Asian arts wonderland
Albertus Weldison Nonto | January 03, 2012

Having recognized the economic potential of cultural commodities, Hong Kong is preparing for an influx of exciting new business opportunities based on tourism and the arts.

Hong Kong is aiming to position itself as an Asian destination committed to culture. Right now the West Kowloon Cultural District is taking shape as a visual and performing arts center, complete with three hectares of piazzas and parkland to indulge discerning visitors from around the world.

The development is designed to maintain the attraction of the Chinese special administrative region as an important Asian tourist hub. With Hong Kong Disneyland already a crowd-pleaser, West Kowloon is going for a more up-market crowd.

According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), visitor numbers have already increased significantly over the past five years and are expected to keep rising. In 2005, 15 million tourists came to Hong Kong, but by last year 36 million people were making the journey. That is a record number and a 21.8% increase on 2009 figures.

HKTB corporate affairs general manager Cynthia Leung says the Hong Kong administration is determined to develop the region as a tourism destination, no matter what the cost. As the number of visitors from the Chinese mainland soars, Hong Kong’s tourism experts and government officials have been thinking about how to make the city state more attractive, so that people stay longer.

At the moment, the average stay is 3.6 nights, up from 0.4 nights in 2009, and the goal is to increase this to four or five nights in the near future. Leung says the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District will showcase Hong Kong’s efforts to boost cross-cultural interactions and ultimately wow Eastern and Western visitors.

Taking center stage

The cultural district will be completed in stages, with the first buildings slated to open in 2015. One of the key elements of the project is the construction of a mega performance venue and exhibition complex which will become Hong Kong’s biggest indoor seated facility, with space for more than 15,000 people, perfect for large-scale entertainment events.

An outdoor theater will accommodate 500 seated audience members and 2,000 standing spectators, while upon the completion of Museum Plus (M+) Hong Kong will host Asia’s first international-caliber museum for visual culture, including contemporary art, design, architecture, moving images and popular culture.

West Kowloon Cultural District Authority head of planning and development Derek Sun says the project, funded by local government at a cost of HK$21.6 billion ($2.8 billion), will really start to blossom in a few years. “The main objective of the project is to facilitate Hong Kong’s long-term development as an international arts and cultural metropolis,” he says, adding the cultural district will encourage creativity and innovation and foster Hong Kong’s new tourist-friendly positioning.

There will be a lyric theater, a versatile 1,200-seat facility with an orchestra pit for dance, ballet, opera, musical and theatrical performances, a music center comprising an approximately 1,800-seat signature concert hall, a 300-seat recital hall, and a center for contemporary performance made up of three flexible spaces suited to dance, theater and multimedia shows.

The cultural district will function as a monument to diversity, the spirit of which dwells in Hong Kong because of its interesting historical background. “This cultural district will host a rich mix of activities, culture, education, leisure, residential and commercial properties that will interact with each other in a single place.” And, adds Sun, Hong Kong will inevitably attract more tourists as a result of the ambitious project.

The main event

Given the scope of the project, a serious amount of planning has gone into the cultural district since its beginnings in 2006. Part of the Great Park and the Arts Pavilion is expected to be commissioned in 2014-15, followed by the phased completion of arts and cultural facilities starting from 2015.

It is anticipated that by 2017 the Xiqu Center, comprising the main theater, teahouse, education facility, outdoor theater and free space with music box will be implemented, as well as the center for contemporary performance.

Between 2017 and 2020, phase one of M+, the music center, medium and lyric theaters will be built, with the great theater, M+ phase two, a second medium-sized theater and the Xiqu small theater scheduled for completion beyond 2020. The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority’s commercial projects even include a mall.

Hong Kong is on the cusp of becoming a truly creative economy. The development of this landmark project will herald the next big thing in Asian tourism. Employment figures and visitor numbers are set to rise, with the Hong Kong Financial Secretary’s Office stating that when all phase-one core arts and cultural facilities are operating, 10,000 jobs will be created, a figure likely to double by year 16 of the district’s existence.

At the same time, around 2.4 million tourists are expected to visit the site when all phase one core facilities are opened, jumping to 4.5 million visitors annually by year 30. But it is another figure that really stands out. The financial secretary’s analysis showed that during the West Kowloon Cultural District’s operation stage over a total of 46 years, it will contribute a cumulative HK$71,040 million in value added to the Hong Kong economy. Now that’s exciting. GA

Post a comment
Please login to post comment

Comments

Be the first to write your opinion!