Topical Talk XIV

Understanding Hong Kong's Colonial Era through Visual Culture and Cinema

Prof. PAN Lu delivered a talk entitled “Understanding Hong Kong’s Colonial Era through Visual Culture and Cinema” on 22 January 2026.

Prof. PAN Lu is an Associate Professor and Associate Head at the Department of Chinese History and Culture, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research interests cover a wide range of topics in Cultural Studies, with a focus on visual culture, city, media, and memory. Prof. PAN is also an active curator and visual artist.

In this talk, Prof. PAN reviewed the historical development of Hong Kong, tracing its transformation from a 19th-century colonial outpost into a global financial centre and a Special Administrative Region of China. By examining key territorial developments and colonial governance, the presentation explored the major economic changes that drove the city’s growth. It highlighted different aspects of colonial society through the lens of visual culture and cinema.