PolyU Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation and EdUHK Xiqu and Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre jointly submit Policy Address Recommendations; Proposing two pivotal cultural infrastructure projects in Northern Metropolis to promote urban-rural integration and community making

The Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation (J.C.DISI) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), in collaboration with the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT), the Department of Building and Real Estate, and the Xiqu and Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), today submitted their recommendations to Dr Stephen WONG, Head of the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit at the Central Government Offices of HKSAR for the 2025 Policy Address. Titled “Living Intangible Heritage: ‘Cantonese Opera and Intangible Cultural Heritage Archive’ and ‘Northern Metropolis Cultural Trail’ as Urban-Rural Integration and Community Making Initiatives in the Northern Metropolis,” the proposal advocates for cultural preservation and community engagement in the region.

J.C.DISI hosted the “Northern Metropolis Future Forum” in early July, which attracted nearly 500 participants. The Forum featured keynote speeches and roundtable discussions where academic and industry leaders from Mainland China and Hong Kong shared their views on some highlights of the Chief Executive’s 2022 and 2023 Policy Addresses regarding the development plan of the Northern Metropolis which included developing “landmark cultural facilities” and establishing “iconic cultural and arts facilities” in the region.

Leveraging these discussions, the proposal integrates expert insights from the Forum with professional expertise of PolyU and EdUHK scholars, focusing on two pivotal cultural infrastructure initiatives in the Northern Metropolis:

1. Establishing the “Cantonese Opera and Intangible Cultural Heritage Archive”
   Echoing the initiative of providing iconic cultural and arts facilities in the Northern Metropolis raised in the Policy Addresses, the proposal recommends establishing Hong Kong’s first “Cantonese Opera and Intangible Cultural Heritage Archive” in that region, most ideally located close to local villages, to help foster urban-rural integration and community making through Cantonese opera. The Archive should move beyond a traditional museum model of simply displaying cultural artifacts. It should instead provide visitors with immersive experience of the cultural context of Hong Kong’s rural villages through spatial design that incorporates both diverse village characteristics and elements of daily life, with an aim of creating an interactive platform where traditional culture is integrated into everyday life.
   
   
2. Creating the “Northern Metropolis Cultural Trail”
   It is advised that the Government conducts comprehensive research into public spaces in the region that are used as performance venues for “Cantonese Opera for Appeasing Gods” during traditional festivals, such as important historic buildings, and connect them with the routes of village parades for traditional events such as Jiao (Da Chiu) and Xingxiang (burning incense in a prayer service) , as well as with existing heritage trails. This will enable the creation of an unique cultural landscape that helps promote both preservation of traditional village culture and distinctive local tourism.

Prof. LING Kar-kan, PolyU Interim Vice President (Campus Development and Facilities) and Director of J.C.DISI, commented, “The two proposed initiatives not only proactively revitalise intangible cultural heritage, but also serve as pioneering models of cultural infrastructure in Hong Kong, highlighting the unique cultural soul of the Northern Metropolis. This aligns with the industry-led development approach and responds to the notion of building iconic cultural and arts facilities. The recommendations also respond to the Nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan, which positions Hong Kong as an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange—suggesting using Cantonese opera not only as a cultural bond to foster urban-rural integration, deepen community making and nurture local creative talent, but also to develop sustainable cultural tourism. We believe that the momentum of large-scale urbanisation in the Northern Metropolis can be channelled into a force for preserving and perpetuating traditional culture.”

Prof. LEUNG Bo Wah, Executive Director of the EdUHK Xiqu and Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre, stated, “At the Northern Metropolis Future Forum Roundtable, experts from fields including Cantonese opera and joss house arts, intangible cultural heritage preservation and promotion, built environment, engineering and innovation, cultural research and sustainable development, heritage conservation, rural revitalisation, placemaking, creative tourism, and social innovation reached a consensus. They agreed that the ‘Cantonese Opera and Intangible Cultural Heritage Archive’ should adopt a living heritage approach, integrating Cantonese opera and intangible heritage into everyday life and creating participatory cultural spaces for the public. Meanwhile, the ‘Northern Metropolis Cultural Trail’ would connect suitable Cantonese opera performance venues and traditional villages, restoring cultural threads severed by urban development and enabling the continuation of traditional festive activities amid urbanisation.”

The proposal also suggests leveraging digital technology to enhance preservation of cultural heritage, including through the establishment of a Cantonese Opera Digital Archive for the Northern District, development of immersive experience technologies and the setting-up of an interdisciplinary innovation lab to explore the integration of Cantonese opera with modern industries. Furthermore, the proposal addresses urban-rural integration and cultural talent development in the Northern Metropolis. It suggests launching a cultural integration programme to facilitate interaction between local and incoming residents through cultural heritage activities, as well as establishing a Cantonese opera talent development system that covers basic knowledge and professional training. These initiatives aim to advance the sustainable development of the new community, and build a comprehensive cultural conservation and innovation ecosystem.

With regard to funding, the proposal recommends harnessing existing government resources such as the Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme, the Lantau Conservation Fund, as well as the resources of the Arts Development Council and the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, while also exploring innovative funding models like public-private partnership matching funds and social impact bonds to help ensure the sustainability of the initiatives.

Prof. Eric CHUI, Co-Director of PReCIT and Head of the PolyU Department of Applied Social Sciences, expressed his hope that “Government, academia and all other sectors of society will work together to advance cultural conservation in the Northern Metropolis, creating a livable environment with a strong sense of belonging and identity for the 2.5 million future residents, while also enhancing Hong Kong’s international standing as an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange.”

This proposal by J.C.DISI focuses on issues of urban-rural integration and community making in the Northern Metropolis. Meanwhile, PReCIT will separately submit recommendations for the 2025 Policy Address on other aspects, such as innovation and technology, research and development, and talent cultivation. Through these efforts, PolyU aims to assist the Government from multiple perspectives in formulating forward-looking policies to drive the comprehensive development of the Northern Metropolis.

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