(Sorted by order of speech)
China Academy of Cultural Heritage
Li Xiangdong is the Deputy Director and Researcher of the China Academy of Cultural Heritage, and an engineering expert in heritage conservation in the National Cultural Heritage Administration. He is also a board member of the China Association for Conservation Technology of Cultural Heritage. He has presided over a number of important projects, such as the technical assessment in the nomination and selection of the eighth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level, the inspection and evaluation of the built heritage conservation projects in Shanxi province, and the strategic planning of the protection and utilisation of cultural relics relating to the reform and opening up of Shenzhen. He is the author of Fengguo Temple in Yi County and The Survey Report of the Cultural Resources of the Great Wall of the Yan, Qin and Han Periods in Liaoning Province. He also edited Twin Tower of Chongxing Temple – The Restoration of the West Tower, which was awarded the National Top Ten Survey and Design Projects for Heritage Conservation and the Heritage Conservation Planning Prize.
In May 2019, President Xi Jinping proposed the Asian Initiative for Cultural Heritage Conservation, a major international initiative to promote the conservation of Asian cultural heritage. In October 2021, the Asian Dialogue for Cultural Heritage Conservation multilateral conference, hosted by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, injected positive momentum into the establishment of an Asian cultural heritage cooperation platform. The China Academy of Cultural Heritage actively engages in the conservation of Asian cultural heritage and formed a multi-cooperation pattern and distinctive cooperation concept in countries such as Cambodia, Uzbekistan and Nepal. This effort has been internationally recognized. In the future, the China Academy of Cultural Heritage will focus on the guiding principles of the new era on cultural heritage, and work with its domestic and foreign counterparts to raise the standards of Asian cultural heritage conservation and utilization to reflect the magnificence of Asian civilizations.
中國文化遺產研究院
New World Development Company Limited
Adrian is CEO of New World Development, which spans property investment and development, infrastructure, construction, healthcare, insurance, hotels and other consumer and technology businesses. Since joining the company in 2006, he has reinvented the brand’s DNA through ‘The Artisanal Movement’, infusing craft, heritage, design and creativity into all of the company’s ventures.
In 2008, Adrian established the K11 brand, the world’s first ‘museum-retail’ concept, with the intention of merging art and commerce and curating the customer journey with a focus on the next generation. In addition to its flagship K11 MUSEA, 11 SKIES and K11 Art Malls, the Group operates K11 ATELIER, K11 ARTUS and K11 Select.
From 2019 to 2021, the state promulgated several policies to support the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and the conservation and development of cultural heritage in the GBA. As a highly internationalized city in the area, Hong Kong has the conditions to become a cultural heritage hub in the GBA. This presentation provides forward-looking suggestions for building Hong Kong into a cultural heritage hub in the GBA, including taking advantage of Hong Kong’s geographical and cultural advantages, empowering the conservation and revitalization of Hong Kong’s architectural heritage with innovative ideas, and promoting the establishment of the “9+2” inter-city cultural cooperation mechanism. The aim of this presentation is to provide a development direction that can evolve into feasible policy measures in the future and draw a formable blueprint for building Hong Kong into a cultural heritage hub in the GBA.
Department of Cultural Heritage, Macao Special Administrative Region
The Macao SAR Government recognizes the adaptive reuse as an important conservation approach, which enables Macao’s historic buildings to continue to play an active role in people’s lives as living heritage. This presentation provides a summary of Macao’s history in developing the adaptive reuse programmes, by taking some recent projects as case studies, including traditional Chinese courtyard buildings in “Pátio da Eterna Felicidade”, the former site of the Leprosarium “Nossa Senhora Village”, and the industrial sites of the “Lai Chi Vun Shipyards” and the “Iec Leong Firecrackers Factory”. The is followed by an overview of the Macao Government’s most recent directives to further enhance the cultural influence of the city’s historic buildings, with the use of new technologies that are also aimed at providing more opportunities for public participation. These directives support the development of adaptive reuse programmes that can bring the community together and enhance the cultural value of Macao’s historic buildings.
Antiquities Advisory Board
Tai Kwun
The conservation and adaptive reuse of the Central Police Station compound into Tai Kwun–Centre for Heritage and Arts has been recognized as an exemplary project, and has received international awards and recognition. Consisting of three Declared Monuments—the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison—this historic site was originally designed to fulfil multiple functions of law and order within the walled compound. At that time, it was largely closed to the public. A new life and character was breathed into the historic site through its conservation and adaptive reuse by the partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Hong Kong SAR Government. With the vision to contribute to the city’s cultural vibrancy and creative capacity, Tai Kwun has been successfully transformed into an authentic and vibrant destination for cultural experiences. It has welcomed over 10 million visitors to the site since its opening in 2018.
This presentation highlights the essential and interrelated elements, as well as the difficult choices, which underlie the conservation and adaptive reuse of Tai Kwun: Heritage values—how the project applies international values-based conservation processes so as to sustain the site’s significance, and how decisions in management and cultural programming respect the heritage value; Change—how change is embraced and negotiated so as to accommodate new uses in dynamic contexts; Connections with people and urban environment—how the project involves public participation in considering the site’s relation to the surrounding urban fabric; Cultural interventions—how a diversity of heritage and arts programming, space activations, and other uses and practices balances the cultural, social, and economic benefits for sustainability.
With adaptive reuse, the repurposed Tai Kwun significantly espouses its authenticity not only through its undisputed heritage values associated with the historic, physical fabric, but also with contemporary interactions within a broader range of art, cultural and social priorities. All these aspects are defined by the evolving city of Hong Kong and its contextual relationship with the Greater Bay Area along with the rest of the world.
Chinachem Group
Donald Choi is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Chinachem Group. He has over 30 years of management experience across property development and worked as a professional architect globally. Previously MD of the Nan Fung Group, and a Director of Foster and Partners, Donald has provided professional services for Hong Kong Government, Airport Authority, Mass Transit Railway Corporation, Urban Renewal Authority, Public Works Canada, British Columbia Buildings Corporation. Alongside his professional career, he has held multiple leadership roles in NGO and professional bodies that focus on community, design and innovation. He is now the President of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects and Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design.
There is no argument that we need to preserve the cultural heritage and historic values of buildings in our city. However, a full architectural restoration, returning a building to its previous form and original completeness, may not be needed in every instance since not all historical buildings are restorable and can be made ephemerally anew. Improper restoration might also unintentionally destroy part of the building’s historical values created overtime by the different roles taken up by the building in the community. Some alterations to the original building might have gained aesthetic value or historical significance rendering a return to the original state inappropriate.
With the passing of time, people have different needs than those of the past. A historical building in the city may require contemporary intervention to extend its life rather than being mummified as a lifeless edifice for museum collection. This presentation will use Hong Kong Central Market as an example to discuss the challenges of adaptive reuse including the responsibility to preserve the original work authenticity and enhance the embedded historical values while satisfying the current functional and adaptive reuse needs.
Urban Planning Committee, Macau SAR
Dr Lui has a doctorate degree and is an architect and a member of ICOMOS. In addition to engaging in architectural design and conservation, Dr Lui has devoted himself to the research, education and promotion of urban architecture in Macao in recent years, and has published various books, including Beyond Memory: Looking Back at Architectural Conservation in Macao in the 20th Century.
This presentation summarizes the efforts by the government, civic groups and tertiary institutes on the education and promotion of built heritage since the declaration of world cultural heritage in Macao. Although the account is not comprehensive, it reflects to some extent the development and current situation of built heritage in Macao.
School of Design, Jiangnan University
Professor Zhu is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor in the School of Design of Jiangnan University, a Visiting Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, a Distinguished Professor at City University of Macao, and a Member of the Supervisory Board of the Macao Heritage Society. Professor Zhu’s research areas include urban cultural heritage conservation and management, and landscape environmental design theory and methods.
Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong
Compelled by rapid modernization, demolition-based urban redevelopment has been the prevalent means to facilitate economic growth, both historically and in contemporary cities. Today, nevertheless, a growing awareness for the depletion of historic buildings as consequence has come to the fore, especially in the cities of rapidly developing Global East. Both for policy-makers and in popular spheres here, historic buildings as material artifacts that physically manifest the socio-economic and cultural developments and achievements that shape the city and society are becoming increasingly recognized as important and safeguarded as valuable.
As a historical institution of higher education, established against the backdrop of the civic university movement of the late nineteenth century embodied by the use of red bricks, The University of Hong Kong is both a historic site of cultural significance as well as crucial locale for the research and impact of contemporary conservation. This presentation will highlight the buildings of historical significance located in The University of Hong Kong’s campus, as well as the university more broadly as an important place of education and research on the value of historical architecture as cultural heritage.
Dapeng Fortress Museum, Longgang District, Shenzhen
Mr Huang is the Deputy Director of the Dapeng Fortress Museum of the Longgang District of Shenzhen and a Research Fellow. He has been engaged in investigation and research into Shenzhen’s local history and ancient buildings for a long period of time and is currently an academic member of the Architectural History Professional Committee of the Chinese Society for the History of Science and Technology. He is a senior researcher of the Southern Red Culture Research Association of Guangdong, a Board Member of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association of Guangdong Province and Shenzhen Municipality, and a Member of the Supervisory Board of the Shenzhen Heritage Protection Association.
Antiquities and Monuments Office
Ms Siu is the Executive Secretary of the Antiquities and Monuments Office, Hong Kong, Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of History of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Committee Member of the “Education Heritage Advisory Committee” of the Hong Kong Museum of Education of The Education University of Hong Kong, and Committee Member of ICOMOS China. She was formerly the Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of History and Assistant Secretary of the Home Affairs Bureau. Her recent papers include “Conservation of large-scale sites of the Qin culture” (in Chinese), “The teaching, learning and breakthroughs of ‘The Majesty of All Under Heaven: The Eternal Realm of China’s First Emperor’ exhibition” (in Chinese), “Chinese traditional temples of Hong Kong” (in Chinese), and “Application of 3D scanning technology in restoration of heritage sites damaged by natural disaster”.
Hong Kong is rich in built heritage. Nearly 190 graded items have been used for educational purposes, 33 of which have been listed as declared monuments by the Antiquities Authority (the Secretary for Development) in accordance with the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap. 53). The built heritage related to education is diversified. By correlating all of them, we can review the history of early education in Hong Kong, as well as Hong Kong’s relationship with the Mainland and Macao.
In the New Territories, various clans inherited ancestral traditions, which included attention to education. Their children received education in traditional Chinese private schools (hok shuk, shu shuk or ka shuk) or study halls (shu yuen, shu uk or shu shat). During their process of transformation into modern village schools, the historical imprint retains many examples of built heritage. In the mid-nineteenth century, foreign churches came to Hong Kong to run schools, intending to train Chinese missionaries and propagate Western religious beliefs in the Mainland. Later, the government began to develop secular education and established government schools. At the same time, missionary schools continued to transform and grew rapidly under government subsidies. Although most of these schools underwent multiple relocations, some existing school buildings still have a history of more than 100 years. In addition to primary and secondary schools, which provided basic education emphasising both Chinese and English, tertiary and normal schools, among others, have left built heritage that bears witness to the development of education in Hong Kong.
This presentation uses built heritage to explain the early history of education in Hong Kong. It also serves as a starting point for deeper study and better interpretation of built heritage related to education in the Greater Bay Area, in the hope of developing a heritage trail in the area and achieving concerted development with other existing heritage trails in the Greater Bay Area.
Antiquities and Monuments Office
Hong Kong is rich in built heritage. Nearly 190 graded items have been used for educational purposes, 33 of which have been listed as declared monuments by the Antiquities Authority (the Secretary for Development) in accordance with the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap. 53). The built heritage related to education is diversified. By correlating all of them, we can review the history of early education in Hong Kong, as well as Hong Kong’s relationship with the Mainland and Macao.
In the New Territories, various clans inherited ancestral traditions, which included attention to education. Their children received education in traditional Chinese private schools (hok shuk, shu shuk or ka shuk) or study halls (shu yuen, shu uk or shu shat). During their process of transformation into modern village schools, the historical imprint retains many examples of built heritage. In the mid-nineteenth century, foreign churches came to Hong Kong to run schools, intending to train Chinese missionaries and propagate Western religious beliefs in the Mainland. Later, the government began to develop secular education and established government schools. At the same time, missionary schools continued to transform and grew rapidly under government subsidies. Although most of these schools underwent multiple relocations, some existing school buildings still have a history of more than 100 years. In addition to primary and secondary schools, which provided basic education emphasising both Chinese and English, tertiary and normal schools, among others, have left built heritage that bears witness to the development of education in Hong Kong.
This presentation uses built heritage to explain the early history of education in Hong Kong. It also serves as a starting point for deeper study and better interpretation of built heritage related to education in the Greater Bay Area, in the hope of developing a heritage trail in the area and achieving concerted development with other existing heritage trails in the Greater Bay Area.
School of Architecture, South China University of Technology
Professor Feng has a PhD in Architectural History and Theory, and is a professor in the School of Architecture in the South China University of Technology, and the director of the Research Centre of Architectural History and Culture. He has been a visiting scholar of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Politecnico di Torino in Italy, and is a member of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Expert Committee and an editorial board member of Heritage Architecture, Journal of Architectural History and New Architecture.
The Pokfulam Farm
Mr Sin is a Senior Social Work Supervisor at Caritas Youth and Community Services. He has served in Pokfulam Village for 11 years and is currently a member of the Steering Committee of the Pokfulam Farm project.
Pokfulam Farm represents a milestone in the trend of heritage conservation in Hong Kong in the twenty-first century. Built in 1887, this Grade 1 historic building is the only remaining dormitory for senior staff of Dairy Farm. It was left unused after its closure by Dairy Farm in 1985. In 2015, the Hong Kong Government handed it to “Pokfulam Farm” established jointly by the Hong Kong Caritas and Pokfulam Village Cultural Land Conservation Company Limited under the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme. The restoration project was completed and was opened for business in April 2022. The motivation of the conservation of Pokfulam Farm originates from the local community in Pok Fu Lam Village. Resident groups built an exchange platform to connect cultural groups, universities, professionals, local organizations, and other forces to convert the farm into a unique local cultural hub. Through discovery, identification, association and participation, the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of industry and agriculture in relation to the way of life of this only remaining historical settlement in the city can be preserved to give back to society and enhance the urban resilience of Hong Kong.
The Pokfulam Farm
Mr Ko is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Founding Chairman of Pokfulam Village Cultural Landscape Conservation Company Limited, and Board Member of Pokfulam Farm Company Limited.
The Pokfulam Farm
Mr Lam is an Architectural Conservationist, a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Head of Property of Caritas Hong Kong, and Board Member of Pokfulam Farm Company Limited. He has participated in conservation projects such as the Tai Fu Tai Mansion, the Kun Ting Study Hall, the King Law Ka Shuk Ancestral Hall, Kowloon Walled City Park, the Hong Kong Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and St. Joseph’s Chapel in Yim Tin Tsai.
Guangdong Folk Arts Musuem
Dr Huang has a PhD in History. She is a Research Fellow and the director of the Guangdong Folk Arts Museum (Chen Clan Ancestral Hall). She has been engaged in museums and the preservation of cultural relics for 27 years. She specialises in research into the local history of Guangzhou, in the protection and inheritance of Guangdong folk craft history, in ancient architecture and cultural relic preservation, and related fields.
Guangdong Folk Arts Musuem
Mr Shi is the director of the Department of Cultural Relics Protection and Management of the Guangdong Folk Arts Museum (Chen Clan Ancestral Hall). He is engaged mainly in the protection of and research into Lingnan built heritage. He is dedicated to exploring the application of dynamic monitoring systems in built heritage to realize its preventive protection.
Antiquities and Monuments Office
In 2016, Ms Kong joined the Antiquities and Monuments Office, where she is responsible for assisting in approving and monitoring the revitalisation and renovation works of declared monuments. She has participated in significant projects, including the Central Police Station Compound (Tai Kwun) revitalisation project, the renovation of the Former French Mission Building, and the restoration of the Duddell Street Steps and Gas Lamps.
During the onslaught of super typhoon Mangkhut on Hong Kong in September 2018, a stone wall tree fell across the Duddell Street Steps and Gas Lamps, causing severe damage to this century-old declared monument. The restoration team was determined to adhere strictly to the principle of using traditional craftsmanship and original materials, supplemented by advanced 3D scanning technology, printing and cast-iron technologies, and faithfully restored the monument to its pre-typhoon state.
The speaker introduces the serious damage to the century-old monuments after the natural disaster, how the restoration team formulated the conservation proposal, the challenges it encountered in the restoration project, how it used original craftsmanship and advanced technology to restore the monument, and how this successful restoration experience can be shared with different stakeholders through various channels.
Faculty of Humanities and Arts, Macau University of Science and Technology
“Climate Change” is a complicated and challenging crisis the modern world is facing today. The extent of its damage is incalculable and it continues to devastate the environment and human lives in a rapid fashion. While government officials and policy makers are working hard to contain its growing destruction, professionals from different areas of expertise are also participating in the rescue process. Recent research indicated that large amount of carbon emission came from the building industries as well as the continuing operations of these modern constructions. The finding accelerated experts’ focus on revisiting the traditional building materials and techniques, which have created a more sustainable environment and healthier lifestyles for our ancestors. The presentation describes the unique characteristics of some commonly used local materials in the conservation of heritage architecture in Macao, while elaborates on a new approach of incorporating traditional methods and techniques into education curriculums to prepare for a sustainable and carbon neutral future.
Newcastle University
My archaeological interests concern the ways that past people, when faced with particular socio-historical circumstances, engaged with the world around them and inscribed the physical environment with layers of social meaning, thereby creating the historic features and landscapes we encounter today.
Drawing upon an in-depth knowledge of Hong Kong’s human past, my current project applies innovative remote sensing and dating technologies to record, characterise, and date Hong Kong’s upland historic landscapes.
The coastal lowlands of Hong Kong (HK) are archaeologically well understood and have revealed human activity spanning some 6,500 years. In contrast, the mountainous uplands are conventionally viewed as ‘Nature’ and have largely been ignored by archaeologists, and thus remain poorly understood.
However, remote sensing data reveal widespread evidence of past human activity in HK’s uplands, in particular in the form of terraces. The project discussed in this presentation adopts an innovative GIS-based approach combining landscape archaeology, geosciences, historical research, remote sensing, scientific dating, and digital geospatial analysis to investigate these upland landscapes.
The presentation begins by placing the project in its regional historical, archaeological and conservation management context. The use of ArcGIS to plot and spatially analyse features identified in historic maps, digital orthophotos, and LiDAR data is then explored, followed by an overview of historic landscape characterisation (HLC), which is used to interpret the mapped features. Lastly, the use of OSL-PD to create a chronological framework for upland land use will be discussed.
Newcastle University
My research interests focus on historic landscapes (rural, urban, maritime, including planning and management) and on the archaeology of the Middle Ages. Current and recent work includes projects in Belgium, Brazil, Britain, China, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Oman, Spain and Turkey with collaborators in each of those countries.
In Newcastle University’s Centre for Landscape I lead a team of around 30 postdoctoral and PhD researchers. Our specialisms include GIS, remote sensing, geoarchaeology, geochronology, as well as digital survey of historic buildings.
The coastal lowlands of Hong Kong (HK) are archaeologically well understood and have revealed human activity spanning some 6,500 years. In contrast, the mountainous uplands are conventionally viewed as ‘Nature’ and have largely been ignored by archaeologists, and thus remain poorly understood.
However, remote sensing data reveal widespread evidence of past human activity in HK’s uplands, in particular in the form of terraces. The project discussed in this presentation adopts an innovative GIS-based approach combining landscape archaeology, geosciences, historical research, remote sensing, scientific dating, and digital geospatial analysis to investigate these upland landscapes.
The presentation begins by placing the project in its regional historical, archaeological and conservation management context. The use of ArcGIS to plot and spatially analyse features identified in historic maps, digital orthophotos, and LiDAR data is then explored, followed by an overview of historic landscape characterisation (HLC), which is used to interpret the mapped features. Lastly, the use of OSL-PD to create a chronological framework for upland land use will be discussed.
Architectural Services Department, HKSAR
Currently the Chief Project Manager of Architectural Services Department of HKSAR (ArchSD) who has been registered architect since 1994 and Authorized Person List 1 since 1995. With over 25 years working in ArchSD as an architectural profession and on project management, she has rich and wide spectrum of experience in different types of public building works including adaptive reuse of heritage building.
The Former French Mission Building (FMB) stood on an elevated ground that gives the place the vista of the Victoria Harbour. The building was constructed in 1917 in the neo-classical style and built of granite and red bricks. Because of its historical significance and a very high heritage value, the building was declared a monument under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap. 53) in 1989.
FMB’s long history of adaptive reuse began in 1953. Various internal alterations were made to adapt the building for use by different government departments. Recently, it underwent a full restoration for its current use – accommodation for law-related organisations (LROs) as part of the Hong Kong Legal Hub to facilitate LROs’ set up and development and related purposes.
We will share the experience in conserving FMB while upgrading it to meet the current statutory and functional standards, and the approaches and techniques used in restoring the beautiful historic building fabric.
Ptah Heritage Limited
The Former French Mission Building (FMB) stood on an elevated ground that gives the place the vista of the Victoria Harbour. The building was constructed in 1917 in the neo-classical style and built of granite and red bricks. Because of its historical significance and a very high heritage value, the building was declared a monument under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap. 53) in 1989.
FMB’s long history of adaptive reuse began in 1953. Various internal alterations were made to adapt the building for use by different government departments. Recently, it underwent a full restoration for its current use – accommodation for law-related organisations (LROs) as part of the Hong Kong Legal Hub to facilitate LROs’ set up and development and related purposes.
We will share the experience in conserving FMB while upgrading it to meet the current statutory and functional standards, and the approaches and techniques used in restoring the beautiful historic building fabric.
Cultural Heritage Protection Section, Huizhou Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau
Albergue SCM / ALBcreativeLAB
Carlos Marreiros is an award-winning architect, urban planner, designer and artist, whose cutting-edge creations are widely recognized and have been internationally published. He was born in Macau and studied in Macau, Portugal, Germany and Sweden before returning to Macau in 1983. He is regularly invited to exhibit and lecture at galleries and universities in Europe, America and Asia. He is also a university professor and community leader, serving in many non-government and governmental organizations.
In 1987, he was awarded the “Medal for Cultural Merit” by the Governor of Macau, and in 1999, he was awarded the “Medal of Value” (Medalha de Valor), the highest distinction in the Territory, by the Governor of Macau. In 1999, he was decorated by the President of the Portuguese Republic with the title “Great Officer of the Order of Prince Henry; in 2002, he was decorated the “Medal of Professional Merit” by the Chief Executive of the Macau SAR Government; and in 2019, he was awarded the “2019 Identity Award” by the International Institute of Macau.
The Saint Lazarus district is a 450-year old historical site in Macau. Since it was outside the city walls, it was a convenient location for the first leprosy colony built in Macau in the 16th century. It was next to the north branch of the city wall, which ran from S. Paulo do Monte Fortress to the Hermitage of Our Lady of Guia. The Saint Lazarus district was rebuilt in 1903, as part of the first effectively implemented sectorial city plan in Macau. It comprised social housing and a home for senior citizens, where the Albergue SCM is located today. The whole compound was rehabilitated in 2004 and became the first pole of the creative and cultural industries in both the area and Macau, attracting cultural and artistic associations and agents to move to this beautiful area, close to the UNESCO Historic Centre of Macau. Its rehabilitation was complex, as was its cultural and artistic development, but it took only three years to become a very successful project. The rehabilitation project was promoted through several documentaries, videos and stories in worldwide media, and was awarded the Gold Award of the Architects Association of Macau in 2009.
In addition to respecting all the original design, and construction materials and techniques, we kept its humble character of non-luxury construction, something that is not very common in this part of the world, as people like to show outward signs of wealth, adding unnecessary and non-genuine baroque features and golden ornaments.
The rehabilitation of the Albergue SCM complex was a widely recognized architectural rehabilitation milestone and gave a major boost to the entire area thanks to the development of the creative and cultural industries.
National Heritage Centre, Tsinghua University
Professor Lyu is the Director of the National Heritage Centre of Tsinghua University and winner of the ICCROM Award. He has been engaged in teaching, research, and practicing cultural heritage protection for many years. He has presided over the planning and design of conservation management of a large number of World Heritage and protected historic sites. He has also participated in a number of monitoring, evaluation, assessment and international training projects related to World Heritage.
The Central Axis of Beijing is a combination of buildings and spaces with potential world heritage value. Its value identification process is an understanding of its cultural spirit inheritance and development. Examining ways to transform the professional interpretation of heritage value into public recognition is an important aspect of improving public awareness of heritage protection, promoting wider participation of society in heritage protection, and achieving sustainable development. In the process of value identification and protection of the Beijing Central Axis, public concern about this heritage is aroused, and participation in its value interpretation and conservation is facilitated through promotion and engagement. This has become a factor facilitating urban renewal and sustainable development in Beijing in recent years.
Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
Dr Cao has a PhD in Architecture. She is the Director of the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, a Research Fellow, a Board Member of the Chinese National Committee for the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), Chairman of the Guangdong Association for the Protection of Monuments and Sites, and a Member of Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
Dr Cao has been engaged in theoretical research and practical work related to cultural heritage protection for a long time. She has chaired or participated in key projects, such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cultural Heritage Trail, the old education sites in southern China during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the ancient post roads in southern Guangdong, and the application for world heritage status for the Maritime Silk Road. She is an outstanding expert of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, a leader in the ideology and culture of Guangdong province, an expert of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, and an expert of the Committee of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, many educational institutions in the Mainland had to move from place to place to escape from war and encountered enormous difficulties in providing education. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are closely connected geographically and culturally, so during those difficult times, many educational institutions in the three places supported each other to overcome the severe challenges, resulting in shared educational memories. Building on the establishment and use of the South China Historical Trail, Guangdong province established the South China Educational History Study Stations in 2019 with in-depth research on the wartime education history in southern China. The Stations have already achieved a certain scale of development. Through conserving and restoring many wartime educational relics and integrating natural and cultural resources, the Stations developed trails on educational heritage and staged a variety of cultural and sports events, which attracted widespread attention. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are now collaborating to take forward the construction of interlinked heritage trails in the Greater Bay Area by incorporating the relics of wartime education scattered across the three regions. These efforts are expected to further enrich the historical content of the existing trail network and offer a more diversified cultural experience, so that people will be joined in spirit, thus achieving the goal of a cultured Greater Bay Area.
Guangdong Association for the Protection of Monuments and Sites
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, many educational institutions in the Mainland had to move from place to place to escape from war and encountered enormous difficulties in providing education. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are closely connected geographically and culturally, so during those difficult times, many educational institutions in the three places supported each other to overcome the severe challenges, resulting in shared educational memories. Building on the establishment and use of the South China Historical Trail, Guangdong province established the South China Educational History Study Stations in 2019 with in-depth research on the wartime education history in southern China. The Stations have already achieved a certain scale of development. Through conserving and restoring many wartime educational relics and integrating natural and cultural resources, the Stations developed trails on educational heritage and staged a variety of cultural and sports events, which attracted widespread attention. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are now collaborating to take forward the construction of interlinked heritage trails in the Greater Bay Area by incorporating the relics of wartime education scattered across the three regions. These efforts are expected to further enrich the historical content of the existing trail network and offer a more diversified cultural experience, so that people will be joined in spirit, thus achieving the goal of a cultured Greater Bay Area.
Commissioner for Heritage’s Office, HKSAR
Mr Ivanhoe Chang received his Bachelor of Engineering degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and joined the Government as an Administrative Officer in 1995. He spent his initial career on matters related to the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). In 1998, he went on an overseas posting to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels as Assistant Representative to the European Union.
Returning to Hong Kong in 2002, Mr Chang joined the Financial Services and Treasury Bureau working on revenue and taxation policy. In 2007, he returned to the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, overseeing electoral policy and legislation. He subsequently served as the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs and worked on the constitutional development of Hong Kong.
Between 2012 and 2016, he was Principal Assistant Secretary at the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau responsible for telecommunications policy. He was also heavily involved in promoting the development of creative industries.
As Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco from 2016 to 2020, Mr Chang represented the Hong Kong SAR Government in fostering economic ties between Hong Kong and 19 states in the western part of the United States.
He assumed the post of Commissioner for Heritage in the Development Bureau in November 2020.
From the enactment of the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance in 1976 to the establishment of the Commissioner for Heritage’s Office in 2008 and subsequent policy initiatives, Hong Kong’s efforts in conservation of built heritage has been going from strength to strength. With the release of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in 2019 and the promulgation of the Culture and Tourism Development Plan for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in 2020, Hong Kong is able to make use of its international perspective and unique East-meets-West historic background to become the bridge between the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and overseas.
Through the cooperation and interflow within the GBA, the cities can complement each other to generate synergy in the conservation of built heritage, and also to propagate Chinese culture and enhance the sense of belonging for people in Hong Kong and the GBA.
Cultural Affairs Bureau, Macao Special Administrative Region