Cover A poster of Eileen Chang’s exhibition by The Repulse Bay (Image: courtesy of The Repulse Bay)
A poster of Eileen Chang’s exhibition by The Repulse Bay (Image: courtesy of The Repulse Bay)
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Retrace the steps of legendary Shanghainese writer Eileen Chang in a new Repulse Bay exhibition that honours her enduring literary impact.
Thirty years after her passing on September 8, 1995, the celebrated Shanghai-born author Eileen Chang is being remembered in Hong Kong with an exhibition at The Repulse Bay.
Opening on October 1, 2025, Love, Upheaval, and the Beauty of Fragility runs for five months and is co-curated by the Hong Kong Heritage Project and Hong Kong Metropolitan University. The showcase highlights Chang’s deep personal and creative connection with the city, as well as her association with the iconic hotel.
Chang frequented The Repulse Bay while studying English Literature at the University of Hong Kong between 1939 and 1941, before her studies were cut short by the Japanese invasion in December 1941. The hotel also appears prominently in her 1943 novella Love in a Fallen City, one of her most celebrated works.
Although the original hotel was demolished in 1982, its Verandah restaurant and other historic elements were preserved or reconstructed. These have since become filming locations for productions including Ang Lee’s 2007 film Lust, Caution, adapted from Chang’s 1979 novella.
Ahead of the exhibition’s opening, Tatler put together a list of highlights of the show for the Chang bibliophiles.
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1. Historic photos of Chang’s youth in Hong Kong
Above A certificate of Eileen Chang when she was studying at HKU (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
Above A photo of Eileen Chang as a child (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
A certificate of Eileen Chang when she was studying at HKU (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
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The Shanghainese writer had a strong connection with Hong Kong. Her original plan to study at the University of London was disrupted by the outbreak of World War II (1939–1945), prompting her to enrol at the University of Hong Kong in 1939. She studied English literature there for two years until her education was cut short by the Japanese invasion in December 1941, after which she returned to Shanghai.
Over the course of her life, she visited the city three times, spending a total of seven years there.
A section of the exhibition is dedicated to rare photographs of her childhood and her student days in Hong Kong.
2. A photo corner featuring her books
Above A photo corner featuring Eileen Chang’s books and a typewriter (Photo: courtesy of The Repulse Bay)
A photo corner featuring Eileen Chang’s books and a typewriter (Photo: courtesy of The Repulse Bay)
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Step into a recreation of Chang’s imagined writing space, complete with her books, a vintage typewriter and reproductions of covers published by Hong Kong Crown Publishing.
3. An installation of her famous lines
Above An installation of Eileen Chang’s famous lines from her writings (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
An installation of Eileen Chang’s famous lines from her writings (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
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Chang is renowned for her incisive observations on love, regret and complex human relationships. The exhibition features a striking installation of her most memorable lines, reflecting both sharp wit and quiet melancholy.
4. Replicas of manuscripts and letters
Above A replica of Elieen Chang’s manuscript (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
A replica of Elieen Chang’s manuscript (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
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Among the most intimate highlights are reproductions of letters exchanged between Chang and her lifelong friends Stephen Soong and Mae Fong Soong. Over four decades, they shared more than 700 letters. Before her death in Los Angeles in 1995, Chang entrusted her estate to the couple. Their son Roland Soong later donated items to Hong Kong Metropolitan University, some of which appear here as replicas.
5. A historic fountain and menu
Above A historic fountain at The Repulse Bay, where Eileen Chang frequented (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
Above A menu at The Repulse Bay from 1926 that gives visitors a glimpse of the dining scene in Eileen Chang’s time (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
A historic fountain at The Repulse Bay, where Eileen Chang frequented (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
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The exhibition also presents a preserved fountain from the hotel and an original menu from 1926. Both offer a glimpse into the elegance of The Repulse Bay during Chang’s time.
6. The Verandah’s afternoon tea
Above The Verandah’s afternoon tea that echoes Eileen Chang's legacy (Photo: courtesy of The Repulse Bay)
The Verandah’s afternoon tea that echoes Eileen Chang's legacy (Photo: courtesy of The Repulse Bay)
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To conclude the experience, visitors can enjoy The Verandah’s famed afternoon tea—a ritual Chang cherished—while taking in the sweeping view of the bay.
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
