How will discovery of Hong Kong dinosaur fossils change city? Experts share expectations

The first dinosaur fossils discovered in Hong Kong may provide valuable insights into the Cretaceous period in southern China and bring new blood to the local academic field, experts have said.

But a veteran geologist expressed concerns that the find could prompt development in country parks, while also saying the design of the city’s curriculum misled students interested in geology into selecting a social science subject.

The experts voiced their opinions before fossil rocks found on Port Island in the Hong Kong Unesco Global Geopark were shown to the public for the first time on Friday.

Young Ng Chun-yeong, former chairman of the Association for Geoconservation and a key proponent of the geopark designation, said he expected the discovery to reignite public interest in geoscience and deliver long-term benefits to academia.

“Before having the geopark, most people thought Hong Kong was mainly a city and a concrete jungle, without paying special attention to the natural rock foundations that we have,” said Ng, who chairs an ecotourism strategy reference group of the Australian Geoscience Council.

“Now that dinosaur fossils have been discovered, people will again notice that the natural foundation of Hong Kong is quite spectacular.”