Hong Kong — 97 Magazine

Instructions:

Section A — Multiple Choice (20 marks — 1 mark each)
Choose the best answer.

Section B — Short Answer (40 marks — show concise, focused answers) Answer each in 1–3 short paragraphs.

Section C — Practical / Analysis (40 marks) 27. (12 marks) Design a one-page magazine spread (describe layout and elements, not produce the artwork) that captures Hong Kong 97’s aesthetic. Include: headline, subhead, 3 image types, color palette (3 colors), typography choices (2 fonts by role), and caption examples. Present as a clear bullet list for each element.

Scoring rubric (5 marks)

End of exam.

: This was a long-running series of adult magazines published by Pau Si Loy Publisher CO.

Content: Typically featured photography of Asian models and lifestyle/entertainment topics.

Format: The magazines were published in Cantonese and were part of a serial numbering system, with some issues reaching up to #424.

Availability: Issues are frequently found on eBay and specialized collector sites like WonderClub. Historical & News Context

Because 1997 was the year of the Hong Kong handover from the UK to China, many major international publications released "Special Hong Kong 97" editions or cover stories: Time Magazine: Released a special 1997 handover issue. hong kong 97 magazine

Newsweek: Published a May 1997 special report titled "Can Hong Kong Survive?".

National Geographic: Featured Hong Kong in its March 1997 issue. Asiaweek: Released a June 1997 "Handover Guide". Video Game Connection

The name is also synonymous with the infamous 1995 Super Famicom bootleg game Hong Kong 97

. While it is a game, it has strong ties to underground magazines:

Game Urara (Issue #1): This short-lived Japanese "hacker" magazine is believed to be the only publication that ever featured a print advertisement for the original Hong Kong 97 game. Instructions:

Satire: The game itself was designed as a mockery of the industry and featured crude digitized graphics of real historical figures related to the 1997 handover.

Hong Kong 97 is a bootleg Super Famicom (Super Nintendo) game released in 1995 by a mysterious developer identified only as “HappySoft Ltd.” Ostensibly timed to coincide with the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China, the title has become notorious for its crude design, shock-value content, and later status as an internet cult artifact. Below is a concise overview covering its origins, design, content controversies, and cultural legacy.

A curious aspect of the magazine was its geography. While it was an East Village production, its soul was entirely Kowloon-side. It functioned as a scrapbook for Westerners fascinated by the "Pearl of the Orient."

The magazine frequently dealt with the theme of the "handover." It speculated on the future of Hong Kong’s press freedoms and democratic institutions, often with a pessimism that felt subversive at the time. It stripped away the polished PR narrative of the British exit and looked at the gritty reality of a city about to undergo a massive identity shift.

While not solely about Hong Kong, this issue contains a 30-page photo essay titled "Hong Kong: The Last Hurrah." It is famous for its vibrant pull-out map of the colony before the handover. For cartography lovers, this is the definitive Hong Kong 97 magazine. Section A — Multiple Choice (20 marks —

The value of a magazine from this era is often tied to its cover art and editorial slant. We can categorize them into three emotional buckets: