"This is Hong Kong" Autumn 2023 Issue

Issue Highlights: REvisit // Journeys Through Old and New Territories From the early 20th century to the tourism boom of the 1960s-70s, beyond various forms of travel maps, Western travelers, local explorers, and photographers and artists of diverse styles—from Hedda Morrison to Wu Pa Ling, Mak Fung, Chung Man Loy, Zhai Weiliang, Lau Koon Tung, and Au Yeung Nai Chiang—have captured cherished scenes of the old New Territories through photography, writing, and sketches. REzone // From Boundary to Street: The Old Frontier Boundary Street was originally set as the "Sino-British border" in 1860. After the New Territories lease, Hong Kong's border moved south of the Shenzhen River, and Boundary Street developed into a street. The areas to its north, including Sham Shui Po, Kowloon Tong, and Kowloon City, transformed from villages to cities. Each followed different development patterns, forming three distinct communities. REdefine // Borderlands, Frontier Villages Border areas like Sha Tau Kok, Lok Ma Chau, and San Tin are unfamiliar to many citizens. With recent border openings, more people are visiting. However, the history and culture of these frontier villages and restricted areas, and how they highlight Hong Kong's unique character, remain largely unknown. REthink // Who Are the Indigenous Villagers? Pre-war New Territories largely retained their rural appearance. Post-war refugee influxes and new town developments brought large numbers of external populations, leading the New Territories towards urbanization. The Home Ownership Scheme in the 1970s further divided New Territories residents into "indigenous villagers" and "non-indigenous residents." Who truly are the "indigenous villagers"? REdraw // Kwu Tung: Every Day is the Last Map illustrator Ma See, known as Ma Shan, visits Kwu Tung village, facing demolition, and records everything with her brush: old stores, vegetable stands, soy sauce factories, ancient trees, small animals, and village houses, alongside long-term residents. Each has a moving story. REspect // James Hayes and the Transformation of the New Territories From his posting in Hong Kong as a colonial official in 1956 until his retirement as Director of the New Territories Administration in late 1987, James Hayes witnessed the transformation of the New Territories from rural landscapes to new towns. He also documented a century of change in the New Territories through the lens of history and anthropology. Other Featured Content: REmove // The Disappearance of Kowloon's Thirteen Villages The areas from Lai Chi Kok to Lei Yue Mun were immediately designated as "New Kowloon Urban Area" after the New Territories lease. The "Thirteen Villages of Kowloon" in eastern Kowloon began to be cleared from the 20th century onwards, particularly after the 1950s. Today, apart from a small remnant of Yau Ma Tei Village, three other "urban villages"—Ngau Chi Wan Village, Chuk Yuen Village, and Cha Kwo Ling Village—are also on the verge of disappearing. REseek // Where is the Boundary, Where is Home? How did the "boundary" in the New Territories, and the various lines that separate people, come to be? How do the changing landscapes within and outside these boundaries connect to a sense of belonging to home, and even construct Hong Kong identity? Musyee Choy, an architect, raises these questions through photography, capturing a vision beyond colonial Hong Kong. REcap // Old San Tin, New Northern Metropolis Since the millennium, driven by the development direction of Shenzhen-Hong Kong integration, the northern New Territories have become the engine for large-scale development plans. The Northern Metropolis Action Plan, launched in 2021, plans to develop San Tin and the adjacent Yuen Kong Tin area, bringing significant changes to the original traditional walled villages and farming landscapes. Reserve // Agriculture: Making the New Territories Better Hong Kong's agriculture, from food self-sufficiency post-war to a marginalized industry today, has undergone significant change. Kadoorie Farm has been a key promoter of local agriculture and a witness to this evolution. Reflecting on the fading of New Territories agriculture over the decades, what new directions can the next generation of farming explore? REsidues // Memory Sees Me Since the 1980s, many historic buildings in the New Territories have been designated as monuments. However, countless villages and landmarks have also disappeared during the same period. What a place chooses to preserve, to clear, and to transform reshapes its landscape and community fabric, also guiding how people remember the places they live in... ISBN: 978-988-74818-0-5 Price: HK$140 Printed in: Hong Kong Publication Date: Early October