Ni Ming, who is from Chengdu, Sichuan, came to Hong Kong in 2013 to study film and television production. After graduation, he stayed in Hong Kong to work in the film industry. He has participated in the production of Hong Kong films "Dust on a Narrow Road", "Uncle Uncle" and other local films or dramas .
Ni Ming has lived in Hong Kong for nearly ten years. Even though she has obtained permanent resident status, she hardly has the identity of a "Hong Kong person". She integrates into the local society and makes friends in Hong Kong with a sense of wandering.
According to the Census and Statistics Department of the government, the number of net migration from mid-2021 to mid-year this year will reach 113,000, the highest since records began in 1997.
Statistics from the Immigration Department also show that in recent years, the number of mainland residents applying to Hong Kong through different talent programs or policies has declined overall. Under the "immigration tide", locals and mainlanders are all looking for their next foothold.
Ni Ming believes that Hong Kong is fast-paced and stressful, and not as suitable for life as Chengdu, the "Land of Abundance". However, she appreciates Hong Kong's abundant talents, strong inclusiveness, and mountains and seas. She describes her relationship with Hong Kong as "love-hate". But I just want to "leave for a while and come back".
Under the tide of saying goodbye to Hong Kong, people like Ni Ming who have not yet taken root in Hong Kong still stay in the city in various ways.
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Love: Living in Hong Kong for 10 years is like a second home
Before Ni Ming came to Hong Kong, she had watched many Wong Kar Wai films, and the lights and shadows in them formed her initial ignorant impression of Hong Kong.
Now, Ni Ming has been working as a film freelancer in Hong Kong for more than 3 years. Among her film major classmates, many of them have switched to other jobs or switched to shooting commercials. Through the production team, casting director, etc.
Having lived in Hong Kong for almost 10 years, Ni Ming lamented that apart from his hometown, Hong Kong is the city where he lives the longest. It is hard to imagine going to other places in the second 10 years of his life, uprooting and starting a new life in such an integrated way.
As a production team, you have to search for scenes all day long, and sometimes you will go to places that you seldom go to, and you will find, wow, there are some places in Hong Kong that work with things, such as hot dog buses, which will make me more familiar The city builds deep feelings.
Ni Ming
After graduating, Ni Ming first engaged in literature-related work, and then started filming with different crews in the film industry, mainly the production team.
Ni Ming has seen many creative and thoughtful young people who are constantly breaking through and innovating. She is often amazed at the energy and enthusiasm of her peers.
In terms of life, Ni Ming lamented the inclusiveness and diversity of Hong Kong. The streets and alleys are full of restaurants from all over the world. Even if you don’t travel, you can taste exotic food.
Due to visa and language restrictions, there are only a handful of Hong Kong film practitioners with mainland backgrounds, and those from non-Guangdong provinces are even rarer.
As a "very few" in the industry, Ni Ming admits that it is more difficult to adapt to this environment, but she will not reject it. She believes that Hong Kong people work at a fast pace and have high requirements, and she has to adapt to it day by day.
Hate: The living environment is crowded and life is stressful
Ni Ming recalled that when he first started working, he was not fluent in Cantonese, and it was difficult to express himself freely, so he did film editing that required less communication.
But in order to integrate quickly, she will still force herself to learn Cantonese, which is now close to her mother tongue level, but she will inevitably be criticized by others.
Maybe when I speak Cantonese, I will be able to "sound" and people will laugh at me. Sometimes I know that everyone is joking, but (I) will suddenly feel unhappy, as if being laughed at by others. Every moment (moment) I feel a little uncomfortable.
Ni Ming
The housing problem in Hong Kong has been criticized by all walks of life for a long time. Ni Ming is now sharing a tenement house with her friends. The area is spacious and the rent is affordable, but it takes six flights of stairs.
Ni Ming recalled that when she first came to Hong Kong to study at university, she lived in the living room for four years. Although she could separate the rest space from the public space, she still felt uncomfortable.
Ni Ming also went to Mong Kok to look at the rental property, which was a sub-divided room with bunk beds, which made her feel very depressed.
I tried to go to a tea restaurant to find the scenery before, and I went there three or four times in person, and talked to the people who lived there.
He just wants to charge a high price, but in fact, the place where I use it is really a very small place, and it will not affect its normal operation.
So let’s explain it early in the morning, I have to run many times.
Ni Ming
Living alone in a foreign country, even with a Hong Kong permanent resident ID card, Ni Ming still has a strong sense of wandering when faced with the indifferent worldly ways occasionally, lamenting that Hong Kong is "not suitable for life, it is suitable for crazy work, food and money".
Talking about the future, Ni Ming is worried about the real problems. If he does not have enough material resources, it will be difficult to take root in Hong Kong.
Love-hate relationship: Not immigrating unless you have a place where you really want to start over
According to government data, after 2019, the number of mainland residents who have been approved to come to Hong Kong through different programs has a slight downward trend; highest on record.
According to government data, the overall total number of mainland residents who have been approved to come to Hong Kong through different schemes has declined after 2019.
Under the general trend of immigration, many Hong Kong local residents and Hong Kong drifters have left. Ni Ming believes that the freedom of speech and creativity in Hong Kong is gradually losing. , and she herself was more cautious when speaking, no longer as unscrupulous as before.
Even though he has counted all kinds of dissatisfaction with Hong Kong, he admitted that he would not emigrate, and asked, "Actually, when I come to Hong Kong, I am considered an immigrant?"
I might want to live somewhere for a while, but not immigrant.
Migration is just a synonym for going from one place to another.
For Hong Kong, sometimes I will leave for a while and then come back, but unless I encounter a place where I really want to start again, because my feelings for Hong Kong are already very deep.
Ni Ming
Ni Ming has already integrated into the living environment of Hong Kong in the past ten years, made many local friends with similar interests in Hong Kong, and shot many films with a certain degree of attention with local directors. It comes from love.
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