Hong Kong
CNN
—
Hong Kong’s vertiginous rise has meant the demise of mom-and-pop-style barbers, diners and pawn shops, as well as the removal of their iconic neon signs. But the city lives on through Tony Lai and Maggie Chan’s intricate models that capture an old way life – much of which no longer exists.
Examining the models close up, one sees exacting detail in the tiniest of objects – from the crinkled ends of mushrooms in a Cantonese dish (an effect achieved by burning the ‘tops’ with a tea candle) to incense sticks, each less than an inch long and decorated with elaborate dragons. Even the miniature televisions play ’80s soap operas on loop.
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This building was demolished in 1980, but Lai keeps the memory of it alive through his miniature art.
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Miniature figurines and lights add life to this recreated residential building.
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This scene depicts Hongkongers putting up festival lights and hanging their laundry from balconies.
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With mesmerizing attention to detail, Lai adds miniature lights to the dragon's eyes for dramatic effect.
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A close-up shot depicts a tram running past the pier on Hong Kong's Connaught Road.
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Lai's most complex creation, this scene depicts people going about their daily chores in a once dilapidated village. It took days of painstaking work just to paint rust stains onto the shacks.
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Built in the early 20th century, this bustling Hong Kong pier was torn down in the 1990s. Lai keeps its memory alive by recreating the area's vibrant neon signs and busy community.
courtesy tony lai
From the hair-strewn floor and stacks of magazines to the 1970s-style TV set, no details are spared in this typical Hong Kong scene.
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Chan recreates an imperial dinner, blending Han Chinese and Manchurian cultures with meticulous detail.
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This work depicts a famous Chinese herb shop in Central Hong Kong.
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The shop is one of the few recreated by Lai and Chan that still exists today.
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Chan and Lai showcase traditional Hong Kong dishes like char siu fan (barbecued pork over rice), iced lemon tea and pineapple buns in this cafe replica that took one month to complete.
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Chan and Lai depict a traditional herbal tea shop, once an integral part of any Hong Kong community.
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These close-up miniatures show a ceremonial fire dance taking place in front of the Dragon Creek Terrace before it was torn down in 1980.
Tony and Maggie’s practice, TOMA Miniatures, exhibits the pair’s works throughout the year. Lai says that older visitors can spend a long time examining each of the models, seemingly nostalgic for a past that is quickly disappearing.
This feeling may have been compounded by the recent 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from Britain to China, as well as anxiety about the coming decades. In 2047, the “one country, two systems” system will expire, ending the guarantee of freedoms that Hong Kong currently enjoys – and spelling uncertainty about the future and identity of its residents.
Although the work is tiring and offers little financial return, Lai says that the positive response he receives from the public fills him with a sense of purpose. “It’s like you have a destiny,” he told CNN, from the partners’ studio in Hong Kong. “You have a destiny to bring back the memories that Hong Kong people have lost.”