The Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, attended a seminar on cultural heritage co-operation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area) in Shenzhen today (December 6).
Jointly organised by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the People's Government of Guangdong Province, the seminar aimed to provide a platform for experts, academics and enterprises within the Greater Bay Area to exchange views and share experiences in resources integration and revitalisation of cultural heritage.
Speaking at the seminar, Mr Wong outlined how the Government promotes heritage conservation through collaboration with different sectors. Amongst others, the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme rolled out in 2008 promotes collaboration with non-profit-making organisations to revitalise government-owned historic buildings. The "Conserving Central" initiatives announced in 2009 seek to preserve eight important cultural, historical and architectural features in Central, while adding new life and vibrancy to the area.
Mr Wong said that the Government would actively explore different cross-sectoral collaborative models, hoping to tap community insights to help find new ways to conserve and revitalise historic buildings.
The Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Xu Ruisheng, and the Director General of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Mr Liu Yuzhu, gave keynote addresses at the seminar. A representative of Hong Kong's PMQ also shared with participants at the panel discussion session the successful experience of revitalising the Former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road into a creative industries landmark.
The seminar was attended by representatives of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the People's Government of Guangdong Province, the Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the nine major cities in Pearl River Delta, as well as relevant experts, academics and enterprises.
Mr Wong will return to Hong Kong this afternoon.
Follow this news feed: East Asia