You Tube video link: v(15) fieldwork broadcast CCHU9034 – YouTube
Transcript:
Liu (00:00)
Good evening, I’m Liu Mingyao.
Wong (00:03)
I’m Wong Tsz Cheuk.
Liu (00:04)
Yeah. Today we are going to talk about the CCHU 9034s board cast, and we are going to revisiting the significant, yet controversial transformation of Hong Kong’s Central district, where a very old building have 50 years old history, which is a general post office, landing in Central, is going to be demolished.
Wong (00:27)
Yes, Liu. It’s a part of the border the redevelopment plan aiming to transform the Central into a commercial hub. This move has sparked a debate about the development versus the preservations, especially considering its important roles in Hong Kong history and urban fabric.
Liu (00:49)
Yeah, today, our aim is to bring you to know about this building and also introduce and share some points of views on this conflict that is going on. So let me first introduce what is this building. So established in 1976, the general post office has been a functional and symbolic piece of architecture. It’s not just about its service, but it’s representing the Hong Kong as a global communication hub. You know, like how those transactions, mail transactions, this architecture share the same impression with Hong Kong, where things going on.
Wong (01:30)
Yeah, exactly Liu. The post-office stands as a testament to Hong Kong’s modernist architecture era. Its significant is connections in the international community. Its location, once at the coastline has facilitated the rapid communications for the merchants. Besides, there are actually multiple modernist architecture spaces that have been constructed in Central during 1970s. For example, the Hong Kong City Hall and the Star ferry multi-storey car park.
Liu (02:12)
Yeah, exactly. That’s why That is letting me understanding why it’s something that people will debate about, because this actually form a space in the central because they are building this same time. So if you are killing one of the building, like the general post office, it seems like you are destroying your whole space. Yeah, that’s a very powerful impact.
Wong (02:40)
Exactly. That’s why it is quite controversial for removing it from central. Maybe we can start from the reasons why government will try to remove it.
Liu (02:52)
Yeah. So the government’s vision of the central habourfront for project involves replacing the post office with a large commercial complex. In fact, this shouldn’t be the directly being destroyed like government want to do that. But it’s more likely that the government is going to sell this area, which is the third area in the project, and the developer can do anything on it.
Wong (03:22)
As highlighted by Lo Ya-ning, a conservation advocate that’s a question for the needs of demolitions when buildings are both functional and historical significant.
Liu (03:35)
Yeah, that’s why it seems like just demolish this building quite a weird. Yeah, a waste of time. So the Postal Office, what the Postal Office can do is serving the logistic demands and also offer some additional service, like releasing electro certificate. I remember you told me that When you’re young, you have some certificate, right? Yes. Yeah. But that is just a pass of decades ago. They provide this service. And now, if you check their official websites, you can notice that they’re actually providing some more commercial services. So we can notice that actually commercial has become one of the most highlighting industry in Hong Kong.
Wong (04:25)
Yes. Apart from those actual services provide. The general public service also represents a spirit of connections between international society. Maybe it’s serving as a reminders of Hong Kong’s role as a global nexus for the information exchange.
Liu (04:45)
Yeah, I think most of the old buildings, central has somehow construct the collective memories of Hong Kong people, right?
Wong (04:52)
Yes, of course. They can represent Hong Kong. Yes, you can see them. They are frequently involved in the movies like the Nightly Pac-Man. And to be honest, from my view, the general post office as a cultural symbol has suppressed its original usage. It’s not hard to understand that there were conflicts involved.
Liu (05:19)
Yeah, I do believe that the old Hong Kong residents, especially those who were born from 1980s, will quite miss this building, right? But What’s your feeling as a new generation of Hong Kong?
Wong (05:33)
As a new generations, to be honest, I don’t have many feelings since… You see, I’m seldom been there and our generations don’t use so many physical that much.
Liu (05:47)
Yeah. Okay. Well, I never expect you to feel like that, but it makes sense. Since there are some people like you who just don’t care, how should we balance the need for the urban development with the preservation of Hong Kong culture and architecture like this.
Wong (06:06)
Nasrin Seraji, a professor, emphasize the importance of an intelligence process that involves public participation and considering more the culture aspect of an urban development.
Liu (06:21)
Yeah, I agree with the culture part. However, I think the government have already conducted two public surveys around 2000 asking the perceptions from people on the harbor front project.
Wong (06:36)
That’s true, but I don’t think that can represent the current people’s thought. Plus, it didn’t clearly mention that the demolitions of the general post office.
Liu (06:49)
Well, that makes sense. But do people really have the capability to manage what is vanishing or not? So we read the reading, the walking the city, right? So if it is walking, the interaction creates the city. The general post office is vanishing. It’s regardless how people think because people don’t use it, don’t interact it anymore.
Wong (07:17)
Yes. That’s why I think that we say it is vanishing, although this demolition is still on paper.
Liu (07:25)
Yeah. So this actually reminds me about the movie, the mighty Peking Man. The time, the new demands from people and the passing time are just like the Peking Man, destroying all those deconstructions, is old architecture or culture, even culture here. Remember that in the movie, Peking Man was brought to Hong Kong also because of some commercial motivations. The man wants to earn the money, so let the protagonist to bring the packing Man. Is that a coincidence?
Wong (08:01)
I think different people have different answers. But to me, it’s important to remember and understand what has happened and what is happening.
Liu (08:13)
That’s a great hope, Wong. Great. Thanks for the audience. Hope you enjoy this forecast. Goodbye. Bye.
Liu Mingyao: 3036267692
Wong Tsz Cheuk: 3036224365