How the revival of a 400-year-old Hong Kong village can be a model for rural heritage conservation
Local think tank Global Institute For Tomorrow advises giving abandoned villages new life in a holistic way under one statutory body
A new statutory body should be formed by the government to manage the revitalisation of Hong Kong’s abandoned villages in clusters, said a local think tank.
The body should be able to manage all rural revitalisation efforts under one roof instead of several government departments handling different aspects.
It should revitalise villages in clusters – 13 in all – rather than individual projects. That way, a more holistic approach to revitalisation could be achieved by taking into account the strengths of each village and capitalising on them.
“We hope this platform ... is not confrontational, [but is] discussive, convening and can bring people together to look at issues in a positive collaborative fashion,” Chandran Nair, founder and chief executive of Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT), says.
The Hong Kong-based think tank floated the suggestion at the end of its Global Leaders Programme forum last month under the topic “Reviving Hong Kong’s Rural Heritage”. It challenged 21 young professionals and managers to develop solutions on issues affecting Hong Kong.