The World of Lily Wong
Encyclopedia
The World of Lily Wong was a comic strip
by Larry Feign
(an American-born Hong Kong
resident) which began in 1986, running until 2001. During its early years, it was featured in several newspapers including the The Standard
and the South China Morning Post
between November 1986 and May 1995; The Independent
(UK) between March 1997 and June 1997 (to chronicle the last hundred days of British rule in Hong Kong); and the HK iMail from May 2000 until September 2001.
The strip followed its eponymous protagonist, Lily Wong, a young Chinese woman in Hong Kong
(during its time as a British colony). Her parents, her naughty brother Rudy and her gwailo husband were often used for commenting on Hong Kong news and for comparison of East and West in terms of both culture and politics.
The criticism of abuses by the People's Republic of China
earned Feign prizes from Amnesty International
in 1996 and 1997. However, Larry Feign's political dialogue in the Lily Wong comics has caused mainland influenced media outlets to shun him. Although the South China Morning Post
claimed its cancellation of the strip in May 1995 was a normal editorial decision, it was widely seen in Hong Kong and elsewhere as self-censorship by the paper in order not to jeopardise the business interests in China of its owner, Robert Kuok
, and consequently made headlines around the world.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
by Larry Feign
Larry Feign
Larry Feign , an American-born cartoonist, is best known for his comic strip The World of Lily Wong. He attended the University of California, Berkeley and Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont, graduating with a B.A. in 1979...
(an American-born Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
resident) which began in 1986, running until 2001. During its early years, it was featured in several newspapers including the The Standard
The Standard
The Standard is an English free newspaper of Hong Kong with a daily circulation of 231,018. It was called the Hong Kong Standard and changed to HKiMail during the Internet boom, but it changed back to The Standard in 2001....
and the South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
between November 1986 and May 1995; The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
(UK) between March 1997 and June 1997 (to chronicle the last hundred days of British rule in Hong Kong); and the HK iMail from May 2000 until September 2001.
The strip followed its eponymous protagonist, Lily Wong, a young Chinese woman in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(during its time as a British colony). Her parents, her naughty brother Rudy and her gwailo husband were often used for commenting on Hong Kong news and for comparison of East and West in terms of both culture and politics.
The criticism of abuses by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
earned Feign prizes from Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
in 1996 and 1997. However, Larry Feign's political dialogue in the Lily Wong comics has caused mainland influenced media outlets to shun him. Although the South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
claimed its cancellation of the strip in May 1995 was a normal editorial decision, it was widely seen in Hong Kong and elsewhere as self-censorship by the paper in order not to jeopardise the business interests in China of its owner, Robert Kuok
Robert Kuok
Robert Kuok Hock Nien , is an influential Malaysian Chinese businessman. According to Forbes his net worth is estimated to be around $12.5 billion on May 2011, making him the richest person in Malaysia and Southeast Asia....
, and consequently made headlines around the world.