From the trade and financial centre in the City of Victoria to the CBD and administrative base of the HKSAR government of today, the Central District has been cardinal to, and a witness of, Hong Kong's social, economic and political development. This public event presented by the Hong Kong Heritage Project's (HKHP) uncovered the secrets Behind Old Central through a display of historic materials from our archival collection and new insights provided by prominent local historians. In collaboration with the Antiquities and Monuments Office, Behind Old Central - What Urban Landscapes and Photographs Can Tell included a seminar, public exhibition and family workshop at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre.

In summer 2014, the Hong Kong Heritage Project (HKHP) took the Girl Guides history drama programme to Mei Ho House – one of the first public housing blocks in Hong Kong now listed as a Grade 2 Historic Building. More than 50 girls relived the daily life in a post-war public housing estate to understand the values that bonded Hong Kong people in the past. This is the third year that HKHP has custom-made creative heritage awareness activities for the Girl Guides and Brownies. Past activities included various workshops on diversified topics such as archive preservation, oral history, heritage photography and interactive drama.

In summer 2013, the Hong Kong Heritage Project partnered with the Girl Guides to launch an all new history based interactive drama programme – “History Re-run” for Girl Guides and Brownies. HKHP’s oral history interviews and precious photographs set the stage as two professional drama educators led the young girls through the‘Process Drama’, allowing them to immerse in the lifestyle of the 1960s and 1970s, understand and reflect on the values cherished by the older generations. Concluded in early August, the programme brought a novel and engaging learning experience to the Girl Guides. HKHP has been conducting summer programmes for Girl Guides and Brownies since 2012.

The activity was organised for the less privileged students from Tuen Mun, Kwai Chung and Sham Shui Po districts. It saw the participation of 360 primary school students from 25 schools who explored historical landmarks in the Tsim Sha Tsui locality, including the former Marine Police Headquarters and the Peninsula Hotel.

Sham Shui Po is one of the few remaining neighbourhoods to retain its character from the pre and post-war periods. However, this is liable to change in the coming years due to redevelopment. To capture now for the future, we embarked on various activities to preserve the history of the locality, including...