Audio guide introduction: 3 minute 30 seconds
The Lee Theater was originally privately owned by the Lee Hysan family and later became a famous theater in Hong Kong. It was mainly used for Cantonese opera, opera, concerts and movie screenings. It was once a high-end entertainment performance venue in Hong Kong. At that time, the Cantonese opera performance venues in Hong Kong were mainly in the Sai Wan area. In order to facilitate his mother to enjoy Cantonese opera, Lee Hysan built part of the land on Lee Garden Hill into the Lee Stage. It was completed in 1925 and opened in 1927. In 1928, Lee Hysan was assassinated and died in Central. The area was developed by later generations into Lee Gardens Playground, Lee Gardens Restaurant, etc. The Lee Stage also served as a refuge for the Lee family when the Japanese invaded.
In 1973, Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (commonly known as TVB), founded and owned by Lee Hysan's son, Lee Hsiao-woo, held the first Miss Hong Kong Pageant, which became a major event in Hong Kong that year, and the final was held at the Lee Stage. From then on, the annual Miss Hong Kong pageant final was usually held at the Lee Stage until the late 1980s. In addition, the Lee Theater was also the venue where Hong Kong singers held concerts before the construction of the Hung Hom Stadium. Famous singers Luo Wen and Teresa Teng of that year held solo concerts at Lee Stage many times. Teresa Teng's concerts at Lee Stage were always sold out. She once held nine concerts in seven days, breaking the record for the number of concerts that year. In 1991, Anita Mui returned to perform at the Lee Stage and bid farewell to the famous place that was about to be demolished. In addition to concerts, concerts and Cantonese opera performances, the Lee Stage also screens movies. The first movie released in 1940 was "The Great Dictator", and the last movie screened before it was dismantled in 1991 was "Future Soldier" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The Lee Stage's architectural design was mainly Western-style, with some oriental features incorporated into it. It was the first of its kind in Hong Kong and the most luxurious performance venue in Hong Kong at the time. The stage was designed by a French engineer and built of marble. It was modeled on the designs of French and Italian opera houses at the end of the 19th century, but the interior was supplemented by Chinese decorations with dragon and phoenix carvings. The stage is decorated with many dragons and phoenixes. The stage can rotate 360 degrees and automatically change the scenery. It was the only theater in Hong Kong with this equipment at the time.
In the 1980s, Hong Kong's economy took off and land prices continued to rise. The Lee family began to consider dismantling the Lee Stage to bring greater economic benefits. In 1991, Hysan Holdings, a subsidiary of the Lee family, purchased the Lee Theater land from the Lee family for HK$4.5 million. On August 1991, 8, the stage officially closed. Renovated in 18, it was once the tallest shopping mall in Hong Kong - Lee Theater Plaza.
By the way, if you feel tired during the journey along Percival Street, you can go to Jinghetang to drink a cup of herbal tea or eat a cup of Guiling paste. You can also reminisce about it after taking a rest. Pay special attention to the fact that it is placed at the door. The yellow pay phone was very popular in the 1990s, but now it has become a rare classic style.
