Hong Kong is known to be a modern city that is continuously developing and changing. There are over 7,5 million people living in Hong Kong, and the population is continuously growing. This means that there is a need for living space. Older buildings and houses in Hong Kong have a low number of levels, and therefore can't hold many people. The increasing need for space has created a need for taller buildings. That's why Hong Kong has become the city in the world with the most skyscrapers. New, huge and modern buildings are therefore popping up more often. Even though the city is getting more modernised, there are still some traditional and old buildings and structures left in the city. Some of these ‘’leftover’’ buildings are in the middle of the modern world and it creates a very interesting view.
One of these places in Nan lian Garden. The garden is traditional, with structures that resemble traditional chinese structure and the garden also has a huge temple. However, the garden is surrounded by a huge shopping mall, big modern private estates and tall public estates. Even though the garden is not old itself, it represents a common vision in Hong Kong, old and traditional meets new and modern.
Hong Kong is also a city filled with temples, and some temples can be found in the modern areas of the city. The temple is of traditional structure and particularly different from modern, non-religious buildings. Temples are an important part of the local culture and this might be the reason why these temples are kept in the modern neighborhood.
Another type of buildings that is kept is the european style buildings that originated during the occupation of the british. The buildings are made of stone, compared to the modern buildings made of steel and glass. These buildings are kept as they were, and most of the buildings are transformed into museums and other culture related activities.
The last example is old villages where people lived before they were moved into new modern buildings. One example is the Sam Tung Uk. This was an old Hakka village and was transformed into a museum. The village is now neighbour to many public estates that have become new homes for the Hakke villagers.
All these examples are showing how the old and the new meet in Hong Kong. It can also be an example of how fast the city has changed and become modernised. It can be a nice view to see how old and new can be side by side. This is yet another part of Hong Kong that makes the city special.
Some examples:
Sam Tung Uk Museum
Hung Shing Temple
Western Market
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Museum
Nan Lian Garden
