Hong Kong Disneyfied

After signing the petition to save the Central Street Market, I paused to reflect on the prevailing attitudes when it comes to heritage preservation.

While numerous cities worldwide have leaders who understand that protecting history draws tourists and is a source of pride, Hong Kong's leaders are content only with the bottom line: generating revenue from the land. Thus has it been since the city's birth and thus it shall always be.

So much has been lost that I have grave doubts for the future of what's left. Waxing poetic (it's nowhere near Shakespeare, but it will do), I offer a lament:

To chop and to hack, to rip and tear down
Old trees and old buildings stand not a chance
Such cold disrespect is found throughout town
whilst government and developers dance.

'Urban renewal' they call it with glee
as visions of dividends whirl in their heads
Blinding them such that they fail to see
the history lost in the tatters and shreds

"But please do not fret, we have the solution!"
They spout ev'ry time when objections are cried
"In plastic we shall retain institutions"
Yet all of Hong Kong will become 'Disneyfied'.

← Older Posts · 早前 | →