Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2000

Ab e r d e e n Although the government already has plans t o develop Aberdeen into a tourist spot, many local organizations believe that more in-depth studies about the community should first be conducted and the views of its inhabitants consulted. The Hon g Kong Architects' Association i n fact invited the University's researchers to study the salient points of the government's redevelopment plan, the relationships between travel, culture, and Aberdeen's early history, and the need for urban renewal. The researchers probed into relevant literature about the place, conduc t e d i n t e r v i ews to uncover its history, and administered a questionnaire survey to understand the views of Aberdeen inhabitants on the future development of the place. The majority of the r e s ponden ts indicate that t hey wa n t to see Ab e r d e en ma i n t a in its un i que identity as a fishing port, which is part and parcel of Hong Kong's history. Old Aberdeen Ta i O Tai O, the water village on Lantau Island, is losing colour. Once dubbed Venice of the Orient by the Hong Kong Tourist Association, many of its houses have been demolished and its inhabitants rehoused in high rises. The recent fire did further damage to its stilted houses. Prof. Wallace Chang of the Department of Architecture has carried out research into Tai O in particular its stilted houses, the composition of its population, and its unique water-land environment. He has also studied the culture, rituals, and customs of the people of Tai O, and the challenges they have to face when Tai O takes on a new role and a new identity. In connection with the research, a Save Tai O Workshop was held on 27th and 28th May 2000 by the Departmen t of Architecture jointly with the Hong Kong Institute of Architects' Heritage and Conservation Committee. Findings were compiled into two documents: one being the proceedings of the Save Tai O Workshop, and the other being recommendations put forward to the government and the community for the preservation of the Tai O culture. Stilted houses Rediscovering Cultural Root 13 Preserving and Illuminating Hong Kong's Cultura l Heritag e