Forget tourist fads. Let's better preserve, promote Hong Kong heritage

South China Morning Post

3 days ago

I have been trying to discover Hong Kong's 'hidden gems', as seen through the eyes of a budget traveller. Out of curiosity, I downloaded and explored mobile apps such as
Meituan and RedNote (also known as
Xiaohongshu ), to see what a local might be missing out on.
Some of the recommended spots seem debatable, including the alleyways between Tai Wai's village houses that have been dubbed 'Little Kyoto', an ordinary street sign on the corner of New Praya in Kennedy Town and the
Hong Kong Cemetery in Happy Valley . Some of the
new hotspots are rediscovered backdrops for Hong Kong film scenes while others don't appear to offer much substance, as far as I can discern.
Regardless of their credibility, however, these faddish 'landmarks' are a validation of the government's vision that
'tourism is everywhere' in Hong Kong. The government is also launching initiatives such as the
'Hong Kong industrial brand tourism' project to highlight iconic local brands and offer factory tours.
One cannot help but wonder, however, if Hong Kong is so lacking in architectural and cultural heritage that travellers have to make up their own and the government has to seek help from local brands. In particular, what are we looking for when we seek heritage?
Recommendations and definitions from the Heritage Discovery Centre and the Antiquities and Monuments Office aside, I would say anything handed down from the past, a practice or tradition, whether for a country, a city, or a family, counts as heritage. Indeed, what qualifies as heritage can be highly subjective. More importantly, we preserve and revisit our heritage because of a sense of purpose, honour, pride and value.