TH Header
Date :	13 September 2005 (Tuesday)
Time :	4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Venue :	Conference Room, Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, Kowloon Park, Haiphong Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.

Agenda

1. Lord Wilson Heritage Trust
   (Board Paper AAB/32/2005-06)
2. The Young Friends of Heritage Scheme
   (Board Paper AAB/33/2005-06)
3. Conversion of the Old Ping Shan Police Station, Yuen Long into a Heritage Centre
   (Board Paper AAB/34/2005-06)

Present:

Mr Edward Ho, SBS, JP (Chairman)
Dr Chan Wai-kwan, JP
Prof Leslie Chen Hung-chi
Mr Patrick Fung Pak-tung, SC
Mr James Hong Shu-kin
Mr Kwong Hoi-ying
The Hon Patrick Lau Sau-shing, SBS, JP
Prof Bernard Lim Wan-fung
Ms Paddy Lui Wai-yu, JP
Mr Ng Yat-cheung, JP
Mr Almon Poon Chin-hung, JP
Dr LindaTsui Yee-wan
Prof Yeung Kin-fong
Miss Sylvia Yau Siu-fee, JP
Ms Lisa Yip Sau-wah
Ms Heidi Kwok (Secretary)
    Senior Executive Officer (Antiquities and Monuments)
    Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Absent with Apologies:

Dr Chan Man-hung, JP
Mr Daniel Heung Cheuk-kei, SBS, JP
Prof Kwok Siu-tong
Mr Billy Lam Chung-lun, SBS, JP
Prof Peter Lam Yip-keung
Ir Dr Greg Wong Chak-yan, JP

In Attendance:

Home Affairs Bureau

Ms Lolly Chiu
Deputy Secretary (3)

Mr Peter Kwok
Principal Assistant Secretary (Culture)2

Mr Steve Chan
Chief Executive Officer (Heritage)

Miss Susanna Siu
Chief Curator (Heritage)

Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Mr Chung Ling-hoi, JP
Deputy Director (Culture)

Mr Gerard Tsang
Assistant Director (Heritage and Museums)

Dr Louis Ng
Executive Secretary (Antiquities and Monuments)

Mrs Ada Yau
Curator (Education and Publicity)

Ms Cissy Ho
Curator (Historical Buildings)

Mr Kevin Sun
Curator (Archaeology)

Mr Richie Lam
Senior Manager (Antiquities and Monuments)

Mrs June Tong
Principal Marketing Coordinator (Heritage and Museums)

Miss Addy Wong
Senior Marketing Coordinator (Heritage and Museums)

Ms Yvonne Chan
Executive Officer I (Antiquities and Monuments)

Planning Department

Mr Anthony Kwan
Assistant Director/Metro and Urban Renewal

Architectural Services Department

Mr S L Lam
Senior Property Services Manager/Eastern and Antiquities

Opening Remarks

The Chairman opened the meeting at 4:15 p.m. He welcomed Members and representatives from Home Affairs Bureau and departments and invited media reporters to cover the meeting.

Item 1 Lord Wilson Heritage Trust
(Board Paper AAB/32/2005-06)

Presentation Session

The Chairman invited Prof David Lung Ping-yee, Chairman of the Council of Lord Wilson Heritage Trust (the Trust), to make a presentation. Prof David Lung introduced the following aspects of Lord Wilson Heritage Trust as detailed in the paper:

1. history and establishment of the Trust;
2. the objectives of and the activities and projects to achieve the objectives of the Trust;
3. the Board of Trustees and Council;
4. fund Management; and
5. new initiatives of the Trust

Discussion Session

2. Major comments and questions raised by Members were as follows:
   1. Government's role in the Trust and the functions and goal of the Trust; and
   2. the ways through which the Trust could assist in the identification and preservation of monuments so that the AAB could have further collaboration with the Trust in future
3. In response, Prof David Lung and Mr Peter Kwok made the following points:
   1. HAB would provide secretariat support to the Trust whereas the appointment to the Board of Trustees and Council was made by the Chief Executive. The Board Secretariat also closely liaised with the Board and Council to ensure the smooth operation of the Trust.
   2. Heritage conservation in Hong Kong was mainly a question of land economics. To achieve the goal of acquisition of heritage sites in private ownership, it would require substantial financial resources, either in the form of public funding or private donations;
   3. In the first stage public consultation on the Review of Built Heritage Conservation Policy, the public opinion was that Hong Kong should establish a heritage trust to enlist community support and tape public resources to take forward the preservation of historic buildings. This proposal was being examined by Government; and
   4. the Trust had in the past funded a number of activities associated with ancestral halls and the Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail in the New Territories, which were now open to the public. In the urban areas, they had also sponsored projects such as the research study on the Explosives Magazine at the Victoria Barracks, Justice Drive.
4. In summing up, the Chairman concluded that there were common grounds between the work of the AAB and the Trust and room for their further collaboration. In the case of the Summer Youth Programme, the Trust could provide the financial resources and the AMO the expertise.

Item 2 The Young Friends of Heritage Scheme
(Board Paper AAB/33/2005-06)

Presentation Session

5. Mrs Ada Yau and Dr Louis Ng introduced the following major aspects as detailed in the paper:
   1. the background and development of the Young Friends of Heritage Scheme (YFOH) Scheme;
   2. intermediate and long-term plan for the YFOH to promote the scheme at both the school and district levels; and
   3. owing to the shortage of manpower, AMO planned to retain the core members to promote the message of heritage preservation in various forms such as webpage, newsletter, etc. and to devise education kit and packages for schools and other organizations. Besides, AMO would establish partnership with other non-government organizations (NGOs), e.g. CARE, Conservancy Association in promoting heritage education.

Discussion Session

6. Mr Kwong Hoi-ying declared interest in the item as a member of the media sector.
7. Major comments and questions raised by Members were as follows:
   1. with AMO's professional support and guidance, consideration could be given to engage undergraduates from archaeology or heritage clubs within the universities to lead the YFOHs in secondary schools for the first few years so that secondary school students could sustain their efforts in promoting heritage preservation upon their admission to university;
   2. the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) had just started to co-organize heritage-related activities for the undergraduates and students. It was suggested that scholarships be set up to encourage participation and discussion be made with Educational and Manpower Bureau (EMB) to include heritage preservation in the curriculum of Liberal Studies. One of the modules in the curriculum of Liberal Studies for higher secondary school was on social culture, which covered environmental protection, heritage preservation, Chinese cultural heritage, etc. As EMB was seeking expertise to design the curriculum which had such a broad scope, it was doubtful if EMB could provide much assistance. Nevertheless, AMO could bear this in mind and complement their programme in due course;
   3. the Heritage Discovery Centre was a suitable venue for heritage education and should be opened to teachers and students as far as possible during weekdays when there were not too many public visitors;
   4. AMO could consider enlisting the assistance of the media in promoting the YFOH Scheme. For instance, students had practised e-learning and received information through 'HKedCity', EMB's website, during the emergence of SARS in 2003. If AMO could link up with this website, it would greatly facilitate teachers and students in having a better grasp of heritage preservation. Apart from the media, the radio was also an effective means of publicizing heritage. There could be heritage programme like the Junior Police Call to tie in with the curriculum on Liberal Studies;
   5. To enhance secondary school teachers with better knowledge of heritage preservation, it was suggested to organise teachers training courses, which was a very important part of teacher education so that they could be equipped to guide students in setting up heritage protection club, etc. The distribution of heritage newsletter and publications to school teachers was also an effective means in promoting heritage education; and
   6. consideration could also be made to make use of commercial activities such as the introduction of computer games or board games to promote heritage education, which were both educational and commercially viable. These games, if suitably designed, would produce far more impact on society outside the school setting.
8. In response, Dr Louis Ng made the following point:
   1. apart from financial resources, human resources were also essential in promoting heritage education. Fortunately many NGOs including HKIA had assisted in promoting heritage preservation and the long-term plan was to look for more partnership. To support the curriculum of Liberal Studies, AMO had held meetings with stakeholders and arranged a one-day seminar with professionals giving talks on heritage preservation. The seminar was well attended by over a hundred teachers. To relate theory and practice, AMO would provide teaching methods and case study for teachers' reference in future.

Item 3 Conversion of the Old Ping Shan Police Station, Yuen Long into a Heritage Centre
(Board Paper AAB/34/2005-06)

Presentation Session

9. Dr Louis Ng briefed Members on the following major aspects:
   1. the two-pronged approach of promoting heritage preservation through the HDC and the heritage trails;
   2. the background and history for conversion of the Old Ping Shan Police Station into a Heritage Centre;
   3. the proposed facilities of the Centre; and
   4. the commissioning of the Centre;

Discussion Session

10. Major comments and questions raised by Members were as follows:
    1. the ancillary facilities at Ping Shan Heritage Trail were inadequate and the proposed Heritage Centre project was supported as it would improve the ancillary facilities there such as signage and toilet and local villagers would assist in introducing the local history and traditions.
    2. while agreeing that cooperation with the local community was important, Government should assume proper control over the future management mode of the Centre, being a Government historical building.
11. In response, Dr Louis Ng made the following points:
    1. FOHs had been assisting AMO in conducting questionnaire surveys at the Ping Shan Heritage Trail on weekends and some tourists had suggested similar improvements to the trail. Owing to limited resources, AMO would collaborate with local organizations to improve the educational and tourist facilities there;
    2. owing to shortage of manpower, AMO planned to outsource the venue management of the Centre including general enquiry, security, cleansing and maintenance services to a management company while local villagers would provide docent service on the exhibits during weekdays to be supported by FOHs during weekends; and
    3. while management of the Centre would be outsourced, the ultimate management responsibility was still vested in AMO. Similar to the HDC, AMO would draw up a detailed operation and management plan for the management company to follow. The local villagers would only be involved in introducing the local history and traditions. Besides, AMO staff stationed at the archaeological repository at the annex block of the Centre would also assist in supervising the operation and management of the Centre.
12. The Chairman informed the media reporters present that China had won six awards in the UNESCO 2005 Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation, including two awards of merit won by Hong Kong, namely, Restoration of the Tung Wah Coffin Home and Rehabilitation of the St Joseph's Chapel at Yim Tin Tsai, Sai Kung. He considered such community efforts towards heritage preservation deserving encouragement and support.
13. There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:40 p.m.

Open Meetings