A diverse and hungry crowd filled the EMU Ballroom in an event to highlight Western and Eastern influences in contemporary Hong Kong culture Sunday night.
The annual Hong Kong Night is hosted by the Hong Kong Student Association, a student organization created in 1987 to bond Hong Kong students with the University. However, for the first time in 20 years, HKSA changed the event’s theme.
In the past, Hong Kong Night consisted of a drama or a traditional Hong Kong story performance. This year it featured multiple dance and musical performances from both American and Hong Kong groups.
Kenny Fan, co-president of HKSA, said “the previous years inaccurately depicted Hong Kong, which receives influences from both Eastern and Western pop culture.”
According to Fan, who grew up mostly in Hong Kong, the rise in popularity of American pop and hip-hop in Hong Kong has had a profound effect on the area’s contemporary culture. “Cantopop” (or Hong Kong pop), an example of this American influence, fuses Western pop beats with Cantonese poetry and language.
By mixing Western performances into the Hong Kong performances, Fan aimed to show true Hong Kong culture and to get more Americans and other cultural groups interested in attending.
Megumi Fukaya, a business major and exchange student from Japan, said she attended just to see her friends perform but also received a beneficial cultural experience.
As the audience enjoyed the show, HKSA members brought plates of food provided by Panda Express to each table. Dishes such as fried rice, orange chicken, mandarin chicken and steamed vegetables filled the bellies of hungry students and community members.
Western performers, including University a cappella groups On the Rocks and Divisi, started off the night. Teigh Bowen, On the Rocks’ public relations manager and a tenor singer, said the group enjoyed performing in such a well-organized show. He believes the diversity of different performers contributed positively to Hong Kong Night.
The UO Jam Squad’s high energy and a comedic performance by Delta Sigma Phi’s boy-band raised the crowd’s spirit and excitement as the night progressed.
Hong Kong acts took the stage for the majority of the event with hip-hop dances and popular songs sung in Mandarin, Cantonese and English. Pieces executed by the piano and zither (an instrument including a sound box and strings, well-known in East Asian cultures) also added to the musical entertainment.
The Mushu Performers, a spoof of Wushu performers, who use a combination of popular fighting styles and aesthetic movements in their routines, also performed an act.
While not yet sure whether HKSA achieved its goal of attracting 400 audience members Sunday night, Fan was positive about the turnout. He attributed much of the night’s success to the help of Greek Life. If the ticket count comes within HKSA’s goal, Fan believes the group may choose to continue with the same theme of “East meets West” next year.
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