Hong Kong 101 Project - A map to assist green lifestyle

A map to assist green lifestyle

Written by JANET SHEN WENWEN
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Green Map Hong Kong System, which energizes a variety of local movements for volunteers to discover natural and cultural resources, brings a new eco-tourism and cultural tide to Hong Kong. An architecture research student, WinnieChan Yuen-lai, and a practicing architect, So Kwok-kin, who is also Green MapHong Kong Project Director, initiated the project in HongKong by joining the world Green Map System in June 2006. Mr So said that the project benefits thepublic by providing handy reference to the sites with both natural and cultural meanings, and commercial activities such as ancient shops, relevant societiesand the city infrastructures such as incinerators. He said, “In many ways I was told human beings have been asking too much from nature, and the architecture industry takes the lead in consuming natural resources. My job makes me guilty and I find it my obligation to do something to better develop natural resources.” “To experience with your own feet, totravel and the process of bringing your idea to the public, it might be much more impressive than feeling the place through internet and books,” he added. Tai Wo Farmer’s Market, a weekend-selling market supplying customers with direct products from farms, is located on the green map. Its Assistant Project Officer Yip Suk-yee said, “The customers coming to the farmer’s market are so far geographically concentrated. I wish the map can be broadly known and spread to those living beyond Tai Po district, such as residents of Hong Kong Island, so that our market will attract more customers outside Tai Po.” Mrs Yip also appreciated that the green map is the only kind of map which collects the information of many natural and culture resources around Hong Kong, which helps those interested to visit. Mr So said, “Once it gets people to the sites, an understanding has been gradually developed of how a modern city as Hong Kong is pursuing towards a healthy and sustainable city lifestyle, and most of all, how they might be involved in this trend." More than 50 voluntary map makers, mostly university students and related professions, got involved and over 420 scene spots have been finalized. Emily Law Hoi-tung, a voluntary map maker from Chinese University, joined the programme withher middle school classmates. She was assigned to the Yau Tsim Mong District for a four days’ exploration during August last year. Emily said she enjoyed the tour, which gave her an opportunity to find an ancient shop which sold traditionally very large and thick chopping blocks and a wonderful park with unexpected outlook. “We pick up the sites which are beyond commercial purpose in our eyes, and then get to know their historical stories and unique culture. It is a lot of fun,” she said. Her next step for the map isto discover Tai Po district. Ada Yang Youyi, a mainland student from Hong Kong Baptist University, said she is excited to get the green map and cannot wait to call her friends to go and visit. “I never knew HongKong has so many interesting places. The map is quite handy for meto plan my weekend activities,” said Ada. She added that it is better to publish the map with an English version to enlarge its circulation and readers, especially “tourists and foreign backpackers”, who enjoy themselves to the artless and cultural spots in an unknown city. Mr So explained that the absence of an English edition is due to the limited resources and its purpose of orientation as a guide for local people. “The volunteers can gain more feelings of success in exploring a comparatively smaller community, such as Tai Po or evena university, because they have opportunities to get all-around and elaborate information of a place,” Mr So said. Green Map System is a New York-based non-government organization that makes people understand the natural andcultural environment of the community they live in through the production ofgreen maps. A global campaign of map making becomes widespread after the first green map appeared in New York City in1992. The initiators first got to know theproject in early 2006 from Taiwan’s Story ’03, a book describing how Green Mapping was introduced in Taiwan. Once they realized it was possible to obtain funding from the Sustainable Development Fund, the mapmaking process was put on the agenda. Edited by FRIDAY FU RUI Comments (0) Show/Hide comments Write comment Show/Hide comment form Name Email Comment Write the displayed characters
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 23 April 2008 )