Flip of a page lets elderly listen to past years

Some of Hong Kong's best-known opera and entertainment stars have lent their voices to a project aimed at giving Hong Kong's fast-growing elderly population the chance to relive their younger days through audio books.

The first such publications in Cantonese, the books include classic Hong Kong opera together with literary and biographical favourites in which the flip of a chapter page will start the audio.

"It is a project close to my heart," said the project's mastermind, television producer Siu Chiu-shun, who said he was given the job 10 years ago by famed lyricist James Wong, who has since died.

Siu said Wong told him Hong Kong's "good voices must be recorded and preserved" for future generations. It took a decade, but the first batch is finally ready.

The 10 books include all five instalments of the martial-arts epic by Louis Cha Leung-yung - better known by his pen name Jin Yong; classic Cantonese opera ; three autobiographies of well-known actors narrated by themselves; and one by broadcast star of the 1950s to 1970s Li Man-King, better known by his nickname of Li Ngaw.

Siu said he hoped the books would help elderly people with failing eyesight and other disabilities to enjoy their favourite opera shows and reading material.

"Like my mother, she's 87 years old. All she relies on is this CD recording of Li Ngaw I made for her. She plays it every day, because the number of quality entertainment choices for her is very limited," Siu said.