Amah Rock, or… Deadpool Rock? How one kid's mix-up taught us about passing on Hong Kong's heritage
- rickylui
- Jun 14
- 2 min read
When the new generation's cultural frame of reference is Marvel more than folklore, we need to speak their language to retell Hong Kong's stories.
The other day, a relative took their kid hiking to see one of Hong Kong's iconic landmarks — Amah Rock (望夫石). It was meant to be a lively little culture lesson, until the kid looked up and asked, in all seriousness:
“Why is that figure carrying a sword on its back?”
The adult began: “That's Amah Rock. Legend says a woman waited there for her husband…”
The kid cut in: “That's Deadpool!”
And from that moment, in the kid's universe, Amah Rock was officially renamed “Deadpool Rock.”
Once we'd stopped laughing, it left us with a real question. For many kids today, superheroes and Marvel characters are the cultural symbols they know best, while folk legends feel distant. Does that mean Hong Kong's heritage has no one to carry it forward? We don't think so. The key is whether we tell these stories in a way they actually find intriguing.
This is exactly what StoryTellAR's “DIY-AR Hong Kong Treasure Hunt” is built to do
We're proud to have been recognised with an award under the Hong Kong Government Development Bureau's CSDI PoC Programme. By combining Hong Kong's spatial data with AR (augmented reality), students explore the city's landmarks in person and learn as they go:
3D map positioning to follow routes and explore real-world sites
AR camera interaction that surfaces cultural stories you can't normally see on site
AI-assisted creation, using AI to help students reinterpret the legends
Quiz challenges and a reward system that turn learning into a treasure hunt
Along the way, students build a real understanding of Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage — not by memorising, but by walking it, seeing it, and creating with it.
The best part: students aren't just players — they're creators
They can design their own AR treasure-hunt routes and reinterpret cultural stories through technology. Going from “consumer” to “creator” — that's what real STEAM education looks like.
(And honestly, the Deadpool version of Amah Rock may have been a mix-up, but it was pretty creative 😏 — and that spark of creativity is exactly what we want to protect and nurture.)
We're looking for partners
Primary & secondary schools — weave intangible heritage into cross-disciplinary learning and give students a different kind of lesson.
Heritage & cultural site operators — use AR to add interactive experiences to your venue and draw in a new generation of visitors.
Contact us to learn more about our various Culture x Tech activities and courses!
🌐 Website: www.storytellar.io
📱 WhatsApp: +852 6594 1276
