Cross-Region
Rural Common – Recognising Life Wisdom and Human Story
Rural Common is the first virtual platform for countryside revitalisation and innovation in Hong Kong. The platform which was developed by Make A Difference Institute Limited, starting from Hing Chun Yeuk and its surrounding villages, collects and illustrates rural stories, crowdsources and cultural resources, and rural memories to showcase the multi-dimensions of the countryside.
Village Commoning: Developing a Community-led Model in Countryside Revitalisation
Another cross-regional Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme is hosted by the Division of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture of The University of Hong Kong. This project aims to derive a community-led model of village revitalisation that enables local stakeholders to take a greater role in initiating the revitalisation of their village assets. Utilising “commoning” as a conceptual framework, this model emphasises the collective management of resources that can lead to the creation of new values, in particular in fostering a sense of pride, and ownership of the place and empowering the community as a whole. This project includes a review of international case studies of commoning practices that mobilised collaborations between different stakeholders, involves the organisation of a series of engagement exercises to gather feedback from relevant parties, and involves the generation of an “advisory platform for commoning” and a set of implementation guidelines for future use.
Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Conservation and Revitalisation in Hing Chun Yeuk Seven Villages, Kuk Po and Fung Hang, Hong Kong
The Faculty of Architecture of The University of Hong Kong hosted “Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Conservation and Revitalisation” in Hing Chun Yeuk Seven Villages (Kap Tong, Lai Chi Wo, Mui Tsz Lam, Ngau Shi Wu, Sam A, Siu Tan and So Lo Pun), Kuk Po and Fung Hang. The team undertook comprehensive baseline and community engagement assessments, including systems analysis, stakeholder engagement, questionnaire surveys, etc to determine the underlying on-the-ground situation and the potential for future development.
Conservation and Revitalisation Strategies for Architecture and Landscape of Hakka Village Spaces in Sha Tau Kok
Supported by Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme, Centre for Chinese Architecture and Urbanism, HKUrban Lab, and Faculty of Architecture of The University of Hong Kong are proposed project addressed traditional architecture, landscape environment, and social culture of the four target villages as the focus of the study – Cheng Uk in Nam Chung, Chan Uk in Luk Keng, Fung Hang, and Lo Wai in Kuk Po. Exploring methods of restoring, conserving, and revitalising the heritage architecture and village spaces in the rural settlement, along with their cultural landscape and ecology. By promoting cultural tourism and local ecological production as potential strategies for sustainable developments in architecture and landscape.