Hong Kong has done much to build its reputation as a modern, cosmopolitan city, but it has not put much effort into preserving or restoring its historic sites. Write an essay discussing the benefits and drawbacks of preserving Hong Kong’s past.
Hong Kong, being an international financial and commercial hub, has long been praised for its prosperous economic development. In this territory, the majority of space in Hong Kong is occupied with computers, and advanced technology. Yet, for the remaining part of Hong Kong, traditional buildings or historic sites can be found. Then, here comes a question: should we preserve these historic sites and try every endeavour to make Hong Kong a even more cosmopolitan and well-developed city by eliminating the sites and buildings? It is worth discussing.
For the affirmative side which supports preserving the historic sites, it holds a firm belief that such sites are part of our history and we should spare no pains to protect them. It is true that these historic sites once played a key role in the past. For example, Queen’s Pier was the place in which Queen Elizabeth first stepped into Hong Kong. Victoria Prison was the first prison built in the city in 1864 and the Central Police Station was the first of its counterparts. These sites, though no longer functioning nowadays, dedicate themselves to maintaining Hong Kong’s prosperity. They symbolize the history of the city and reflect life in the past. How can a city be deprived of its past stories? It is just like a person losing all his memories, which is miserable and lamentable. It is deplorable for the young generation to know nothing about old Hong Kong, let alone the older ones who do have ‘real’ memory of these sites.
The elderly or the more mature group probably have many experiences of visiting the historic sites. They might have their wedding cards printed on Lee Tung Street, which is also known as Wedding Card Street. They might have brought jewellery in the Jade market with their beloved. They might also have their first date travelling across the Victoria Harbour with their boyfriends/girlfriends in Star Ferry Pier or the clock tower. All these constitute unforgettable and sweet memory of many Hong Kong people. Preserving the heritage is just like preserving our collective memory, which is of paramount importance in a city.
Apart from the aforementioned benefits, heritage preservation benefits tourism too. Well- preserved heritage is a magnet for tourists as they are unique features of Hong Kong. The tourist sports in Hong Kong, say Ocean Park, Disneyland or the Peak have long been blamed for the lack of variety. With the competition from nearby countries, such as the ocean park in Shenzhen or future Disneyland in Shanghai, traditional tourist attractions alone can no longer make Hong Kong stand out form other cosmopolitan cities. Boosting tourism is extraordinarily crucial under financial tsunami these years. Preserving heritage is the prerequisite for boosting the industry as other countries cannot follow or build a similar one. Compared with China, the size of Hong Kong is just as small as a green pea. Space limitation restricts the development of splendid tourist spots. What makes Hong Kong stand out will be its uniqueness, that is its history and preserving heritage is the best way to protect the history.
Although preserving historic sites could help to boost tourism, some criticized preserving these sites would poison Hong Kong’s economic development. Hong Kong is a small coastal city. Its space is limited but its population density is one of the highest in the world. Hong Kong demands a lot more lands in the face of growing population and soaring demands for commercial, recreational, or residential buildings. Heritage sites, which are not well-functioning, occupy a large piece of land in Hong Kong, which can then be saved for other more urgent uses. Moreover, with more space, more highways and tunnels can be constructed and traffic congestion in busy districts can be alleviated. Demolition of historic sites provides more lands that can be used to meet the demand. Hence, preserving heritage may sometimes be regarded as a waste of land and so, an obstacle to economic development.
Apart from occupying the limited land, preserving historic sites is a costly task to the government. Due to wear and tear, regular maintenance and administration are needed. Labour force and a huge amount of money are put into preserving heritage. It increases the deficit of the government budget. Moreover, compared with skyscrapers or other types of buildings, the return brought by heritage sites is relatively lower as only comparatively smaller business can be done. After all, most historic sites are located in districts far away from urban area. Transportation is not convenient and so development is obstructed. Due to its low return, preserving heritage is regarded as a waste of resources.
In fact, preserving historic sites is just like reflecting on the past while demolition of these sites is thinking of the prospect. However, are reflection and future planning mutually exclusive? Not really. With thorough and comprehensive planning, historic sites can be beneficial to both preservation of history and economy. If only valuable and memorable historic sites are preserved and the preserved sites are converted to some other uses, such as exhibition centers, museums and so on, their historical value can be kept and meanwhile, these sites can contribute to Hong Kong’s economic development.