HONG KONG PORTRAITS - Joshua WONG ( 4 )

Joshua WONG Chi Fung - Former student leader, a political activist and prominent figure in the 2014 UMBRELLA REVOLUTION.


Chinese have a saying : " Youth, is to be feared ".


I met up with Joshua Wong last year soon after the anniversary of the JUNE 4th. I made an appointment with him exactly at the epicentre of the 2014 UMBRELLA REVOLUTION, Admiralty Central. It rained on that day, a small rain, Joshua called me up and told me that he was caught up with other business quite far away from Central and he is on his way. He arrived 30 minutes later than the originally appointed time. I saw Joshua get off the cab quickly, walked towards me with a bit of embarrassing smile. I needed to get on with my picture-taking at once because Joshua Wong, is a VERY BUSY GUY, his schedule is very tight and obviously there is no time for interview.


Joshua Wong, to me, is one of typical 'Guang Dong boy', a rather serious looking guy, not too sociable, a slow-warming type. Joshua Wong led Hong Kong students to initiate unified CLASS BOYCOTT ( refusing to take classes ) in 2012 at the tender age of 16 to protest HKSAR's attempt to introduce so called CIVIC EDUCATION ( an order-made curriculum which is designed to nurture 'patriotic emotional tie with the motherland' ) into all Hong Kong schools. His powerful leadership and eloquence of speech have brought much attention to both local and international medias and citizens alike. And in 2014, Wong, ordained by fate, became the leading role in the massive civil disobedience that Hong Kong have never seen in recent history, the OCCUPATION CENTRAL - UMBRELLA REVOLUTION. Wong's name instantly spread across the globe which made him a symbolic figure, a political icon of the UMBRELLA REVOLUTION, subsequently took this young boy on the cover of TIME MAGAZINE. His quick rise in the political arena and the over night sensation was non to match in the year 2014. In recent years, he has visited United States with the invitation from the U.S. Congress and met up with senators and congressman of Washington DC where he was warmly welcomed. An extraordinary experience such as this, is rarely achieved by any young men and women of the same age. Although I have some reservation regarding his political view on how Hong Kong citizens should 'determine it's future' ( a notion which is nearly as identical as advocating 'independence' from Chinese Communist Regime ), because of it's unrealistic approach to the issue, however, I must say that I admire his courage and ambition. Only because, society will rot if young generation no longer care for the improvement of social condition resisting the oppressing force that try to stop society from growing. I firmly believe that young people must have higher calls and ideas in order to carry out the mandates of civic society, otherwise we will only see a corrupted world.

I led Joshua in the gentle rain, all around Admiralty, here and there, asking him to pose for me. In his silence, I sensed his minor impatience and I finished my photo-shooting in a very short time.


I invited Joshua for a quick bite after the shoot, asking him whether he's hungry after the photo-taking, but he refused, said good-bye and hurriedly walked away from me.



Joshua Wong is a young man to be feared.




Liau Chung Ren （ 廖中仁 ）

2017, 5-27
Instagram@bluuren

* At the time of this translation on 2nd of November 2017, Joshua Wong is currently released on bale after spending 2 months in prison.

* English translation from original Chinese script, some modifications are made. Translation by the author.