Concert for Democracy in China

Concert for Democracy in China
Venue Happy Valley Racecourse, Hong Kong
Date(s) May 27, 1989 (1989-05-27)
Duration 12 hours
Attendance 200,000 – 1,000,000
Box office HK$12,000,000

The Concert for Democracy in China (Chinese: 民主歌聲獻中華) was a benefit concert held in Hong Kong in support of the students involved in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The concert was held on May 27, 1989 at the Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island. The event lasted for 12 hours[1] and raised over HK$12,000,000[2] (1.5 million US dollars) for the students in Beijing.[3]

Event

The event was hosted by James Wong, Phillip Chan, Eric Tsang, and John Shum. Sing Pao Daily News reported that the event was attended by nearly one million people,[4] while Ta Kung Pao reported around 500,000 participants.[5] Other estimates state the event was attended by around 200,000 people.[1][2] Notable musicians involved in the performance included Roman Tam, Teresa Teng, Jackie Chan,[6] Liza Wang, Anita Mui, Hou Dejian, Lydia Shum, Wakin Chau, Lowell Lo, Kenny Bee, Cheung Ming-man, Danny Chan, Jacky Cheung, Tai Chi, Beyond, Tat Ming Pair, Hacken Lee, Vivian Chow, Ram Chiang, Maria Cordero and Dave Wang. Andy Lau, Chow Yun-Fat, Alan Tam, Shing Fui-On, Loletta Lee, Chin Siu-ho, Maggie Cheung and George Lam also appeared through a large screen on the stage.

Aftermath

After the event, Lee Cheuk-yan, representing the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, was detained upon arriving in Beijing with HK$1,000,000 in donations made by the Hong Kong people to the event. He was forced to make a written apology and released three days later; the funds were confiscated by the authorities in Beijing.[7]

Donald Tsang attendance controversy

In June 2006, Szeto Wah and other participants recalled seeing Donald Tsang attend the event. However, Tsang denied "unequivocally" he ever attended the event, stating that he had merely bumped into Szeto Wah after having dinner with his son at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.[8] At the 2006 commemoration of the 1989 protests in Hong Kong, Fernando Cheung also claimed that Donald Tsang attended the concert, claims which Tsang again denied.[9][10][11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Garofalo, Reebee (1992). Rockin' the Boat: Mass Music and Mass Movements. South End Press. p. 135. ISBN 9780896084278.
  2. 1 2 Kerns, Ann (2010-10-01). Who Will Shout If Not Us?: Student Activists and the Tiananmen Square Protest, China, 1989. Twenty-First Century Books. p. 92. ISBN 9780761363552.
  3. ↑ Scott, Margaret. "Hong Kong on Borrowed Time". Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  4. ↑ "《高歌民主獻中華 籌得一千三百萬》". 香港: 成報. 1989-05-28.
  5. ↑ "《五十萬港人出席演唱會，馬拉松歌聲歌頌愛國》". 香港: 大公報. 1989-05-28. Archived from the original (香港支聯會的剪報掃描影像) on 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  6. ↑ "Stars Take a Stand - Page 2 of 3 - Varsity". varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk. 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  7. ↑ "【六四禁歌】中国梦一做五千年 巨龙呼唤民主". 新唐人电视台 (in Chinese). 2016-06-01. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  8. ↑ "Nonsense! I wasn't at concert: Tsang". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  9. ↑ 新唐人電視台新聞週刊節目2006年6月19日
  10. ↑ 李永達指曾蔭權解釋欠邏輯，香港電台，2006-06-05 HKT 18:55。
  11. ↑ "行政長官會見傳媒談話全文（只有中文）". www.info.gov.hk (in Chinese). 2006-06-06. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
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