Reimagine Hong Kong

CO-CREATING HONG KONG In Reimagine Hong Kong, Jia Jia explores the cultural identity of China’s special administrative region, which began to emerge in the mid-twentieth century during its time as a British colony. His critique delves into the contradictions and dichotomies that have defined Hong Kong, weaving together history, philosophy, sociology, and economics. Jia Jia believes it is time to take a long, reflective look at his hometown, two and a half decades after its return to China. He started writing this memoir during the last wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. His analysis of real estate, urbanism, popular culture, linguistics, literature, and food culture offers a unique and thought-provoking perspective on the global financial centre’s past, present, and future. Reimagine Hong Kong addresses three fundamental questions: Does Hong Kong have an “identity crisis”? Why has it been labelled a “cultural desert”? Has Hong Kong fostered its own “meaninglessness” and “tastelessness”? This compelling thesis reimagines the metropolis “from a distance” while addressing global universal issues through its local culture. The author takes readers on an unforgettable journey from London’s theatres to New York’s skyscrapers, Tokyo’s nano homes, and back to vernacular heritage architecture, neon signs, and tea restaurants, alongside various social phenomena. This anthology is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the unprecedented conflicts from the early twenty-first century, shaped by geopolitics and ideologies, including the “woke” movement.’ Accompanied by a captivating photograph by Wong Wei-him, each chapter serves as a study on the cross-cultural impacts of the digital revolution, postmodernity, postcolonialism, and late capitalism on social structure, human behaviour, aesthetics, and taste. Jia Jia concludes by reflecting on futurism and posthumanism.

At the age of twenty, Jia Jia’s first project was covered by several Hong Kong interior design journals. Around the same time, he wrote his first article for International Property, a magazine based in Britain. After graduating from the London School of Economics and Political Science, he has been engaged in different businesses and creative works related to real estate in Hong Kong. His notable projects have been internationally recognised in books and documentaries, as well as exhibited in museums, including M+ in Hong Kong.
Jia Jia has been involved in volunteering work for non-profit organisations, including being a director and co-founder. Passionate about art and culture, he has attended talks and discussions as a speaker and moderator at universities and major events. He has written many published articles, including ones for a column in Capital Entrepreneur, a Hong Kong business magazine.
In 2023, Jia Jia created a series of poems for ‘After Sunset’, an art project involving over fifty artists from different disciplines. This piece of literary work has since been extensively exhibited in different Asian cities on many occasions, including ‘Venice Architecture Biennale Hong Kong Exhibition’ in 2024 co‑organised by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects.

Customer Reviews

5.0

2 reviews

Ong Chin Huat – former social editor of Hong Kong Tatler & South China Morning Post.

Leaving no stone unturned, Jia Jia’s hefty tome titled “Reimagine Hong Kong” is a comprehensive and detailed study into one of the most unique and special places on earth. Originally planned as a One Country, Two Systems model, this book chronicles the challenges Hong Kong has faced and is facing with singularity and curiosity. With a straight-forward style and brevity of prose, Jia Jia livens up his narrative with metaphors and historical quirks, referencing pop culture, sociology and the all-important concept of business and money and how all these factors combine to make Hong Kong tick. This book is more than an ode to his beloved hometown - reading it opens up the mind of an outsider and well as gives the reader a glimpse into the psyche of a son of this fast-paced and dynamic city.
Stephen Cheung

A very comprehensive review of Hong Kong’s past with in-depth cross-disciplinary analyses. It reminds me of the complex challenges we faced during the 3-year Covid-19 period. The conclusion has interesting imaginations of the world’s future.