Nostalgia rules
Dressed in traditional costumes, Chage Fung and his colleagues explain the significance of Hong Kong heritage sites to visitors. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Heritage in one's backyard The revival of interest in Hong Kong's history and heritage began gaining currency during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the restrictions enforced by the local government practically ruled out overseas travel. As Hing Chao, chairman of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Earthpulse Society which hosts the annual Intangible Cultural Heritage Mart, says, "Sixty years ago, no one would have considered Hong Kong-style milk tea an intangible cultural heritage." Yeung offers a reason for the apparent shift in Hong Kong people's response to local heritage: "The alienation and dislocation of the past five years have been traumatic for Hong Kong," he says, referring to the incidents of citywide unrest in 2019, the pandemic and droves of people leaving the city. He contends that since for most Hong Kong people it was their first time going through such enormous upheavals, "it's natural for them to gravitate toward what defines the best of the city".
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