West Kowloon Cultural Project - it's a joke...

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  1. #1

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    West Kowloon Cultural Project - it's a joke...

    I think this west kowloon cultural project is sadly a "joke" - the government feels like they can just 'build' arts and culture when it actually should be fostered and nutured... this is becoming (as many have already complained) a new 'shopping mall project' - with housing complexes and office buildings... where's the "cultural aspect"??

    and it's supposedly gonna provide more 'park like setting' with 'outdoor greenery' for families - so sad, when the air is gray and nasty, who even wants to be outside.

    instead of pouring billions into a new 'cultural project' - they should divert $$ to cleaning up and rejuvenating older sections of the city and making them 'arts / cultural' hubs - eg. converting old factories to lofts and galleries - like soho or even Lower East Side / Brooklyn in NYC... it shouldn't always just be about BUILDING NEW STUFF but creatively using old space and adapting it for artists etc... and instead of creating another 'park' there the bulk of the ground is concrete and cement, let's do more to clean up the air and actually allocate a space for a lawn / grass field...where you are actually allowed to WALK on...

    anyways, it's easier said than done and they'll probably hunt me down and tackle me via my IP address, but honestly enough is enough...how many giordanos and starbucks do we really need....?

    Last edited by goleoboy; 17-09-2007 at 03:58 PM.

  2. #2

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    Ha Ha, it didnt take you long to finally see, what most of us complain about on a regular basis.

    HK is really becoming more and more like Shenzhen, and it is the HKSAR/Guangdong public security Bureau's long term ambition to merge the 2 cities as one, under one main administration. KAOS anyone ?

    Anyone who can't see that train coming around the bend, is frankly, walking around with their eye's shut, and ears closed...

    My opinion, let them go about it, let them smother this city with so much characterless sterility to the point that it becomes just like any other industrialised Chinese city.

    It was predicted by the British chamber of commerce that this was exactly what they were going to do, a decade ago, and just like what was predicted then, its slowly becoming reality.

    I don't think I have ever lived in a city so hell bent on erasing its past to such an extent, like Hong Kong has...

    But then again, if it's culturally responsible, then who are we to influence our arts, cafe and outdoor cultures on the locals here.... They seem to really like what they are doing, I always hear locals rave on how good everything is, and how they love the pretty lights at night..HK is definately no Paris, or NYC, or Melbourne or London for that matter, from an arts and maintained restoration of its historic buildings point of view.

    I am so glad, I live away from the city, in a green bay area, and thank the gods, that the locals think its too far, otherwise they'd just over develope our area, and destroy whats already naturally beautiful....

    Last edited by Skyhook; 17-09-2007 at 04:27 PM.

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    I guess my 'complaints' are really launching pads to motivate myself (and hopefully also those around me) to do something about it, start somewhere, no matter how small a scale.

    Whether it's starting an arts foundation involving peers who care about the same thing, doing stuff 'small scale' and prove its success or even getting involved politically... do something. my complaints isn't about sitting back and not doing anything, i think as a 'returning hkger', I would love to try to make a difference based on what i've seen overseas. I know you'll probably say I'm too idealistic or living in Lalaland and would never make a diference, but honestly i don't want to avoid the situation by not doing anything at all or just focusing on the negatives i guess that's just me... mr. silver lining idealist who thinks he can change the world!! :-)))


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    on that note, anyone - artists, locals, expats etc interested in "doing something" - PM me. would love to get a group of arts activists together ! serious about it !


  5. #5

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    Golly Golly Golly, HK parents totally shun their children from even getting an art career.... You have an entire education system and society that prohibits a future career in art, over a career in IB, or attaining their MBA etc etc etc...

    HK has never been and never will be an arts precinct, its not the core personality of the place, unlike...... Shanghai, which has a very established artist community, that is very out there, due to the French and German occupational influences originally.

    What we would all like to see and enjoy in our leisure, based on the diverse arts influences from our homelands, will never happen here to anywhere near the scale of adoption there... HK is a money town, and a means to other destinations once enough money is earned... Thats what bulk of the families do here, and why they usually have children that have dual residency else where. Canada anyone ?....

    Sad, but its true, and exactly what I have observed... People need to care en masse, for the change that you're talking about Golly, and you eventually realise that more dont care, than do.


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    will still try to something - at least i won't be sitting idle.. there are definitely artists / filmmakers and performers in HK... so i won't say there is zero creativity coming out of this place, it's not gonna happen overnight, but at least a little bit at a time.


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by goleoboy:
    instead of pouring billions into a new 'cultural project' - they should divert $$ to cleaning up and rejuvenating older sections of the city
    That would be more expensive though, plus Hong Kong business men are incredibly savy in buying up land ear marked for renovation and blocking it unless they are handsomely paid off.

    I'm hoping they elect for something big that incorporates transport, retail, commerce, residential, and entertainment. A clean slate means that the space can be efficiently allocated for big entertainment venues.

    Unfortunately I haven't been too impressed with recent Hong Kong projects, the second airport terminal looks really cheap, and it does host all the cheap airlines and bus routes. Megabox whilst winning the tallest mall in the world record is tiny: surrounded by three empty blocks, and completely pales to Central World in Bangkok.

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    instead of pouring billions into a new 'cultural project' - they should divert $$ to cleaning up and rejuvenating older sections of the city
    I'd settle for a few million to help market HK to expats.

  9. #9

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    marketing requires a strong product as well... another 'mall' isn't a selling pt by any means...doesn't make hk anymore attractive...


  10. #10

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    Shhhhhhhh!!!


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