The Cathay in Singapore

The Cathay Cineplex in Handy Road, one of Singapore’s oldest cinemas, already ceased its operations from late June this year. It will be taken over by a new independent movie project.

When I read the news in the Strait Times about this during my recent trip to Singapore, I felt I’d better go and snap a few photographs of the last scenes of Cathay. And I did so on my Leica MP with a roll of Kodak set at ISO 400. It took me some time to develop the film when I got back to Hong Kong. So, this is indeed a late post.

I actually don’t know if the Cathay in Singapore is somehow related to the same namesake Cathay (國泰) cinema in Shanghai, one of the first modern cinemas launched in China, and it has been still in business to this day. Even the architecture of the two Cathays in Singapore and Shanghai does look a bit similar from outside.

When I visit Singapore next time, the same place should already have its new owner. History can be both powerful and weak; it depends on how the people keep it and remember it.

Joo Chiat, Singapore

During my recent visit to Singapore, my colleague Aidan brought me around his neighbourhood, Joo Chiat (如切), a very historic Peranakan cultural area and nowadays also a popular Instagram-friendly spot.

I snapped some quick shots on my Leica MP, a classic film camera (btw, MP means Mechanical Perfection in Leica’s dictionary) and I only got time to process the film after I returned to Hong Kong. I love to record historic things on film. Sounds like a destiny, right? I wish Joo Chiat all the best, to keep the good balance between fashion and tradition and remain a unique spot in the Lion City.

This is my photography. This is my point of view about the world.

A Tale of Two Cities in the 1950s

Very lucky to join a private session led by the curator Ed Stokes in person and exclusively for the Yale Club Hong Kong, thanks to Yale alum Nikki Ng of Sino Group, a main sponsor of the exhibition “Photographs from the 1950s”, about a tale of two cities — Hong Kong and Singapore.

I learned a lot from those historic photos of the two greatest cities in Asia. Both were under British colonial rule for long time and you can see many similarities and differences in their architecture, local traditions, culture, and so on. The exhibition was first launched in Singapore in 2019 and I’m so glad it can be brought to Hong Kong this year, also thanks to Singapore Consulate-General in Hong Kong. I also must say Singapore does a great job to preserve its history, architecture, and people’s memory. Salute to that!

Hong Kong is my home and I have a lot of friends in Singapore. The two places will always have very special positions in my heart. May the Hong Kong-Singapore connections and friendship remain strong!

To learn more about the exhibition, read here.