No strings attached for magic man
Now you see it … he's a policeman, an illusionist, and one of the city's most outstanding people
A policeman was named as one of the most outstanding young Hongkongers yesterday - not for saving people, but for making them disappear.
Avon Lee Hang-chai, 35, is also an illusionist and holds two Guinness World Records - for performing the most "teleportation illusions" in a minute, and the most "costume-change illusions" in 60 seconds.
Seven other Hongkongers won the 10 Outstanding Young Persons award yesterday: childhood cancer specialist Frankie Cheng Wai-tsoi; primary visual arts teacher Rowena Cheung Po-man; Paralympic fencing gold medallist Fung Ying-ki; pianist Shum Kin-wai; biomedical engineer Raymond Tong Kai-yu; wig designer Annie Woon; and fashion designer Cecilia Yau Suet-ki.
Chinese University president Joseph Sung Jao-Yiu, who was on the judging panel, explained that up to 10 people, aged 18 to 40, could win the annual award, but this year the judges chose only eight. He added only those who deserved the title were chosen.
"But it's not like the situation where only two out of three applicants got a free-TV licence," Sung said. "These eight winners are all outstanding in their fields."
Lee became serious about magic in 2003, when he was an Airport Security Unit officer. On a minibus, he stopped a man sitting next to a pregnant woman from smoking. He got off the bus and was set upon by the smoker and two others. They beat him with a piece of wood, breaking a finger and badly injuring his left eye, which affected his vision.