heritage freak
2015/11/10 08:41:17 網誌分類: 生活
There is a historic temple called the Daci Temple in an old downtown area of Chengdu. The area, which also has six other heritage buildings, was once a lively part of downtown Chengdu where people relaxed after work but had become shabby (in poor condition) in recent years. Instead of tearing down the temple and other heritage sites for high-rise development, the Chengdu government decided to regenerate the historic downtown. The word "regenerate" means to make a shabby district prosperous and lively again. The Chengdu government asked Swire Properties to regenerate (revive, revitalize) the area but made clear all the historical sites must be preserved.
When I went to Chengdu last week the shabby downtown had become Taikoo Li, a bustling (lively) pedestrian-only area of 1 million square feet built around the historic Daci Temple and the six other heritage sites. Every building in the revitalized district is a low-rise. The Chengdu government had insisted that no building can be higher than the Daci Temple. The only high-rises are a hotel and office block in a far corner of the area. Taikoo Li's low-rise shops, restaurants, bars, bookstores, and theatre reminded me of London's Covent Garden. The Hong Kong government has so little imagination and cares so little about heritage compared to cities such as Chengdu, Macau and Penang. It is shameful that the historic Central Market is still a shabby building when Chengdu succeeded in regenerating its old downtown so quickly.
* * *
我是個古蹟迷（freak）。Freak有許多意思，當俚語用時它解作狂熱愛好者。A chocolate freak（名詞）就是愛吃朱古力的人。當歷史建築為了讓路給商業發展而被拆掉時，我會freak（動詞）out。習語 freak out在這裏的意思是發瘋、很生氣。我在最近的專欄中寫到，像檳城、新加坡和澳門的城市，都非常關注歷史建築的保育。香港在古蹟保育上卻只有丟臉的成績。上星期我到訪成都，其市政府是多麼的關注保存古蹟遺址，令我印象尤深。
在成都的舊城區，有座名為大慈寺的古寺。該區還有另外六幢歷史建築物，曾經是成都市鎮的一處熱鬧之地，人們工作後會在這兒休歇，但近年已變得殘破不堪（shabby）。成都市政府決定振興（regenerate）這個歷史市鎮，而非為了發展高樓大廈而拆掉寺廟及其他歷史遺址。Regenerate 的意思就是令破爛（shabby）的區域再度繁盛興旺、熱鬧起來。成都市政府找來太古地產去革新（regenerate）該區，但指明所有歷史遺址都必須保存下來。
我上星期到成都時，那個破爛（shabby）的市鎮已變成「遠洋太古里」，依歷史性的大慈寺與其他六個古蹟遺址的邊圍而建，是個一百萬方呎、熙來攘往（bustling）的行人專用區。這個被復興（revitalized）的區域，每一幢樓宇都是低樓層的。成都市政府堅持所有樓宇都不能高於大慈寺，唯一的高樓只有建於該區遠處角落的酒店與辦公大樓。太古里那低樓層的店舖、餐廳、酒吧、書店與戲院，令我想起了倫敦的柯芬園。相對於成都、澳門和檳城，香港政府是多麼缺乏想像力，對古蹟的關注甚少。當成都已能在短時間內成功復興（regenerating）古鎮，歷史性的中環街市至今卻仍是破爛（shabby）的建築，實在太丟臉了。
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
回應 (0)
我要發表