00:00 – Lifts as the Destination

My interests in freight lifts came from frequently visiting industrial buildings in different regions—where many cultural spaces are located—in recent years. Carrying goods commonly takes more time than raising and lowering people, and hence, there are usually more freight than passenger lifts in an industrial building; apart from carrying bulky items, a freight lift is another traveling option while in haste or at midnight when the passenger lifts are out of service. In comparison to the enclosed environment of many passenger lifts, in the old-fashioned freight lifts it always feels like time-traveling (this is how I see romance in the everyday). In March 2021, to prepare for the “Listen…the sound of Po Kong” workshop of San Po Kong Arts Festival 2021, I interviewed my father who is a lift constructor. It was then that I realised that the government plans to phase out all the old-fashioned freight lifts within ten years. After this time, all types of freight lift will be replaced by the enclosed version. Little time is left for the old-fashioned freight lift, so I took the opportunity to see them as a destination, wandering through and around the San Po Kong Eight Streets, searching and exploring this industrial district for them.

This feature story is based on the ‘lift-ride’ designed for “Listen…the sound of Po Kong”, documenting the rides in at least three types of lift.

In this time of global quarantine: “Would you go for a lift-ride with me?”

00:00 – 以升降機為目的地

對貨(車立)的注意源於近年經常出入散落於各區不同工廈的藝文單位。上落貨總比運送人類需時，很多工廈裏貨(車立)的數量都比客(車立)多；除了搬運大型物件和器材，在趕頭趕命急於衝往樓上單位之際，或在深夜凌晨客(車立)已停止運作之時，貨(車立)成為另一種搭乘的選擇。與客的封閉相比，人置身於舊式貨(車立)裏常有穿越時空的感覺（嗯，常自我浪漫化日常）。直至2021年3月準備新蒲崗地文藝遊祭的「聽……蒲崗的聲音」聲藝旅程，我訪問了以製作升降機為業的父親，才得知舊式貨(車立)將於十年內完全被淘汰。十年，所有升降機都將被統一為封閉式升降機。可以進入舊式貨(車立)空間的時間所剩不多，我趁機以(車立)為目的地，在工廈林立的新蒲崗八街遊走。

是次書寫將以「聽……蒲崗的聲音」聲藝旅程的「遊(車立)河」為基礎，紀錄遊（貨）(車立)河的時間與至少三種不同的升降機空間。

在依舊不能外遊的日子裏：「你願唔願意同我一齊遊(車立)河？」

:: Open 24 Hours — (Freight) Lift-ride in San Po Kong Eight Streets
24小時營業 — 在新蒲崗八街遊（貨）(車立) 河 ::
00:00 – Lifts as the Destination 以升降機為目的地
09:00 – Overhearing the Lift Operator’s and Passengers’ Daily Conversations
偷聽揸(車立)人與乘客的日常（對）話
15:15 – Sleepwalking with the Lifts’ Reverberation: Luk Hop Industrial Building
在六合工業大廈的(車立)聲迴響中夢遊
23:11 – To be or not to be: The ‘Not To Be Used As Passenger Lift’ Freight Lift
To be or not to be：「不可被用作乘客升降機」的斬頭門
24:00 – Murmur 念念