Hot Topics: What is the future of Hong Kong’s neon signs? Government rules, safety concerns causing them to fade

The disappearance of Hong Kong’s traditional neon signboards, following the rise of LED technology and tightening signboard regulations, received renewed attention early this month with the release of A Light Never Goes Out. In the film, a grieving widow takes up her late husband’s trade of making neon signs.

Public safety concerns grew in the 2000s after incidents of ageing signboards falling on pedestrians. By 2010, the government had introduced a dedicated signboard control unit. They decided that all existing signboards would be illegal unless they complied with new building standards on size and placement.

The Buildings Department is responsible for enforcing the rules. The authority said it did not keep track of neon signboards specifically, but some groups estimate that there are only a few hundred left.

Businesses can register under the Signboard Validation Scheme to avoid having their signs removed, but since its introduction in 2013, only 410 applications have been approved. Under the scheme, owners have to submit a satisfactory safety report every five years to keep their signs up.

The department said an average of about 3,300 signboards had been “removed or replaced” annually between 2018 and last year.

Winnie Lam Wing-yee, owner of Koon Nam Wah Bridal, said she paid more than HK$300,000 to replace two large neon signs taken down from her Kowloon store last August.

She said the signboards were first installed when her father ran the business nearly 50 years ago. She was heartbroken to receive a final warning from the Buildings Department to remove the signs. Lam complied with the order but immediately started planning for a new sign that was smaller and within the rules.

“I still want to keep the tradition alive,” she said. “It’s something you can only see in Hong Kong.”

Staff writer

Question prompts:

• Why did the government set up the Signboard Validation Scheme?

• “Neon signboards are more a hazard than a piece of Hong Kong’s heritage.” To what extent might Winnie Lam agree with this statement, and why?

A shop’s portable neon signs record Hong Kong’s past and present

• This is the set for a Marvel superhero film, Doctor Strange. What are some details in the set that show which city this is meant to resemble? Do you know of any other famous movies set in this city?

• Based on your answer above, what does this suggest about the significance of neon signboards?

Hong Kong’s young ‘neon nomads’ keep dying trade flickering

• Sharp dip in demand for neon signboards as more shop owners switch to LED lights

• Brightly-lit signs are a powerful symbol of the city, says one local professor of design

Once a ubiquitous sight emblematic of Hong Kong, neon signs began their decline at the turn of the century as businesses began using cheaper, more flexible LED lights.

Veteran neon sign maker Wu Chi-kai, 56, who has worked in the industry for nearly 40 years, recalled the hectic late 1990s when he had only two rest days a month. He has lost count of the number of signs he made.

In the 2000s, most of the manufacturing work moved to Shenzhen, with only the most demanding projects remaining in Hong Kong.

Wu is among only eight neon masters left in Hong Kong, acknowledged for their skill in bending glass tubes into intricate shapes and filling them with neon gas. None of them works full-time, and Wu said he earns much less than before.

Polytechnic University assistant professor of design Brian Kwok Sze-hang, who studies the history of neon signs in the city, said they have long outlived their advertising purpose, but have evolved into a powerful symbol of the city for Hongkongers and tourists alike.

“Locals didn’t really care about neon signs until they began to disappear, then they noticed the streets were becoming more homogenous and felt that this wasn’t the city they knew,” he said.

“Before that, neon signs were daily objects taken for granted, and some even complained about light pollution from them.”

Hong Kong artists preserve the city’s history with miniatures

The upkeep of the signage could be a challenge for some businesses, he added, as it cost between HK$50,000 and more than HK$100,000 to engage a licensed contractor to check every five years that a neon sign satisfied the rules. Businesses also need to spend thousands of dollars a year on maintenance, as the glass tubes are easily damaged by bad weather and falling objects.

Kwok called for the signs to be preserved, criticising the government policy for being practically a blanket ban.

“It will kill lots of valuable, well-maintained signs. I think the government should collaborate across its departments or with NGOs to preserve nice-looking signs in good condition,” he said.

Staff writer

Question prompts:

• For businesses that choose to keep their neon signs, what are THREE factors they must consider?

• Suggest ONE way the government could preserve the city’s neon signboards, and explain how it could benefit from doing so.

The art of preserving old Hong Kong: one artist’s quest to honour sunset trades

• Light pollution is worsening but residents have no recourse to fix the problem, The Green Earth says

• Shops that signed charter promising to switch off are found with lights on, but blame “malfunctions”

A Hong Kong government move to get building owners to voluntarily switch off their outdoor lights late at night is not working, according to a green group that conducted surveys in the city.

It found that even some owners who signed a charter agreeing to switch off their lights and allow residents to have a good night’s sleep had not kept their promise.

“This voluntary charter continues to be all bark and no bite,” said Edmond Lau Shiu-long, senior project manager of The Green Earth. “The residents affected by light pollution still have no recourse to get the problem solved.”

Lau said light pollution in urban areas had intensified since the charter was introduced in 2016.

The group’s survey in November along a section of Sai Yeung Choi Street South, between Dundas Street and Mong Kok Road, found 28 shops with their outdoor lights left on after they closed at 11pm. Two of the shops were among companies that had signed the charter volunteering to switch off their outdoor lights.

The outlets of fast-food group Café de Coral and appliances chain Broadway had their signboards lit past 11pm, beyond their respective closing times of 10pm and 10.30pm. Both blamed a time switch malfunction for failing to turn off the lights automatically on time.

Past studies found Hong Kong to be the world’s worst city for light pollution, with levels in Tsim Sha Tsui found to be nearly 1,200 times brighter than a normal night sky.

The Green Earth said the charter did not help in reducing light pollution as those who signed up faced no consequences for breaching the charter.

Face Off: Should ‘A Symphony of Lights’ at Victoria Harbour be scrapped?

Environmental Protection Department statistics show that the commercial districts of Yau Tsim Mong and Wan Chai were the most affected by light pollution last year, with 42 and 37 related complaints respectively.

Both have a mix of urban residential, institutional and commercial areas, with shops and hawker bazaars occupying the ground floor of housing blocks.

The Green Earth suggested that the government send more officers to inspect artificial lighting installations and upgrade its environmental impact assessment practice to protect residential buildings from light pollution.

Staff writer

Question prompts:

• Using Glossary and your own knowledge, list THREE effects of light pollution.

• Context, News and Issue present different views towards neon signs from various stakeholders. In your opinion, what is the best approach towards signboards?

The disappearing icons of Hong Kong, from dai pai dongs to neon signs

1. blanket ban: a ban that applies to or affects all or most of a given category of items

2. Charter on External Lighting: a voluntary initiative from the Environment and Ecology Bureau to encourage businesses to switch off outdoor lighting between 10pm and 7am. Businesses taking part receive a diamond award for switching off their lights at 10pm, a platinum award for switching off at 11pm and a gold award if they switch off from midnight. No penalties have been mentioned for those who do not honour their commitment.

3. light pollution: refers to the excessive or inappropriate use of outdoor artificial light. It can affect human health, wildlife behaviour and our ability to observe stars and other celestial objects.

4. neon sign: an illuminated sign constructed from fluorescent lights in the form of bent glass tubes. The different colours in the sign are created by adding different noble gases.

5. Signboard Validation Scheme: a voluntary scheme implemented since 2013. It requires shop owners to submit a satisfactory safety report every five years to keep their signboards up. Those who do not meet the requirements and fail to remove their signs face up to a year in jail or a fine of up to HK$200,000.

Hot Topics: How Hong Kong’s rules for hawkers are affecting the dying trade

Context:

• Why did the government set up the Signboard Validation Scheme? To address incidents of ageing signboards falling on pedestrians / To give businesses a chance to apply to keep their signs and maintain safety

• “Neon signboards are more a hazard than a piece of Hong Kong’s heritage.” To what extent might Winnie Lam agree with this statement, and why? She is unlikely to agree with this statement because she sees neon signboards as iconic to the city. In addition, she was extremely reluctant to take down the two large neon signs outside her store because it was put up by her father when he started the business decades ago, and she sees them as part of her family’s heritage.

Photo:

• This is the set for a Marvel superhero film, Doctor Strange. What are some details in the set that show which city this is meant to resemble? Do you know of any other famous movies set in this city? The neon signboards and traditional Chinese characters show that this is set in Hong Kong. Other famous films set in the city include The Dark Knight, Chungking Express, Rush Hour 2, and more. (accept other reasonable answers)

• Based on your answer above, what does this suggest about the significance of neon signboards? It is a part of the city’s history and conveys a sense of local identity. (accept all reasonable answers)

News:

• For businesses that choose to keep their neon signs, what are THREE factors they must consider? The hefty cost of maintaining the neon signboards; there are very few neon sign masters left in the city; strict government regulations (accept other reasonable answers)

• Suggest ONE way the government could preserve the city’s neon signboards, and explain how it could benefit from doing so. It can work with local museums to have a permanent exhibit to display these signboards. By doing so, the tourism board can promote neon signboards as one of the city’s attractions and boost inbound tourism. (accept other reasonable answers)

Issue:

• Using Glossary and your own knowledge, list THREE effects of light pollution. It negatively affects human health; it affects the natural cycle of wildlife including bats, migratory birds and insects; it disrupts ecosystems; it washes out starlight in the sky; it wastes energy.

• Context, News and Issue present different views towards neon signs from various stakeholders. In your opinion, what is the best approach towards signboards? The Signboard Validation Scheme can include a clause pertaining to the operation of signboards beyond a certain time and implement a fine for offenders. At the same time, the government can subsidise the cost of maintaining neon signboards that have been around for decades and are deemed quintessential to local culture and work with shop owners to ensure their signboards meet safety requirements. (accept all reasonable answers)