泳：香港的游泳歷史影像 | Splash! ─ Historical Images of Swimming in Hong Kong

泳：香港的游泳歷史影像

2025.05.17 – 2025.06.15

策展人：黎健強，潘惠蓮

地點：光影作坊｜九龍石硤尾白田街30號賽馬會創意藝術中心L2-02

開放時間：星期二至日 11:00-13:00, 14:00-18:00，逢星期一休館（公眾假期除外）

開幕： 2025年5月17日，星期六，16:30

分享會： 2025年5月17日，星期六，14:30

Splash! ─ Historical Images of Swimming in Hong Kong

2025.05.17 – 2025.06.15

Curator: Edwin K. Lai, Linda Pun

Venue: Lumenvisum | L2-02, JCCAC, 30 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon

Opening Hours：Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00-13:00, 14:00-18:00, Closed on Mondays (except Public Holiday)

Opening : 2025.5.17 (Saturday) 16:30

Artist sharing: Opening : 2025.5.17 (Saturday) 14:30

展覽簡介 Exhibition Introduction

香港的游泳和泳手

香港的近代歷史與海息息相關，而香港人熱愛游泳的文化，也起碼可以追溯至約一百年前。1930年代桂系軍人黃紹竑到訪香港，就對這裡蓬勃的游泳文化留下了深刻的印象。十多年後他出版回憶錄《五十回憶》時，有繪影繪聲的下面一段：「不但海水清潔，場所眾多，而且設備完全，一到夏季，男男女女就以海灘作為他們的消遣地方。… 有人估計，香港的夏季，每天有五六萬人浸在海水裡，約佔全港人口十分之一，可見香港人愛好游泳之一斑了。」

學者潘淑華和黃永豪更是認為香港的游泳有其獨特的文化氣息。他們在著作《閒暇、海濱與海浴 ─ 香港游泳史》中以張愛玲的小說「傾城之戀」為例，提出故事發生的主要場地淺水灣所包含的象徵意義 ─ 高貴、熱鬧、浪漫、自由等等，似乎是小說家在上海無法找到的。潘黃二位再引李歐梵的書《上海摩登》裡面介紹的上海現代文明與同時期的香港生活比較，結論就是在上海的摩登場景中，「有現代建築林立的外灘，卻沒有讓紅男綠女追追逐逐的海灘。」

感謝潘惠蓮的建議，使香港的游泳成為「照片的歷史 歷史的照片」展覽系列的第六個主題。藉著照片和明信片，這展覽介紹香港游泳歷史的點滴，包括著名的海灘、游泳場所、泳客服飾、水上活動等，還有充滿本地特色的游泳比賽 ─ 全港公開渡海泳，著名的游泳運動員和香港泳手到世界各地挑戰極限游泳的活動。潘女士除了提供部分照片之外，還負責了歷史上著名的香港泳手和他們到世界各地挑戰極限游泳兩部分的內容。展覽開幕日舉行的座談會「香港與世界的渡海泳,」，也是她組織和安排的。

本展覽的其他圖像，主要是摯友高添強慷慨借出的。高先生是研究香港歷史裡的翹楚人物，特別是他對香港歷史圖像方面的貢獻，更是居功至偉。我常常說，高添強自學成材，是最值得拿榮譽博士的人。今次我也是得他介紹，才知道潘淑華和黃永豪的著作，令自己有了一些初步的認識。

我也想特別謝謝兩位好朋友李世莊和楊德銘：我一度為展覽的海報圖像而苦惱，他們得知後立即發了好些很有水準的影像給我。雖然我最終都沒有用上，但是對於他們的古道熱腸，仍是十分銘記在心。李世莊另外也為展覽揮毫題字，是所謂的畫龍點睛了。

展覽助理歐桂怡特別在修飾影像方面下了不少工夫，我也想一併致謝。「歷史的照片 照片的歷史」系列至此已經完成了第二期的三個展覽，這幾年來光影作坊的羅淑敏主席一直對我大力支持和包容，各位同工也是不遺餘力地通力協助；系列得以圓滿完成，他們實在是勞苦功高。我在衷心道謝之餘，也祝願大家健康愉快，將來我們可以再度合作。

Swimming and Swimmers in Hong Kong

Edwin K. Lai

Hong Kong's modern history is closely tied to the sea, and the culture of swimming among Hong Kong people can be traced back at least a hundred years. In the 1930s, Commander Huang Shaohong from the Guangxi clique visited Hong Kong and was deeply impressed by the thriving swimming culture here. Over a decade later, when he published his Memoir at Fifty, he vividly remembered, “Not only was the seawater clean, there were many locations and the facilities were excellent. When the summer arrived, many men and women went to the beaches for leisure. … One person had estimated that during Hong Kong’s summer, about fifty to sixty thousand people immersed themselves in the seawater everyday, approximately one-tenth of the total population. This reflects how much Hong Kong people love swimming."

Hong Kong scholars Poon Shuk Wah and Wong Wing Ho go further to argue that swimming in Hong Kong has a culture of its own. In their book Leisure, Seaside, and Sea Bathing: A History of Swimming in Hong Kong, they reference the symbolical signification of Repulse Bay, the main setting of Eileen Chang's novel "Love in a Fallen City", embodies notions of nobility, liveliness, romance, and freedom that the novelist could not find in Shanghai. They also compare the modern culture of Shanghai, as described in Li Oufan's publication Shanghai Modern with the lifestyle in Hong Kong during the same period, and conclude that while Shanghai boasts "modern architectural landmarks like the Bund, it lacks beaches where young men and women can frolic."

Thanks to Linda Pun's suggestion, swimming in Hong Kong becomes the sixth theme of the exhibition series "History in Photographs, Photographs in History." Through photographs and postcards, this exhibition introduces various aspects of Hong Kong's swimming history, including famous beaches, swimming locations, swimming outfits, water sports, and the very local swimming competition — the Hong Kong Cross Harbour Race. It also features renowned swimmers, some of them go to different parts of the world to pursue difficult challenges. Besides supplying some of the exhibits, Ms Pun is also responsible for preparing the sections of notable Hong Kong swimmers and 'extreme challenges'. She has also organised the forum " Venturing Beyond: Hong Kong's Open Water Swimming from Hong Kong into the World" that will take place on the day of the Opening Ceremony.

Other images in this exhibition are generously provided by my dear friend Ko Tim Keung. Mr. Ko is a remarkable figure in the study of Hong Kong history, especially for his significant contributions to historical imagery. To me, Mr Ko who has self-taught his way to expertise, is the most deserving candidate for an honorary doctorate. For this exhibition, it was through him that I learned about Poon Shuk Wah and Wong Wing Ho's book, which gives me useful preliminary understanding.

I would also like to extend special thanks to my good friends Jack Lee and Paul Yeung: I was once troubled by the choice of the exhibition's key visual, and upon learning of this, they promptly sent me several high-quality pictures for my consideration. Although I in the end did not use these images, I will always remember their enthusiasm and support. In addition, Jack Lee contributes his calligraphy for the Chinese title of the exhibition, which is a lively finishing touch.

My exhibition assistant Ada Au has put great effort especially in enhancing the quality of the old images, which I am really grateful. The " History in Photographs, Photographs in History" series has now completed its second phase with three exhibitions. Over the years, Lumenvisum's chairperson Hildy Law has been most supportive and tolerant to me, and all the colleagues have worked tirelessly to help and assist; their contributions are truly invaluable. I wish to express my deepest thanks, and look forward to working again with them in the future.

關於策展人 Curator Biography

黎健強是香港攝影歷史的研究者，曾經發表過多篇文章。自從2008年起他也策展了一些攝影及藝術展覽，包括《影像香港當代攝影展覽》(2008)、《香港最早期照片1858-1875》(2010)、《後直：當代香港攝影》(2012)、《下回分解 ─ 新冠新觀》(2022)等。

光影作坊在2014年開始與黎氏合作推出「照片的歷史 歷史的照片」展覽系列，至今已經完成了的有《彩色香港40s-60s》(2014)、《珍影集：常惠珍鏡頭下的1960年代香港女性》(2015)、《呠呠車：二十世紀的汽車與香港生活》(2016)、《無論我去到那方 ─ 離散者的最後香港影像》(2023)、《華芳映相：蕭險峰先生藏品展》(2024)。

Edwin K. Lai researches the history of photography in Hong Kong, and has published a number of essays. Since 2008 he has curated a number of art and photography exhibitions, including “Imaging Hong Kong Contemporary Photography Exhibition” (2008), “First Photographs of Hong Kong 1858-1875” (2010), “Post-Straight: Contemporary Hong Kong Photography” (2012), " Another Round: Re-Imagining COVID-19" (2022), etc.

The Lumenvisum has started to work with Lai in 2014 for the exhibition series History of Photographs, Photographs of History, which so far has introduced “Colour Hong Kong 40s-60s” (2014), "Rare Encounters: Nancy Sheung's Portraits of Hong Kong Women in the 1960s" (2015), "Motor Cars: Cars and Lifestyles in Hong Kong in the Twentieth Century" (2016), "Leaving on a Jet Plane: Final Images of Hong Kong by Photographers Who Have Emigrated Recently", and "Afong, Photographer: From the Collection of Mr Siu Him Fung" (2024).

潘惠蓮，從事新聞工作三十多年。近十年專注研究香港近代歷史。著有《尋找美人魚楊秀瓊─香港一代女泳將抗日秘辛》(2019)

Linda W. L. Pun worked for Hong Kong news media for over 30 years . She researches the history of Hong Kong in recent 10 years and has published the book In search of 'Mermaid' Yeung Sau-King (2019).

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本計劃由香港藝術發展局資助
Supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council