Here's What Hong Kong's Most Famous People Told Us in 2015
This year we met some of the city’s coolest, best looking and most controversial people (sometimes they were all three at once). Here’s a selection of the finest quotes from these wonderful Hongkongers.
“There is not enough hope being expressed in public. There should be more. Hong Kong deserves more.” —Chong Chan-yau, President of the Hong Kong Blind Union
“Hongkongers don’t really want to tell Hong Kong stories anymore.” —Philip Yung, film critic-turned-director
“People are so used to hearing false things. You think of dishonesty as the norm. It warps your sense of ethics and morality. That is what I’m really worried about.” —Audrey Eu, Civic Party founder and chairman
“I love Hong Kong because it is my home. It is where most of the people I love best in the world are, and where I can do whatever I want, except genuinely elect the Chief Executive.” —Diana Lin, Senior Executive Producer at TVB Pearl
“Hong Kong people are ready for genuine universal suffrage. If we don’t resolve this problem, I think Hong Kong is going to become increasingly difficult to govern.” —Anson Chan, former Chief Secretary and “the Conscience of Hong Kong”
“People always say ‘One Country, Two Systems.’ Some don’t notice that the starting point should be ‘One Country.’ If there is no ‘One Country,’ there’s no ‘Two Systems.’” —Tam Yiu-chung, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference member and former DAB chairman
“The system was designed to defeat the Chief Executive. He or she can’t do exactly what they want because they don’t have a party behind them.” —Allan Zeman, “The Father of Lan Kwai Fong”
“The Hong Kong government operates on the philosophy of projecting its authority over the population without listening, and thus fails to understand the needs, wants and goals of the people.” —Robert Tibbo, Edward Snowden’s lawyer
“Every time a single woman joins Legco, she leaves single.” —Tanya Chan, founding member and vice-chairman of the Civic Party
“When most people in Hong Kong look at the ocean, they think, ‘My real estate faces the ocean and the price is going to increase.’” —Sharon Kwok, actress and conservation activist
“I like shooting [photos] at night because personalities change then. A banker in the morning can be a drunk asshole in LKF when the sun goes down.” —Xyza Cruz Bacani, photographer and domestic helper
“Contemporary love is a power game—women need to provide a reaction for men to follow.” —Vincci Cheuk (aka GC Goo-Bi), comedian, DJ, writer and film director
“Many girls dream of being a princess. Rather than a princess I would say I’m a countess.” —Zita Law (aka “Deep Snow”), author
“You could say I’m an anti-social icon. My communication and social skills are horribly lacking. I rarely talk to others.” —Juno Mak, former Cantopop idol and multigenre indie artist
“Monsters may not be that evil. Humans make mistakes and even gods can be wrong.” —Peter Pau, Oscar-winning cinematographer and director
“Art is everywhere. Art is not just inside a gallery—it’s on the streets as well. It is accessible, if you open your eyes.” —Katie de Tilly, founder of 10 Chancery Lane Gallery
“In art, you can do everything just to express your own feelings. But when you create something interesting within a frame, it’s much more satisfying.” —Roy Tsui (aka Lin Rixi), Cantopop lyricist and founder of Blackpaper and 100Most
“Oh, there are so many things China needs to work on. Too many. The quality of its people and almost everything else.” —Liza “Big Sister” Wang, actress and Chairman of the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong
“Sometimes I stand in the doorway of snack shops and just look at the food.” —Rex “The Wonder Kid” Tso, Hong Kong’s first professional boxer and undefeated super flyweight champion
“When you’re talking about the competition between the future and the past, the past is doomed from the start. The future must win.” —Alan Leong, Civic Party leader
“If I could have a heart-to-heart with my parents, I would say that I want to feel loved. Not just be loved, but feel loved. There’s a difference.” —Leung Chai-yan, daughter of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying
