Recognising unauthorised heritage : regularisation of an unauthorised Chinese temple : the case of “Uncle 2” temple, Hong Kong

Abstract

Illegal occupation of government land is a common problem in urban districts of Hong Kong; there are many examples such as bicycles parked on public pavements, bamboo sticks placed on roadsides, shop fronts extended with steps and platforms and various kinds of unauthorised building works on government land. The nature of the unauthorised occupation of government land can generally be classified as occupying government land with movable articles or structures fixed to the ground. Among those fixed structures, there are a number of unauthorised Chinese temples constructed on government land in the Eastern District of Hong Kong. This dissertation will research the heritage significance of Yee Bark Kung Temple, also known as Yee Pak Kung Temple (in Chinese: 二伯公廟, hereafter called “Uncle 2 Temple” in this dissertation), an unauthorised Chinese Temple located in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, in order to examine how this historic temple can be conserved under current Hong Kong policy. The Uncle 2 Temple has survived and functioned as a temple within the Quarry Bay community without official land status on unleased government land for nearly four decades. As the only temple worshipping Uncle 2 in Hong Kong, Uncle 2 Temple carries strong social heritage significance and collective attachment by local residents and worshippers. Although Uncle 2 Temple is erecting on unleased government land, it is possible to regularise this illegal Chinese Temple. Recognition and support from the government is vital to conserve Uncle 2 Temple. The policy discussed in this dissertation provides a way to regularise the illegality of the temple so that its social value can be conserved. The new government enforcement policy announced in March 2017 are a reminder to the public that there remain opportunities for existing unauthorised constructions on unleased government land to be regularised. This dissertation therefore examines the potentialities and possible challenges of conserving community-established unauthorised religious structures under the existing government policy framework.