Celestial Rhapsodies: The Eclipse of Tradition and the Stage of Patronage
Celestial Rhapsodies: The Eclipse of Tradition and the Stage of Patronage Tonight marks Yuan Xiao, the Lantern Festival. In the agrarian calendar that underpins so much of Chinese culture, it is the first full moon of the Lunar New Year. Traditionally, this is a night of illumination, where children light lanterns to guide the spirits […]
Somatic Capital: The Architecture of the Elite Body in Hong Kong
Somatic Capital: The Architecture of the Elite Body in Hong Kong In my previous analyses of Hong Kong’s upper echelon, I have examined how they manage spiritual capital through religious observance and how they manage architectural capital through Feng Shui. It is a natural progression, therefore, to turn the sociological lens inward to the most […]
*Concrete Chi: The Invisible Ballistics of the Hong Kong Skyline
Concrete Chi: The Invisible Ballistics of the Hong Kong Skyline Standing on the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade and looking across the harbor, one sees what is arguably the most vertical city on Earth. To the uninitiated eye, the Hong Kong skyline is a testament to engineering density, high finance, and the scarcity of land. However, […]
The Dual Altar: Synthesizing the Spiritual Capital of Hong Kong’s Elite
The Dual Altar: Synthesizing the Spiritual Capital of Hong Kong’s Elite Having spent the past few days dissecting the spiritual behaviors of Hong Kong’s upper echelon—first through the lens of Chinese folk religion and subsequently through the prism of the Catholic establishment—I find it necessary to now draw these two distinct threads together. To view […]
The Ascetic Executive: Lenten Discipline Among Hong Kong’s Catholic Establishment
The Ascetic Executive: Lenten Discipline Among Hong Kong’s Catholic Establishment Following my previous analysis of the pragmatic, almost transactional relationship between Hong Kong’s business elite and Chinese folk religion, it is imperative to turn our sociological lens toward the other dominant spiritual force within the city’s upper crust: the Roman Catholic Church. While the scent […]
The Metaphysical Hedge: An Insider’s View on Hong Kong’s Elite and Chinese Folk Religion
The Metaphysical Hedge: An Insider’s View on Hong Kong’s Elite and Chinese Folk Religion Growing up in a household where the scent of sandalwood incense was as constant as the city’s humidity, I have always understood Chinese folk religion not merely as a set of rituals, but as the underlying operating system of Hong Kong […]
The Gilded Equinox: Lunar New Year Among Hong Kong’s Elite -Part 9: The Apotheosis of Capital and the Return to Gravity
The Gilded Equinox: Lunar New Year Among Hong Kong’s Elite Part 9: The Apotheosis of Capital and the Return to Gravity We arrive at the terminus of our festive chronology: Chor Kau, the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, celebrated as the Birthday of the Jade Emperor (Thi Kong Seh). In the theological hierarchy […]
The Gilded Equinox: Lunar New Year Among Hong Kong’s Elite**Part 8: The Celestial Bureaucracy and the Sugarcane Forest
The Gilded Equinox: Lunar New Year Among Hong Kong’s Elite Part 8: The Celestial Bureaucracy and the Sugarcane Forest As the sun sets on Tuesday, the 24th of February—Chor Baat—the atmosphere in the upper echelons of Hong Kong society shifts from the biological preservation of Renri to high-stakes metaphysical diplomacy. We approach the Zi hour […]
The Gilded Equinox: Lunar New Year Among Hong Kong’s Elite – Part 7: The Biopolitics of Existence and the Routine of Power
The Gilded Equinox: Lunar New Year Among Hong Kong’s Elite Part 7: The Biopolitics of Existence and the Routine of Power We arrive at the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, culturally designated as Renri, or “The Common Man’s Birthday.” According to the mythological genesis, the goddess Nüwa created humanity on this day, having […]
The Gilded Equinox: Lunar New Year Among Hong Kong’s Elite -Part 6: The Kinetic Architecture of Wealth and Lineage
The Gilded Equinox: Lunar New Year Among Hong Kong’s Elite -Part 6: The Kinetic Architecture of Wealth and Lineage The temporal progression of the Lunar New Year brings us to Sunday, the 22nd of February, 2026. If the preceding rituals were characterized by the spiritual acquisition of fortune, this day is defined by its performative […]