Opinion | Keep alive Hong Kong’s history, or another night market would just be a yawn
- To draw visitors and revive its economy, Hong Kong must recognise that a major part of its selling point is its unique history and culture, including historic buildings, neon signs and the like
- Preserving Hong Kong history will help the city tell the Hong Kong story well
Such measures could help boost the city’s economy to a limited degree. However, one key question remains: can they persuade visitors to come?
While Shenzhen has opened up more to the world in recent decades, Hong Kong has failed to change with the times. High rents in Hong Kong have forced service providers to raise their prices. As costs in Hong Kong rise and Shenzhen continues to catch up, the former has to work harder to attract visitors.
Hong Kong can capitalise on one huge advantage. The city is famous for being the midpoint between China and the West, and what has emerged here is neither purely Western nor Chinese but a hybrid. In other words, Hong Kong has its own unique legacy. This legacy is the key to attempts to boost the city’s economy.
Hong Kong is trying to develop its service sector, including restaurants, hotels and tourism. However, the sector will not automatically grow just because more restaurants open or buildings get constructed.
