About the CPD Talk

The recognition of the significance of infrastructural heritage in Hong Kong gained momentum with the uncovering of the Bishop Hill Service Reservoir. Soon after, three alignments of the city’s historic waterworks and road infrastructure have been added to the list for grading following reports of discoveries from Paul Zimmerman, a name well-known in the sustainable urban fraternities of Hong Kong.

In addition to aqueduct number 9, which is a graded heritage structure named “Pok Fu Lam Conduit,” Zimmerman has (re-)discovered 15 more aqueducts as well as a remaining part of Tank 2 at the corner of Seymour, Caine and Bonham Road. In response to the news of these findings, a resident reported sighting a masonry bridge in the woods above Stanley. Zimmerman went on to find the remaining features of Stanley Road built in 1847 to connect with Little Hong Kong (Aberdeen), including two bridges and three drainage channels near Stanley and another bridge along Deep Water Bay Road. With the power of social media, one rediscovery led to another, namely the remaining features of “Shaukiwan Road” (1846), including two bridges between Tai Tam Gap and Tai Tam Reservoir, and one bridge between Tai Tam Gap and Shau Kei Wan.

This talk elaborates on the discovery of these historic infrastructural elements that weave together the story of Hong Kong’s urban development. It also solidifies the argument that Hong Kong’s government departments / agencies dealing with heritage, particularly the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) and the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB), should take on a more active approach to recognise, protect and promote the city’s heritage structures holistically.

About the Speaker

Paul Zimmerman is the CEO of Designing Hong Kong, a not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting sustainability, quality of life and good design as core values in planning, development and governance. He is also an elected District Councillor representing the Pok Fu Lam constituency, and a board member of Civic Exchange, a Hong Kong-based public policy think tank. His advisory functions include the Harbourfront Commission. Paul has a Master in Social Science (Economics) from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, and a Master of Arts (Transport Policy and Planning) from The University of Hong Kong. He arrived in Hong Kong in 1984 and became a Chinese citizen in 2012.