Corporate News

Jockey Club project reveals history of two districts below Lion Rock

05/02/2015

This year’s edition of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Heritage x Arts x Design Walk (H.A.D. Walk) Project reveals the intriguing history and cultural heritage of Wong Tai Sin and Kowloon City. Made possible by a donation from the Club’s Charities Trust, the two exhibitions, which run from today (2 May) until 5 July, are complemented by many activities and events featuring the theme of “Our Rocking City” to allow the public a better understanding of the community culture and history of the two old districts seated just below Lion Rock.

This is the fifth time the Trust has supported HULU Culture in staging the Project, the latest donation of over HK$14 million will cover Shatin, Sai Kung, Yuen Long and Tuen Mun over the next two years following this year’s Kowloon City and Wong Tai Sin.

The Club's Head of Charities Projects Rhoda Chan joined Executive Council member Bernard Chan , Under Secretary for Home Affairs Florence Hui, Chairman of Wong Tai Sin District Council Li Tak-hong, Vice-Chairman of Kowloon City District Council Pun Kwok-wah, Acting Consul-General of Thailand Benjamas Tanvetyanont, and HULU Culture Board of Directors Chairman Dr Ng Chun-hung to officiate at the launch of this year’s project.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms Chan noted that as the Club celebrates its 130th Anniversary, one of the three strategic themes it has adopted for the next few years is channelling youth energy into social innovation. She said the H.A.D Walk Project aptly demonstrated how to encourage the younger generation to explore the community around them and to use their rich imagination and creativity to impart positive energy for the Hong Kong community.

The Morse Park exhibition features a huge bamboo scaffold enclosure that highlights the development of public housing estates in Wong Tai Sin, rising among scattered village houses and squatter huts, and demonstrates the special culture generated by the community from the grassroots. Over at the exhibition hall in Kowloon Walled City Park there is a wealth of historical layers featuring depictions of the former Kowloon Walled City and the former Kai Tak Airport. Visitors can relive the past over-crowdedness and complex atmosphere of the Walled City as they walk through a maze-like recreation of its environs.

Among the initiatives is a newly-introduced “H.A.D kids” programme targeting children aged 6 to 12, to provide them with basic knowledge of local history and nurture their interests in heritage preservation through interactive games and exploration trips. There will be DIY workshops with expert tuition on how to make pop-up greeting cards and paper plane, and the technique of paper-tearing and printmaking. Seminars will take place covering the history of Kowloon City and the relation between ancient Hong Kong and the Song Dynasty.

To encourage local participation, there is a “Too Proud Workshop” for hundreds of tertiary institution students to produce works full of special features and character under the guidance of experienced designers. Over 200 artworks produced by participating students and artists are displayed in the two exhibitions, being held at Morse Park in Wong Tai Sin and Kowloon Walled City Park.

In addition, there will be various guided tours to visit old shops and taste local snacks, enabling participants to experience the deep history and food culture of the districts. Self-guided iTours using an app for smartphones and tablet computers enable participants to experience the community’s culture on their own.  For details, please visit www.huluhk.org.

Over the past few years, H.A.D Project has helped bring to light the unique characteristics of Central & Western District, Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan, Tai Po and Fanling, successfully fostering greater understanding of the districts and giving new life to their communities and helping preserve traditional cultures.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class horse racing operator and Hong Kong’s largest community benefactor, as well as one of Asia’s most prestigious membership clubs. Operating as a not-for-profit organisation, the Club allocates its surplus funds for charitable and community projects. In 2013/14, its donations reached a record $3.6 billion, and in the last decade alone it supported over 1,275 projects. The Club is also Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer, contributing a record HK$19.58 billion in 2013/14. With about 70% of its revenue given back to society every year through donations and tax contributions, The Hong Kong Jockey Club delivers a significantly higher return to the community than any other racing and/or sports betting organisation in the world. As a socially responsible organisation, the Club helps Government combat illegal betting and advocates responsible gambling. The Club is also one of Hong Kong’s largest employers with over 24,800 full-time and part-time staff. Committed to global excellence and giving back to society, the Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit 130.hkjc.com.

The Club's Head of Charities Projects Rhoda Chan expresses her gratitude for the efforts by HULU Culture, providing an innovative platform for the public to acquire better understanding of local cultures.
The Club's Head of Charities Projects Rhoda Chan expresses her gratitude for the efforts by HULU Culture, providing an innovative platform for the public to acquire better understanding of local cultures.

The Club's Head of Charities Projects Rhoda Chan(4th right) joins Executive Council member Bernard Chan(2nd left), Under Secretary for Home Affairs Florence Hui(centre), Chairman of Wong Tai Sin District Council Li Tak-hong(3rd right), Vice-Chairman of Kowloon City District Council Pun Kwok-wah(4th left), Acting Consul-General of Thailand Benjamas Tanvetyanont(3rd left) and HULU Culture Board of Directors Chairman Dr Ng Chun-hung(2nd right) to officiate at the launch of this yeara£á?s project.
The Club's Head of Charities Projects Rhoda Chan(4th right) joins Executive Council member Bernard Chan(2nd left), Under Secretary for Home Affairs Florence Hui(centre), Chairman of Wong Tai Sin District Council Li Tak-hong(3rd right), Vice-Chairman of Kowloon City District Council Pun Kwok-wah(4th left), Acting Consul-General of Thailand Benjamas Tanvetyanont(3rd left) and HULU Culture Board of Directors Chairman Dr Ng Chun-hung(2nd right) to officiate at the launch of this yeara£á?s project.

Photos 3 /4 /5:<br
The Club's Head of Charities Projects Rhoda Chan and officiating guests tour a huge bamboo scaffold exhibition at Morse Park.
Photos 3 /4 /5:



Officiating guests pictured with participating artists and students.
Officiating guests pictured with participating artists and students.

The Club's Head of Charities Projects Rhoda Chan(1st right) and officiating guests tour the exhibition at the Kowloon Walled City Park.
The Club's Head of Charities Projects Rhoda Chan(1st right) and officiating guests tour the exhibition at the Kowloon Walled City Park.

The exhibition hall at the Kowloon Walled City Park attempts to recreate and present a maze which resembles the Walled City.
The exhibition hall at the Kowloon Walled City Park attempts to recreate and present a maze which resembles the Walled City.

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