The Hong Kong government is brainstorming ways to boost its nightlife economy. Authorities have proposed hosting more after-dark activities such as outdoor night markets near the port as a way of rejuvenating the city’s nightlife.
Such measures can help boost the city’s economy to some extent. However, one major question remains: can they convince visitors to come?
Since the reopening of the border with the mainland, checkpoints in Shenzhen have been crowded with visitors. Compared to Hong Kong, restaurants in Shenzhen offer travelers more options at affordable prices.
While Shenzhen has opened up more to the world in recent decades, Hong Kong has failed to change with the times. High fares in Hong Kong have forced service providers to raise prices. As costs rise in Hong Kong and Shenzhen continues to boom, Hong Kong is having to work harder to attract visitors.
Hong Kong can reap a huge advantage. The city is famous for being the midpoint between China and the West, and much of what has emerged here is neither completely Western nor Chinese but a hybrid. In other words, Hong Kong has its own unique heritage. This heritage is key to efforts to boost the city’s economy.
Hong Kong is striving to develop its service sector including restaurants, hotels and tourism. However, just because more restaurants open or buildings are built, the area will not automatically grow.
The service sector needs a story that gives people a reason to come. Hong Kong once had this, but is now losing its charm.
The “City Walk” trend in Shanghai offers a glimpse into Hong Kong’s possible future. People walk around the city and look at buildings built almost a hundred years ago, imagine the neon lights and heritage of the richest city in the Far East. Hong Kong had many of these legacies, but lost them in the pursuit of regulation and development.
The city’s architectural heritage and famous neon signs are fast disappearing. Many neon signs representing Hong Kong’s vibrant nightlife have disappeared from the streets due to the introduction of new regulations. Signs as well as examples of pre-war architecture being demolished or redeveloped are disappearing. Jumbo Floating Restaurant is another lost potential destination for tourists. The government rejected proposals to rebuild the restaurant and provide financial aid, and by the time politicians finally realized its value it was too late.
Restaurants, architecture and neon signs are all physical symbols of Hong Kong that could have helped tell the city’s story and attract visitors.
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Hong Kong’s fading neon signs that once lit up the city’s night sky
Hong Kong’s fading neon signs that once lit up the city’s night sky
While the government moves swiftly to save Hong Kong’s heritage, all is not lost. There is still much to preserve, such as the shophouse at 190 Nathan Road that was used to spy on the Japanese military during World War II. The stories attached to the building and its location make it a perfect example of Hong Kong’s unique story.
Excavating and preserving the city’s stories and artifacts can reveal the true story of Hong Kong. Tourists and locals can tour the whole city and embrace its history, rather than staying in only a few famous areas. The government needs to rethink its story of development.
Until now, that narrative has created a divide between preserving history and building more skyscrapers. As an increasing number of tourists look beyond shopping and seek to experience the history and unique qualities of a place, Hong Kong’s allure cannot come from continuing to build higher. The four-storey building at 190 Nathan Road, a Grade 3 heritage building, in Tsim Sha Tsui. The verandah-style building is one of three remaining pre-war sites on the corner of a block which have corridor-style balconies. Photo: Sam Tsang Instead, it’s time to think about what a city’s past might do for its present and future. Preserving Hong Kong’s history will not only preserve its cultural value, but also bring economic benefits by telling the city’s story in physical form. Development in this sense means much more than tearing down old buildings and signs and replacing them with a well-planned landscape that tourists would find in any other major city.
The key to reviving Hong Kong’s economy is not to host more night markets, but to tell the story behind them. An economy is much more than a place for people to spend money. Hong Kong needs to find a way out of its current predicament and rebuild its reputation by looking within rather than copying others.
John Hanzhang Yeh is a PhD student in the History of Science and Technology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and holds an MPhil degree in Sociology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Source: amp.scmp.com
