Abbas’ literature strikes a chord with me strongly. The inappropriate preservation in Hong Kong made cultural conservation neither fish, flesh nor fowl. As the writer mentions, architecture is the first virtual confirmation of our city while it is also one of the most developed cultural forms in Hong Kong as well as cinema. However, they are also most dependent on the market so that they usually become commodity inevitably. Tai Kwun, as known as Central Police Station before, has been rebuilt as a tourist attraction and has become a popular space for “check-in”. It is full of stores and restaurants now, which is more like a shopping centre instead of being a historical heritage. Everyone goes there for entertaining but not visiting. After refitting, the Victoria Prison cannot reappear the scenes in Rob-B-Hood (2006) anymore. As a result, the collective memory will step into disappearance finally.
Jing Qi 3035797004
Appreciate that you’ve included examples of architecture and cinema in your response. Abbas noted Hong Kong cinema “has founded Hong Kong itself as a subject, problematic and threatened by disappearance” which led to the question of cultural self-definition; while Hong Kong architecture “presents itself only the false image of power” (1997, 89). It seems like Tai Kwun, the former Victoria Prison is the common thread between the examples cited – could you elaborate more on the preservation in Abbas’ words and its significance to Hong Kong’s architectural scene as well as cinema?