From Hong Kong to Venice:
Spotlighting Heritage Erasure

An inside look in our video production about land redevelopment and the loss of cultural heritage of a village in Hong Kong.

I’m excited to share a project that I’ve been working on the past half year — an installation created for the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale (Hong Kong Pavilion),
in collaboration with Sunnie Lau.

We’ve called it Lasting Play.

What is Lasting Play about?

The video-installation explores the spatial and social implications of land redevelopment in Hong Kong, focusing on Cha Kwo Ling Village, one of Hong Kong’s last historic Hakka settlements. Scheduled for demolition in 2025 to make way for public housing, the village represents a broader tension between urban development and cultural heritage that is globally felt.

Lasting Play takes you on an audio-visual journey through Cha Kwo Ling Village, one of the last remaining old Hakka villages on the Kowloon Peninsula. Sadly, the Hong Kong government has scheduled to clear the village* this year in 2025 to make way for public housing. The redevelopment is expected to provide up to 4,500 public housing units — a necessity that comes at the cost of community, culture, and deeply-rooted heritage value.

For many, Cha Kwo Ling is an anchor to their ancestral roots that dates back nearly two centuries. Beginning n the 18th century, it was a major Hakka settlement, home to refugees fleeing from China and arriving to construct temporary homes and take up masonry jobs.

The quarrying industry of granite and kaolin clay quickly flourished, and so did its vibrant local culture. The village is also home to the renowned Hoe Yee Lung Dragon Boat Team, the Qilin Dance Troupe, the Sze Shan Public School (one of the few remaining buildings in Streamline Moderne style) and the Tin Hau temple, which undeniably has served as the cultural and societal lifeline to the village throughout the decades.

* Cha Kwo Ling is one of many villages up for demolition in recent years, including Ngau Chi Wan and Chuk Yuen. With the ever growing demand for housing supply in Hong Kong, it was only a matter of time when historical and heritage-merit sites such as Cha Kwo Ling Village could remain immuned to Governmental redevelopment plans.

Why is it important?

The project is an archival gesture and artistic response of Cha Kwo Ling village before it disappears.

Lasting Play (4 mins) is made to simulate the feel of an LP record — a metaphor for memory and repetition. We collected ambient sounds from across the village — lunch rush at Hoi Kee diner, festival drumming, temple prayers, and mahjong conversations between neighbours — weaving these with field footage of local architecture, street life, and rituals. The result is a transportive experience that invites viewers into Cha Kwo Ling Village, even if they’ve never set foot in Hong Kong.

Behind The Scenes

Working with Sunnie Lau — co-curator of the Hong Kong Pavilion — was a real highlight. Here’s how we brought Lasting Play to life:

🎬 Co-developed the concept, storyboarding, and structure together
🗺️ Multiple field visits to Cha Kwo Ling
💬 15+ conversations with village residents
🎧 250+ minutes of recorded sounds and visuals
🎉 Took part in key local events like the Tin Hau Temple Lunar New Year celebrations and Qilin dance
⚡ Factory visit to Shenzen to oversee the production of the sculpture model (completed by OMB)