Tourism sculpture a ‘nuisance’ for players of popular Hong Kong shuttlecock game
New artwork on historical trail not welcomed by some residents and building owners, who say they were not consulted on government plans
A newly revamped historical trail in Hong Kong to commemorate the founding father of modern China has touched off a controversy, with locals accusing the government of pitting tourism against residents’ interests.
The revitalisation of the Dr Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail in Mid-Levels and Sheung Wan was completed last Thursday. The project replaced 15 plaques with modern artworks by nine local artists on the trail, commemorating places Sun used to frequent.
The HK$9 million (US$1.1 million) project is part of the government’s effort to further promote the district, already a tourist hotspot, as a heritage attraction. But the location of one artwork has upset some locals, who complained that officials never asked them about putting the piece in their neighbourhood.
The five-metre-tall sculpture of five lines zigzagging upwards is placed in the middle of a small square below Shin Hing Street near Sheung Wan, which is the only open space in the surrounding three blocks.
Residents said the sculpture had obstructed them from playing their favourite sport there.
Nobody wants their street to be turned into a tourist trap
Some also worried the sculpture would attract flocks of tourists, disrupting the otherwise quaint and quiet neighbourhood.
