As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead.
Hong Kong will build on the popularity of the old Yau Ma Tei police station exhibition by developing more heritage attractions that combine historic buildings with cultural experiences, the tourism chief has said, identifying Haw Par Mansion as one of the city’s next major developments.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui told the South China Morning Post in an interview that the Yau Ma Tei attraction had shown how Hong Kong could turn historic sites into visitor destinations by linking them to the city’s cultural identity.
“This project is actually uniquely Hong Kong,” she said. “It reflects a sort of legacy of Hong Kong’s past, an old police station.”
The exhibition, which incorporates aspects of famous Hong Kong crime films into the historic police station, has attracted large crowds since it opened in January.
Law attributed its success to the use of “our police films, our stars, the very real props in the station, combined with real historical elements”.
She said officials were already considering ways to expand the attraction and strengthen its links with surrounding businesses.
“I also noticed that even a supermarket in the nearby area, they also have a nostalgic theme dressing their shop,” Law said.
“I also approached and asked some other shops or outlets in the area whether they would like to do the same. Some of them are actually positive, so let’s see if we can link this all up into something new.”
Law said further expansion would be possible once the remaining government offices in the old police station were relocated.
“Right now, the police station still has government offices in there, so we cannot do too much at this point,” she said.
“But when they eventually move out and vacate the entire premises, then we may be able to do a lot more.”
The minister said Haw Par Mansion could become another example of a heritage attraction that showcased Hong Kong’s distinctive history.
“Haw Par Mansion is interesting,” she said. “It is also very uniquely Hong Kong, because it’s also a centre of East meets West.”
The Grade I historic mansion in Tai Hang, built by the family behind Tiger Balm, recently entered a new phase of revitalisation.
Law said the government was working with a French cultural organisation interested in transforming the site into a venue where visitors could appreciate its heritage while enjoying performances and creative activities.
“[They want] to turn it into a centre for artist incubation and also for people to enjoy its rich heritage and to bring new shows, exciting and fun ones, into the area,” she said.
Beyond Yau Ma Tei and Haw Par Mansion, Law said officials were also exploring ways to refresh existing attractions, including those linked to the film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In at Kowloon Walled City Park.
The sequel to the 2024 hit blockbuster went into production earlier this year.
“Whether we’d be able to make use of some of the props and some of the things to enrich our existing exhibit in the park, that is something we can also work on,” she said.
Law said the projects reflected a broader strategy for creating attractions that could not be easily replicated elsewhere.
“We do not want to be static. We want to keep moving,” she said. “Hong Kong is unique, Hong Kong is interesting, Hong Kong is compact and Hong Kong is ever-changing.” — SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST