My Hong Kong | Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung and Chow Yun-fat were kings and queen when Hong Kong TV dramas ruled. We need to rediscover their magic
- Before the era of smartphones, Hong Kong families used to gather to watch television together over dinner – shows such as The Bund and Police Cadet
- Those TV series had a unique local charm. Broadcaster TVB thinks China is key to reviving Hong Kong TV, but shows must keep their local qualities
Without sounding finicky, I believe there are local experiences that only a true Hongkonger can understand. Even non-locals who have been in the city for years and view it as their second home are not able to fully comprehend or appreciate some of its uniquely local conventions, no matter how hard they may try.
OK, let’s take a quick straw poll. Would you accept a “dish” namely din si lo fan, which translates as “eat your rice with television as gravy”?
I know it sounds really weird, but television viewing as a family was once so widespread it was likened to being a must-have food ingredient. The majority of Hong Kong families ate their dinner this way night after night before smartphones were invented.
If you asked most locals what they did before they had a smartphone, many would tell you that din si lo fan was their favourite nightly dinner ritual.
