Bid to keep neon glowing in HK

Code of conduct

Mathias Woo Yan-wai, executive director of Zuni Icosahedron, an international experimental theater company, said the government should have established a dedicated code of conduct for neon lights.

He highlighted the Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety, which was drawn up by the Labour Department in 1995 and updated regularly. The code regulated the time-honored use of bamboo scaffolding in construction work in Hong Kong.

Woo said neon signs did not receive the same level of support.

The Hong Kong authorities have faced public opposition on many occasions when proposing the demolition of cultural sites for a variety of reasons. The lack of recognition for neon among residents made such demolition easier, Chan said.

Under existing legislation, most of the remaining 400 neon signs in Hong Kong will also be removed, Kwok said.

To retain the current signage, Yip Tak-ping, senior lecturer at Education University of Hong Kong and president of the Hong Kong History and Culture Society, called on the government to establish a grading system to manage neon signs.

Yip said a group of experts, including technicians, cultural workers, safety professionals, and neon conservationists, should be established to assess neon signs for safety, cultural value and historical significance, among other factors.

High-value signs erected legally would be preserved as the highest grade. The second grade would include noncompliant signs that were not a safety risk, and the government should explore retrofitting options instead of removing the signs directly. Noncompliant signs that are a safety hazard, and which fall into the third category, could be removed.

Signs that are removed should also be preserved, as many of them have been abandoned as waste in the past, Yip said.

The government could designate a museum or other venue to store the signs, and then reuse them for exhibitions. It could even transfer signs to a specific commercial street and install them between buildings, creating a neon-themed attraction for tourists, Yip added.

The government is researching the addition of new items to the city's first Intangible Cultural Heritage inventory, and manufacturing techniques for neon light tubes are being considered as an additional project, Yip said.

Yip believes neon production techniques have the qualities needed to become an Intangible Cultural Heritage, such as active inheritance, sustainable core technologies, and strong Hong Kong characteristics.

If neon lights are recognized as such heritage, this would result in several benefits for their development. Their cultural value would be endorsed by the government, affording the lights a higher level of protection and awareness. In addition, the status of craftsmen would be elevated, attracting more people to the industry, Yip said.

The Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Office said it is investigating the neon project, and an updated list will be announced in stages, the first of which is expected by the end of next year.

Chan, from Tetra Neon Exchange, said when people can fully grasp the value of neon, its essence and spirit can continue to thrive in countless forms in the city one day.