Cultural exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong were only
renewed in the 1980s, after China opened its doors to the
international community.
At that time, Hong Kong's pop culture, consisting of music,
movies, TV series and even fashion, was a major attraction to
mainlanders.
After the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the unique
culture of Hong Kong seeped into the mainland and became less
mysterious to the rest of China. Conversely, Chinese mainland's
culture began to influence many Hong Kong residents.
This interaction process has been greatly assisted by efforts
from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Government
of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), which has
sponsored many cultural exchange programs, as well as the Hong Kong
government's invitation of mainland celebrities like super athlete
Liu Xiang, basketball star Yao Ming and astronaut Yang Liwei to
meet with local people.
Moreover, the implementation of the Closer Economic Partnership
Arrangement (CEPA) between the mainland and Hong Kong has ushered
in an era of win-win cooperation between film and TV industries of
Hong Kong and the mainland.
Film industry taking off
Under CEPA terms, Hong Kong-made films do not have to compete
with foreign films for the small quota of imported movies on the
mainland. The cultural similarities and language advantages also
mean Hong Kong movies grab a large slice of mainland
moviegoers.
Legend, Perhaps Love and other films jointly made by Hong Kong
and the mainland have been box-office successes. In 2005, action
superstar Jackie Chan became the first Hong Kong entertainer to be
awarded the highest honor of China's films-the Golden Rooster, for
best actor.
Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai predicted several years ago that
the biggest market for Hong Kong films was the mainland. This is
borne out by the success of films like Seven Swords by director
Tsui Hark and 2046 by Wong, which, although each only taking in
around 7 million yuan (around $915,000) in Hong Kong, made over 70
million yuan (around $9.15 million) and 35 million yuan (around
$4.58 million), respectively, on the mainland.
Despite having to adapt to the tastes of mainlanders and
becoming familiar with relevant rules and regulations of filmmaking
on the mainland, cooperation between filmmakers of the two sides
has been flourishing.
In the meantime, restrictions on Hong Kong businesses investing
in the mainland's theaters have been loosened. They are now allowed
to build or renovate theaters on the mainland via joint ventures or
cooperation and hold controlling stakes in such companies.
Of the 10 Hong Kong-funded theaters on the mainland, the most
famous are Beijing New Century Cinema by Broadway Circuit and UME
international Cineplex in Chongqing and Hangzhou funded by the
Seasonal Film Corp. and founded by director and producer Ng See
Yuan. All these cinemas have been profitable.
But films are only part of the deepening cultural merger between
the mainland and Hong Kong.
Hong Kong's universities popular for mainlanders
In the summer of 2005, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and
City University of Hong Kong began to enroll students for the first
time on the mainland. Many top students were attracted. The trend
remained in the following years.
“The study environment of universities in Hong Kong is very
good, the faculty is strong and you can feel the energy of living
in an international metropolis,” said a student from the mainland
studying in the Chinese University of Hong Kong wishing to remain
anonymous. “It is the right choice for me.”
Personnel in Hong Kong's universities said that mainland
students are very diligent and have a serious attitude toward study
and respect for teachers, which can set models for Hong Kong
students.
Apart from the recruitment, the Central Government also
encourages universities of Hong Kong and the mainland to carry out
cooperation in acknowledging the courses that students have taken
and sharing results of the scores achieved from each side.
The mainland and Hong Kong have also enhanced cooperation in the
creative industry. In 2003, the HKSAR Government came up with a
concept to cover careers outside the sciences, including
advertising, architecture, arts, craftwork, design, film, video
production, music, and drama, with the aim to give full play to the
important role of the creative industry in the economic transition
of the bustling city.
Coincidentally, some mainland cities are paying increasing
attention to the development of the creative industry, which has
opened a new field for cooperation between Hong Kong and the
mainland.
Hong Kong has a unique advantage in the development of the
creative industry --it combines Western and Eastern cultures, has a
good number of people with creative ideas and a mature intellectual
property rights protection system, and is a world center of trade
and information. On the mainland's part, it has rich cultural
resources, huge market potential and strong cultural industry base.
Provided they can cooperate more closely, their culture industries
surely will have a new look for the world.