King George V Memorial Park: mapping the historical changes of a cultural landscapes

Abstract

Understanding the place is an important step in cultural heritage management. Conservation Plan of James Kerr, which was derived from the principles of Burra Charter, pointed out that in preparing conservation plan for a heritage place, we should start from understanding the place. This includes gathering both documentary and physical evidences for coordination and analysis before assessing and stating the significance of the heritage place. This information will eventually become part of the conservation plan.

Understanding is a process. It first involves the identification of the landscape assets of the place. Without the background information of the place, the formulation of any conservation plan may not be able to reflect the cultural significance of the place. Thus, all conservation works should start with understanding the place.

King George V Memorial Park (the Park) located between Hospital Road and High Street at Sai Ying Pun of Hong Kong Island is a very special place in the western part of Hong Kong. The place where the Park is located, evolutes with the urban development at Sai Ying Pun and eventually becomes the major cultural landscape of the district. To understanding the Park, it is important to understand the historical development of the place and how it evolves into the Park. The original setting and context of the place can still be found on site. Investigation of these traits may reveal the historical importance of the place and lead to the understanding of the changing cultural landscape there.

The layout and masonry walls of the Park exhibit certain trait of military structures. Through investigation, the wall was found to be the remnant of an important medical complex in early Hong Kong. The wall may help in reconstructing the early medical history and the development in the district and also the whole territory. However, the historical background of the site was fading out and only a few character-defining elements could still be traced. With the information available, it is suggest5ed to re-define the heritage significance of the Park. With a clear understanding on the historical facts and background of the sites, it is hoped that proper conservation programme may be formulated to address the need.