Calligraphy Graffiti of the Emperor of Kowloon (九龍皇帝)

There is no doubt that the “Emperor of Kowloon” is a part of the cultural heritage of Hong Kong.  Few people, if any, take the claim of Mr. Tsang Tsou Choi (曾灶財) to be the owner of much of Kowloon seriously.  But his decades-old habit of writing on the walls on the streets of Hong Kong has won over a large section of the population.  Sadly, practically all his calligraphy have been painted over. 

In the end one lonely pillar at the Star Ferry is spared.  It is now surrounded by a layer of clear plastic.  The original writing was done in black paint on a grey, circular pillar.  It sits in a place in front of the Star Ferry which is not illuminated.  The plastic is transparent but dirty and reflective.  The combined effect makes it difficult to read.  There is also nothing to explain the background and significance of the writings.  I have never observed anyone looking at them.  

Recently, some of his calligraphy re-appear on a wall under a railway bridge over Boundary Street, generating quite a bit of excitement.  I went over to have a look this morning.  The writings were done in black paint on a grey surface as was his habit.  The writings seemed to have been painted over at least twice.  The first time by a thin layer of light beige-coloured paint.  The second time by a very heavy layer of light grey paint.  Apparently, in some places, both the light beige paint and the heavy grey paint have peeled off, exposing the calligraphy again.

I examined the covering layers to see whether it is possible to remove more of the beige and grey covering, to make more of the original calligraphy visible.  Unfortunately, some of the black paint seem to stick to the beige layer.  It seems difficult to remove the beige layer without also removing the original black writing.  Perhaps experts in restoration can do better.  

Of course, there is no guarantee that the authorities would not paint over them again, or try to “preserve” them in a way that make it worse, or declare them to be unsalvageable.  Perhaps the best that we can hope for is for the authorities to just leave them alone.