Heritage Conservation Collective Memory And Urban Development Tourism Essay

Recently, a well-know film “ Echoes of the Rainbow ” has one time once more arouse the populace ‘s consciousness of heritage preservation. The authorities planned to redevelop Wing Lee Street as a home house in order to progress the urban development. However, after “ Echoes of the Rainbow ” was filmed at that street and won the award at the Berlin Film Festival 2010, that program was discarded. This clip, the authorities held the wholly different position point than earlier. Three old ages ago, in malice of the intense protest, the authorities still destroyed Star Ferry Pier, Queen ‘s Pier and Wedding Card Street for accomplishing more new developing countries.

From my point of position, I strongly think that if the heritages can be good conserved, it can besides hike Hong Kong economic system. Balancing both our corporate memory and urban development are the occupation of the authorities and the existent intent of heritage preservation.

Continuing the heritage is really of import as it has tonss of advantages.

First, local heritage possesses symbolic significance to the integrity of a society. Undoubtedly, historical heritage is memorable to the local people in a metropolis . As urban theoretician Aldo Kossi says, ‘the metropolis is the corporate memory of the people ‘ and ‘memory is the footing of ego individuality ‘ . Local sentiments for the place metropolis bring up self individuality and the integrity of a society. Destroying historical heritage could intend drawing down integrity within a metropolis since the sense of belonging is deteriorated. Keeping the historical heritage can besides keep cultural diverseness for the future coevalss.

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As suggested by the Conservancy Association, heritage preservation is besides a affair of sustainable development and cross-generational equity.

We do non hold the right to consume our natural or cultural resource, particularly if they are non-renewable, to the hurt of our future coevalss . Our instruction system chiefly focuses on logical preparation but this is non plenty. Creativity is of import for sustainable development. However, the development of creativeness is non merely about reading different books, but besides to see in individual. We can non number on imaginativeness merely. By maintaining the historical heritage, the new coevals learns that a society can suit different civilization and besides the development from the old Hong Kong to the new one.

In an ecological point of position, heritage preservation is an environmental friendly act. Pulling down old edifices for reclamation produces dozenss of waste. As pollution job in Hong Kong is acquiring more and more serious in recent old ages, we should larn to conserve our resources when they are still utile. Reclamation of the old edifices would be better for the Earth and cost-efficient than drawing down them.

The advantage of urban reclamation On the other manus, urban reclamation and edifices brings advantages. It decidedly provides more land usage, and there would be less demand for landfill countries, which might farther contract our Victoria Harbour. As a crowded metropolis, a more broad life environment would better the life quality of Hong Kong occupants. Peoples will be more happy and healthy when their life infinite expands.

Reclamation of old countries provides better life conditions for occupants. Harmonizing to the Development Bureau, Planning and Lands Branch of the HKSAR Government, at present there are about 9,300 private edifices in the Metro Area which are 30 old ages ‘ old and above. In ten old ages ‘ clip, the figure of edifices over 30 old ages ‘ old will increase by 50 % . The job of ageing edifices is most serious in older urban countries . Old edifices do non merely impact the mentality of a metropolis, they can besides be a menace to the occupants ‘ safety. Occasional accidents caused by old edifices can be a cogent evidence of this. Apparently, there is an pressing demand to work on this issue to avoid similar accidents.

Urban reclamation creates a new mentality for Hong Kong as a widely distributed metropolis. Pollution job in bedraggled urban countries in Hong Kong is instead serious, which is a large contrast comparison with the developed urban countries. To construct up and prolong the ‘Asia ‘s universe metropolis ‘ image, urban reclamation sounds to be a necessary action to be taken. The ways to equilibrate heritage preservation and urban development Heritage saving and urban development may travel manus in manus. The best thing is we can be able to strike a balance between heritage preservation and urban reclamation and edifices.

For illustration, more frequent and careful cheque and redevelopment can be a manner to avoid accidents caused by urban decay. Or we can develop different countries harmonizing to their bing alone features, alternatively of characterize different territories in one manner. It is thankful to see the authorities has been seting more attempts in listening to the citizens ‘ voices when put to deathing policies refering urban reclamation in recent old ages. But it ‘s a long manner to travel, more channels can be opened to roll up and promote more valuable sentiments. I believe, with our attention and attending, the old edifices can be attractive forces of the metropolis, but no longer dilapidated countries and edifices.

In recent old ages, the authorities has been suggesting different development programs of the metropolis and many of them involve the countries, where some historical edifices or backstreets are situated, therefore the destruction of the edifices or backstreets become necessary for the programs. For case, harmonizing to the Conservancy Association, the “ Woodside ” in Quarry Bay was planned to be pulled down in 2005 for the development of high rise residential utilizations. Fortunately, due to the petition of the Conservancy Association and the support of the community, the “ Woodside ” was preserved in the terminal . Another illustration is the destruction of the Queen Pier. Due to the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation Project of the authorities in the 1990s, the Queen Pier was planned to be pulled down in 2006. The purpose of the undertaking is to widen the waterfront from Sheung Wan to Causeway Bay, so as to better the traffic in these territories.

But it arouses tonss of public concern and expostulation when it came to the measure that the 50-year-old Queen Pier had to be pulled down. As Hongkongers can see that, the authorities is holding different sorts of renovation programs in the metropolis so as to hike the economic system and fight of Hong Kong. But one time these programs are announced or progressed, expostulation and negative remarks come quicker than the ultimate consequence as all these programs have one common demand – the scarification of the heritage sites. It seems that this is a large job that all these programs bring along. It is clip for the Government and citizens to believe about whether economic development and saving of heritage sites are reciprocally opposed, or can be reciprocally good.

Economic development and saving of heritage sites can be reciprocally good, because historical edifices and backstreets can assist hike our touristry industry. As they are all of high historical value and feature of our civilization, they can, in fact, pull a batch of foreign visitants. The aliens would love to understand Hong Kong civilization and history more through looking at these edifices and backstreets. Some of these edifices and backstreets may even demo some of the alone Chinese traditional patterns and imposts, such as the Wedding Card Street that do concern by assisting people to plan traditional but particular nuptials cards. If these heritage sites are successfully restored and much better preserved, they could be converted into more popular and attractive tourer ‘s musca volitanss, such as the Wedding Card Street, Queen ‘s Pier, Ladies Street, etc. In this manner, it is an of import economic pulsation and we would all profit from it.

On the other manus, if the historical edifices and backstreets are demolished, the aliens would so lose the chance to understand the civilization of Hong Kong and therefore they may lose their involvement in sing Hong Kong. Hence, it harms the touristry industry and the economic system of Hong Kong every bit good. A good illustration about a better policy in continuing the heritage sites so as to do them go celebrated and attractive tourer musca volitanss is Macau, as more than 30 % of its economic income comes from the hotel and catering industry ( Macao ) . On the other manus, merely about 20 % of Hong Kong economic income comes from the hotel and catering industry ( Census statistics ) . Harmonizing to the Conversancy Association in Hong Kong, the Macau Government has been giving much attending to heritage sites ‘ preservation since the 1970s ( Conservancy ) .

The authorization looking after preservation policy and execution is the Cultural Institute. In the policy, non merely the single heritage site is preserved, but besides the whole territory around a cardinal square, or along a street, and all these historical involvements are so linked up with prosaic paseos ( Conservancy ) . In that manner, tourers and visitants can look into out all those historical edifices or backstreets one by one harmonizing to their ain involvement and therefore understand more about Macau ‘s background. While Macau and Hong Kong both rely much on their touristry industry, Macau has already proved that continuing its ain heritage sites does profit to the touristry industry and therefore assist hike the economic system. Therefore, Hong Kong Government should truly get down larning from Macau.

While continuing the heritage sites can continue the history and civilization, aid hike the touristry industry and therefore better the economic system, the destruction of them, on the other manus, brings expostulation from Hongkongers and some related jobs. Hongkongers object to the thought of pulverizing the historical edifices and replacing with new developments. They besides object to the Government ‘s position, that the heritage sites are of no importance, and that the value of each heritage site can be ignored. The ground why Hongkongers object to the destruction of the historical edifices and interesting backstreets is that the heritage sites are of high historical, cultural and architectural value and importance ( Conservancy ) . They “ witness the alterations of Hong Kong ” ( AMO ) and are exposing the history, people behaviour and civilization in the yesteryear.

They represent a span between the present and the yesteryear of the metropolis. Government House in Central is one of the illustrations, which is representative in witnessing the political alteration in Hong Kong. The heritage sites are unreplaceable landmarks that symbolize the image and civilization of a metropolis. In other words, they are stand foring Hong Kong and assisting us to construct up Hong Kong ‘s image! Apart from the “ historical and cultural value ” ( Conservancy ) , these historical edifices and backstreets besides help heighten the sense of properties of Hongkongers. You may be surprised to cognize that there are tonss of historical bequests in Hong Kong and they can be found in about every territory. For case, Wong Tai Sin Temple in Kwun Tong territory, clock tower in Tsim Sha Tsui, Old District in Tai Po, etc.

Therefore, people populating in different territories, are holding some particular corporate memories with different of these heritage sites, which means they portion an aggregation of memories with a common civilization about the heritage sites and they would so be able to retrieve the events related to those heritage sites in the hereafter ( Answers ) . Therefore, the historical edifices and backstreets in bend provide people with alone societal roots. These built heritage sites besides help cultivate people ‘s civilization individualities and even enter some important historical events. That is why people would hold a strong sense of properties due to their corporate memories with these heritage sites and they besides pick up their individualities through these memories. By continuing what remains, it can besides function instruction intents by giving our following coevals opportunities to see and research.

Of class, some people, particularly the business communities, enterprisers and industrialists, would back up the development programs proposed by the Government and think that it is deserving to pulverize the heritage sites when necessary. The first statement that they would raise is, of class, saving of heritage sites would impede the economic development in the metropolis. As a first metropolis, Hong Kong should and had better have sustainable economic developments so as to keep its fight among different renowned trading metropoliss. Yet, as Hong Kong is such a little metropolis with a peculiar and rugged landscape, there are limited topographic points or countries for farther economic development. Besides, due to the high denseness of population of Hong Kong, there is a demand or demand for more lands. Therefore, these grounds prompt the geographic expedition of lands and development of more high-rise edifices. For certain, historical edifices busying some possible sites, which are planned to be developed, become barriers.

A recent good and controversial illustration should be the Fa Yuen Street ( South ) , which is normally called the Sport Shoe Street. It is located on a possible site in Mongkok which has already been planned for the development of a trade name new Sports City. However, one time the program was announced, the store proprietors and citizens populating about instantly showed their involuntariness to be removed. They objected to the program due to their corporate memories related to the street. For this ground, the undertaking is now hindered and could n’t be progressed swimmingly. In fact, the undertaking can be cancelled, because it is non necessary to hold this renovation program if the Government wants to hike the economic system. Better saving of the Fa Yuen Street and doing it go a more popular tourer topographic point can besides assist hike the economic system by bettering the touristry industry, so do the other heritage sites.

In add-on to the hit with the economic development, the Hong Kong Government would besides reason, that the preservation of these cultural and historical heritage sites makes the load of the Government even much heavier. As citizens all know, saving of heritage sites is non an easy or inexpensive undertaking, it requires tonss of money and resources. As there is non equal outside funding for saving of the historical edifices and backstreets, the authorities is in fact paying most of the cost in the preservation procedure of the historical edifices, including the care fee, mending fee, Restoration cost and direction cost. This is, in fact, every bit good, impeding the development of other facets in the society, like instruction or environment protection. While we are speaking about disbursement more on better saving of those cherished heritage sites, there are, as good, unequal resources available for the development for a better instruction system, or for better environment protection in Hong Kong so as to contend against the planetary heating.

The Hong Kong Government should, hence, believe carefully about what their concluding pick should be. Yes, it is true that saving of heritage sites requires tonss of money and resources. But if the heritage sites can be converted into popular tourer musca volitanss, they can assist hike the touristry industry and therefore the economic system. Then they are no longer the load of the Government, since the economic income they bring would far outweigh the saving fee they require. In add-on to the business communities, enterprisers and industrialists, some Hongkongers are besides opposed to the saving of the heritages and backstreet. The ground buttocks is that the populating status of them may be adversely affected due to the heritage sites. In Hong Kong, the land usage in the historical countries like Sheung Wan, Sham Shui Po and Yau Ma Tei were non well-planned many old ages ago. Lots of assorted commercial and residential countries can be found in these urban countries.

Problems like congestion, serious noise and air pollution are normally found in these territories and are acquiring worse bit by bit. In that manner, saving of the historical edifices in these territories does non favor the efficient urban planning of relieving the hapless life status. On the other manus, destruction of edifices and renovation of these countries seem more of import and necessary since more unfastened and green countries, and a better program of land usage are needed. Therefore, occupants in these territories would back up the Government proposal of pulverizing the heritage sites and redeveloping the country as they would wish to hold a new and better life environment. While it is necessary to work out the life jobs in the urban countries, it does non intend that pulverizing the heritage sites for renovation is the lone solution. Reallocation of the population in the urban territories is a more effectual and a win-win solution to the job, as it can non merely work out the job but besides allow the heritage sites escape from the destiny of destruction.

All in all, whether to continue the heritage sites in Hong Kong depends major on its influence on the Hong Kong economic system. And from the statements mentioned above, you can see that saving of the cherished and memorable heritage sites would non impede the economic growing in Hong Kong, but in fact aid hike the economic system by hiking the touristry industry. Furthermore, it can assist conserve the history and civilization of Hong Kong ‘s yesteryear. Therefore, the historical edifices and backstreets are truly deserving preserving and should be better protected. However, in Hong Kong, there is merely 85 historical edifices are good preserved now ( AMO ) , when comparing with approximately 600 in entire. It seems that the organisations responsible for this, which include the Antiquities and Monuments Organization ( AMO ) and the Home Affairs Bureau, are non making plenty.

Other states and metropoliss in the universe, such as Macau, have already established their ain system in continuing heritage sites and keeping a balance between the saving work and the economic system. Hong Kong, as an international celebrated and first metropolis, should catch up with them and get down puting up its ain system about conserving the heritage sites so as to run into the international criterion. Economic development is non the lone factor that determines Hong Kong hereafter and position, saving of historical and cultural heritage sites besides counts. They can even be reciprocally good. Hongkongers should seek their really best to keep a balance between these two key factors. It is hoped that Hong Kong Government would shortly recognize this and make more on continuing the of import parts of Hong Kong ‘s yesteryear before it is excessively late!