Lion Rock Spirit

Further information: Culture of Hong Kong, Below the Lion Rock, and Below the Lion Rock (song)

Kwun Tong Road below the Lion Rock in 1945

Lion Rock Spirit (Chinese: 獅子山精神), also known as the Spirit of Hong Kong (香港精神), is a term referring to the "can-do" attitude of Hong Kong people and their collective determination to improve their lives in the face of difficulties. It has been compared to the "Blitz spirit" and the "American Dream".

The term first emerged during the 1970s and was coined after Below the Lion Rock (獅子山下), a television series first aired in 1972 by public broadcaster RTHK. It featured stories about the working class and tackled sociopolitical issues. The series became even more popular in 1979 with the addition of a sentimental theme song of the same name sung by Roman Tam. Despite the widespread popularity of the series and song, the "Lion Rock Spirit" only became a symbol of fortitude ingrained in the collective consciousness of Hong Kong people in 2002, when it was referenced by the city's financial secretary, Antony Leung, in his announcement of the government's budget plan.

Starting with the 2014 Hong Kong protests, different generations has increasingly had contrasting interpretations of the "Lion Rock Spirit". While older generations see it as a sense of societal unity to overcome difficulties, younger generations use the term in social contexts, most notably as perseverance in fighting for universal suffrage.

Origin

The term "Lion Rock Spirit" was coined after the RTHK drama series Below the Lion Rock, which first aired in 1972. The series itself is named after the Lion Rock, a mountain which has become symbolic of Hong Kong's growth as it overlooks Kowloon's densely-populated working-class districts, including Wong Tai Sin, Tsz Wan San, and Wang Tau Hom.

Background

From 1945 to 1951, there was a large influx of mainland Chinese refugees into then-British Hong Kong, who were attempting to escape the Chinese Civil War and later, Maoist China. As Hong Kong's population tripled from about 600,000 to more than 2 million, causing a severe housing shortage, many of these refugees settled in squatter communities around areas on the Kowloon hillsides. Living conditions in these communities were poor, as inhabitants suffered from hunger, malnutrition, poor sanitation, disease outbreaks, extreme competition for work, low pay, and exploitation by bosses. In 1953, the Shek Kip Mei squatter area was destroyed by a fire, leaving over 53,000 people homeless overnight. This led the Hong Kong government to begin building public housing and clearing the squatter areas. By 1972, an ambitious public housing programme promised affordable public housing for 1.8 million citizens, about 45% of the entire population at the time. Hong Kong in the 1970s is also characterised by rapid economic development and expansion, attributed to the surge in labour force and the hard-working attitudes of the immigrants who aimed to improve their living standards.

Below the Lion Rock

Starting in 1972, the TV series Below the Lion Rock dramatised the difficult lives of the poor in these parts of Kowloon, with a focus on "reflecting the social situation". The show featured true-to-life characters like street hawkers, civil servants, reporters, and firemen; and tackled sociopolitical issues like corruption, drugs, gambling addiction, struggles of ex-cons and of the disabled; resonating with the oppressed and the working class. The show was further popularised in 1979, with the addition of a sentimental theme song of the same name, sang by Cantopop star Roman Tam.

We wanted to produce a programme to relate the situation of the Hong Kong people, and what they were thinking at that time. We did not have a particular 'spirit' in mind, but I think in the early days it was about people being poor and working to improve their living standards.

— Rita Chan Man-yee, an executive director of Below the Lion Rock

With Below the Lion Rock portraying how Hong Kong people in the 1960s and 1970s (who mostly lived near the Lion Rock) overcame adversities and collectively improved their lives in the city through unity, hard work, and resilience, the Lion Rock has since been seen as a representation of Hong Kong people's indomitable spirit. The series highlighted their commonly shared core values, named the "Lion Rock Spirit", which has been described by public broadcaster RTHK as "perseverance and solidarity" (Chinese: 逆境自存，群策群力).

Cultural influence

Despite the popularity of the show Below the Lion Rock and its eponymous theme song Below the Lion Rock since their inception, the symbolic meanings of the song's lyrics only started to become part of the collective consciousness of Hong Kong people in 2002, when then-Financial Secretary Antony Leung cited the last stanza of the song's lyrics when announcing the government's annual budget plan.

Of one mind in pursuit of our dream, All discord set aside, with one heart on the same bright quest, Fearless and valiant inside. Hand in hand to the ends of the Earth, Rough terrain no respite, Side by side we overcome ills, As the Hong Kong story we write.

— Below the Lion Rock (translated from Cantonese)

With the Hong Kong economy badly hurt by the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2002–2004 SARS epidemic, Leung used the song (which reflected locals' poor livelihoods in the 1970s) as a nostalgic appeal to Hong Kong people to revive the "Lion Rock Spirit", which had underpinned the city's economic success in the previous decades. He encouraged citizens to put aside their differences and unite around a spirit of neighbourhood and bonds of common destiny, as people have done in the 1970s, to overcome the city's economic difficulties.

Since then, the "Lion Rock Spirit" has become a symbol of cultural identity for Hong Kong people. The song Below the Lion Rock is considered an unofficial anthem of Hong Kong, and its lyrics have been referred to by other politicians to raise the city's morale and in numerous festive events. For instance, the song's lyrics was recited in a 2002 speech by Premier of China Zhu Rongji, in an attempt to appeal to Hong Kong people. Zhu said that he could not sing the song or recite the lyrics in Cantonese, but that he shared its sentiments.

Core values reflected in the lyrics

The last stanza of the lyrics of Below the Lion Rock symbolises the core values of the "Lion Rock Spirit":

Of one mind in pursuit of our dream, All discord set aside, with one heart on the same bright quest, Hand in hand to the ends of the Earth

Solidarity is upheld by Hong Kongers. They would disregard of social classes and ethnic differences, so as to collectively overcome the adversaries "on the same boat" (同舟共濟). For instance, the whole family worked together to produce plastic flowers or to put stickers on toys to sustain the family's living.

Fearless and valiant inside, Rough terrain no respite. Side by side we overcome ills, As the Hong Kong story we write.

Perseverance of Hong Kong people is reflected. Hong Kong people weigh upon the motto of "never give up" (永不放棄) in the face of challenges. They believed they could "create miracles from the impossible" (化腐朽為神奇) as long as they worked hard and supported each other to fulfill their life goals.

By upholding solidarity and perseverance of "Lion Rock Spirit", HongKongers are empowered with the collective strength to conquer traumatic events like the Asian financial crisis in 1997, and SARS epidemic in 2003.

Lion Rock Spirit in modern Hong Kong

With rapid socio-economic advancement, families have become more prosperous. Living standard has risen to an extent that it is different from the adverse living conditions in the 1970s. Children nowadays can receive free education. Moreover, foods are more abundant to an extent that the government is obliged to encourage citizens to reduce food wastage. Due to enhancement in the living standard of Hong Kong people, their problems have changed from maintaining a secured living environment to pursuing political advancement.

Thousands gathered in Admiralty during the 2014 Hong Kong protests to protest for democratic reform and universal suffrage.

Starting with the 2014 Hong Kong protests, the "Lion Rock Spirit" has been interpreted differently by younger generations, who use the term in social and political contexts, notably in protests for democratic reform, social equality, and justice. The young people have become more mobilised to voice out their opinions and demands through active political participation. More young people assembled together to join protests and public consultations on issues like moral and national education, the amendments in housing policies and democratic reform for genuine universal suffrage in the legislative and executive positions. The "Lion Rock Spirit" has been redefined by the new generation through integrating the traditionally shared values of solidarity and perseverance to strive for upward social mobility and economic advancement, with the recent socio-political context in fighting for a just and fair society.

See also

• Culture of Hong Kong
• Kiasu
• Blitz Spirit
• American Dream

Further reading

Modernised Lion Rock Spirit in political context:

• Mak, Sarah Y., T. "Everyday Imaginings Under the Lion Rock: An Analysis of Identity Formation in Hong Kong". University of California, Santa Cruz, 2013.

Cultural Identity:

• 陳銘匡. "從《獅子山下》到「許冠傑金曲」到 《始終有你》 : 「香港人的歌」與「香港人」有什麼關係?". Lingnan University, 2007.