Media

In Hong Kong, most people understand "real estates" as the transaction of apartments and houses, and the sky-rocketed prices of purchasing tiny little flats are the most common conversations among Hong Kong citizens. However, the core meaning of "Real estates" originated with the meaning of any property related to the land, including all natural resources and potential yields that the land could produce. It is highly related to the environment as well as the productivity of the landscape surrounding us.

This exhibition by the Division of Landscape Architecture of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) intends to represent Tsuen Wan’s and Kwai Tsing’s "real estates" to its original meaning, and to explain how, in fact, the significant roles that landscape play in forming, deriving, and allowing the emergence of the local culture, industry, and vibrant citylife that the Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing District now has.

The exhibits of the HKU team are now showing at the Sam Tung Uk Museum in Tsuen Wan until March 3, 2013.

The Exhibition takes on the district‘s zoning characterisitcs of “City｜Villages｜Countryside” as means and media to tell the stories of the respective “landscapes”, and their respective roles and values in each of zone.

The story of landscape in "City" celebrates the vast network and close proximity to various typologies of landscape spaces the district has, and explains "Urban Landscape" as an crucial component in shaping a healthy city lifestyle.

The story of landscape in "Villages" explains the emergence of local culture based on village-style-living. Villagers ‘respect to their surounding landscapes are reflected from the villages‘ spatial configuration; the way they made use of the natural resource in the environment also create unique "Cultural Landscapes".

Then the story of landscape in "Countryside" explores the vast and abundant natural resource the district has, which explains why earlier settlers saw this "Productive Landscape" as an asset to make a living and decided to stay.