Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Sometimes, one item can reflect an entire era.
In February, a dozen students and alumni from the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong joined a four-day storytelling workshop.
Their mission was to find a small object at home that could be the starting point for a two-month exploration into their family history.
The result was an exhibition titled “Glimpses of the Past: Stories of Family Heirlooms”, with nine intimate family portraits, each told through the lens of a treasured keepsake.
The exhibition’s curator, Dora Choi, explained that the project was about more than nostalgia; it was about seeking context for the present. She wanted participants to understand how their family stories shaped who they had become.
“In today’s digital world, physical objects – especially those passed down from grandparents ... become all the more valuable,” Choi said.
Stories worth remembering
The exhibition opened with stories tied to food, such as simple baked beans, offering glimpses into how Hong Kong had evolved.
Some participants revisited their grandparents’ legacies to better understand the hardships of the past.
They also learned how to hold deep conversations with relatives and were introduced to different methods of recording and sharing oral history, such as presenting a story through an object.
“We created handmade albums using traditional Chinese bookbinding techniques,” Choi said. “Each person stitched their own album by hand.”
An old red packet
One participant was Chloe Lau, a graduate of Hang Seng University. For her story, she chose a simple yet symbolic object: her grandmother’s old red packet.
Lau’s grandmother was from a Tai O community of Boat Dwellers that traditionally lived on boats.
The red packet held red paper and a cloth inscribed with each family member’s zodiac sign, along with symbols to ward off misfortune and invite good luck.
“No matter where she went, she always brought that red packet,” Lau said.
Her grandmother would also visit Yeung Hau Temple every year to pray for her family’s well-being.
Now, before each new school year, Lau visits Man Mo Temple to pray for a smooth academic journey. She also checks her annual fortune at Wong Tai Sin Temple.
“Sometimes, I wonder why I’m so superstitious,” Lau said.
“Maybe it ... came from my grandmother. Or maybe every generation in uncertain times finds its own way of seeking a little peace.”
