A living heritage : the cultural mapping of heritage assets of Fu Shin Street in Tai Po, New Territories

Abstract

In Hong Kong, whenever people mentioned of a local traditional open-air market, which places would come to your mind? Very likely, just like the promotional pictures seen in the website of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the poster child of these locations are Temple Street, Cat Street (Upper Lascar Row) in Central or Chun Yeung Street. In this city, market with rich historical background and great cultural values are not limited to those places only. In this paper, we will turn our focus to the Fu Shin Street Market in Tai Po, which has opened its business to the community and the world for over 100 years. With a Man Mo Temple located in the centered of the market, the place had a unique landscape that rarely seen in other parts of the city. The different values found within the location, no matter from historic, economic, social or cultural standpoint, had made the place worth to explore in details. By adopting the technique of cultural mapping, this paper explored the different layers of activities or fabric from a spatial perspective, which can reveal how the community uses the space in its current forms. In times when city development and redevelopment happened rapidly, more often, it changes the cultural landscape and the streetscape. It is important to document the situation in present days, including the strength and any potential threats or weakness, propose suitable solutions to improve the situation, so anyone can reference and compare the status of the street in the future.