Hong Kong brands pay tribute to Cantopop legend Leslie Cheung with 'timeless' events

In commemoration of Cantopop legend Leslie Cheung, who passed away on 1 April 2003, brands in Hong Kong such as Olympian City and MTR have hosted events to pay tribute to the pop star’s illustrious career and life.

Available until 2 April, Olympian City has unveiled a “Timeless Leslie Encounter” campaign narrating 20 stories that friends and fans have with Cheung. The exhibition also features memorabilia, sharing of Cheung's friends, a large-scale digital mosaic, neon light display wall and a self-playing grand piano performance.  

Furthermore, the event has invited Cheung’s close friends, collaborators and fans from both Hong Kong and overseas to share their encounters with the star and showcase memorabilia in their collections to highlight Cheung’s personality. One of the objects to be exhibited is the trophy of “Leslie Cup”, a mahjong competition organised by Cheung in 1993. In addition, books released by Korean and Japanese publishers on Cheung are also showcased to the public.

Furthermore, a sharing session will be hosted on 31 March, during which two friends, collaborators including designer Alan Chan and choreographer Chris Choi, as well as global fans of Cheung will share their stories of meeting and interacting with the star. Hong Kong singer Mike Tsang will also perform Cheung’s classic song on that day. Long-time Cheung fans will read out-of-print publications and other collections with the public and share their own stories about Cheung on designated dates as well.

Throughout the event period, a 430-inch TV is displaying 20 video clips such as singing competitions, interviews, award receptions and music videos, as well as a large-scale digital mosaic comprising 3,000 photos related to Cheung taken by fans. There is also a neon light wall showcasing memorable films and songs chosen by fans, so that fans can experience the charm of "Gor Gor" on the stage again. Furthermore, a self-playing grand piano at the central atrium of Olympian City 2 will be looping various classics by Cheung, such as “追”, “風繼續吹” and “共同渡過”. Piano players may also get to pay tribute to the legendary singer-actor upon prior registration.

To further engage the public, Olympian City has invited citizens to participate in the creation of a physical Leslie Cheung mosaic. Citizens may donate to Children’s Cancer Foundation or use loyalty points of the shopping mall in order to participate in the “print n’ stick” activity. They will receive a 4R photo as souvenir. According to the release, all the donations received will be given to Children’s Cancer Foundation. Additionally, shoppers can redeem a set of four iron-on embroidered patches, whose designs are inspired by three songs and the event theme “Timeless Leslie”. The set includes four designs inspired by the songs “I am what I am”, “Don’t Need Too Much” and “Silence is Golden” and the event theme “Timeless Leslie”.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Olympian City for additional information.

On the other hand, MTR Corporation has joined forces with a Chinese-language periodical Art and Piece to present the “Reminiscing Leslie Cheung: 20th Anniversary Exhibition” to commemorate the pop star. 

Available at MTR Hong Kong Station until 6 April, the exhibition includes treasures and memories related to Cheung from his friends and fans, illustrations created by local artists and a specially made Cheung’s life-size bust at 1:1 scale in order to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his passing and pay tribute to the legendary star in Hong Kong’s pop music and film industry.

Over 40 paper exhibits in total offer a unique insight and demonstrate his charisma and touching stories about Cheung's musical and acting journey. Many of the exhibits are contributed by celebrities who worked with Leslie Cheung, including artist and lyricist Andrew Lam Man Chung, directors Vincent Kok, Stanley Kwan and Manfred Wong, designer Alan Chan, art director Man Lim and costume designer Dora Ng as well as Cheung’s fans who have been supporting him over the years. The celebrities also tell stories about their encounters or unforgettable memories with Cheung in the video interviews which are being shown at the exhibition and Art And Piece social media platforms. One of the invaluable collectibles include a special release, “Behind the Yellow Line” (1982) starring Cheung and featuring a number of MTR stations.

“MTR is pleased to join hands with Art And Pieceto organise the commemorative exhibition. The music and movies of Cheung have touched the hearts of many and they will be treasured for many more years to come. On the 20th anniversary of his passing away, let us revisit the special moments of his colourful life down memory lane through the exhibition and gigantic posters in various MTR stations,” said Linda Choy, corporate affairs and branding director of MTR Corporation.

“Leslie Cheung has now left us for 20 years, while the longing for ‘Gor Gor’ has never been far away. We are grateful for the support from MTR, local artists, friends and fans of Cheung for this exhibition. We hope to make use of different media, such as paper items, illustrations and video interviews to share the stories of those people who had connections with Leslie in the past,” said Tsang Kam Shing, publisher of Art And Piece.

A multimedia tribute to Cheung is also happening at the West Kowloon Cultural District from 30 March to 1 April, where artist Daniel Chu and vocalists Janice Vidal and Walter Kwan will be revisiting important moments in Cheung’s career through music. 

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