If you have an appreciation for highly detailed art pieces and seeing iconic locations of Hong Kong, Hong Kong: Through The Looking Glass is a miniature exhibition not to be missed.
As part of the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the exhibition is currently making its debut in Singapore after successful tours across various cities in China and Japan.
What to expect at Hong Kong: Through The Looking Glass
This exhibition promises an immersion in the unique world of miniature art. Re-imagine Hong Kong on a different scale, and experience the magic of 40 miniature sensations of old, new and beloved Hong Kong immortalised through precision, patience and passion of talented Hong Kong artists.
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Many of the beautiful models have an incredible amount of detail and each set takes about three years to complete. Some of the models have moving parts such as changing traffic lights for models with roads and movable fans in the model of a typical Hong Kong Coffee house.
Other than people, there are also a few animal models that show up in multiple exhibits adding a nice touch to detail to the already detailed exhibits.
There are even a few easter eggs in various exhibits such as a figure that looks like Bruce Lee.
Here are some of the model exhibits that caught our eye.
Must See Model Exhibits At Hong Kong: Through The Looking Glass
Cheung Chau Bun Festival
The most lively event on Cheung Chau Island and the most unique festival celebrated in Hong Kong, The Cheung Chau Bun Festival is a celebration unique to the island. A iconic activitiy is when Athletes race to the top of a 14-metre bamboo tower covered with lucky buns, collecting as many buns as possible to win.
This mini model depicts a scene from the Bun Scrambling Competition in 2012. The artist had thousands of mini buns, each hand-painted down to the detail of being “stamped” with the words “平安”.
The exhibit also features a figure that represents one of the Bun Scrambling Competition Champions Lai Chi Wai, who became wheelchair-bound after an accident but returned to the scene to act as an emcee in the competition.
Bamboo Theatre
Bamboo theatres are temporary Chinese opera performance venues erected in villages, towns or football courts during festivals and celebrations such as Yue Lan Festival.For this exhibit, the artist has painted over 1,000 lightbulbs and handmade a large flower board to highlight the lively atmosphere and traditional craftsmanship.
It is also interesting to note that the facial expressions in each of the models in the crowd are different and each of the different actions such as certain participants actively watching the performance while others are glancing at their phones make the whole scene even more realistic.
Yue Man Square
The Yue Man Square exhibit is one of the highlights in the Hong Kong: Through The Looking Glass exhibition. It features the old days of Kwun Tong, an industrial heartland with its bright neon lights, busy traffic and neighbourhood shops.
There are tons of details to admire such as a movie poster on the historic Bonds Theatre and there are also QR codes around the model that visitors can scan to see some animated scenes bring the exhibit to life.
Snack Street
You wouldn’t have truly had a visit to Hong Kong without trying their delicious food.
This exhibit features 13 food stalls selling egg waffles, curry fish balls, and baked yams. There are even mini signs with actual words written on them.
Other exhibits with food in them include the Big Bowl Feast and the Sai Kung Seafood Stall – just to name a few.
The Caged Balconies
Some of these exhibits also showcase the unique and iconic architecture found in Hong Kong such as the unauthorised balconies in past tenement buildings. This was a space that residents then used as extra space to grow plants, read newspapers and dry their clothes as part of their daily activities.
Hong Kong: Through the Looking Glass miniature exhibition
The Hong Kong: Through the Looking Glass miniature exhibition will be happening on April 4, 2022 (1 pm to 9 pm) and April 5 to 17, 2022 (10 am to 9 pm). Admission to the exhibition is free.
The exhibition is split into two parts, Suntec City East Atrium Level 1 and Level 3, #03-342 (near the playground). There are miniature workshops open to members of the public on certain days.
For more details, visit the website here.
