History being lost through lack of care

Gathering historical information from gravestones is a tough job because inscriptions are being lost through lack of care, historian Ting Sun-pao says.

His view is backed by gravestones restoration expert Paul Harrison, who warns that precious historical data will be lost forever if the gravestones are not cleaned and restored quickly

The government has been urged to take care of forgotten historic graves, but the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department says it can manage only the public areas of cemeteries as the graves are 'private property'.

'The grave of Sir Kai Ho Kai is wearing out and the words on the Cornwallis monument can hardly be read now,' Dr Ting said, referring to the monument that commemorates the flagship HMS Cornwallis, which took part in the first opium war.

Dr Ting said inscriptions were being eroded by bacteria, posing a challenge for historians who study them.

He hoped the government would follow the example of the Jewish Cemetery at Happy Valley, which hired experts to clean and restore the memorial stones.