Condition of two heritage banyans in Mong Kok reflect Hong Kong’s troubles with tree management
- Site managed by Architectural Services Department is being redeveloped, but waste and wreckage have been strewn around trees slated for protection
- Expert questions why authorities have not learned their lesson after other trees were damaged during public works
Two Chinese banyan trees that have stood in a former government compound in Hong Kong for at least half a century are under threat from piles of wreckage and waste, sparking concerns from residents and experts.
The poor handling of the heritage symbols, likely to be classified for government protection, highlights a long-standing problem in the city over tree management.
The trees stand on land formerly occupied by the Water Supplies Department, on a prime urban site on Sai Yee Street next to Mong Kok East MTR station.
But the site, to be sold for office and commercial development in two to three years, is currently managed by the Architectural Services Department, which has commissioned a contractor to demolish the vacant building.
Photo records show that the two banyans were observed on the site as early as the 1950s, with lush canopies that cover around half of the area, their intertwined branches a grand sight for passers-by.