China: A Century of Changes Review

By J.B.Browne

Xinhua photo exhibition highlights the history of Hong Kong and China over the past century

From October 8-17, a photo exhibition showcasing the parallel kinship between Hong Kong and China over the last 100 years opened at the Hong Kong Central Library, the largest public library in the city. CHINA: A CENTURY OF CHANGES is part of a joint venture between the HKSAR and Xinhua New Agency to bring more local awareness of both regions' shared history.

Drawing from Xinhua's vast archives of over 10 million copyrighted images since 1892, the curator and sub-committee selected over 200 photographs for display. The pictures are historical snapshots from roughly the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 to the more recent Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area development.

The exhibition unfolds somewhat chronologically, the first part taking the visitor through many of the milestones of China's blistering development of science and technology in infrastructure. These quite formidable achievements are "deck cut" into decades, including the dilemmas people faced in specific historical circumstances.

There are two ways you could look at this exhibition. One is within the dewy-eyed framing of colonial rose tint; i.e., Hong Kong has been "lost" since 1997, its uniqueness gradually fading away from the paws of ex-Great Britain as it floats further into the dragon's lair. The other is acknowledging China's rise and historical return as a leading nation as our lifetimes' most incredible rejuvenation story.

Whether you're predisposed to frame exhibitions like this as "flagrant nationalism" or not, one cannot deny the broad steps China has made to get to a point where children of farmers get to explore outer space. These photos undeniably show an arc of re-emergence, and the giant leaps are almost too much to absorb in one sitting.

There's another hidden theme here, too, one that becomes increasingly apparent as the exhibition closes out. Peppered with historical photographs of Hong Kong, the last few gallery spaces show the dregs of the city's British colonial past and its handover back to its country of origin.

Though not sufficiently contextualized here, the history of Hong Kong as a smash and grab outpost for the British-American opium trade (to China) is often overlooked. Yet the last twenty years of British rule (1978-1997) saw exponential growth in GDP per capita. Why?

The common misconception is British innovation or clever policy from Downing Street (with Hong Kong citizens' innate uniqueness or superiority as icing on the cake). But the overarching truth is that Hong Kong was fortunate to be where it was as China gradually opened up until it fully opened up by joining the WTO in 2001. In that time, Hong Kong could take on some of the functions China would otherwise have conducted. Instead, its growth relied on the benefit of being a funnel for foreign businesses looking for a slice of a lucrative Chinese market. It's all here if you look hard enough; you just have to follow the progress of the Mainland to see how both emerged in synchronicity with undeniable bloodlines.

Though the exhibition has now ended, some photos will be displayed in Hong Kong schools and local communities.

As he would refer himself, J.B. Browne is a half "foreign devil" living with anxiety relieved by purchase. HK-born Writer/Musician/Tinkerer.

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