The peak tram of Hong Kong : the “CDE approach” in understanding and prioritising significant heritage elements for conservation

Abstract

 The subject of the research for this dissertation is the Peak Tram of Hong Kong. The author finds issue with the limited understanding of the Peak Tram solely from a historical angle, and therefore proposes a more rigorous methodology, adapted from the assessment method for architectural conservation, to provide a more holistic understanding of the Peak Tram not only as history, but, more importantly, as a cultural heritage item of Hong Kong, particularly in terms of its connection with the Hong Kong people and visitors – in other words, its social value.

In Asia, there are many cases of abandoned and vulnerable railways that have been conserved and revitalized as popular tourist attractions. The most prominent examples are the Sagano Romantic Train in Kyoto of Japan and the Alishan Forest Railway in Chaiyi of Taiwan. In Hong Kong, the Peak Tram has also been highlighted as a tourist attraction that is the best way of viewing the beautiful Victoria Harbour. Furthermore, the Peak Tram has served the Hong Kong people and tourists for more than a hundred years, only suspended during the Japanese Occupation. In this regard, it is interesting to understand the evolution and conservation of this historic railway which has been kept in operation.

Lately, public concern has been raised on the conservation of the Peak Tram, which has been in operation since 1888. As a result of this concern, the Peak Tram has been added to the list of assessment of new items in addition to 1,444 Historic Buildings issued by the Antiquities and Monument Office. The Peak Tramways has been put on the list and it is now pending the grading procedures by the Antiquities Advisory Board. This shows that the Peak Tram has its heritage values.

However, much of the discussion on the Peak Tram tends to focus on its history, and there has not been any detailed assessment carried out on the Peak Tram to explain by what international standard that it can qualify as a heritage. Therefore, it is timely for this dissertation to investigate on the heritage values of the Peak Tram so as to fully understand it as a cultural heritage of Hong Kong.