THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 1984
PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE RECOGNISED
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THE GROWING AWARENESS OF THE NEED TO PRESERVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE HONG KONG'S CULTURAL HERITAGE HAS RESULTED IN MORE MONUMENTS AND HISTORICAL BUILDINGS BEING FORMALLY DECLARED IN 1983 THAN IN ANY PREVIOUS YEAR.
AMONG THE 13 NEW MONUMENTS, HISTORICAL BUILDINGS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES DECLARED OR GAZETTED FOR PROTECTION DURING THE YEAR WERE THE POTTERY KILNS IN WUN YIU VILLAGE, TAI PO THE SITE OF THE FORMER CHINESE CUSTOMS STATION ON JUNK ISLAND; THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY BUILDING IN TSIM SHA TSUI THE MAN KOK TSUI ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE ON LANTAU; AND THE EXTERIOR OF THE SUPREME COURT BUILDING IN CENTRAL.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ANTIQUITIES ADVISORY BOARD,
MR GRAHAM BARNES, IN HIS REPORT FOR 1983 WHICH WAS PUBLISHED TODAY (THURSDAY).
MR BARNES SAID THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW ALSO SAW THE SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST YEAR'S WORK OF THE FULL-TIME ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE WHOLE TERRITORY WHICH STARTED IN AUGUST 1982.
THE SURVEY AIMED TO ASSESS AND ACCORD ORDERS OF PRIORITY TO ALL KNOWN AND POTENTIAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND TO ADVISE ON A POLICY FOR EXCAVATION.
HITHERTO, EXCAVATION HAS TENDED TO BE PIECEMEAL, OFTEN AS A HURRIED RESCUE OPERATION IN THE FACE OF THREATENED DEVELOPMENT, SAID MR BARNES.
+THE PRESENT SURVEY, TOGETHER WITH LEGAL PROTECTION FOR SPECIAL SITES OF ARCHEOLOGICAL INTEREST, SHOULD HELP PRODUCE A MORE ORDERLY AND SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO THE PRESERVATION AND RESEARCH OF HONG KONG'S ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE,+ HE SAID.
+ALREADY THE SURVEY HAS YIELDED EXCELLENT RESULTS IN IDENTIFYING MORE THAN 20 NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES, ESTABLISHING A SERIES OF COMPUTERISED SITE RECORDS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND IN MAKING PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE PRESERVATION OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES.
+THE PHYSICAL WORK OF THE SURVEY WAS HELPED CONSIDERABLY BY A GENEROUS DONATION OF A FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE, FROM THE AMERICAN EXPRESS FOUNDATION.+
TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, MR BARNES CONTINUED, INITIAL PHASES OF THE RESTORATION OF THE SHEUNG YIU VILLAGE, SAI KUNG WERE SATISFACTORILY CONCLUDED.
THIS MONUMENT HAS NOW .BEEN TURNED INTO A FOLK MUSEUM DEPICTING ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT IN AN AUTHENTIC TRADITIONAL HAKKA VILLAGE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE FREE ENJOYMENT OF THE PUBLIC.
/PLAS AR
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