The Heung Yee Kuk, together with the Hong Kong Local Records Office, has released a report entitled “Revitalisation of the Chek Keng Village Research Project”. It suggests that the Government should develop the Chek Keng Village in Sai Kung East Country Park to boost tourism.
The report made a number of recommendations, including improving traffic conditions in remote villages, developing organic agriculture, strengthening the conservation of historic buildings, establishing the Chek Keng Village Historical Museum and the Sai Kung Anti-Japanese Cultural Heritage Trail. The study encourages the Government to build a number of low-density residential care homes and youth outreaching training centres, taking into account the excellent outdoor and residential environment of the area. It is also proposed the complete refurbishment of the village, including the conversion of abandoned houses into homestay accommodation, to allow Hongkongers to experience rural life in the New Territories and experience its history and culture.
The Heung Yee Kuk said that the revitalisation of Chek Keng Village would not only reinvigorate the abandoned village, but also further increase the utilisation rate of rural land and boost economic returns. They added that the report was submitted to the government on 15 August. The Kuk hope that the government can cooperate with them to form a committee specifically targeting rural development to actively revitalise other remote villages in the New Territories.
Many rural areas in Hong Kong are in a remote location with inconvenient traffic. The original residents have gradually moved away from the village over the past decades. The Kuk says that many villagers of the New Territories have proposed to use the Chek Keng Village as a pilot to revitalise them, such as building roads, building old-people centres and anti-war heritage trails.
Located in the rural area of Sai Kung, the village is in Sai Kung East Country Park. The number of people currently living in the area is less than 10. There is currently no car access and the area can only be reached by walking from Pak Tam Au or Tai Tan, taking abut an hour, or intermittent ferry from Wong Shek. The report recommends that the government build a road with a length of 2.7 kilometres to the village. The road would cross a section of a country park and if the Government needs to conduct an environmental assessment, the Kuk committee will cooperate.
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