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My Hong Kong | A canal for redeveloped Flower Market in Hong Kong? They may work in Amsterdam, but this is a vibrant Chinese community. Respect its heritage
- Steps to revitalise Hong Kong’s Flower Market in Mong Kok are welcome, but redevelopment should enhance the area’s character, not introduce foreign concepts
- The redevelopment of another beloved heritage area, Wedding Card Street in Wan Chai, in 2007 that replaced culture with commercialism shows what not to do
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Kudos to the Hong Kong government for its decision to undertake the revitalisation of the city’s cherished Flower Market in Mong Kok.
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The initiative is part of a comprehensive plan to breathe new life into the vibrant neighbourhood, including the incorporation of a canal to connect the public leisure spaces in the area.
Recently, the Urban Renewal Authority unveiled its ambitious scheme to revamp 31 buildings, ranging in age from 64 to 76 years, along with 33 shops at the flower market and in its vicinity. The project will impact approximately 275 families and 20 flower vendors.
The prospect of altering these ageing structures, some of which hold historical or cultural value, evokes a sense of unease and raises poignant questions. Will our beloved Flower Market suffer a fate similar to that of Lee Tung Street?
The transformation in Wan Chai, on Hong Kong Island, in 2007 of Lee Tung Street, fondly known as “Wedding Card Street”, divided opinion.
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