Hong Kong gets more than its fair share of bad press. Bad press has a way of sticking. Once it has stuck, it is not easy to remove. The other thing about bad press is that we never tire of repeating the claims, at least not as easily as we do of the more wholesome news. It also seems to have a longer sell-by date.
Years ago, Hong Kong was labelled a cultural desert for its remarkable lack of artistic interests. Even today, if you say the same thing with sufficient force and conviction, you will still get a few agreeing nods in a crowd. Of course, there is no more truth in it than calling Singapore the fun capital of Asia.
In terms of arts funding per capita, Hong Kong ranks right up there among the top cultural capitals of the world. Those who need an injection of arts and culture once or twice a week will not usually be disappointed in this city. One reason why the impression lingers that there is not much going on is because our local newspapers give the arts hardly any coverage.
These days, for the arts news to get printed, it has to have an angle, too. But it may sometimes be hard for arts promoters to abide by the news editors' rule of thumb that: 'if it bleeds, it leads'. The probability that the arts will turn violent as a general way of life is low. I think there is a better chance with sex which, by the way, always sells.
Hong Kong has also been stuck with the tag 'concrete jungle' for as long as I care to remember. The fact that the place is more than 70 per cent greenery, or that it takes just a 20-minute car ride, or a 30-minute boat ride to go from the city centre to open countryside does not seem to be a strong enough case to overturn this verdict.
How many big cities can boast such fast escape routes from the urban wasteland? The answer: not many.
In the eyes of foreign visitors who get their information from watching B movies, Hong Kong is a wickedly exciting city of crime, featuring streets lined with drug dealers, wayward women, and gangsters who all practise kung fu.
