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In response to the media enquiries, the Government stressed that the over-riding objective of the heritage tourism development project at the Central Police Station Compound is to restore and protect the historic value of the site to allow local residents and visitors alike to appreciate the unique cultural heritage of Hong Kong. Future development would need to meet a set of mandatory heritage conservation requirements set out by the Antiquities and Monuments Office, in consultation with the Antiquities Advisory Board.
"The objectives of the Open Days are to allow the public to understand more about the history of the buildings and their current conditions and to collect the community's views on the future usage of the site," a spokesman of the Tourism Commission said. The Open Days will be held at the Central Police Station Compound for three consecutive weekends starting tomorrow (January 22), with an Opening ceremony to be held on site at 2.30 pm tomorrow.
"We are pleased to co-organise the events with the Central and Western District Council, the Hong Kong Institute of Architects and the Conservancy Association," the spokesman said. "We believe that by co-organizing the event with the interested parties in the community, we would encourage greater public engagement in the project."
Programmes of the Open Days will include a 30-minute guided tour for the public, exhibitions and views collection. A workshop will be held on the last day of the event. Interested Open Days visitors can enroll for the workshop during the visit.
About 4000 tickets have been distributed on a first-come-first-served basis through the performance venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The response of the public is good. "In view of the constraints of the site and for safety reason, it is necessary to implement proper crowd control measures. Only people with tickets will be admitted," the spokesman stressed.
End/ Friday, January 21, 2005
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