⌈脆⌋談香港話
In the world of social media, where platforms rise and fall in a matter of days, there emerges occasionally a new stage that not only captures attention but also serves as a beacon of cultural preservation and promotion. Threads, the latest darling of the social media scene and commonly known as 脆 (ceoi3, literally meaning crispy), has been doing just that, particularly in the realm of Cantonese and Hong Kong language and culture.
The app, having formed in the Meta universe of Mark Zuckerberg and branched out under Instagram as the nemesis of X/Twitter, centres around conversation threads and claims to emphasise more authenticity and depth than its counterparts. It has become fertile ground to celebrate and disseminate Cantonese and Hong Kong culture less than a year since inception last July. In a digital landscape dominated by mainstream languages and cultures, Threads stands out as a channel where speakers of Cantonese and other marginalised tongues, such as the Hakka and Hokkien of the Taiwanese, can connect, share stories and keep their languages alive.
A glimpse of the Hongkongese chats on Threads reveals some of the hottest topics: Southeast Asian Hong Konger culture, Cantonese and Hongkongese language usage, the lives of Hong Kong migrants in different countries, Cantopop music, and the latest so-called secret code for web traffic success 流量密碼 (lau4 loeng6 mat6 maa5), which has the effect of a hashtag. Hong Kong thespian Terrance Lau 劉俊謙 (Lau4 Zeon3 Him1), for instance, is a guaranteed draw. Any threads about him are bound to capture eyeballs because he has been a household name since playing the lead in the award-winning 2019 film Beyond the Dream《幻愛》, followed by the roles of the late singer-actor Leslie Cheung in 2021 film Anita Mui and the hero 信一 (seon3 jat1) in the hit movie Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In《九龍城寨之圍城》 this year. By hosting such a diverse range of topics, Threads shows its appeal and engagement potential with a growing global Hongkongese audience.
One of the most striking impacts of Threads is its role in fostering a sense of community among Hongkongese speakers across the globe. Similar in format to the more text-oriented counterpart X/Twitter, Threads allows users to engage in meaningful dialogue, share personal anecdotes and bond over shared cultural experiences, all in written Cantonese or Hongkongese and multimodally. This sense of belonging and camaraderie not only strengthens the fabric of Hong Kong culture but also serves as a powerful tool for its preservation without much intrusion by commercial advertisements, at least not just yet.
According to reports, Threads has become a somewhat safer space for the exchange of knowledge and opinions on touchy subjects. Users take on political debates and marginal social issues – a case in point being the heated discussions around Taiwan’s presidential election earlier this year – as well as matters close to the heart, such as identity and mental health. In this way, the app serves as a digital repository of issues of the day and of contemporary language usage, thus indirectly helping to preserve Cantonese and Hong Kong heritage and ensuring it continues to thrive in the internet age.
Practitioners and supporters of Hong Kong arts and entertainment are finding Threads the go-to platform for views and recommendations about the city’s music, films and literature. As a bonus, their chatter exposes a global audience to the vibrant creative output of the Hong Kong community. Many artists have also discovered the app’s potential for offering a direct channel to their target audience. Some Hong Kong artists who are particularly active on Threads include Sica Ho 何洛瑤 (Ho4 Lok6 Jiu4) @j.sicasi, Terence Lam 林家謙 (Lam4 Gaa1 Him1) @terencelam0903, Ng Siu-hin 吳肇軒 (Ng4 Siu6 Hin1) @siuhinng, and Dr Serrini Leung 梁嘉茵博士 (Loeng4 Gaa1 Jan1 Bok3 Si6) @gwendolyn.spot. By amplifying the voices of Cantonese creators, Threads showcases the richness and diversity of Hong Kong culture to the world.
Language revitalisation is another powerful function of Threads within Cantonese-speaking communities. As the young gravitate towards mainstream languages such as Mandarin and English, concerns are growing about the erosion of Cantonese skills. However, Threads offers a compelling counter-narrative, providing a digital space where Cantonese speakers of all ages can create, use, practise and preserve their language in a modern context, from talking about the hottest food trends to explaining slang to different generations of Hongkongese speakers.
For example, Assistant Professor Lau Chaak-ming of the Education University of Hong Kong shared his thoughts on the importance of learning the Jyutping romanisation system for Cantonese. It triggered a lively discussion from both native speakers and learners of the language, recording 258 likes, 90 comments and 84 reposts as at 13 May. Elsewhere on Threads, broader conversations are going on about linguistic diversity and cultural heritage in the digital age. By demonstrating the value of minority languages and cultures in the global conversation, the app challenges the dominant narrative of linguistic homogenisation and cultural assimilation. With its simple interface and support for most languages, Threads not only celebrates various cultures but also advocates for the preservation of linguistic and cultural traditions.
As Threads continues to grow in popularity, its impacts on promoting Hongkongese language and culture show no signs of slowing down. By fostering a sense of community, sharing knowledge and promoting authenticity, it is an example of a digital bastion for Cantonese speakers round the world. In an increasingly connected world where cultural identities are often threatened, it is hoped that Threads and future platforms can stand as a testament to the enduring power of language and culture to unite and inspire us all.
If you would like to discuss this or other topics, look for me on Threads @raymondpaihk
