Preserving Hong Kong’s heritage - Monument

1. Examine the effectiveness of
Monument Preservation in Hong Kong
Created by Lam Tsz Kai, Charles

2. 1. Introduction
2. Hong Kong Monuments grading system
3. Heritage Conservation Policies in Hong Kong
● Challenges and effectiveness
4. Case Studies
● King Yin Lei
● Blue House
● 1881 Heritage
6. How Hong Kong reach the standard?
5. Conclusion
Outline

3. Introduction
● Historic buildings reflect the living conditions of people
in different social stages in the past eras
- people have collective memories over historic
buildings
● Purposes on Conservation of historic buildings
- become unique landmarks
- promote tourism
- educate the younger generation about the history of
Hong Kong

4. ●http://youtu.be/T3rsdgzGHhw

5. Declared Monuments (DMs)
DMs means groups of separate
or connected buildings which,
because of their architecture,
their homogeneity or their
place in the landscape, are of
outstanding universal value
from the point of view of
history, art or science
Total: 117
(UNESCO, 1972)

6. Grading System of Declared Monuments
Grades for historic buildings are defined as follows:
Grade I: "Buildings of outstanding merit, which every effort should be made to
preserve if possible."
Grade II: "Buildings of special merit; efforts should be made to selectively
preserve."
Grade III: "Buildings of some merit; preservation in some form would be
desirable and alternative means could be considered if preservation is not
practicable."
e.g. St. John’s Cathedral in Central & Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan

7. Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Policies in 2013
According to Antiquities Advisory Board (2014), government has its
responsibility to do its best to protect the historic buildings and
preserve these precious heritage for our future generations.
● Aim at enhance protection for historic buildings while giving due
regard to private property rights and development needs
● Purpose of sharing the cost of conservation and benefit to
resources the community is prepared to invest in conservation
work.

8. Challenges for Heritage Conservation
● Privately-owned historic buildings → private property protected
by the Basic Law. Owner has their own decision to preserve or not.
● Government may have to compensate significantly amounts to
owners for their loss of development rights arising from the
preservation of historic buildings.
● High maintenance cost is main barrier.
● Government is difficult to continue the restoration with limited
manpower and resources allocation

9. To evaluate the effectiveness: International
Standard
(International Council on Monuments and Sites, 1964)
Article 7.
A monument is inseparable from the history to which it bears witness
and from the setting in which it occurs. The moving of all or part of a
monument cannot be allowed except where the safeguarding of that
monument demands it or where it is justified by national or
international interest of paramount importance.

10. To evaluate the effectiveness: International Standard
In Article 4, Each State Party to this Convention recognizes that the
duty of ensuring the identification, protection, conservation,
presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural
and natural heritage referred to in Articles 1 and 2 and situated on its
territory, belongs primarily to that State. It will do all it can to this end,
to the utmost of its own resources and, where appropriate, with any
international assistance and co-operation, in particular, financial,
artistic, scientific and technical, which it may be able to obtain.
(UNESCO, 1972)

11. To evaluate the effectiveness: International Standard
International Standard emphasizes Government has their own responsibility
to conserve historic buildings. Unchanged every parts of the monuments are
the ultimate goal.
→ Government should maintain its heritage value with original appearance
involving careful consideration of applicable laws, policies and guidelines.
But it is difficult.
→ Enhance the use and appreciation of a property to contribute to society
→ Everyone can visit it inside and/or outside of the monuments

12. To evaluate the effectiveness: Hong Kong situations
● Although the Government has provided economic incentives and maintenance
grants for the private owners.
● Due to high land price and maintenance costs, many of them tend to consider
tearing down their owned buildings for reestablishment. As a result, many
privately-owned historic buildings have been inappropriately altered or have
faced the threat of dilapidation and demolition.
e.g. Ho Tung Gardens (a Grade 1 historic building)

13. To evaluate the effectiveness: Achieved self-
sufficiency● Commercial activities gain profit to cover the expenditure on maintenance of
restoration e.g. 1881 heritage
● Monuments provide a meaningful activities for citizens
Like Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan, Now it is managed by Tung Wah Groups of Hospitals.
Run by voluntary donation and “adding incense and oil money”(添香油錢).
For people who worship on Chinese God can help
ambitious students looking to succeed in the
academic studies.

14. Case Study: King Yin Lei

15. Background
● Built in 1937
● Located in 45 Stubbs Road, Mid-Levels
● Private resident of first owner Mrs. Shum Li Po-Lun, whose husband Shum
Yat-chor was a notable merchant and philanthropist in Guangdong
● Reflects the excellence of design and construction with hybrid of Chinese
and Western architecture styles
● shows the historical development in HK: the growing social status and rising
wealth after WWII & history of Chinese upper-class’ residential area
● has featured in internationally well-known productions, Soldier
Fortune(1955) & local television series Delightful Dream of Capital(1980)
(Antiquities and Monuments Office of Leisure and Culture Services Department of HKSAR. Declared Monuments in Hong Kong- Hong Kong Island)

16. Conservation and Revitalization Works
● Declared King Yin Lei as monument in 2008
● Restoration works started in 2008 and completed in 2010,
managed by the government afterwards
● Renovated the rooftop, windows, facade, walls etc. except
changing the original designs
● One of the targets of Batch III of Revitalisation Scheme
(Converse and Revitalise Hong Kong Heritage of HKSAR. Batch III of Revitalisation Scheme.)

17. News
● Auction ended with nobody bid
● Three applications of revitalization proposals
were all rejected by the government
● Failure of fitting the criteria of value to
society and social enterprises, and financial
viability and management ability
● Disappointment of the applicants
● Has opened for people to visit and collected
the opinions of public about the purposes
(Heung & On.cc, 2015)

18. Effectiveness
✔ Preserve the original designs of King
Yin Lei
✔ Public study more about the history
of HK
✔ Being a landmark to attract visitors
✔ Raise the awareness of public about
heritage preservation and revitalization
✘ Huge financial pressure
✘ Limited attractiveness of the spot
✘ Difficult operation of
revitalisation(purpose and complicated
procedures)
✘ Time-consuming
✘ May be demolished in long-term

19. Case Study: Blue House (藍屋)
❖ Built in 1920
❖ Located at Wan Chai, Stone Nullah Lane
❖ The original site of Wah To Hospital (華陀醫院)
❖ Included in Batch II of Revitalization Scheme in 2009
❖ Organized by St. James Settlement in 2010
❖ Achieved ‘Award of Excellence’ in UNESCO Asia-Pacific
Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation

20. Special Features of Blue House
❖ A mixture of Chinese and Western (European Art Deco style)
architectural feature
❖ Tong lau(唐樓) with balcony (balcony-type tenement block) which
are not common in Hong Kong now
❖ Blue colour of the wall (because of remaining blue paint)

21. Method of conservation:
Revitalization
❖ Keeping the original appearance
❖ Including social entreprises
❖ Scheme of Viva Blue House: residents who live in there before can still stay
❖ Good Neighbour Scheme: opened for the public to rent a flat in there
❖ Hong Kong House of Stories

22. Effectiveness
1. Economic Aspect:
- Income from restaurants and residents can use as the fee for preservation
- Attraction for tourists
- Provision of job opportunities
2. Social Aspect:
- Original residents can still choose to live in there → maintain the community
- Education to the public
- Retain the cultural identity of there

23. Case study: 1881 Heritage
● Located on Canton Road, in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui
● Once the Marine Police Headquarters from 1880’s to 1996
● Comprises the Main Building, Stable Block, Time Ball Tower, Old
Kowloon Fire Station and Fire Station Accommodation Block

24. ● All the buildings (except for Main Block of the Old Kowloon Fire
Station) were declared monuments under the Antiquities and
Monuments Ordinance in 1994
● The Victorian architecture of the buildings reflects its rich
colonial characteristic on site

25. ● Have been rejuvenated, revitalized, transform into a cultural
and shopping landmark in Hong Kong
● Now features luxury shops, fine dining restaurants, a heritage
hotel

26. Effectiveness of conversation
● Turned monument into a culture, economic and tourism spot
● → large economic incentive & boost HK tourism & economy
● After revitalization the site is more well blend into the urban environment
(with vintage buildings appearance & modern decorations & festival lighting)

27. Ineffectiveness
● A monument turned into a luxurious restaurants and stores to
attract tourism and the privileged group
● General public can hardly experience the inner structure of the
monument in the hotel or restaurants
● Ratio of shopping mall > the mountment
● Heritage Hall on 1/F but hardly find its information in the offical
website

28. ● The brand names are huge above the door→ may affect the
unity of the site appearance
● → seems that economic activities steal the show of the
historical building
● ⇒ may not able to preserve the purpose and meaning of
the building
● ⇒ may lack the education purpose to the public

29. How Hong Kong can reach the international standard?
1. Government should invest more money and manpower on
heritage conservation to incent the private owners
2. Government should improve the grading system to eliminate the
controversy
3. Government should strive to cooperate with private corporations
in order to initiate more privately-sponsored trust fund aiming at
preservation
4. Heritage preservation consultation should provide a concrete
timetable and enhance the transparency to listen public view
5. Urban planner should be consider the reuse of the heritage in
more sustainable way

30. 6. Government should promote more
heritage tourism

31. Conclusion
● Most ideal conservation : preserve every elements of
monument and maintain its heritage value
● Difficult to achieve as the maintainance fee is high
● Sometimes need to compromise and cooperate with
business sector to get financial support
● To some extent Hong Kong conservation policy is effective
- self-financed mode
- able to cover the maintenance cost and preserve the
original outlook at the same time

32. References
About 1881. (2017). 1881 Heritage. Retrieved from http://www.1881heritage.com/about.php?lang=en
Antiquities Advisory Board. (2014). Policy on Conservation of Built Heritage Consultation Paper.
https://www.gov.hk/en/residents/government/publication/consultation/docs/2014/CBH.pdf
Antiquities and Monuments Office Leisure and Cultural Services Department. (2017). Declared Monuments in Hong Kong. Retrieved
from http://www.amo.gov.hk/en/monuments.php
Antiquities and Monuments Office of Leisure and Culture Services Department of HKSAR. (2004). Declared Monuments in Hong Kong-
Hong Kong Island. Retrieved from http://www.amo.gov.hk/en/monuments_85.php
Converse and Revitalise Hong Kong Heritage of HKSAR. (2008). Batch III of Revitalisation Scheme. Retrieved from
http://www.heritage.gov.hk/en/kyl/background.htm
Heung, C.(2015). Ejinsight.Govt rejects 3 proposals fro King Yin Lei Mansion Revitalisation. Retrieved from
http://www.ejinsight.com/20150617-govt-rejects-3-proposals-for-king-yin-lei-mansion-revitalization/
International Council on Monuments and Sites. (1964). The Venice Charter. Retrieved November 26, 2017, from
http://www.icomos.org/charters/venice_e.pdf

33. On.cc. (2015). 活化景賢里古蹟計劃再度流標 政府自行管理. Retrieved November 27, 2015 from
http://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20150616/bkn-20150616165408289-0616_00822_001.html
Revitalization / Preservation Project in Wan Chai (2006). Retrieved November 24, 2017 from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,
Hong Kong Housing Society Web site: http://www.hkhs.com/eng/wnew/pr_060331.asp
The Blue House Cluster, Retrieved November 23, 2017 from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The Hong Kong Tourism
Board Web site: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/uk/see-do/culture-heritage/historical-sites/colonial/the-blue-house.jsp
UNESCO. (1972). Cultural Heritage. Retrieved November 26, 2017, from
https://circabc.europa.eu/webdav/CircaBC/ESTAT/culturestatistics/Library/working_groups/essnet_-
_culture_1/task_forces/task_force_1/working_documents/domains_descriptions/Heritage_DRAFT.pdf
UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION. (1972). CONVENTION CONCERNING THE
PROTECTION OF THE WORLD CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE.Retrieved November 23, 2017 from
http://whc.unesco.org/archive/convention-en.pdf
Viva Blue House Good Neighbour Scheme, Retrieved November 23, 2017 from St. James' Settlement, Web site:
https://society.sjs.org.hk/gns/Default.aspx#GNS
Wong, W. L. (2017). 活化藍屋 新舊共融. Retrieved November 22, 2017 from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Development
Bureau Web site: http://www.news.gov.hk/tc/record/html/2017/09/20170924_110617.shtml

34. 藍屋奪聯合國保育大獎. (2017, November 2). Ming Pao..
焦點故事：保育古蹟 長實失敗. (2013, Oct 12). Apple Daily. retreived from
https://hk.finance.appledaily.com/finance/daily/article/20131012/18460598

35. Thank you