Why Hong Kong ballad Below the Lion Rock is an enduring hit, and what it stands for

Named after a peak below which hunkered squatter villages, the song for RTHK by Joseph Koo and James Wong Jim resonated in 1970s Hong Kong

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A still from an episode of RTHK’s drama series Below the Lion Rock. A theme song of the same name was composed by Joseph Koo Ka-fai, with lyrics by James Wong Jim and sung by Roman Tam.

Published: 7:15am, 10 Dec 2024Updated: 7:41am, 10 Dec 2024

Ask someone of a certain age from Hong Kong which song best represents their city’s resilience, and chances are they will pick “Below the Lion Rock” – a 1979 ballad that continues to resonate today.

Composed by the legendary Joseph Koo Ka-fai, with lyrics by the multitalented James Wong Jim, the song was first recorded by singer Roman Tam, better known as Law Man. His distinctive, Cantonese-opera-trained voice and clear diction mean his remains the definitive recording, even today.

The song was commissioned for long-running television drama Below the Lion Rock, screened by Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK. The series was named after the Lion Rock, a mountain 495 metres (1,624 feet) high with a top shaped like a crouching lion – one of Hong Kong’s most visible natural landmarks.

In the 1970s, when the reality-inspired drama series first aired, many of Hong Kong’s working-class families were struggling in squatter villages in the shadow of the Lion Rock, with a lucky few allocated a unit in public housing such as the Choi Hung Estate.

The song’s original recording was made by Roman Tam, better known as Law Man. Photo: SCMP

The first episodes were in black and white and only 15 minutes long. Each story captured the struggles and triumphs of everyday Hongkongers in a rapidly modernising society, mirroring the reality of many families.