Let ancient relics tell Hong Kong's early story, experts say
More creative approach than storage in cabinets called for to foster interest in To Kwa Wan finds
When thousands of relics dating back to the Song and Yuan dynasties were unearthed at the site of the planned To Kwa Wan railway station, debate centred on how to preserve them - and whether they should be moved.
But conservationists say not enough attention has been given to telling the story behind the relics, which include ancient pottery and wells.
Experts called for a more creative approach to conserving the relics at a forum at Polytechnic University yesterday, organised by the Professional Commons and the university's Centre for Social Policy Studies.
The 23,000 square metre site of the station on what will be the MTR's Sha Tin-Central Link is on what used to be known as Sacred Hill. Song (1127-1279) emperors Zhao Shi and Zhao Bing are believed to have lived there when they were taking refuge from the Mongols in Hong Kong.
The hill was levelled by the Japanese to extend Kai Tak airport in the second world war, and the relics ended up buried.
Experts told the forum that storytelling was a more effective way to learn about the city's history - and generate interest in it - than putting relics in dusty cabinets that no one will see.
Architect Freddie Hai Tuen-tai said that every city needed to embrace its story.
"Abbey Road [in London] was an ordinary road until The Beatles walked across its zebra crossing. Pop culture creates history every day … you can see Sherlock Holmes all over the Baker Street Tube station although he is fictional," he said.
"Now we have something real from the Song dynasty. Why should we leave them behind?"
There is a common belief that Hong Kong was no more than a fishing village before the British took over in 1842, said Antiquities Advisory Board member Ko Tim-keung.
Little is known about the city before the colonial period, he said, adding that the latest excavations had renewed interest in local history.
"People love to talk about their collective memories in recent years. They are interested in what happens during their time. But what about what happened several generations back - in the Qing dynasty [1644-1911] or during the world wars?" Ko asked. "Are stories valuable only when people live through them?"
Excavation work at the site is to be completed by the end of this month. Antiquities and Monuments Office curator Ada Yau Lau Kwau-yau said the Antiquities Advisory Board and district councillors would be consulted once it is complete.
"It will take time for the archaeologists to finish their study. We need evidence to tell a convincing story," she said.
