1 Heritage sites recognised but remain ungraded
List of landmarks helps raise public awareness
Helen Wu, SCMP 28 January 2008
A list of government-owned historic sites, including the oldest surviving example of colonial architecture, has been compiled to recognise their heritage status.
None of the 34 sites has been graded by the Antiquities Advisory Board or declared a monument. They include the Cenotaph in Central, the boundary stones for the old city of Victoria, the chapel in the Hong Kong Cemetery in Happy Valley, the old KCRC Beacon Hill tunnel, and the Sung Wong Toi inscription rock in Kowloon City.
The list of sites was posted on the website of the Antiquities and Monuments Office this month under "Heritage Impact Assessment".
Lee Ho-yin, director of the architectural conservation programme at the University of Hong Kong, said some of the sites were important landmarks that were part of the city's collective memory.
"Items that recall experiences of the war can usually evoke the collective memory of a nation," he said.
"The same effect is achieved with the standing of the Cenotaph. It can reflect the collective memory of Hongkongers across generations as it commemorates the hardship and victory experienced by the people as a whole during the second world war."
The selection of the Beacon Hill tunnel was a groundbreaking step, as it revealed the government's gradual recognition of Hong Kong's industrial heritage, Dr Lee said. Boring the tunnel was regarded as the greatest engineering project in Asia at the time of its completion in 1910.
Dr Lee said the chapel in the Hong Kong Cemetery, built in 1845, was the oldest surviving piece of architecture in colonial style.
Lau Chi-pang, professor of history at Lingnan University and a member of the Antiquities Advisory Board, said City Hall and the six boundary stones were remarkable sites that deserved protection.
The boundary stones were erected by the colonial government in 1903 to mark the limits of the city of Victoria, which was one of the first urban settlements in Hong Kong after it became a British colony in 1842.
A spokeswoman for the Antiquities and Monuments Office said the list was released to facilitate the launch of the heritage impact assessment programme. Under the government's initiative, heritage impact assessments must be carried out if any public works project might affect the selected 35 sites, graded buildings or monuments. The requirement does not apply to privately funded projects.
Dr Lee and Dr Lau agreed the disclosure of the list was a good step forward in raising public awareness about ungraded heritage sites in Hong Kong, many of which are not commonly known. But Dr Lee said the government should step up its grading work, especially on well-known historic sites.
"I am amazed to find that the Sung Wong Toi inscription rock in Kowloon City - such an important and famous historic site - has not been graded or declared a monument yet," he said.
The rock is believed to have been constructed out of a boulder by followers of the last two boy emperors of the Southern Sung dynasty (1127-1279), who lived in Hong Kong from 1277 to 1279 after fleeing political turmoil.
The boulder was dislodged during the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945 for the extension of Kai Tak airport. But a part inscribed with the three characters Sung Wong Toi - "Terrace of the Sung Kings" - survived the blasting operation and was salvaged after the war.
2 Contract awarded for site formation works at Anderson Road (With photo)
Hong Kong Government, 28 January 2008
The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) today (January 28) awarded a $2.063 billion contract for site formation works and associated engineering infrastructures at Anderson Road, East Kowloon. The project is aimed at providing land for the construction of public housing as well as other government and public facilities.
The works will include:
* Formation of 20 hectares of land platforms with construction of associated slopes and retaining walls;
* Roadworks of 4.7km in length, including associated road junction improvements;
* Water mains, drainage and sewerage works, including the construction of an underground stormwater storage tank;
* Landscaping works; and
* All necessary environmental mitigation works, including measures for implementing a comprehensive environmental monitoring and audit programme.
The Director of Civil Engineering and Development, Mr Chai Sung-veng, and a representative from the contractor, China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited signed the contract today.
“The project, which entails close interfaces with the local residents, is a challenge to CEDD. We will do our best to minimise any inconvenience to the public during construction and will maintain communication with all the stake-holders through a resident liaison group and a 24-hour enquiry hotline,” Mr Chai said.
The works will begin on Thursday (January 31) for target completion in December, 2014. Land formation will be completed in phases for staged handover to the Housing Department for public housing development. Upon completion, the development will provide about
16,100 public housing units for about 48,000 people in phases between 2015 and 2016.
The contract awarded today will create about 790 jobs, including 640 for labourers and 150 for professional/technical staff, during the construction period.
3 Contract signing for Tamar development project (with video)
Hong Kong Government, 28 January 2008
The Tamar Development Project would become a new landmark in a prime location next to the Victoria Harbour, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, said at the Contract Signing Ceremony for the Tamar Development Project today (January 28). It would also represent the multi-faceted and inclusive metropolitan as well as maturing civic society that Hong Kong was, he said.
The Tamar Development Project contains a large number of green features, such as solar electricity panels, automatic refuse collection system, sea-water cooled chiller plants, and green roofs.
"The Tamar complex will be one of the Government's 'greenest' complexes when completed," Mr Tang said.
"Tamar will be an asset shared by all Hong Kong people. Half of this precious land will be allocated as public open space."
The open space to be provided in the project amounts to some two hectares. The north-south landscaped "green carpet" maximises accessibility of the public to the waterfront.
To enhance the greenery of the open space, various landscaping measures such as an extensive lawn, tree plantations, water basins and a lily pond will be included. Features such as a civic piazza, a sculpture court, an amphitheatre and a Tamar corner will provide venues for different types of activities for public enjoyment.
Mr Tang pointed out that the commencement of works upon contract signing was brought about by the hard work of different parties. He expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Legislative Council, the tenderers as well as the groups and people who were interested in the project.
"We look forward to working closely with the Gammon-Hip Hing Joint Venture to bring to the community a new landmark that the public, the Legislative Council and the Government will jointly use and will be proud of."
The Government, on January 9, issued a Letter of Acceptance to the Joint Venture for the design-and-build contract of the Tamar Development Project. The contract covers the design and construction of the Central Government Complex, the Legislative Council Complex, an open space, two covered pedestrian footbridges and other ancillary facilities. The contract is worth $4.94 billion.
Construction works are expected to begin in mid February this year for completion in 2011.
A workforce of more than 3,000 will be engaged at the peak of the project's construction period, which will help ease unemployment in the construction sector.
The Director of Architectural Services, Mr Yue Chi-hang, signed the contract on behalf of the Government while the Chief Executive of Gammon Construction Limited Mr Thomas Ho, and the Executive Director of Hip Hing Construction Company Limited, Mr Chu Tat-chi, represented the joint venture in signing the contract.
