Hong Kong artists revive city’s bygone era with miniatures

Hong Kong artists revive city’s bygone era with miniatures

In a packed metropolis where old buildings are frequently replaced by gleaming skyscrapers, two Hong Kong model makers are trying to preserve the city's architectural past-in painstakingly detailed miniature form. Stepping into Tony Lai and Maggie Chan's studio is like walking into a time machine, if that time machine also shrunk everything around except yourself.

In one corner, an entire fairground is laid out, complete with moving rides and a revolving ferris wheel. On the other side, a tiny reenactment of the city's fire dragon festival is underway. Elsewhere is a meticulously recreated revolving restaurant and an entire housing block, complete with window laundry and the fast disappearing neon signs that once lit up Hong Kong's streets with kaleidoscopic abandon.

The two artists share a common passion in bringing their childhood scenes back to life, and say that Hong Kongers are keen to glimpse into the past or recapture faded memories. "When elderly people see our creations, it ignites their memories,“ said Lai, gesturing to their recreation of Kai Tak Amusement Park, which was demolished in 1982. "We would often even see elderly people whose eyes would tear up when they saw our models,“ he added. Preserving the past is difficult in