Stuart Wolfendale

On Sunday evening, the very night of Handover Day and its tenth anniversary, the entire government, headed by the Chief Executive and accompanied by favoured local school and youth groups, took off over the border into Shenzhen to watch an open air variety show. What do you make of that?

The President had gone and his imperium with him. We were stuck with watching yet more harbour fireworks. It was as though ministers could not suffer the anti-climax. They left town and followed him into the Mainland for one last bout of fun.I can’t say I blame them. The show was held in Shenzen’s 57 varieties of cultural replica site, between the Coliseum and the Eiffel Tower. ATV’s coverage showed the kids enjoying themselves hugely in a way that was beyond staging. They were entertained by a miniature Ricky Martin, shadow puppets, a Canto pop stars, favourite hits from Cantonese opera would you believe, a thousand dancers, tons of geysered dry ice and huge floppy balloons which they could poke back and forth through the auditorium.By contrast, back here, TVB was showing one of their indoor ballroom shows with tense performers and too many comperes in front of unrecognizable porcine stuffed shirts, ostensibly enjoying a banquet but in the usual hurry to get out before even the credits could roll.So, here is a message for the next decade. If you want some uncomplicated, unpretentious fun, set off over the border and, if in doubt, just follow a minister. 

 

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