Programme
and Events

Inspired by the traditions of the boat-dwelling community, the workshop uses dried seafood from Aberdeen as the medium to make vibrant tracing prints on postcards. Participants will press textures from fish maw, squid and dried prawns onto postcards, capturing textures, taste, and stories.Through this hands-on process, everyone can craft his or her own keepsake and help pass on the Southern District’s fishing heritage.

Step behind the curtain of “Aberdeen Fishing Dreams” and discover how the boat-dwelling community inspired an immersive culinary art performance. Through ingredients, sound, visuals, and spatial design, memories are transformed into a poetic experience where reality and imagination entwine.“Deep Food”, the creative collective, will share their sources of inspiration and creative journey – from research and re-creation of lost ingredients to performative choices and technical challenges. The event will also open up a dialogue with the audience about how food can serve as a powerful narrative medium that carries collective memory and emotion.This is a journey of creation and remembrance—as well as an invitation to wander between dream and reality and to explore how the past can be re-imagined on a contemporary stage.

Take your seat on a dreamlike ferry ride and embark on a journey that revisits memories of the past...Through creative reinterpretations of bygone ingredients and dining culture, “Deep Food” presents a realm that is both real and surreal—much like the duo listening to their grandfather and grandaunt recount stories of their life on the water, entering the intricate world of their memories. Though the ingredients and scenes from these stories are gone, imagination bridges the gaps in memory. This performance leverages Deep Food’s distinctive narrative and performative techniques to guide audience on a “dream-walk” back to the everyday existence of Aberdeen’s boat dwellers in the old days.From tales of free-spirited love blossoming between neighbouring boats, to mischievous moments aboard family sampans, each memory reveals the unique intimacy and camaraderie of the boat dwellers’ community, inviting us to reflect on our own relationships within today’s onshore neighbourhoods. Centred around lost recipes and forgotten foods, the experience contemplates the ties between people, and between humans and nature. This evocative fantasia will take audience back in time to savour the essence of days gone by.

Take a leisurely stroll along Stanley Main Street, enjoy the soothing sea breeze and take in the glittering waves. In the iconic Grade III historic building by the waterfront, artist LeonLollipop will guide participants in capturing the coastal scenery in watercolour. Basic watercolour materials and a complimentary drink will be provided. Everyone is invited to enjoy a relaxed Sunday sketch at the seaside and soak in the district’s unique charm.Pet owners are warmly encouraged to bring along their furry companions to “chill & paint” together.

How did you play “jacks” — with rice, red beans, or little stones? Each generation had its own clever twists and secrets to childhood games.In this workshop, artist Sarah Mui invites long-time Southern District kaifongs to share their memories of play. They will wander back through childhood, inviting everyone to pit their favourite childhood games against one another. How many untold stories lie inside the playful world of “Once Upon Our Play Time”?

In the 1960s and 1970s, “picture cards” were often themed around well‑known myths and legends, giving rise to familiar tales across households. This workshop extends artist Mui’s artwork “Once Upon Our Play Time”, inviting participants to explore the distinct character of the Southern District and design their own figure card game. By the end of the session, everyone will leave with a unique deck of play cards – a one‑of‑a‑kind addition to the family toy basket. 

"Our Southerly Days" brings together artists who live, work or grew up in the Southern District. Through different media, they illuminate stories of daily life over the decades.As an extension of the project, this special bus tour — led by the curator and three senior docents — explores hidden tales of the southern shores, spanning communities, architecture, heritage and cuisine. Along the way, the curator will share how three artists have re‑imagined the district’s identity through three lenses: Fishery (fishing culture), Delight (childhood memories) and Corner (hidden streetscapes).Route:·    Wah Fu Estate, Pok Fu Lam (First session exclusive): reliving childhood games and the community’s UFO tales·    Stanley: seaside market ambience, European‑style streetscape and art installation·    Aberdeen: views of the typhoon shelter, and stories of sampan foods like fish ball noodles and boat noodles·    Wong Chuk Hang: memories of technical schools and floating homes* The bus will make short stops at selected spots with artworks, giving participants the chance to step out and experience the works up close. 

Stanley blends the relaxed spirit of a European seaside town with the cultural traces of fishing traditions. It’s a place to slow down, enjoy the sea breeze and uncover layers of Hong Kong’s history.This guided walk, led by senior docent Mak Yung‑sung, is an extension of LeonLollipop’s project “Gloomie Cat's Southern Journey.”. Together we’ll explore artistic details scattered across the community and step into heritage buildings, revealing Stanley’s unique meeting point of space and culture.Route:·    Stanley Main Street·    Shui Shin Temple and the historic Pat Kan Uk·    Stanley shopping street and Main Street·    Stanley Plaza

Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau still carry the rich heritage of fishing life. Along the waterfronts on both shores, artistic installations share the stories and traditions passed down by generations of fisherfolk. Led by senior docent Mak Yung‑sung, this tour — an extension of Deep Food’s project “Aberdeen Fishing Dreams” — takes participants on foot through the harbour community. With a ride on a kaito ferry, you’ll see how the fishing village has transformed from past to present.Route:·    Walk to Tin Hau Temple·    Stroll to the Warehouse Teenage Club, passing by the now-vanished Shan Loon Tse Kee Fish Ball stall, “Fifteen Houses” and its “Shan Loon” (cave in Cantonese)·    From Aberdeen Promenade to the pier, board a kaito with art installations and sail to Ap Lei Chau·    Visit Hung Shing Temple·    Explore the “Big and Small Duck Eggs” in Ap Lei Chau Park·    Conclude at the Hung Shing Street murals

Wah Fu Estate is more than blocks of concrete — it is a time capsule of childhood for an entire generation. Architect Anthony Cheng will guide participants through the dialogue between space and memory, revisiting days spent playing in corridors, cooling under banyan trees, and swimming by the sea. He will also share Wah Fu’s very own “UFO legend” — mysterious tales once passed from neighbour to neighbour, adding a touch of wonder to the estate’s night skies. This guided tour is an extended activity of Sarah Mui’s artwork “Once Upon Our Play Time,” drawing on its theme of joyful memory by delving into the everyday life of the Wah Fu community.Route:·    Wah Fu (I) Estate·    Wah Cheong House playground·    Estate corridors and under‑block spaces·    Wah Fu (II) Estate·    Wah Kee House playground, basketball and badminton courts·    Waterfall Bay Park·    Wah Hong Square·    Wah Fu Living Room

Artist Stefan Chui, who grew up in the Southern District, will share memories of his childhood and family — from the floating homes of boat‑dwellers and wedding banquets held on the water, to student life at technical school. Through his personal stories, he will lead participants to rediscover the changing face of Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau.This guided tour is an extension of Sarah Mui’s artwork “Once Upon Our Play Time,”, echoing its theme of collective memory by tracing the district’s everyday past.Route:·    Tai Wong Ye Temple – introduction to the artwork “Once Upon Our Play Time”·    Aberdeen Technical School – insights into the area’s history and culture·    Ap Lei Chau Bridge (head section) – stories of boat houses and bygone waterways·    Ap Lei Chau Bridge (tail section) – history of Tai Pak and Jumbo Floating Restaurant; exploring boat‑dwellers’ traditions and dragon boat festivities·    Ap Lei Chau Ferry Pier – concluding reflections on the journey