Social and economic development and historical and cultural conservation cannot only see the former

Last Tuesday (June 14), the Development Bureau announced that the sixth phase of the "Revitalizing Historic Buildings Partnership Scheme" has selected four groups of revitalization proposals for historic buildings, including Tai Tam Tuk Raw Water Pumping Station Staff Quarters, Ting Kau Pak House in Tsuen Wan, Wan Chai Yin Lei in Mid-Levels and Fong Yuen Study in Ma Wan, Tsuen Wan.

This issue plans to start inviting non-profit organizations to submit proposals in December 2019. The original application deadline was April 2020, but due to the new crown pneumonia epidemic, it was postponed to August 2020 and September 2020 twice.

In addition, the first phase of the plan was approved in 2009 by the Savannah College of Art and Design to revitalize the former North Kowloon Magistrates' Court, and the school stopped operating in Hong Kong in June 2020, so the bureau later included the court as the current phase. Projects are planned, but the relevant review has not been completed due to the late acceptance date of applications.

In fact, apart from the former North Kowloon Court, there are other projects that have failed in the project.

Like Fangyuan Study, the first phase of the project was awarded to the Social Services Department of Yuanxuan College in an attempt to revitalize it into a tourism and education center and a museum of water and land residents. However, it is impossible to choose a suitable plan and it has to be postponed to this issue.

As for Jingxianli, which has attracted social attention in the past, it also failed twice in the third phase in 2011 and the fourth phase in 2013, and this is the third time it has been launched.

According to the results of this selection, Jingxianli will be activated by Tianda Research Institute, International Pu'er Tea Association and Chinese Medicine (Global) Promotion Association into a healthy living landmark and learning center, and Fangyuan Library will be expanded from the Hong Kong Boys' Army to introduce innovative Subject elements of history, culture and ecological environment classroom.

Fong Yuen Study Room is the only remaining pre-war school in Ma Wan.

(Photo by Zhang Haowei)

Revitalizing buildings needs more support

When the first phase of the Revitalisation of Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme was launched in 2008, it attracted a total of 114 applications.

In the second and fifth phases, the number of applications received in each phase has plummeted to less than 40.

Even the latest sixth phase plan has only slightly increased to 72 copies, obviously not returning to the grand occasion of the year.

Considering that the number of historical buildings included in different phases is not very different, there are even re-proposed projects such as King Yin Lane, Fang Yuan Study, etc., and the social atmosphere for the conservation of historical buildings has not decreased but increased during this period. The main reason for the decline in inferred applications should be the design of the program itself.

One of the most criticized areas is the fact that the authorities have given funds only to cover the deficits incurred by the operator during the first two years of operation.

Last month, Jao Tsung-I Academy and the Department of History of Lingnan University held a webinar on "Revitalization of Historic Buildings: Opportunities and Challenges". Representatives of many non-profit organizations operating historical buildings revitalized said at the meeting that it is difficult for the project to make ends meet. , Lingnan's preliminary investigation further found that more than 60% of the operating institutions have not yet been able to achieve self-financing...

For details, please read "Hong Kong 01" Electronic Weekly Issue 322 (20 June 2022) "The

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