“The hanging of a big banner in the course of the Umbrella Motion in 2014… in addition to the forming of the glistening human chain to the highest within the 2019 protest, are proof of the symbolic significance of Lion Rock,” stated Leung.
“We expect the spirit of Lion Rock is not nearly cash,” one of many nameless youths behind the banner stated in video footage the group shared of the 2014 stunt, including: “This sort of combating towards injustice, energy within the face of troubles, is the true Lion Rock Spirit.”
The dramatic development of Hong Kong’s center class in current many years, and the rise within the variety of younger adults who’ve accomplished increased training, means the Lion Rock Spirit has advanced to change into one thing new. “The socio-economic state of affairs has modified [and] the Nineteen Seventies idea of Lion Rock Spirit is now not relevant,” stated Hardy-Wong.
Nevertheless – though few younger adults have most likely seen any of the 15-minute, black-and-white early episodes of Under the Lion Rock – one core idea has stayed the identical.
In essence, the lyrics of the Under the Lion Rock theme say that whereas there’ll at all times be struggles in life, the individuals of Hong Kong could make their lives higher by pushing their variations apart and being supportive of one another. Everyone seems to be, in spite of everything, in the identical boat, and that solidarity nonetheless holds for a lot of.
“The traditional good professions corresponding to physician and lawyer are now not the careers [the younger generation] pursue,” stated Hardy-Wong. “Subsequently, the Lion Rock Spirit is used extra for social context now, particularly after the social motion in 2019, when the individuals shared the identical values, desirous to voice their opinions and calls for, to try for a simply and equal society.”
Why We Are What We Are is a BBC Journey collection inspecting the traits of a rustic and investigating whether or not they’re true.
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