Page 109 - Words

Society Wu Zi Tong, Judy 6D (2016-2017)

Dear editor,

I am writing in response to the feature article “A village worth its salt”
posted on page C5 of the SCMP on 2nd February 2016. The resurrection
of a once abandoned island Yim Tin Tsai is really enlightening and it
has made many Hong Kongers think again whether we should or could
conserve cultural heritage in such a fast-changing city.

I opine that Hong Kong is not doing a fine job in cultural preservation
currently. Just take the village in the feature, Yim Tin Tsai, as an example. It
was an obscure village. Not many people know about it. The activation started
with a group of enthusiastic conservationists 6 years ago, but the revitalization
was finally completed only months ago. Though they are passionate, an
inadequacy of materials delayed the project. It is not a good sign.

Even some “successful” revitalization projects do not seem to be that
successful. PMQ was one of the eight projects under “Conserving Central”
in 2009. It was planned as a hub for local design and creative industries,
which means it was constructed in support of local small enterprises. But
a news article reveals that small shop owners could hardly make a living
and some shops are gradually replaced by big businesses. The revitalization
programme does not thoroughly bring vitality to the cultural heritage.

Clearly we know the fault in Hong Kong’s cultural preservation
progress. There are not enough resources, nor is there enough promotion.
The circumstance does not favour the development of revitalization
programmes.

With Pride, We Stride 109