‘I have more to give’: Hong Kong Christmas lighting designer still at it after 40 years
At 67, Terence Wong shows no signs of slowing down and speaks passionately about his craft, including his dazzling display at Mody Lane
On a weekday night last week, passengers on an open-top double-decker bus jostled for a position to take selfies below a suspended lighting display at Mody Lane in Tsim Sha Tsui East, where Hong Kong residents have viewed the city’s dazzling Christmas lights for decades.
With 175 illuminated stars spread across 25 rows of dangling lights, the fixture is the work of veteran lighting designer Terence Wong Kim-shan, who has designed and installed Christmas lights for many of the city’s skyscrapers for over 40 years.
The Mody Lane installation is one of his favourite lighting displays this year.
“Every part of this display took a lot of time and effort to pull off,” he said. “From when we started the manufacturing work to putting it together on site, the process took about four months, so you can say we put a lot of thought into this.”
Christmas for the 67-year-old begins months in advance, around May, when his company starts designing the lights that will adorn Hong Kong’s skyscrapers.
“In August, we have the contracts signed for the Christmas lights. In September, we start the manufacturing process for the components. In October, we install the lights. In November, it is almost time for us to switch on the lights,” said Wong, the managing director of his business, Shun Sze Lighting Advertising Design Company.