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Quentin Parker

Every new policy address gets debated, supported or pondered by various stakeholders across the broad spectrum of Hong Kong. This could range from the “what’s in it for me” perspective to deep considerations of the impact and influence of the unveiled plans on large companies, institutions and policy bodies and how they operate.
Externally, it could get picked over by friend and foe alike for clues as to future policy directions and implications for trade, commerce, financial operations, logistics and tourism.
Here, I would like to focus on the cultural heritage of Hong Kong related to Chinese martial arts, as a tourism magnet and special branding opportunity.
The chief executive’s latest policy address deals broadly with this area in a section titled “Promote integrated development of culture, sports and tourism and foster economic diversification”, where the first half of the proposition runs to 13 numbered paragraphs, and the second half gets four numbered paragraphs.
This allotment of acreage is quite something, considering that my professional interest gets a single, short paragraph, under “Advance R&D of aerospace science and technology”. I take comfort from the fact that it has been mentioned, and hope it is a sign of things to come.
So why is an astrophysicist like me commenting on martial arts? I have a personal interest in the matter, having pursued Shotokan karate at university before taking up wing chun kung fu – think Ip Man and Bruce Lee – in Hong Kong.


So I have been thinking about our city’s soft power and wondering how to better use Chinese martial arts and Hong Kong’s history as an action film capital to draw tourists and project our cultural heritage internationally. For example, why is there no dedicated museum? Currently, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum is hosting the exhibition “A Man Beyond the Ordinary: Bruce Lee”, but what about everyone else?
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau could play a pivotal role here. There are many opportunities, from establishing a dedicated museum and holding more exhibitions to hosting international martial arts competitions and scaling up organised tours of kung fu film sets or locations. After all, Hong Kong is the city where martial arts heroes such as Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Donnie Yen and action stars like Jackie Chan developed their international careers.
As one walks around Hong Kong today, there are hidden and not-so-hidden signs of the city’s deep cultural connection to martial arts. The late, great Bruce Lee has a visible presence on the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, while in the piazza outside Exchange Square, there is a larger-than-life stainless steel sculpture of a pugilistic face-off between two men (the same man hoping to beat himself, actually). This amazing work, called “Above the Clouds”, is by Beijing-born artist Ren Zhe. How many of these displays around our city get decent footfall, however?
As for actually learning wing chun, there are about 20 schools around Hong Kong. There is also a wing chun kung fu experience tour, as mentioned on the Hong Kong Tourism Board website. How many have heard of it though? In November, Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre will present a spectacle simply called Wing Chun at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. While events are already being held, they seem to be the tip of the iceberg in terms of international potential.

For example, a New York-based wing chun sifu (master) has been bringing American martial arts aficionados to Hong Kong for years, groups of 10 to 20 on weeklong intensive tours of the city that include visits to key sites in kung fu – such as famous cityscapes featured in numerous Hong Kong-made martial arts films and select martial arts schools – special events and Chinese martial arts demonstrations.
Indeed, I myself was roped in for one such event in August, along with New York’s wing chun sifu Alex Richter and Hong Kong’s very own master Mak Che-kong, at Bey Logan’s Kwai Fong Martial Club. This was a webinar, “Fists of Physics”, where we investigated the actual physics involved in delivering the speed and power of southern Chinese fighting styles.
We had 20 in-person guests and many more online. Such events seem to fit right in with the government’s stated objective of enhancing Hong Kong’s role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. These modest activities could be significantly scaled up.
While we are on the subject of Kwai Fong Martial Club, I believe it is an excellent but underappreciated example of how the dial can be moved. This school, with eminent instructors like Mak, does not just teach wing chun and other styles but also hosts regular related events and demonstrations.
These include special screenings of martial arts films with live commentary by Logan – who is himself a martial arts enthusiast and film director – as well as talks on Chinese cultural heritage and the state of the action film industry in Hong Kong.
So, is there a case for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to set up a panel investigating how Hong Kong can take greater advantage of our rich living heritage of martial arts culture and cinema? Can Hong Kong use martial arts events and activities as a focal point to build a stronger international brand as part of our city’s broader efforts to attract visitors?


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Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung, right, attends a ceremony at Tamar Park on September 22. Yeung and his bureau have come in for a rare bout of public criticism in the annual policy address. Photo: Edmond So

Two three-metre-high heart-shaped balloons are displayed at Central’s Statue Square Gardens during the Chubby Hearts exhibition on February 23. Photo: Edmond So

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The cultural heritage of Hong Kong related to Chinese martial arts has not been fully tapped to attract tourists and action film buffs


The cultural heritage of Hong Kong related to Chinese martial arts has not been fully tapped to attract tourists and action film buffs.


Bruce Lee

Donnie Yen

Martial arts

Chinese language cinema

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Jet Li

Jackie Chan

Hong Kong tourism

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Why aren’t we pushing Hong Kong harder as a hub for kung fu fans?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The cultural heritage of Hong Kong related to Chinese martial arts has not been fully tapped to attract tourists and action film buffs

The cultural heritage of Hong Kong related to Chinese martial arts has not been fully tapped to attract tourists and action film buffs