Betwixt and Between: Hong Kong Studies Reconsidered

Abstract

This essay endeavours to explore the elusiveness of Hong Kong from the perspective of postcoloniality. After its reversion to the Mainland, Hong Kong can neither rely on nor retain its special role between China and the world. The impact of this crisis also reaches into the cultural and social level of our lives with significant implications to Hong Kong studies on the theoretical level. Through its dialogue with Sinophone studies, this essay reconsiders “Hong Kong Studies as Method” – developed from Koon-Chung Chan’s model of “Hong Kong as Method” – as it relates to the rise of China in the context of Asianization. While it does not intend to privilege Hong Kong for the explanations of global and inter-Asia cultural dynamics, this essay argues that what provokes concerns with the idea of “Hong Kong Studies as Method” may contribute a new perspective of understanding the transformation in not only Asia, but also the world. In short, the major theoretical thrust of this essay is to address the reconfiguration of Hong Kong culture and society in the age of global modernity, exploring the possibilities of seeing Hong Kong studies as a method.