Virtual world of cultural memory: Hong Kong variant

Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

Postgraduate student, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University

VIRTUAL WORLD OF CULTURAL MEMORY: HONG KONG VARIANT

Tolkacheva V.A.

Abstract

The article considers ways and forms of cultural memory preservation of Hong Kong as the unique place which harmoniously combines features of the European and Asian cultures for many years. Who are they: Chinese or Europeans? What do they prefer to remember about themselves?

Keywords: cultural memory, Hong Kong, Internet resources.

Аннотация

Толкачева В.А.

Аспирант, Научный Исследовательский Томский политехнический университет

ВИРТУАЛЬНЫЙ МИР КУЛЬТУРНОЙ ПАМЯТИ: ГОНКОНГСКИЙ ВАРИАНТ

В статье рассмотрены способы и формы сохранения культурной памяти в Гонконге как уникальном месте, который на протяжении многих лет гармонично сочетает в себе черты европейской и азиатской культуры. Кто же они: китайцы или европейцы? Какую память о себе они предпочитают сохранять?

Ключевые слова: культурная память, Гонконг, Интернет ресурсы.

Main text

The problem of cultural memory preservation has overstepped the limits of scientific interest for a long time. All countries without exception deal with this problem. However approaches, financing and scales differ.

Hong Kong is a special territory. Being on the one hand for a long time a colony of Great Britain, and on the other hand being the part of China it should answer every day itself an important question of identity: Who are we - Chinese or Europeans? What should we hold in our memory? Hong Kong tries to balance between two absolutely opposite worlds. It didn't become European, but also it didn't become Asian. It has harmoniously incorporated features of the European and Asian cultures, considering it as its uniqueness. With the same purpose there are two official languages in Hong Kong - English and Chinese.

As for the European culture Hong Kong has adopted so called “effective management” from it. Education, science, travel business, banking are constructed by the European principle. The tribute to the British presence is paid also in the names of the streets, parks, metro stations. Several memorable places are connected with the name of the Queen Victoria - Victoria Park, Victoria Peak. However it is only one side of Hong Kong. The second part is brighter, more picturesque and is connected with the Chinese culture. Food, clothes, markets keep the Chinese originality. memory cultural hong kong

Who cares about preserving memory in Hong Kong?

The considerable part of work on preservation of Hong Kong cultural memory is carried out by universities, the education system in general.

The University of Hong Kong (one of the best world's universities) develops and embodies its own projects on preservation of cultural memory in Hong Kong. It is evident at once when you get on HKU metro station (Hong Kong University). One of the walls of the station is devoted to the university's history for the last 100 years. The wall represents gallery of photos of significant events in life not only university but also Hong Kong in general. The gallery begins with black-and-white photos, in the middle of the exposition there are colored inserts, and at the end it is possible to see bright colored photos, modern faces, illustrations of recent events. All photos are followed by signatures. The format of photos allows to consider in details faces of people, landscapes, life of people of different eras. It is often possible to meet the tourists and residents of Hong Kong here who are attentively considering this gallery. Among cultural and historical objects the leading role belongs to historical and cultural monuments which differ in the greatest appeal and therefore serve as the main means of satisfaction of needs for an informative and cultural recreation [1].

One of the most effective and popular methods of preserving memory nowadays is the Internet. It is possible to find the website “Hong Kong Memory” easily here. The website “Hong Kong Memory” is response to UNESCO's Memory of the World Program which calls for the preservation of valuable archive holdings and library collections all over the world through digitization to guard against collective amnesia [3].

It is the multimedia website which gives free and open entry to the digitized materials on Hong Kong's history and culture. Materials include textual records, photos, posters, sound recordings, movies and videos. Organizers of the website are the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The last one has offered 80 million dollars to the project and promoted the involvement of prominent scientists to this work. The project team has begun the work in 2004, and in 2012 the website was published. Preserving historical and cultural heritage of Hong Kong, consolidation of various sources in one resource was the purpose of the website creation. Openness and availability to all the information were the main conditions of this website creation.

The main peculiarity of the website is video and audio material. The website, following modern requirements, provides a large number of visual information, articles are small (as sketches) for the visitors to read the information up to the end. Accuracy of the information does not raise doubts; materials are collected from official sources and based on stories of eyewitnesses of different events.

This resource contains 3 big sections: Collections, Exhibitions and Oral history. A large number of photographic materials allow not just to study features of this or that time, but also to like an era. The section “Oral History”, certainly, is a unique find of the developers of the website. Ordinary residents of Hong Kong answer different questions about their life, tell family stories. Here it is possible to learn reliable stories from the eyewitnesses what their families thought about education of women, about family traditions, or burdens and deprivations of certain residents of Hong Kong. The website contains more than hundred audio records of people of different age, professions, and ethnic groups. The volume of interview covers a wide range of areas, such as the industry, education, community, housing, art and culture, and also public life in Hong Kong under the Japanese occupation. Most performances are presented the Cantonese dialect of Chinese. It is explained by the age of many elderly interviewers who cannot speak English fluently. The reduced translation of their speech is presented here in English in printed form. So the website harmoniously combines both official languages. In general the creators have placed emphasis on simple people, eternal values. The purpose of their work was not to find something that will shake scientific elite or the whole world. Perhaps, popularity of this website is explained by it. The principle is that here are the same people as I.

Various libraries of Hong Kong have similar websites. The use of the Internet resources today is the modern effective tool in any kind of activities, and many people actively use it. Especially it concerns the library sphere.

In general, if to analyze the activity of Hong Kong's libraries, so it is possible to find a number of the planned actions (2-3 events a month) for preservation of cultural memory. They often are initiators of various projects, help to collect information. Regularly they hold regional conferences, forums, seminars on this subject. Participants of these actions are various ministries of Hong Kong, the staff of universities and students. More often it occurs in the form of communication, for example, on a subject of existence of a subethnic group of Chinese of Hakk (Heritage Arts Design Walk Project - Hakka Culture, Subject Talk Series) or in the form of excursions to historical places of Hong Kong (“Explore the Wun Yiu in Tai Po” Guided Tour). Hong Kong possesses the extensive network consisting of more than 600 libraries. So we can speak about huge work on preservation of cultural memory in the country.

Besides it is possible to find the websites selling souvenirs in the Internet, but with emphasis for cultural memory with warm words about Hong Kong for tourists, but also for its inhabitants who can collect, for example, 3D puzzles of a taxi or a bus of Hong Kong and many other things.

The separate websites are devoted to memorable tours. These are not just shopping tours for tourists of Hong Kong. This is a visit of memorable places which will tell you about bright original history of Hong Kong.

The information about the history of Hong Kong can be met almost everywhere, and always in an unostentatious form. The fact that walls of the ordinary hostel are arranged by photos of events, architecture, people of Hong Kong of different years can serve as the simple proof of it. Black-and-white style is still in fashion therefore such solution of walls decoration looks not instructive, but stylishly.

Students are also stimulated on participation in various projects on preserving culture as initiators, developers or volunteers. Passing on university every day it is possible to observe the program of preserving cultural memory in operation. In specially organized zones the students present different aspects of their life: they sing national songs, sell national souvenirs, and agitate to enter students' community on preserving culture, for example, a disappearing dialect of language.

Sometimes actions are beyond university walls, borrowing for one or several days the territory of any park. In such places the thematic, national fairs are organized. They remind similar fairs in Russia - national songs, dances, food, entertainments and many other things. Students help with the organization of these actions, acting as volunteers, consultants, actors.

Such method of youth involvement into the process of preserving national culture, memory seems to be the most effective. The youth shall become the responsible carrier of cultural memory of the country. Active influence of foreign-language cultures through the Internet resources nowadays is a big danger to all countries. Attraction of youth for creation of thematic blogs, websites, and also for exchange of information with youth of other countries is the guarantee of cultural memory preserving for the whole generation, or perhaps longer.

Since the mid-1980s, critics have questioned, praised and condemned the inherent potential of the new globalizing technologies in reshaping the very foundations of society [2].

The modern youth con not imagine their life without computers, phones, the Internet any more. We understand it and we stop to criticize children, students for excessive use of gadgets. We should take this situation for granted and try to direct the Internet energy to the “correct” way. Participation of students of Hong Kong in similar actions gives them a notable bonus, and participation of foreign students is also welcomed.

Conclusion

With the developing of the Internet disputes on its advantages and harm for society do not cease. Hong Kong has made for itself the important decision on use of this powerful resource in the peace purposes. Generally, it is made on own belief of certain people, but not upon the demand of state programs. Residents of Hong Kong aim to remember everything that was in their life, in the history and culture of their country. They are not inclined to look for shortcomings of the past, they accept it as it was, and they look forward with hope.

Reference

1. Draga S.V., Loiko O.T., Korneeva A.Ju. «Lokus» social'noj pamjati: resurs kollektivnoj identichnosti // MNIZh. №7-4 (38). URL: http://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/lokus-sotsialnoy-pamyati-resurs-kollektivnoy-identichnosti (дата обращения: 11.06.2016).

2. Mikula Virvual landscapes of memory. // Information, Communication & Society. 2003. 6(2) p. 169-186.

3. Sinn E. About Hong Kong Memory. URL: http://www.hkmemory.hk/index.html (дата обращения: 11.06.2016).

Размещено на Allbest.ru