Hong Kong
is rich enough to return to stories and legends of the
Chinese life and living. The writer Han Han stands
origins of China and Chinese people by the Yellow
out as a great example but there are many.
River and sites such as the unusual Immortal Bridge
Alex Soong, the primary investigator, is from an
on Mount Tai
important but understated political background, but
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tai)
has chosen to be a police officer. Educated abroad
The journey of my leading criminal is
and a jazz lover, he takes the view that looking
counterpointed with that of the leading detective. I’d
forward is more important than looking back,
spent a lot of time in China from 1987 to 1996 and
particularly in a Chinese context where history and
feel lucky to have witnessed its emergence from
tradition are long and deep, but also where progress
Maoism and poverty. During the last decade, there are
until very recently has also often been a dirty word. In
things that I liked that have been lost, such as
Chinese fine art for instance, it was the apprentice’s
innocence of wealth and broad corruption, but
task to imitate the master, not to learn in order to
through making a documentary on Hip Hop in China,
pursue his own creations. I believe in the idea that the
which essentially explored individuality, I was
future must not pay for the past, and I hope the story
impressed to find elements of the new generation of
explores this through the Chinese narrative, where it
Chinese (beyond just Hip Hop) who though still small
has been so disputed, as well as being a good read.
embrace and create a modern interpretation of
www.duncanjepson.com