Letters | Neon signs add to old Hong Kong charms, but safety comes first
- Once an exotic attraction for tourists, neon signs appeal less to most visitors from the mainland today, and badly maintained ones pose a safety risk
But today’s Hong Kong has a lot more attractions, such as Disneyland, the Big Buddha, and spectacular views of skyscrapers with gorgeous architecture along both sides of Victoria Harbour. Walking along a street lined with shining neon signs is possibly no longer the highlight of a visitor’s travel experience.
Moreover, the majority of our tourists today are mainlanders, rather than from overseas. Most mainland Chinese visitors care more about shopping than an appreciation of neon signs. These signs, which can seem exotic to visitors from farther afield, are probably a common sight in their hometowns. So it is not surprising to hear people say the attractiveness of neon signs for promoting tourism is waning.
In contrast, the fact that many of these signs pose a safety risk has been in the spotlight. Some signs seem in desperate need of repair or maintenance and, if an accident does happen, responsibility gets thrown back and forth between the owner of the building and the shop owner.
For these reasons, the government should allocate more resources to speed up the taking down of hazardous signs. Meanwhile, for the sake of our safety, perhaps we should also put up fewer of these signs, however charming, along our streets.
Tang Chi Ming, Wong Tai Sin
