Save the Queen’s Pier in Hong Kong
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| Celebrity Chow Yun-Fat supports the Queen's Pier. |
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Source:http://www.chonghead.net/gallery2/main.php |
People in Hong Kong are celebrating the 10th anniversary of its return to China. However a group of people are staying at the Queen’s Pier, a heritage of British colony, 24 hours a day to guard it. The government decided to demolish the pier to renew the district. Another pier Star Ferry was demolished last December under the same scheme and caused violent protests from its supporters.
Those concerned claim that the Queen’s Pier is an asset to Hong Kong. The British governor used to take and leave office via the pier. It also carries precious memories to people in Hong Kong, though not as many compared to what the Star Ferry Pier had brought. A British man Brian Hardaway, who has lived in Hong Kong for forty years, considers the Star Ferry part of him. “Back in 1989 it once occurred to me to wonder just how many times I had travelled on the Star Ferry. I finally came to a reckoning of around 15,000 times!” he recalled.
After Star Ferry’s demolition, its supporters turned to protect the Queen’s Pier. They argued that the government always puts economic development first. They are trying to keep the collective memory of Hong Kong. They also accused the government of making a harsh decision. “The Chief Executive Tsang Yam-Kuen claimed that he was balancing economic development and environmental protection. How can he attempt to demolish the Queen’s Pier and meanwhile tell people that he cares about protection?” said assistant professor Chen Yun-Chung from Hong Kong University of Science & Technology.
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| Supporters protect the Queen's Pier. |
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Source:hoidick |
The authority acknowledged the historic value of the Queen’s Pier and promised to protect it to the best of its ability. Relocation plans for both piers are under study. Yet a supporter thinks that the meaning of a relocated pier is different from the original one. “It’s like a toy which has kept you company for years. An exactly the same new one is still different,” said a supporter Sharon Loh.
The Queen’s Pier and Losheng campaign have something in common. They are both initiated by non-government groups and individuals. They both protest against their government’s policy in the name of protection. Yet some protesters in Hong Kong admit that the situation Losheng people are facing is more difficult. “Because there are people suffering in Losheng,” Sharon explained. Some protesters even helped promote the Losheng movement in Hong Kong.
Related story :
Link:
- Queen's Pier and Star Ferry Protection (English & Chinese)