The picturesque Victoria Peak interweaving with the stunning view of Victoria Harbour forms the symbol of one place in the world: the colourful and prosperous Hong Kong. I tried to look for the silhouette of Victoria Peak, but the skyscrapers around the city blocked part of it. The only way to get a clear view of the Peak was to flip through the old photographs.

A place may be named based on its historical background, its legends, geographical features, or our imagination of it. The name of a place is where the relationship between us and that place begins. The Chinese name of Victoria Peak is“太平山”(pronounced as “taai ping saan” and its literal translation is the “mountain peak of great peace”), but why is it named as such? Well, there is a legend behind it. Victoria Peak was neither called Victoria Peak nor the Mountain Peak of Great Peace at that time but“硬頭山” (pronounced as “ngaang tau saan” and literally translated as “Hard Head Mountain”). In the early 19th century when the pirate, Cheung Po Tsai, was defeated, the fishermen from Hong Kong Island thought they could enjoy peace. Therefore, they changed the Chinese name to “the Mountain of Great Peace”.

In 2022, the name remains unchanged. Do we still have the same definition and interpretation of the word “peace” today as before? I am not sure as I can no longer outline the contours of peace with my naked eyes, but only with my imagination.

English translation of statement by Ting Wing Yan, Vivian

Inscription:

Riding her own wild pony
A bite of soft tofu and sesame
A composition minus crows in harmony
A quiet moment to sip some tea
By dreaming
We forget the change of seasons

English translation of inscription by Mary King Bradley