VIFF Review: Winter Chants

A record of village life in Ho Chung

Since she was a teenager, Tsang Tsui-shan has wanted to preserve the culture and stories of Ho Chung, the Sai Kung village she was born and grew up in, in Hong Kong's New Territories.

She became a documentary filmmaker and Winter Chants is her latest work recording the Peace and Light Festival that pays tribute to the village, those who have passed, and thanks the gods for protecting them. It is an event that is only held once every 10 years and those living overseas use this as an opportunity to return and hold family reunions.

Tsang returned to her village in early 2020 to begin documenting the preparations for the event, but then Covid-19 began to spread, and while it was relatively contained in Hong Kong, the government did not want large crowds to gather which put the festival organisers in a difficult situation...

The simplicity of life in Ho Chung village

In Winter Chants, she uses a lot of archival footage and photographs to demonstrate not only how large scale the event was and what performances and rituals were held for several days, but also how Tsang herself participated as an emcee for one or two events. While she doesn't reveal her face explicitly, Tsang narrates the documentary.

She also shows how the next generation is keenly aware of how important it is to preserve the village's culture through fraternal twins who create and publish a magazine about villages in Sai Kung. They note how Westerners have a publication called "Sai Kung", but even though it's about the same district, the local twins can't relate to the stories at all.

Their own magazine talks about village life in Chinese, and the twins deliver a copy to every mailbox and leave several copies in various business establishments. It's heartening to see young people in their 20s very passionate about where they come from, not necessarily from a political standpoint, but a cultural one, with making money not the priority.

Another man with an artistic bent paints murals on the wall bordering the village to welcome back the diaspora to the festival, and he even encourages young children to help him paint. It's a lovely way to encourage inter-generational participation, and the end result reflects activities and culture of the village.

The multi-day festival appeases the gods

Meanwhile the village elders are trying to organise the festival, but have to keep watching the government regulations change constantly, with then Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's voiceover explaining how people need to wear masks, keep their distance, and how people will be fined if too many people gather together.

The pace of the documentary is slow, much like village life in Ho Chung. Children play in the narrow paths, elderly people chit chat outside, but it isn't bogged down either. Winter Chants is like a poetic love letter to Ho Chung village and its people, documenting this important cultural event that brings the villagers together in a bid to appease the gods to protect them from, ironically, disease!

One gets the sense that Ho Chung will continue to thrive despite what is going on around it, thanks to young people who are willing to continue traditions forward, and to record and document the past to ensure a smooth continuum. 

Winter Chants

Directed by Tsang Tsui-shan

102 minutes

10-Year-Old Involved in HK Robbery

Police investigate a robbery in a luxury watch shop in TST

Post-Covid, Hong Kong's economy has not bounced back as hoped, and some people are financially desperate. This has led to a rise in robberies, where teams of people run into a jewellery store and smash-and-grab whatever they can and then leave in seconds.

But yesterday's news was even more shocking -- a 10-year-old school boy was allegedly involved in one of the latest heists.

One suspect is a 10-year-old schoolboy (hooded)

He was arrested for allegedly taking part in a HK$3.7 million robbery (US$472,560), where he may have used a sledgehammer to smash display counters at a luxury watch store. He was allegedly paid HK$5,000 to take part in the smash-and-grab gang raid on a shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, where they took off with 20 luxury watches.

"The investigation revealed that he skipped school on that day and joined the gang to commit the robbery," a source familiar with the case said.

The boy even wore his school uniform, though he had a jacket or pullover on top.

Originally from Pakistan, he is quite tall and big for his age, at 1.7 metres tall and weighing 132 pounds (60kg). The boy came here in 2018 to join his parents. 

The police believe a 14-year-old was also involved in the robbery who allegedly carried a knife during the incident and grabbed some of the expensive watches.

The trio allegedly stole 20 luxury watches

It is believed the third person is a 19-year-old man who was found near Kowloon Peak in Sai Kung, and officers found a backpack with the stolen watches in the bushes nearby. The authorities said all the items had been recovered.

How shocking and sad that kids are involved in robberies. Not much is known about their backgrounds, but it could be various reasons from financial desperation to feelings of neglect or helplessness, or being led astray.

It will all be revealed later in court, and many will be following this case as the investigation progresses.

Investigation Into Illegal Structures at Tai Tam

The slope is unstable at Redhill Peninsula following landslide

Today Hong Kong's weather has heavy rains, and in parts of Kowloon and Sai Kung there are even flash floods. Seems like the city can't get a break from the rain, let alone have enough time to clear all the drains so that the water can be removed from roads.

In the aftermath of the record-breaking rainstorm, there are now questions as to whether there are illegal structures built in the tony area of Tai Tam. 

One house at 72 Redhill Peninsula had to be evacuated because of the landslide caused by the heavy rains, while the two houses next to it, 70 and 74 will undergo safety checks, as they could be affected as well.

Linn says the homes will be inspected for safety

An initial investigation revealed illegal structures at all three houses, including digging below to create basements. The occupants not only violated the terms of the leasing conditions, but also the extensions occupied land that belongs to the government.

"As to whether there are unauthorised building structures or unlawful occupation of government land, our initial evidence shows there is indeed some breach of leases and unlawful occupation, but our primary focus at the moment is to stabilise the slope to ensure public safety," said Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho.

Government contractors will inject cement into the slope in a bid to stabilise it, Linn said.

Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said the authorities would strictly enforce the law in response to discovering any illegal structures.

"We place a lot of importance on that, as [the illegal structures] could affect public safety," he said.

Will the occupants be prosecuted if illegal structures are found? An NGO that focuses on land and development research found satellite images that suggest a garden extension at 70 Redhill was done 13 years ago.

Landslide reveals possible illegal structures

Mostly celebrities and wealthy businessmen live in these houses that can cost some HK$112 million for 3,136 square feet.

Jason Poon Chuk-hung is a structural engineer who says the digging at Redhill Peninsula to create basements could have aggravated the pressure on the slope.

He said the Buildings Department would need to issue a demolition order to the owners of the three sites if illegal structures are found on their properties, and this could cost some HK$10 million per property.

"But the slope has collapsed, which cannot be rebuilt. The best the government can do is to build an artificial slope, which will cost about HK$50 million," Poon said. "Whether or not the government can claim the construction costs from the property owners will depend on the courts."

Poon added the three houses would be plagued by structural risks going forward, and their property prices would drop by 25 percent.

It has now been reported that the owner of 74 Redhill Peninsula refuses to allow government teams to inspect the house, and so the authorities are currently applying for a court warrant to investigate any other illegal structures.

Get out the popcorn, folks. It's going to be a a dramatic show.

Whale's Misadventure in HK Waters

A dead whale carcass was found Monday morning in Sai Kung

Fishermen spotted a whale carcass floating in the waters off Shelter Island in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, and now police and officials from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department are trying to assess whether the 7-metre-whale is the one that was spotted in mid-July.

It was a surprise to see a Bryde's whale in Hong Kong, with conservation groups speculating it may have lost its way. As a result tourist-boats filled with people rushed out to see the whale, which was found to have two large gashes in its back about a week ago. The wounds may have been caused by a propeller.

A Bryde's whale was spotted July 13

If the carcass is the same whale, its demise may have been caused by the injury, though people encroaching on it, would have inflicted greater stress on the animal, having so many boats only metres away from it.

The authorities and conservation groups had called for people to be at least 100 metres away from the mammal.

Even Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, currently acting Chief Executive as John Lee Ka-chiu is away, to order marine police to increase patrols in the area to keep boats away from the Bryde's whale.

At the time marine biologist Taison Chang Kai-tai, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society urged the public not to go too close to the animal to avoid causing further injuries, and that it may have lost its way.

Two gashes were on the whale's back

"With the injuries, it will face bigger difficulties in finding its way out [to its habitat]," Chang said, adding it was also facing more challenges in feeding.

The demise of the whale is a sad reminder of the ignorance of Hongkongers when it comes to wild animals. The keyword is wild.

Day Trip Kayaking at Bowen Island

Our group kayaking around the coastline of Bowen Island

This morning I got up bright and early -- before 6am to catch a bus in order to catch a ride to Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal to go to Bowen Island.

We made it there an hour early than the ferry sailing at 9.05am for a trip that took 20 minutes. 

As soon as we arrived, we stepped onto a place that lives by "island time"... kind of reminded me of Hong Kong's outlying islands like Lamma and Mui Wo.

Many multimillion dollar homes by the water

Not far from the ferry terminal was the place where we had reserved a three-hour kayaking tour. We were suited up with a life vest and given a paddle before we were given a quick lesson on how to kayak before walking down to the dock and getting into our kayaks.

I'd been kayaking once before in Hong Kong last year when my friend took me to the Ho Hai Wan Marine Park in Sai Kung. The water was very calm and we would land in various beaches and get in and out of the water so we were quite wet by the end of it.

Here we were in kayaks that were a bit more protected from the water, though we did get wet in the groin area and the legs. By the end of it salt crystals stuck to my legs!

I really enjoy being out in the water and kayaking gives you the best opportunity to be really close to the water without jumping in. Kayaking is also not difficult to do once you are taught the basics. This kayak also had a rudder that could be controlled with foot pedals, whereas in Hong Kong we had to rely on our ability to maneuver the kayak with just our paddles.

This seal was snorting at me taking his picture!

Here we had two to a kayak which was fun and allowed for more conversations with others in the group. We followed a guide around the coastline, but when we got to more open water, it became quite choppy, which is when water started sloshing into our kayak. Also two people on separate kayaks became seasick and had to get to shore.

We took a break while they did that and their partners could team up in one kayak for a last spin around. We went across to one area and got very close to the edge where we could see harbour seals hanging out. They barely moved which made my friend wonder if an artist had painted eyes on rocks! haha. As I took a picture with my phone, one of them snorted at me. Or maybe he just happened to have nasal issues.

Below them were tons of mussels clinging to the rocks and below them near the water were bright purple star fish! Above us we saw some bald eagles and someone in our group joked they were circling around for us... on the water we saw a flock of Canadian geese too.

There were many homes by the waterfront complete with their own docks. These are multimillion dollar homes and it's interesting to note their water comes from wells dug on the property, while sewage is dealt with in a septic tank that is pumped out every decade or so.

The water was very clear but didn't see much

And as should be expected, everything on the island is expensive because it must be shipped in. There's two and a half police (they are on part time schedules), and all the firemen are volunteers (residents on the island). Normally there are 5,000 residents on Bowen Island, but it doubles in the summer when people come to occupy their holiday homes.

A member of our group lives and works in Vancouver during the week and comes back to Bowen Island on the weekends. She told us during the Covid-19 pandemic, people discovered Bowen Island because it's relatively easy to get to and not too far, and as a result property prices have gone up. 

While it's possible to stay in an airbnb, it is impossible to rent a place, especially for seasonal workers. One of the guides told us they were here working for the summer and had no place to live so they are living in their van -- which is illegal!

Giant purple starfish clinging to the rocks

Our three-hour tour was a bit too long for some people, but weather-wise in general it wasn't too hot though it was windy at times. Having booked this weeks in advance we were lucky the weather was perfect. 

After some lunch and drinks, we were too late for the 2.45pm ferry so we had to wait until 4pm for the next one. Then coupled with traffic getting onto the Lions Gate Bridge, we didn't get back until 5.45pm.

Four Arrested in Attempt to Flee HK

Tsang two years earlier looking small and young

Many critics are pointing out how the Hong Kong police have paraded four young men who absconded their court hearings related to the 2019 protests.

The four, ranging from 16 to 24 years old, hid from the authorities for almost two years, moved from place to place at night in cardboard boxes, and it looks like they were malnourished.

Apparently their alleged plan was to leave for Taiwan, as they were arrested at Pak Tam Chung, a peninsula in southern Sai Kung very early on Wednesday morning.

Tsang (far right) and another arrestee

The police's main arrestee is Tsang Chi-kin, who some may remember was shot by a policeman in broad daylight on October 1, 2019 in Tsuen Wan.

Now three years later he is lean and skinny with very long hair. He is also escorted by policemen that some observe are shorter that Tsang to make him look taller, perhaps in a bid to show that he is no longer the young secondary student who was shot.

Critics also note that the media are not usually allowed to photograph arrestees so closely, but a few days ago they were able to get up close, perhaps to hint to others this is what happens when you try to hide from the authorities.

It's also interesting senior superintendent Li Kwai-wah attempted to sympathise what the four young men had gone through.

"Although the four arrestees had committed some offences in the past, and violated bail conditions, after seeing what they had been through and their appearance, we felt very upset and appalled," Li said.

Tsang was shot by a policeman in October 2019

The four "were living a lie and full of fear for nearly two years -- and wasted two years of their youth for nothing."

It seems ironic for Li to say this, as the four were perhaps fearful of what would happen to them if they were arrested, which is why they did what they did. It may not have been the right decision, but this what what they chose to do.

He also noted the arrestees' long, unkempt hair, and "poor mental condition" when they were arrested.

Li says the four were supported by a foreign crowd-funding group -- based in the UK -- and some people in Hong Kong moved them to different locations for two years. One arrested was a 34-year-old man. Li said the four paid the group HK$400,000 to get them out of Hong Kong.

The four had even tried to approach the US Consulate in Central in October 2020 but were denied entry. 

Seven of 12 were convicted of perverting justice

Now the national security police are involved in the investigation, and that people who had donated to the group's crowdfunding activity may have violated the law. 

And by the way seven of the 12 people who were first reported to attempt to flee to Taiwan were handed sentences ranging from seven to 10 months in jail for perverting the course of justice.

They all pleaded guilty after having served several months in prison across the border for entering China illegally.