs, swimming pools, amusement parks, barber shops, Shanghai restaurants, Western restaurants, photo studios, and cinemas. I believe that in addition to the Siberian fur shop, all the shops that once appeared on Xiafei Road in Shanghai have mirror images in North Point. reflection.

All the sentiments of separation and farewell that have been sung throughout Shanghai, and the touching scenes during the war, are all repeated in the foreign land of Hong Kong through the singing of nightclub singers.

Good flowers don’t always bloom, and good times don’t last long. After we say goodbye tonight, when will you come again?

An early apocalyptic sound sounded in North Point, lamenting that I had left my hometown and wondered if I could go back. If I don’t go back for a while, I will transform this place into a village.

A kind of accent, Western style, as Shanghainese call it, was established in this little Shanghai in North Point. Then this establishment, in our childhood memories, finally focused on two impressive consumption behaviors, one of which was taking pictures in a photo studio; the other was a large theater.

The significance of taking photos in a photo studio, in terms of physical evidence, is more due to the exclusive signature of the photo studio. On the white frame of the photo, or on the envelope protecting the photo, the name of the photo studio is often stamped with an elegant or specially designed art font. It has to be down-to-earth, and at the same time, there is often a record of the year, month, and day that the photos were taken, giving it a precious sense of ritual. That becomes the most precious preservation of a certain moment.

No. 338 King’s Road, North Point Lan Sum Photography Studio, is this passage frozen in time.

The owner Li Wenjun, the Li family is also part of this force from the south. Under the guidance of Master Gan, who operates photo studio technology in Shanghai, he started a western-style photo studio style in Hong Kong, focusing on European palace-style settings and advanced lighting photography. technology. This is like a microcosm of the film industry. Shanghai has brought capital, technology, manpower, and even a unique world and aesthetics.

Shanghainese who have drifted here remember the old Shanghai with their images.

One of them, for unknown reasons, ran in one day in the 1950s and took a portrait of her that became widely known. The portrait that almost became her image was Zhang Ailing’s photo. Next to the black and white cheongsam photo, there is actually a logo with the word Lan Xin and the year 1954.

An old newspaper clipping records: “Lan Xin Photo Studio will open early next month.”

“The Lyceum Photo Studio is a first-class photo studio with the latest equipment located on King’s Road. After several months of preparation and installation, it will be grandly opened early next month. The exquisite equipment and equipment are unparalleled among photography studios in Hong Kong and Kowloon. Both the studio and the dark room are equipped with air-conditioning, so people who go to take photos are not afraid of the harsh weather and lighting. This photo studio has the best equipment and technical experience for taking color photos. It is also the best choice for ladies who like to take photos. Good news.” (“Overseas Chinese Daily” on May 29, 1954)

The Royal Theater at 279-291 King’s Road, later known as the Imperial Theatre, opened earlier, in 1952.

Founder Oudley was born in Egypt to a Russian Jew. He was educated and grew up in Shanghai. He graduated from St. Francis College in Shanghai. His own background carries the legacy of migration over the centuries. From 1952 to 1957, when he founded and was in charge of the Kung Kung Theatre, it could be said to be the most important non-governmental performing arts venue in Hong Kong. You must know that there were no large-scale advanced performance venues in Hong Kong at that time. It was completed ten years later.

In 1959, it changed hands and was renamed the “Royal Capital Theater”, and people from all walks of life continued to make magic. From the Soviet song and dance troupe to the American pop diva, Teresa Teng to Pan Dihua, they all performed here. As a result, the Imperial Theater has become a cultural and entertainment center. People go to North Point to watch theater, see international masters, and watch the performances of Cantonese opera grandmasters. Before and after the performance, he went to restaurants, had dinner and late-night snacks, and went to nightclubs to have fun, playing the role of a kind of Hong Kong’s mini-renaissance.

The days when I rushed to the manager’s office in the Royal Capital with a film trailer were already in the future. By the way, I was also in the small screening room, and from a god’s perspective, I had a look down at the huge viewing hall several floors high.

When I was a child, I went to the theater in the imperial capital, but I had to sit in the front seat. It was the morning class for primary school students. They could make an appointment with a neighbor boy to finish their homework quickly. A few children under ten years old would take the tram slowly from Shau Kei Wan to the Royal Capital in North Point to watch an afternoon movie and catch up in the evening. Go home for dinner. In those days, there were no mobile phones, and you could not tell your whereabouts or change the time at any time, so the young men had the habit of keeping their time commitments. If they promised to be home at six o’clock, they had to do it.

Until 1997, when Huangdu closed its doors, the reason for going to Huangdu again was the shopping mall below, which had a huge selection of VCDs. There is also an old shop in the shopping mall called “Jinghua Signboard” that specializes in writing signboards for stores. The famous real calligraphy, with its tough and solid fonts, is still a part of Hong Kong’s scenery and is even the only remaining inheritance of early commercial culture.

After 2000, part of the movie theater in the Imperial Capital was converted into a billiards room. Fortunately, the renovation was simple and did not significantly change the basic structure and equipment of the original building. When New World Mr. Adrian Cheng initiated the conservation and renovation project for the Imperial Capital, he discovered that after removing the false ceiling and floor that temporarily separated the space, the removed seats and even some decorations remained in place.

It’s like beneath the shell of a billiards club, there’s an entire theater that’s been lurking silently for years, waiting to see the light of day.

Take me back to my childhood days of taking family photos in North Point. Every weekend, taking your children to North Point to play or watch a movie is a good entertainment. These weekend entertainments all end with the greatest satisfaction: the Emperor’s Ice Cream.

It says it’s ice cream, but it actually provides light meals. Emperor Cha is also a migrant family with roots in Hong Kong, this time not from Shanghai, but from Guangzhou. Most people know about the westernization influence from Shanghai to the south, but they ignore that Guangzhou was once the place where the influence of British business and lifestyle took root, especially the introduction of Western food.

When we arrived at the Emperor, what we were looking forward to, to be precise, was Spitfire ice cream and airplane food. The latter was the first to be served on an airplane dinner plate, that is, the side dishes are separated into grids and placed on the dinner plate, imitating the food on the airplane. Catering style.

There is a large transparent glass oven in front of the store. The roasted chicken is placed on the grill and automatically rotates up and down, making people outside the store drool. It also attracts publicity and induces appetite. Every December, the Emperor’s Christmas dinner comes with small gifts.

In Hong Kong’s not-too-cold winter, a family dressed appropriately, went to Lan Xin to take family photos, then went to the Imperial Capital to watch a movie, and ended with the Emperor’s fire-breathing ice cream. It was the most fulfilling dream of a child before the age of ten.

This article is reprinted from “Life Monthly”.

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Text/Li Zhaoxing Pictures/New World CULTUREFORTOMORROW provided review/Gao Liyin