A lesson from history – Hong Kong’s plague epidemic points way ahead in face of crisis
Lawmakers attend musical based on deadly outbreak of disease that shows the importance of mutual understanding in fighting a common enemy
A blend of Western and Chinese approaches is necessary to resolve crises in Hong Kong, past and present, legislators reflected after watching a play on the deadly plague that once swept through the city.
The all-local production of 1894 Hong Kong Plague – A Musical received warm applause at the premiere performance at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on Sunday night.
The breathtaking narrative – based on the true events of the epidemic, which killed more than 20,000 from 1894 to 1929 – depicted a divided city under stress, and a cure for the past was as much needed as for the present.
“The way to combine Chinese and Western approaches is an important issue for us to address,” Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing said after the play presented by the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre.
READ MORE: When death came calling: how the plague swept through Hong Kong
Anthony Chan Kam-kuen, co-playwright and the company’s artistic director, said both approaches represented two different cultures and mutual understanding was necessary to fight a common enemy.
“Chinese doctors need to listen to Western doctors and Western doctors need to understand their Chinese counterparts – that is the way to avoid division and leaving the virus unchecked.”
“I think the main thrust of this play is about governance, and the Chinese community leaders then did their best to support the British policy on, say, segregation of the infected, but that was viewed as betrayal by the public,” he said after the show.
“This is similar to the pro-establishment camp nowadays, which has no choice but to support government policy to avoid a governance crisis even when it goes against the will of the general public.”
While Tsang questioned whether a plague existed at present, Chung said something far worse than a plague was at stake in the city.
A plague could be contained over time, but there is no immediate cure for human errors
“A plague could be contained over time, but there is no immediate cure for human errors, which may take a few generations to fix,” he said, lamenting the “extreme polarisation” at present.
Director Sam Lam called on the city to unite to fight common adversaries. “Men and germs fight for survival. We should all take an extra step to get ahead,” he said.
The play, in Cantonese with English surtitles, ends on Sunday.
