Tsang Tsou Choi

Tsang Tsou Choi (Chinese: 曾灶財), or "Kowloon Emperor" (九龍皇帝) (born 1920 in Huaxian, Guangdong) is well-known in Hong Kong for his calligraphy graffiti that were seen in many places in Hong Kong streets.

The content of the writing mostly include his family tree and the proclaimation of being the Emperor of Hong Kong, Kowloon, and the New Territories, thus giving the name of Kowloon Emperor by native Hong Kong residents.

Tsang is widely seen as having mental illness. Since age 35, he had been seen writing on walls, literally everywhere on the streets ranging lampposts, utilities box, pillars and building walls. He had been arrested numerous times and had his writings covered over and over by paint. Yet, nothing was able to stop him from writing. Only due to recent health concerns on his legs he is now living in a home for elderly and stopped writing on walls but instead writing on paper. His "art works" on streets are now getting rare.

In recent year he received international recognition for his "art work", including an exhibition in Venice Biennale in 2003.

In October 31, 2004, Sotheby's auctioned one of his work for HK$66,000 (USD 8450).

Extrernal links

• An auction of his work by Sotheby's
• A picture of Tsang with his "art work"
• Pictures and description of Tsang on Universes in Universe – Worlds of Art website