This book deals with the 1980s – the “golden decade” of Hong Kong pop culture – in which a cosmopolitan lifestyle of pop and chic emerged in the city. Bookended by two major historical incidents, the 1980s will probably enter the annals of Hong Kong history as the decade that defined its future after reversion to Mainland China. Having witnessed and experienced the rise of Hong Kong pop culture to unprecedented heights in this decade, the author enhances its context through a story about his own personal belongings. Examining popular genres including television, film, music, fashion, disco and city magazine, this book teases out the distinctive aspects of Hong Kong pop culture that defined (his) Hong Kong. As Hong Kong has been undergoing drastic changes in recent years, it is necessary to point toward new imaginaries by re-examining its development. Toward this end, this book will shed light on an important research area of Hong Kong Studies as an academic discipline.

Yiu-Wai Chu is Inaugural Professor and Director of Hong Kong Studies Programme at The University of Hong Kong, and Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Humanities. His research interests focus on postcolonialism, globalization and Hong Kong culture. His recent English monographs include Main Melody Films: Hong Kong Directors in Mainland China (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2022), Found in Transition: Hong Kong Studies in the Age of China (Albany: SUNY Press, 2018), Hong Kong Cantopop: A Concise History (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2017), and Lost in Transition: Hong Kong Culture in the Age of China (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2013). In recognition of his contribution to the promotion of Hong Kong culture and Cantopop, the South China Morning Post presented him the Spirit of Hong Kong Award (Culture) in 2019.

Note on Romanization and Translation
Prologue: Horse Racing and Dancing as Usual
Introduction
Chapter 1 – Televising Pop: New Stars and Renewed Sensibilities
Chapter 2 – Golden Days of the Silver Screen: Cinematic Imagination in a Not Yet Fallen City
Chapter 3 – The Sound of Chinese Cool: Do You See the City Sing?
Chapter 4 – The Importance of Being Chic: Fashion, Branding, and Multimedia Stardom
Chapter 5 – The Practice of Everynight Life: Disco as Another Kind of Dance
Chapter 6 – (Un)Covering Cosmopolitan Hybridity: Every Great City Deserves a City Magazine
Epilogue: ‘We’ll Always Have Hong Kong’
Select Bibliography
Glossary
Index