Beliefs Soar

Beliefs Soar
Original title讓黃雀飛
Written by
  • Lit Ming-wai[1]
  • Wei Siu-lik
Directed byCarmen Lo Ching-man[1]
Music by
  • Adrian Chow Pok-yin[1]
  • Denis Ng
Date premieredJune 15, 2012 (2012-06-15)
Place premieredHong Kong Arts Centre
Original languageCantonese
SubjectJune Fourth Incident
GenreHistorical

Beliefs Soar (Chinese: 讓黃雀飛) is a Hong Kong play first performed in 2012 by Stage 64. The premiere version was written by Lit Ming-wai and Wei Siu-lik, and directed by Carmen Lo Ching-man.[1] The play centers on Operation Yellowbird, interwoven with social movements around 2010, the Anti-Hong Kong Express Rail Link movement and the Five Constituencies Referendum, to contrast two generations' struggles and contradictions in their pursuit of democracy.[2]

The premiere took place on 15 June 2012, at the Hong Kong Arts Centre.[2] A 2013 school tour version added a new ending featuring the Anti-Moral and National Education movement.[3] A later revision, Beliefs Soar (Rerun)[a] incorporated scenes from the Umbrella Movement and was performed on 26 July 2013, at the Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre.[4]

Production background

Stage 64 was founded in 2009 by a group of volunteers from the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The troupe aims to commemorate and educate the public about the June Fourth Incident through theatre. Their debut work, Edelweiss, focusing on the tragedy and struggles of the protesters, attracted wide attention. Beliefs Soar is their second production, exploring the post-Tiananmen Operation Yellowbird, the challenges of democratic ideals, collective negotiation, and historical trauma.[5][2] During production, the team referenced the escape experiences of student leader Chai Ling.[4]

Operation Yellowbird was a secret rescue mission organized by Hong Kong civilians to help Chinese dissidents wanted by the government flee the mainland. Through underground networks and smuggling routes, hundreds of activists were successfully brought to Hong Kong and later to destinations such as the United States and France. Participants included Hong Kong democrats, entertainers, and even triad members, with covert assistance from the British colonial authorities. Due to the mission's sensitive nature, many details were revealed only in recent years, and some participants have stated that many more shall remain undisclosed.[6][7]

Plot

In Beijing, 1989, student leader Hong Ming and his girlfriend Hiu Ching join the pro-democracy movement. Amid growing internal divisions and external pressure, they argue over whether to withdraw from Tiananmen Square. When the army enters and gunfire erupts, Hong Ming becomes separated from his comrades in the chaos. Haunted by guilt and fear, he and Hiu Ching begin a perilous escape.

In Hong Kong, 2010, social activists Ken and Chelsea meet during the Anti-Hong Kong Express Rail Link movement. However, during the Five Constituencies Referendum and debates over political reform, their differing beliefs drive them apart. One advocates rational dialogue and institutional reform, while the other favors direct, radical actions. As tensions rise, their relationship deteriorates. The heated debates within the play reflect the contradictions within social movements — between persistence and compromise — echoing the dilemmas faced by the 1989 students over whether to stay or withdraw from the square.

The play runs on two parallel timelines, intertwining the fates of two generations to portray the long-term impact of the Tiananmen Incident on Hong Kong society. When 1989's Hong Ming faces a life-or-death choice, 2010's Ken also struggles between ideals and reality. Hiu Ching's flight and Chelsea's perseverance resonate across time and space.

The second act centers on Hong Ming's later memories and trauma as he reflects on failure, exile, and the true meaning of democracy. The final scenes often change according to current events in Hong Kong — with different versions incorporating the Anti-Hong Kong Express Rail Link movement, the Five Constituencies Referendum, the Anti-Moral and National Education movement, or the Umbrella Movement.[2][3][4]

Music

"Yellow Bird (Cantonese version)"[b] — Theme song, composed, written, and performed by Denis Ng.[8] It later became one of Hong Kong's representative songs for the June Fourth Incident.[9]

"Yellow Bird" — A symbolic anthem for democratic movements.[10]

〈推土機前種花〉 lit. '"Planting Flowers Before the Bulldozers"' — Original song, inspired by Maggie Chau Yee-mei's book of the same Chinese title.[c][10]

Reception

Critic of the International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) remarked that the dual-story structure of the play diluted its focus. While portraying the conflicts between an activist couple made the themes more accessible, the treatment was somewhat superficial. Nonetheless, he praised the creative team's sincerity in confronting collective historical trauma.[12]

Notes

  1. ^ Chinese 《黃雀飛——佔領中環版》lit. 'Beliefs Soar — Occupy Central Version '
  2. ^ Chinese title 〈黃雀飛〉lit. 'Yellow Bird Flies'
  3. ^ the English title is Our Home, Sham Shui Po[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "《讓黃雀飛》- 香港戲劇資料庫暨口述歷史計劃" [Beliefs Soar - Drama Archivve]. International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong). Archived from the original on 2025-06-17. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  2. ^ a b c d "劇本糾纏撤離或留守 思考民主路和而不同" [The script wrestles with whether to withdraw or stay, reflecting on the diverse paths of democracy]. 聞庫. Apple Daily. 2012-05-29. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  3. ^ a b "藉反國教誘年輕人反思" [Using the Anti-Moral and National Education movement topic to encourage young people to reflect]. 聞庫. Apple Daily. 2013-05-30. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  4. ^ a b c "隔牆有耳： 《黃雀飛》 搬佔中上舞台 - 李八方" [Eavesdropping: Beliefs Soar Brings Occupy Central to the Stage]. 聞庫. Apple Daily. 2013-07-10. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  5. ^ "【六四 32 周年】紅線變紅海 舞台路窄 變陣網上讀劇 六四舞台劇監製列明慧：我希望守住" [[32nd Anniversary of June 4th] From Red Lines to a Red Sea: Stage Space Shrinks, Shifting to Online Readings | Stage 64 Producer Lit Ming-wai: “I hope to hold the line.”]. 聞庫. Stand News. 2021-06-03. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  6. ^ "鄧光榮澳門救人 「黃雀行動」絕密曝光" [Alan Tang rescues people in Macau — the top-secret details of “Operation Yellowbird” revealed]. Headline Daily (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2011-07-12. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  7. ^ "營救八九民運領袖 前線總指揮首次披露 黃雀行動幕後英雄鄧光榮、梅艷芳 鄧回應：你問佢哋囉" [Rescuing the 1989 pro-democracy leaders — the frontline commander reveals for the first time the unsung heroes behind Operation Yellowbird: Alan Tang and Anita Mui. Tang responded: “Ask them yourself.”]. 聞庫. Apple Daily. 2009-05-28. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  8. ^ "〈黃雀飛〉創作人吳彤參與報哀音：歌手生命可以完結，但人的信念不能" [Dennis Ng, the creator of "Yellow Bird (Cantonese version),” took part in the mourning performance, saying: “A singer’s life may come to an end, but one’s beliefs must not]. Hong Kong Inmedia (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2016-06-04. Archived from the original on 2016-07-26.
  9. ^ "唱改編歌報哀音 大學生用自己方式悼六四" [Singing adapted songs to mourn — university students commemorate June 4th in their own way]. 聞庫. Apple Daily. 2016-05-29. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  10. ^ a b 用武之地 (2012-07-13). "從歌曲角度分析 讓黃雀飛" [From a musical perspective, an analysis of Beliefs Soar]. International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong). Archived from the original on 2024-08-11. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  11. ^ "Our Home, Sham Shui Po 推土機前種花". The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press.
  12. ^ 小西. "既遠且近的《讓黃雀飛》" [Beliefs Soar: Both Distant and Close]. International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
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