舊金山異聞手推車
 Chinatown Strange Stories Cart (CSSC)



流動裝置/活動 Mobile installation / Activation: 

2024年8月,華埠鬼節,舊金山中華文化中心,三藩市,美國 | August 2024, Hungry Ghost Festival, Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, USA


廣播與收集舊金山華埠奇異故事的流動手推車

A mobile installation sharing and collecting strange stories of Chinatown

遊人覽閱點播名錄 | Visitors reading the playlist

遊人分享故事 | Visitors sharing stories

靈異故事:收音機,Janet | Paranormal story: Radio by Janet

靈異故事:陰陽街、後巷,David Lo | Paranormal story: Alleys by David Lo

〈舊金山異聞手推車〉是一件分享和收集三藩市華埠奇聞異事的流動裝置。這些由在華埠生活或工作的人講述的故事,除了包括撞鬼和鬼屋等靈異故事外,還包括黑幫鬥爭、殺人兇案、都市傳說、對鬼神之說的觀念,以及昔日美洲華人死後如何長途跋涉運回中國安葬的歷史。所有故事均以錄音作記錄。

流動裝置除了喇叭和摺櫈外,亦有一個以街邊紙皮製作、彷如紙紥品的電台控制台。裝置在參加過三藩市華埠鬼節巡遊後,隨即在街上變成流動電台攤檔,廣播收集所得的華埠異聞。攤檔設有點播名錄,供途人點播故事,同時認識鬼節的習俗和忌諱,甚或分享自身的奇聞異事。

鬼節本意為助亡靈和先祖解脫苦痛,同時保合境平安。作品除了展現華埠鮮為人知的歷史和文化,亦寄望藉分享故事,將當中的恐懼、悲慟、冤屈以及情緒排解。

‘Chinatown Strange Stories Cart’ (CSSC) is a mobile installation sharing and collecting strange stories of Chinatown, San Francisco. 

The strange stories are recorded and told by community members living and/or working in Chinatown. Other than paranormal stories such as ghosts and haunted buildings, the stories also include macabre incidents, urban legends, views on paranormal beings, as well as histories of little known repatriation of the deceased from the Americas to China.

Other than a loud speaker and foldable stools, the mobile installation comprises a radio station panel made with a found carton box. Its look resonates with Chinese paper offerings to be given to the spirits through burning, common in the Hungry Ghost Festival.

CSSC joined the Hungry Ghost Festival parade in Chinatown, San Francisco. Afterwards, it unfolds into a street stall with the paper radio station as the table, like the street stalls of fortune tellers in the old days. While the stall broadcasts the collected stories, visitors are invited to choose and play the stories from the playlist, learn the customs and rituals of the Ghost Festival, or tell a paranormal story of their own.

The Hungry Ghost Festival is meant to be a festival of consoling the spirits and bringing peace to the secular world. CSSC hopes to do so by letting the stories of the community be heard, which often evoke fear, grief and injustice.

華埠街坊David說「鬼中意聽鬼故」。為免鬼魂騎在人上跟隨回家,David教用紙錢掃頭頂和兩邊膊頭(人的三把火),然後再將紙錢燒掉。| ‘Ghosts love to listen to ghost stories,’ says David who lives in Chinatown. In order to ward off ghosts and prevent them from following home, David teaches me to wipe the crown and shoulders — the three ‘fires’ where the ghosts would cling to — with paper money, and burn them afterwards.

依照盂蘭節習俗,紙製流動電台在活動過後燒掉,供奉華埠亡靈。| Following the tradition of offering to the spirits, the paper radio station panel was burnt after the completion of the celebration. 

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主辦 Presented by:

舊金山中華文化中心 Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco 

駐留策劃 Residency co-organised by:

藝術到家 Art Together

受訪者 Interviewees:

Albert 

Clara Hsu

小燕子 Hanna 

Jack Fong 

Janet

Jeanette  

Jebriel

Jeffrey

高嗣正 Ko Si Hing

David Lo

Michelle

李殿邦 Ding Lee

Peter

Simon

Tane 

鳴謝 Acknowledgement:

高嗣正 Ko Si Hing 

李殿邦 Ding Lee 

David Lei

文家健 Tommy Man 

吳嘉欣 Kyan Ng

香港駐三藩市經濟貿易辦事處 Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco