Constructing Theme Parks and the Anti-Theme-Park Movement: Contesting culture-led urban re-development in Hong Kong

Abstract

The combined devastation of the 1997 Asian financial crises and the burst real estate bubble challenged Hong Kong's confidence in relying on FIRE sectors (Finance, Insurance and Real Estates). To rescue the plummeting real estate sector, the government invented symbolic and cultural added values to re-market routine real estate speculation. Thus, large theme parks movements were launched in 1998, such as the Cyberport, Science Park, Disneyland, West Kowloon Cultural District, and Victoria Harbor reclamation. Smaller themed mega-malls and parks are also rampantly constructed through the outdated 'slash and burnt' style urban renewal. Fortunately, these massive theme-park movements led by the pro-growth coalition have met with significant resistance from the civil society. The challenge started with the social elites: professionals legally challenging the Victoria Harbor in 2002; and the pro-democracy politicians challenging the corruption of the non-tendered Cyberport project in 2004. Civil society organizations followed suit, with Disney Hunter (a student-led alliance) jump-starting the anti-Disneyland campaign in 2005; residents and social workers preserving the Wedding Card Street in 2005; a new generation of artivists leading the preservation of Star Ferry and Queen's Pier in 2007; and finally, artists and activists reclaiming the public space at Time Square in 2008. This paper will critically analyze the dynamics and struggles between these two coalitions in order to understand the contested cultural imaginaries, the battle over who speaks for or represent the city, and also analyze the social impact on the urban communities in this new round of neoliberalization after 1997.