Landmark falls, rise of a new approach to Hong Kong’s cultural preservation

Originally submitted to Letters to the Editor of SCMP in April 2020.

Tacky or timeless, where do you draw the line? The answer, I guess, depends on who you ask. 17 layers of red granite and tinted windows, its interior is of polished marble steps and carpeted floors; brass-details glistering among walnut furniture under dimmed lights. In a few days, this postmodern landmark sitting at the forefront of the Victoria Harbor will be no more as the InterContinental Hong Kong Hotel will be going under full renovation after hosting its last guests on 20th April.

I have never visited it before but somehow felt necessary to pay tribute before its closure. Perhaps I was triggered by a series of photos on Facebook showing the late 80’s pop-singer Danny Chan, a regular customer of InterCon, enjoying himself at the infamous Lobby Lounge next to the glass façade that captures the fantastic panoramic view of the city’s skyline.

Photos alike pop-up on my social media feed from time to time by fan-pages that celebrate old-timey Hong Kong culture from pop-singers, architecture, everyday life moments and more. The admins of these pages are surprisingly Gen-Z’s or Millennials yet their knowledge and passion on these matters are no less than their seniors.

Effort on conservation have never ceased in Hong Kong but seeing it gain momentum and forming communities online is a breath of fresh air. It is a general view that Hong Kong youth had become more violent in expressing their views, but in the domain of conservation, young activists took a different path, especially when you compare with the many standoffs between conservationists in Queen’s Pier of Tsoi Yuen Village a decade ago.

This softer approach evolved from the realization that in a place like Hong Kong, development trumps anything, including collective memory. Their belief seems to be more pessimistic than that of older conservationists. But do not be mistaken, despite taking things to the internet and not the street, their grievance and love for these matters might be even greater.

Each post they published is a cry of despair, telling society despite drastic changes to the city, politically or culturally or in any other way, the glory days of Hong Kong culture will be eternally enshrined online and more importantly, in their hearts. It will be a sad day whenever a landmark gets torn down, turned into rubble, buried in the minds and can only be seen ever again in frames or screens.