Saturday, December 1, 2007

Red (This week's Photo Hunt theme)



This week's Photo Hunt theme is one that I had lots of suitable photographic candidates for. This is not least because red is considered to be an auspicious color by the Chinese and thus is very popular around these parts. Also, well, as the song -- and movie title -- goes, The East is Red! ;)

After giving the matter some thought, I've decided to go for two photos that, when taken together, make for a study of contrast. For even if this pair of red pictures don't exactly represent the sacred and the profane, they at least are representative images from the secular along with sacred sides of Hong Kong life.

More specifically, the picture at the top is of a pork butcher's stall that's an integral part of the kind of wet market that still is pretty popular over here in 'Asia's World City'. And while pork is considered to be a white meat by some (including those involved with the "The Other White Meat" campaign over in the USA), I must say that it often looks very red to me -- and, indeed, there are others who are emphatic that this is indeed the case!

The second photo in this post, on the other hand, is of one of two red lanterns that hang outside the main doorway of the Hau Wong Temple in Tung Chung on Lantau Island. Built over two centuries ago, the temple is one of a number in Hong Kong that honor the memory of Hau Wong (trans. Holy Marquis), the general and uncle of the last emperor of China's Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE), a boy ruler who spent his last days on the run from the Mongol invaders and, according to legend, chose suicide rather than surrender, and to do so by jumping into Kowloon Bay.

So, hmm, even though I hadn't originally planned it that way, both my red photos actually turn out to have something in common: i.e., they both have bloody associations of some sort! ;S

30 comments:

Dragonheart, Merlin, Devi, and Chloe said...

That lantern is beautiful! Thanks for providing some information about it. :)

Your two red photos are certainly a study in contrast!

jams o donnell said...

Great shots. Thanks for the info on the lantern. Have a great weekend

Chen said...

to me, pork is always red meat ;)

A. said...

Red meat! I didn't think of that one, and I would most certainly consider pork a red meat. Great post!

lissa said...

I didn't even know those markets has a name. (Guess I need to get out more often.) Did you see that movie with wet markets? I think it's called "Hooked on you" with Miriam Yeung. It's kind of funny but I think it was more of a drama than comedy.

I do like those red lanterns. I know they sell them here in New York.

Blogger change it so people cannot leave direct links without signing in. How very sad.

Anyway here's my photohunt.
Red

Hope you're enjoying your weekend.

Anonymous said...

I find your Photo Hunt entries so interesting!! I love how you always weave a cultural lesson into it! GREAT!!

Linda
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/prodoceo/436845/

Mommy Lutchi said...

I always wanted to have one of this red lantern, great shot.

Mine is up at 4 Seasons Of My Life and

2Cents Worth . Hope u can visit me too. Take care.

maryt/theteach said...

Love the lantern, not so happy about the raw pork...:)

My RED post is up!

Anna said...

Great photohunt, love those port meat...Thanks for sharing them..

Mine is up too:
Every Beat Of My Heart

Anonymous said...

Fun choices for red and nice tie together regarding blood.

Is considering pork 'red' or 'white' cultural do you think?

jmb said...

I think pork is pink, not white, not red meat. But the photo is good for the theme. The lantern is lovely. No lack of red for you in HK.

YTSL said...

Hi dragonheart --

I'm so into words (along with photos), it's hard for me to not post info along with pictures. So glad you're appreciating rather than ignoring my words... :)

Hi jams o donnell --

Thanks, you're welcome and hope you have a great weekend too! :)

Hi Chen --

And bet you like to eat it too... ;b

Hi a. --

Thanks! And I'll tell you a funny thing: Originally took that red meat for the Smelly theme but wasn't able to participate in the Photo Hunt that week and am glad there's another week that it is appropriate for! :)

Hi Lissa --

Have definitely seen "Hooked On You". Have a link to my review of the film (which I liked a lot -- enough to see it twice in the cinema) somewhere on this blog. Also, an interview with the very nice Miriam Yeung... :)

Hi ????? --

Are the question marks your name or...??? Anyways, thanks! :)

Hi Prodoceo --

Chalk it down to my anthropological training. You can get the anthropologist out of the academy but you still can't get the anthropology out of her! ;b

Hi gwapasila --

My mother put up some red lanterns outside my parents' house. My 2 cents: After seeing them, have to say that red lanterns look best outside of temples rather than homes... ;b

Hi the teach --

Lemme guess: you're vegetarian? ;b

Hi Anna --

OTOH, aaah, here's a meat lover, it seems... ;)

Hi Sarah --

Interesting question! If anyone knows the answer to it, please share! :)

Hi jmb --

Relating this to sbk's question: For some cultures, pink is part of the red family. So... ;b

And all in all, am glad the meat and lantern both are attracting attention and comments! :)

Natalie said...

The lantern is pretty, the meat makes me sick...I love to eat it, but hate to touch or look at raw meat. LOL! Great choices and thanks for teaching me. :)

My photo hunt pictures are up too! :)

Gattina said...

At least you don't suffer from a leak of phantasy, lol ! From a butcher to a temple latern ! Unfortunately I couldn't see the temple, the page didn't show any picture.

kljs said...

Nice lantern! Great shot!

http://kennyljs.com/

YTSL said...

Hi Natalie --

LOL indeed at your reaction to the photo of the meat, and thanks for the kudos! ;b

Hi Gattina --

You can see an exterior and interior shot of the Hau Wong temple over on this page of the blog:-
http://webs-of-significance.blogspot.com/2007/11/tung-chung-to-tai-o-photo-essay.html

Enjoy? :)

Hi kljs --

Thanks! :)

ipanema said...

nice subjects for the theme. i can't eat pork anymore. :(

SnoopyTheGoon said...

That's a great treatment of the topic and excellent shots.

Thanks for stopping by.

Willow said...

Hi YTSL, from Sendai, Japan. If I were doing photo hunts for red, I'd submit my photo of some kobe beef from the basement food market of Sakurano department store.

Anonymous said...

I like the lantern - and the butcher shop just reminded me that I almost missed lunchtime... *off to eat*!!!
Happy Sunday, and thanks for your visit!

Sabine

YTSL said...

Hi ipanema --

Hope you don't mean you can't eat pork anymore after seeing my photo! ;b

Hi Snoopy the Goon --

Thanks and ditto! :)

Hi Willow --

Hope you're having a great time in Japan!!!

Hi Sabine --

Hope you had a good Sunday lunch! :)

Anonymous said...

Both very good photos and I enjoyed your commentary on it all. Very interesting facts! Have a great weekend. Mine is up, please stop by.

Andree said...

The lantern is so lovely and historic. What a story there!

Anonymous said...

The lantern is OK, but not the meat. Haha! Thanks for sharing. Have fun in HK!

-tnchick- said...

I could never be a butcher. Ewww. The 2nd photo is much better for my viewing pleasure LOL

YTSL said...

Hi kissedalotatoads --

Thanks, and I did stop by your blog earlier! Also, hope you had a great weekend. :)

Hi Andree --

Nice to get a visit from you. Have to admit that you're one of those Photo Hunters whose names I've started to look out for each week... :)

Hi pelfy --

Am having fun in Hong Kong, thanks! BTW, what's your blog's URL?

Hi TNChick --

Teeheehee re your reaction to the meat photo. And yeah, it seems that most people predictably prefer the lantern picture! ;b

Andree said...

Yes, only one had any red. And a small amount at that. But it was red. Thank you for visiting.

YTSL said...

Hi again Andree --

And thank you too for your visits! :)

Willow said...

I'm in Hong Kong now and Ipass by a meat market as you've pictured everyday. We don't see stuff like that in the States and the premise of keeping meat tasting better by not refrigerating it (and eating it fresh from the dead pig/cow) was new to me.

YTSL said...

Hi Willow --

Welcome (back?) to Hong Kong! Hope you have a great time here! :)