Time flies and changes the ordinary old buildings into historic sites. When we meet these old buildings from day to day, they become our friends gradually. Truly we treasure our time with our friends. Yet, when our old friends become really “old” things can be totally different. Town planners may regard these historic sites as stumbling blocks to the building of Kong Kong as a modern, cosmopolitan city, and thus they may strive to pull them down by all means. Now, the dilemma is that the modernisation of Hong Kong is important. While we want to keep our memories everlasting, is preserving Hong Kong’s past really a curse rather than a blessing? Let’s see.
One obvious advantage of preserving Hong Kong’s past is that it can keep our memories alive. Memories fade and the most effective way to keep our cherished moments alive is to preserve our memories properly. While people are walking along these historic sites, they will remember what they have done with their old friends, like having a romantic time with their spouses at the Queen’s Pier, sharing their happiness and sadness with their best friends in Dai Pai Dong. All these can retrieve their cherished memories which can add colours to their lives. Life can be dull and soul-destroying in a busy city without memory.
Moreover, preserving or restoring Hong Kong’s historic sites does serve educational purposes. From historic sites, youngsters can learn about the history of Hong Kong in a vivid manner. No longer do they need to plunge themselves into textbooks. They can now feel the old days of Hong Kong by visiting the historic sites and listen to their parents talking about what they did in these places. These lively learning experiences can undoubtedly help the curious teenagers to develop a thorough understanding of Hong Kong’s history. The more they learn about Hong Kong’s history and culture, the more they appreciate them. Obviously it can help our next generation to develop a sense of identity as a Hong Kong citizen, which in turn, can develop a sense of cohesiveness in our community.
Besides, preserving Hong Kong’s past is also beneficial to us in terms of economic benefits by boosting our tourism industry. We all know that Hong Kong has done much to build its reputation as a modern, cosmopolitan city, though it is not enough. Thanks to the worldwide economic growth. Hong Kong’s status as a modern city is no longer an advantage since many cities around the world have already been modernized. It follows that foreign visitors do not just come to Hong Kong to see how well we have developed. They will also look for the unique “east meets west” and “old meets new” culture in Hong Kong. We can see many tourists walking along “Rocky Street” and the old Stanley Market during holidays. Demolishing these lovely old sites will simply eradicate our unique culture. Our foreign tourists must be disappointed to see our unique culture vanishing.
Although preserving our memories can bring economic benefits to us on the one hand, it can be, economically speaking, costly on the other hand. Preserving a historic site means we have to forgo the opportunity of reselling the land. The revenue given up can be tremendous. For example, many town planners are complaining that if the old Wan Chai Police Station is pulled down, it can generate billions of dollars for the government. Furthermore, maintaining these sites needs money. Our memories warrant special attention of specialized architects. Also, the day-to-day maintenance costs, like heat and power can be as costly as well, let alone the huge initial restoring cost that our government needs to bear (if they are protected by the government). The government will then need to bear a huge financial burden which will then be shouldered by us via an increase in tax.
Critics also complain that preserving Hong Kong’s old historic sites means we have to bear the consequences of the past’s poor town planning permanently. Good town planning requires a concrete idea of land use of each meter of land. Protecting these old sites simply means the land cannot be fully utilized. It will consequently hamper the effectiveness of the urban renewal project, which in turn may impair our quality of life.
Controversies arise from critical incidents, like how bulldozers were pulling down the Queen’s Pier. It is an irrefutable fact that our memories are vanishing. To keep our irreplaceable memories alive and everlasting, the only way out is to preserve and restore our historic sites. Money can be gained elsewhere, but memories cannot. Also, obtaining comprehensive ideas from the general public can always make the urban development and historic sites co-exist. Therefore, it is really worth preserving Hong Kong’s past.