I don’t think there’s a Hongkonger who hasn’t tried karaoke. Those of us born in the 80s or 90s mostly grew up with California Red and Neway. We’d go sing when bored after school, when we broke up with someone, and we’d attend ten K-singing birthday parties a year. Who isn’t familiar with songs like ‘King of K Songs,’ ‘Sobbing,’ and ‘Medley of Pop Hits’? For Hongkongers, K-singing is already a part of entertainment—just like Jeana from Lan Kwai Fong said, ‘This is a necessity of life, it’s a MUST.’ But for you and me, immersed in the sea of K-songs, we sometimes want to find something new and exciting in the routine. Have you ever thought about revisiting the flavor of 80s and 90s karaoke?
After twenty-plus years of the private-room karaoke culture, the scene of the old open-style karaoke lounges can only be fondly recalled in movies. Few of those vintage karaoke lounges remain today. One day, while strolling on Cheung Chau, I stumbled upon a karaoke place. Finding a karaoke spot on Cheung Chau was already a bit of a surprise, but when I opened that wooden door, I stepped into another world. I truly felt like I had entered a time machine. It was five in the afternoon, and in the dark lounge, there was only one middle-aged man smoking in front of the liquor cabinet. The white smoke from his cigarette butt drifted upward; a spotlight near the cabinet illuminated him, and the soft overhead light made the man look mysterious. If you told me this was Tony Leung Chiu-wai on a Wong Kar-wai film set, I’d probably believe you. After walking over and chatting for a bit, I learned he was Brother Sun, the owner of Man Chan Karaoke Lounge.
Brother Sun has been running this karaoke lounge for a long time—over twenty years—from his fiery youth to now being able to smile at life’s challenges. Every table and chair in the lounge is steeped in history. Looking at the neat, sparkling glasses hanging from the rack, shaking the vodka in my hand, and watching a few wisps of white smoke slowly fade from his brow—this is simply an essential element in every movie.
This place is very different from the typical private-room karaoke. The screens are on both walls, with the same song appearing on four screens simultaneously. Every customer in the house is your audience.
The song selection system is quite similar to modern jukeboxes. Of course, the update speed is slower than the major karaoke chains, but you can still find recent hits.
The boss also has a large collection of VCDs and vinyl records. I never would have guessed that vintage vinyl records could easily cost thousands of dollars each. The collection here is valued at hundreds of thousands. These lightboxes are traces of history—that’s how liquor merchants used to advertise.
Rather than just a karaoke spot, this is Cheung Chau locals’ favorite gathering place. Many residents love to celebrate festive occasions here, with friends and family gathering together—sometimes even three generations. This karaoke lounge is also an old haunt for football fans. Whenever there’s an important match, Brother Sun, a huge football enthusiast, plays the game and discusses match insights with everyone. Brother Sun has been involved in the football scene for many years, and the walls are covered with the history of Hong Kong’s football scene. You can see members of the Celebrity Soccer Team like Brother Lek, and Santos is an old friend of Brother Sun.
In this carefree haven, there’s no cover charge or fruit platter fee. You just need to buy a glass of orange juice and you can stay all night, offering your fine singing voice without limits.
Address: No. 15 Kin San Lane, Chung Hing Street, Cheung Chau
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