1.
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
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The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts is a provider of tertiary education in Hong Kong. Located near the north coast of Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island, apart from the main campus in Wanchai, Bethanie, the site of the institutions Landmark Heritage Campus in Pokfulam, has housed the School of Film and Television since 2007. Its educational policy reflects the diversity of Hong Kong with an emphasis on Chinese and Western traditions. Every year, the Academy enrols about 750 students for its programmes and around 770 students for its Junior Music Programme. Furthermore, its extensive EXCEL programme offers part-time personal enrichment courses, the government responded with a proposal to develop an academy for the performing arts. On 15 September 1981 the Jockey Club formally announced plans to build the academy on a piece of vacant land in Wan Chai, granted by the government, the academy was established in 1984. In the early 1990s, the APA became a degree-granting institution, the main campus was designed by local firm Simon Kwan and Associates, who were among six firms invited to submit designs in a limited competition. It comprises the Academy Block, the Theatre Block, and the Administration Block, the Administration Block was ready for occupation in July 1985. The Academy Block was formally opened on 18 September 1985 by Governor Edward Youde, the Theatre Block was opened by the Duchess of Kent on 3 February 1986, the same day the inaugural opera season began as part of the 1986 Hong Kong Arts Festival. The 1981 model produced for the competition is now held by the M+ museum. In 2006 the academy established a campus at Béthanie in Pok Fu Lam. It mainly houses specialist facilities for the School of Film and Television, the original campus was designed for a student population of 600 students. The academy has been facing space constraints as enrolment has gradually risen, the 334 Scheme further exacerbated the problem. In June 2012 the Legislative Council approved funding of $444.8 million for construction of a nine-storey annex block, the expansion will house classrooms, studios, laboratories, music rooms, offices, workshops and support facilities. The academy is working with the West Kowloon Cultural District, which is construction, on education plans. The academy is governed under the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Ordinance, under the legislation the academy is mandated to foster and provide for training, education and research in the performing arts and related technical arts. The academy is funded through tuition fees as well as a subvention provided by the Home Affairs Bureau and this arrangement differs from most other post-secondary institutions in the territory, which are funded by the University Grants Committee. Kevin Thompson was director of the academy from 2004 to 2012, Thompson also initiated planning for campus expansion
2.
Wan Chai
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Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west, the area north of Gloucester Road is often referred to as Wan Chai North. Wan Chai is one of the busiest commercial areas in Hong Kong with offices of many small, Wan Chai North features office towers, parks, hotels and an international conference and exhibition centre. As one of the first areas developed in Hong Kong, the locale is densely populated yet with noticeable residential zones facing urban decay, arousing considerable public concern, the government has undertaken several urban renewal projects in recent years. There are many landmarks and skyscrapers within the area, most notably the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Central Plaza. Wan Chai originally began as Ha Wan, literally meaning a ring or lower circuit. As one of the earliest developed areas in Hong Kong along the Victoria Harbour, Central, Sheung Wan, Wan Chai literally means a cove in Cantonese from the shape of its coastal line. The area is no longer a cove, however, due to city development. Wan Chai was first home to the many Chinese villagers living along the coastlines in proximity to Hung Shing Temple. Most of them were fishermen, who worked around the area near Hung Shing Temple overlooking the entire harbour, Hung Shing Ye, the God of the Sea, was one of the deities worshiped by the locals. With the growth of the British Hong Kong administration, centred in old Victoria, Wan Chai attracted those on the fringes of society, such as coolie workers, a focal point of development at that time was Spring Gardens, a red-light zone. By the 1850s the area was becoming a Chinese residential area. There were dockyards on Ship Street and McGregor Street for building and repairing ships. The edge of Sun Street, Moon Street and Star Street was the site of the first power station in Hong Kong, operated by the Hongkong Electric Company. One of the first water-front hospitals was the Seamans Hospital, built in 1843 and it was then sold to the British Royal Navy in 1873 and subsequently redeveloped into the Royal Naval Hospital. After the Second World War, the hospital was revitalised as the Ruttonjee Hospital, the district was home to several well-known schools. One of these schools was established by the traditional teacher. Started as a shushu in 1919, the school was renamed Dunmei School in 1934 after him and it taught classical Chinese writings and Confucian ethics
3.
Hong Kong
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Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China, is an autonomous territory on the Pearl River Delta of East Asia. Macau lies across the delta to the west, and the Chinese province of Guangdong borders the territory to the north. With a total area of 1,106 square kilometres. Hong Kong was later occupied by Japan during World War II until British control resumed in 1945, under the principle of one country, two systems, Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China. Except in military defence and foreign affairs, Hong Kong maintains its independent executive, legislative, in addition, Hong Kong develops relations directly with foreign states and international organisations in a broad range of appropriate fields. Hong Kong is one of the worlds most significant financial centres, with the highest Financial Development Index score and consistently ranks as the worlds most competitive and freest economic entity. As the worlds 8th largest trading entity, its legal tender, Hong Kongs tertiary sector dominated economy is characterised by simple taxation with a competitive level of corporate tax and supported by its independent judiciary system. However, while Hong Kong has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world and it has a very high Human Development Index ranking and the worlds longest life expectancy. Over 90% of the population use of well-developed public transportation. Seasonal air pollution with origins from neighbouring areas of Mainland China. Hong Kong was officially recorded in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking to encompass the entirety of the island, before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet—now Aberdeen Harbour, literally means Little Hong Kong)—between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was a point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen. Detailed and accurate romanisation systems for Cantonese were available and in use at the time, fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbours fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River or to the incense from factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon. The incense was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before Hong Kong developed Victoria Harbour, the name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926. Nevertheless, a number of century-old institutions still retain the form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric. As of 1997, its name is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. This is the title as mentioned in the Hong Kong Basic Law. Hong Kong has carried many nicknames, the most famous among those is the Pearl of the Orient, which reflected the impressive nightscape of the citys light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbour
4.
Chungking Express
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Chungking Express is a 1994 Hong Kong drama film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film consists of two stories told in sequence, each about a lovesick Hong Kong policeman mulling over his relationship with a woman. The first story stars Takeshi Kaneshiro as a cop who is obsessed with the break-up of his relationship with a woman named May and his platonic encounter with a mysterious drug smuggler. The second stars Tony Leung as an officer who is roused from his gloom over the loss of his flight attendant girlfriend by the attentions of a quirky snack bar worker. The film depicts a paradox in that though the characters live in densely packed Hong Kong, they are mostly lonely. The English title refers to Chungking Mansions and the Midnight Express food stall where Faye works, the film comprises two different stories, told one after the other, each about a romance involving a policeman. Except for a moment when the first story ends and the second begins. However, the three characters from the second story each momentarily appear during the first. The first story concerns Taiwan-born cop He Qiwu, also known as Cop 223, qiwus girlfriend May broke up with him on 1 April. His birthday is 1 May and he chooses to wait for May for a month before moving on, every day he buys a tin of pineapple with an expiration date of 1 May. By the end of time, he feels that he will either be rejoined with his love or that it will have expired forever. Meanwhile, a woman in a blonde wig tries to survive in the drug underworld after a smuggling operation goes sour. On 1 May, Qiwu, looking for romance, approaches the woman in the blonde wig at a bar, however, she is exhausted and falls asleep in a hotel room, leaving him to watch old movies alone all night and order take-out food. He shines her shoes before he leaves her sleeping on the bed and she leaves in the morning and shoots the drug baron who had set her up. Qiwu goes jogging and receives a message from her on his pager wishing him a happy birthday and he then visits his usual snack food store where he collides with a new staff member, Faye. At this point, a new story begins, in the second story, the unnamed Cop 663 is similarly dealing with a breakup, this time with a flight attendant. He meets Faye, the new girl at the snack bar, the flight attendant waits for the cop around the snack bar, and finds out he is on his day off. She leaves a letter for the bar owner to give to the cop
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