Lei Yue Mun: rethinking tourismdevelopment

Abstract

In the past decade, the government has been planning to further develop Lei Yue Mun into a more popular tourist spot. Works had been carried out to beautify the public areas such as erecting signage and re-paving the streets and open spaces. However, emphasis has been put mainly on the image of “Seafood Paradise”. In 2003, new plan was announced by the Tourism Commission for discussion by the public. This proposal involves construction of new public landing facility, observation deck, new street paving and lighting, etc. But it seems that these proposals do not take into account the potential heritage resources of the area.

In fact, a substantial extent of the physical characters of this village can still be found even under such rapid urban development. It is partly due to the inaccessibility of the area and discontinuity with the larger urban core of Kowloon. In view of this, it is necessary to have a proper documentation of the historical development of Lei Yue Mun and to identify the values. Only through this historically grounded approach in introducing conservation principles and guidelines, that future development of the area can be made more successful in retaining its historical merits of the area.

The dissertation will examine the identified heritage resources in Lei Yue Mun and explores the current challenges and opportunities.