Chong Chui Yi Polish living heritage, make it shine!

A pedantic definition of the term ‘cultural heritage’ could be a real put-off. Let’s put it simple here: cultural heritage is any forms of expression of characteristic human activities.

Why do we have to preserve cultural heritage?

The macro view: Maintain a city’s uniqueness

The 21st century is, with no doubt, an era of globalization. The issue here is two-fold: globalization, on the one hand, has created opportunities for cultural exchange, but on the other, cultural diversity is being slowly eroded away as influential powers are likely to engulf those less-insignificant for a homogeneous world --- an unhealthily globalised world. Cultural heritage, whether tangible or intangible, is the cultural assets essential for maintaining a city’s uniqueness.

The micro view: Unite the people

If a city lacks its own characteristics, it is improbable, if not impossible, to cohere the people. Characteristics, in part, stem from heritage and by preserving it, citizens of different generations can take pride in the identity of being a part of their city. In other words, preservation of heritage fosters a sense of belonging among members of the community.

Once a small fishing village…

Hong Kong is making huge progress in tangible heritage preservation. Those projects are mainly aimed at reinforcing Kong’s image as a city where East-meets-West. For me, our past as a fishing village and the East-meets-West atmosphere are equally intriguing and I believe many locals and tourists think the same.

As a member of ‘ Newlonkong’, is an advanced city in the eyes of many. What exactly is the importance of retaining a seemingly archaic ‘once -a-fishing-village’ image? The metamorphosis of Hong Kong is, in fact, marked by our past image. If Hong Kong was always a modern city, where would have our ‘up-beat, can-do’ spirit come from? Moreover, the competition of modernization is endless. With money, landmarks can be built anywhere at any time. History is the quality that cannot be counterfeited. There is only one place in the world that was once a small fishing village and is now a universally- acknowledged metropolis, and that is Hong Kong.

Certainly, it is unrealistic for us to continue the lifestyle as fishermen in the 21st century, but by protecting some of its customs we can then incorporate these traditional elements into our metropolis. One prominent one is the Bun Festival ( Jiao Festival).

The living heritage :

Chong Chui Yi Cheung Chau Bun Festival is originally an annual festival for fishing communities in which villagers express gratitude to the god for blessing and protecting them. It is composed of many activities.

What has the Government done and what are the flaws?

In one gallery of the Hong Kong Museum of History, there are some informative displays of the festive activities of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, including replicas of the bun mountains and the parade. Although the display can show the custom to visitors all year round, promotion of the gallery is needed as not many people have heard of the display before. It will be even better if there is a smaller one on Cheung Chau.

The Government has applied for the inclusion of the festival in the third national list of intangible cultural heritage in . Whether or not the application is successful, we should still make efforts to preserve the festival for our future generations. After all, it is the content, not the name, that matters.

What more can be done?

Support for in-depth study is critical. Culture scholars are always enthusiastic about local cultures. Financial support can be given to scholars to have the bun festival analyzed and documented. The study will be useful for designing all-round preservation plans in the future and educating the population about the custom.

Education on the bun festival is indispensable. Many people are worried that promotion alone has commercialized the tradition as a product of today. Education is therefore necessary to synchronize with promotion, ensuring people of all age inherit the spirit and rituals of the festival, not to mention the responsibility for preserving it. A local youth group appoints youngsters to work voluntarily for the festival every year. This idea is worth learning from. The Government may consult with Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee on the possibility of recruiting more citizens to be the volunteers. Helpers of the festival will be given the opportunity to gain a better insight into how the event is organized and the ceremony performed.

Further promotion

Cooperation between the government and other businesses If Ocean Park, and other shopping malls can take on special looks during popular festivals, the same can be done during Cheung Chau Bun Festival. Not only does such gimmick attract customers, it also extends the education from classrooms, the media to some most-visited spots around the city. A win-win situation for both parties can be achieved. A mini bun-snatching game and a mini parade-of-floats sound ideal for those who cannot pay a visit to the event on that day, don’t they?

Chong Chui Yi Putting it on the silver screen and the Internet There are no better vehicles for promotion of cultures than movies and the Internet. Just look at the success of Memoir of a Geisha and the Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emperor. In fact, the bun-snatching ritual was once abandoned but brought back by a local cartoon movie My Life as McDull. Film producers should be encouraged to include the festival in their work when they look for traditional elements. Short films about the festival put on YouTube and Facebook can reach a wider audience. Depiction of the living heritage in motion pictures may arouse people’s curiosity about the custom.

The success of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival will serve as a boost to more preservation projects in the future and at that time, Hong Kong will metamorphose into a truly unique and united city. With the right strategies, the Government calls for your participation now!

(997words)

KEY SENTENCES:

 Cultural heritage is any forms of expression of characteristic human activities.

 Why do we have to preserve cultural heritage? 1. Cultural heritage, whether tangible or intangible, is the cultural assets essential for maintaining our city’s uniqueness. 2. Preservation of heritage fosters a sense of belonging among members of the community.  Once a small fishing village… 1. The preservation of tangible heritage is mainly aimed at reinforcing Hong Kong’s image as a city where East-meets-West. 2. Our past as a fishing village and the East-meets-West atmosphere are equally intriguing. 3. There is only one place in the world that was once a small fishing village and is now a universally- acknowledged metropolis, and that is Hong Kong. 4. We should protect the Cheung Chau Bun Festival ( Jiao Festival).

 The living heritage : Cheung Chau Bun Festival 1. Support for in-depth study is critical. 2. Education on the bun festival is indispensable. 3. Not only does such gimmick attract customers, it also extends the education from classrooms, the media to some most-visited spots around the city. There are no better vehicles for promotion of cultures than movies and the Internet. 4. There are no better vehicles for promotion of cultures than movies and the Internet.