Few of us were aware of Ho Tung Gardens until the prospect arose last year of the historic mansion on The Peak being torn down for redevelopment. That possibility is imminent now that the government has let a deadline for its preservation as a monument pass. Little now stands in the way of owner Ho Min-kwan going ahead with plans to bulldoze the estate to make way for 10 houses. If ever there was a need for benevolence in the name of keeping the past alive, it is now.
Ho, the granddaughter of the gardens' founder, the late Robert Hotung, should reweigh her decision. She has every right to do with her property what she wishes and has much to gain financially from doing so. But her gain will be Hong Kong's loss. Her grandfather was an eminent citizen and the first non-European allowed by British colonialists to live on The Peak. In keeping with that privilege, he built Ho Tung Gardens in 1927 in the grandest of styles, creating an estate the likes of which we could only imagine had this finest of rare examples not been preserved.
Once the wrecking crews move in, though, it will be gone forever. This is what has happened to so much of our past, robbing us of the ability to better understand how Hong Kong came to be, its development and where it is headed. If we had had the foresight to realise this years ago, the magnificent Victorian and Edwardian-era buildings that once lined our streets and are so prized elsewhere would still exist. The government did what it could with the laws that prevail to negotiate, but the rules are not sturdy enough and it failed.
And so matters come down to the wire. Authorities tried, but barely enough, to spark community discussion on whether billions of dollars should be spent on acquiring the property. That process has to be reviewed and strengthened to prevent repeats, perhaps in the process giving the Antiquities Advisory Board the teeth it deserves, but lacks, to do its job properly. We can now only appeal to Ho to put Hong Kong first and reconsider her negotiating stance.