1 Fung shui tower 'can lift town's fortune'
Agnes Lam, SCMP 7 March 2008

Lawmaker (from left) Alber Chan, Lau Wong-fat and Cheung Hok-ming study the site of a proposed fung shui tower. Photo: David Wong. Source: SCMP

A nine-storey fung shui tower in the shape of a writing brush and cleaning up a polluted waterway are the latest ideas for lifting the fortunes of troubled Tin Shui Wai.

Legislators and top fung shui experts came up with the suggestions yesterday during a visit to the western New Territories town, which has become the focus of efforts to improve the lot of residents who are plagued by unemployment, poverty and family violence.

The Hong Kong Fengshui Master Association has proposed building a man cheong tower - a geomancy icon said to boost children's studies, employees' promotion prospects and competition in business - on a site in the town's northeast.

The association has proposed to build the nine-storey tower - 38 metres high - in the shape of a Chinese writing brush.

They also suggested a pond in the shape of an ink stone be built near the tower, to complement its brush-like appearance.

They said the site, in Tin Tsz Road near Ha Mei San Tsuen, could become a tourist attraction.

"We hope the tower not only can bring good fortune to the new town, but also that it will bring more economic development," said legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip, who visited the site yesterday with fellow lawmakers Lau Wong-fat, Cheung Hok-ming and association members.

"Many plots of land have been left idle for years in Tin Shui Wai, and we hope the government can encourage private developers to conduct hotel and tourism business here," Mr Chan said.

Association chairman Edwin Ma said the tower could help boost cultural development in the new town, and culture and livelihood were both important elements for the well-being of the district.

"Museums or theme parks could be built around the tower. Cultural activities can help generate other business activities, such as hotels and recreational activities, so that more jobs will be created in the new town to solve the unemployment problem there," he said.

"Also, culture can help polish individuals' personalities and make them become more cultured, reducing chances of domestic violence, as they would have better control of their emotions after being exposed to cultural activities."

Neither the lawmakers nor the association members discussed who would build the tower or how much it would cost.

The association also called on the government to clean up a river along Tin Ying Road and maintain a high standard of water quality in it.

2 Tender for retrofitting of noise barriers at Kwun Tong Bypass
Hong Kong Government, 7 March 2008

The Highways Department today (March 7) invited tenders for retrofitting of noise barriers at Kwun Tong Bypass (Contract no HY/2008/01).

Tender submissions should be placed at the Government Secretariat Tender Box in the lift lobby on the lower ground floor of the Central Government Offices (East Wing), 20 Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong. Closing date is noon on April 18.

The works mainly comprise the retrofitting of approximately 950-metre long noise barriers at Kwun Tong Bypass, associated roads and drainage, geotechnical, street lighting and landscaping works and implementation of Environmental Monitoring and Audit Programme for the works.

The works are expected to begin in June and will take about three years (including one-year Establishment Period for landscaping works) to complete.

The works have been designed and construction will be supervised by Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited, which is appointed by the Major Works Project Management Office of Highways Department.