‘Social Memory: Conservation and Coexistence of Cultural Heritage ’Talk Series Second Talk ‘Exploring Yau Ma Tei: Historic Buildings and Community-Led Cultural Conservation’

Co-organised by TWGHs Records and Heritage Office and Hong Kong Public Libraries

‘Social Memory: Conservation and Coexistence of Cultural Heritage’ Talk Series

The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs) attaches great importance to the preservation of cultural heritage. In 1970, the centenary of TWGHs, the original Kwong Wah Hospital Main Hall, built in 1911, was converted into Tung Wah Museum to preserve and categorise the relics and archives related to Tung Wah. This marked the beginning of TWGHs’ journey in conserving and passing on heritage. In 2010, the Records and Heritage Office was established, with an aim to safeguarding, developing and sharing the heritage of Tung Wah through promotion of heritage   conservation and provision of cultural services, thereby contributing to Hong Kong’s heritage conservation efforts.

Cultural heritage carries the stories, experiences and wisdom of our predecessors. It is closely intertwined with the daily lives of people, and serves as a historical footprint of social development. Through the aspects of traditional customs and temples, built heritage and artefact conservation, the subject talks will explore how the transmission and conservation of cultural heritage can connect communities through faith, historic buildings, and artefacts, integrating history and culture into everyday life, and enabling the public to understand the significance of heritage conservation amid rapid social change. 

Second Talk ‘Exploring Yau Ma Tei: Historic Buildings and Community-Led Cultural Conservation’

Yau Ma Tei is home to numerous historic buildings including the Tin Hau Temple, Yau Ma Tei Theatre, Tung Wah Museum, Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market and the Red Brick Building, all of which bear witness to the daily lives of people over the past century in the realms of healthcare, entertainment, commerce and religious belief. While conservation might seem out of reach, it can truly begin with everyday participation in community activities and understanding the historic buildings within the neighbourhood. This lecture will use these buildings as a starting point, drawing on newspapers, archives and oral history to reconstruct the social landscape of the past. It will also explore the significance of heritage conservation and ways in which the public can participate, helping the public understand how conservation is closely connected to present-day life.