DING DING
Whether you choose to hop on them or not, there is no denying that our city has an unbreakable bond with its iconic trams. So when Sit Kwok-keung proposed to
scrap some of the affectionately named "ding dings" earlier this year, it was hardly surprising that Hong Kongers were up in arms over the suggestion.
While internet users filled up their feeds with outraged comments and gathered signatures to petition to the Government, one pair decided to take a more artistic approach to show their objections by creating a short video aptly named
DING DING.
Jumping on board the iconic carriages,
Joao da Silva and Emily Siu took in upon themselves to ask passengers to share their stories and reasons for using the tram. The result is a black and white montage which pays tribute to a part of Hong Kong's heritage that has remained untouched for over a century.
"Joao and I had the idea to make the video after we heard about the proposal to get rid of trams between admiralty and central," Siu tells Localiz. "I take the trams often and was quite worried, shocked, and angry, so I thought we could make a video to remind Hong Kong people of the beauty of trams.
"We wanted to show people that sometimes this city is just too fast, and the tram gives us exactly what we need - a chance to slow down and find some space to think. To feel the wind blowing in your face and taking a minute to enjoy the view sounds like a "luxurious" thing to do in a city like Hong Kong, but the trams allow you to do that. It's almost romantic, like having a relationship with the city."
Well luckily for us, the Town Planning Board took a similar stance and rejected Sit's proposal on October 23 - and so the love affair continues!
Read more! Explore the life of our city's trams in pictures at the exhibit,
Following Trams (04:06 – 01:07) and Two Depots, and go behind the scenes with the show's organiser Irene Flanhardt.
