Where bustling streets and towering apartments now stand, waves once crashed against Hong Kong's shore.
Tai Kok Tsui, literally translated as "big corner peninsula," has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis from seabed to urban landscape - a transformation that mirrors Hong Kong's own rapid evolution.
Since April 2023, the Hong Kong Arts Centre has been exploring this dynamic district through "RE: Tai Kok Tsui," a community-based initiative celebrating the area's unique character through exhibitions and activities.
RE: Tai Kok Tsui Pavilion
"We chose Tai Kok Tsui because it's essentially a microcosm of Hong Kong," explains Gordon Lo, the project's director. "It combines industrial, commercial, and residential elements, includes reclaimed land, and overall, it's a very intense place."
This intensity is precisely what makes Tai Kok Tsui so fascinating - layers of history compressed into a compact urban space, where old industries sit alongside modern developments, creating a textured community fabric.
One of the project's latest installations, Tidal Stories, sits outside a nursing home on a tree planter on Pok Man Street. Created from unused face masks and other waste materials collected from the nearby facility, the work functions as both art and public seating.
Tidal Stories
By repurposing these materials, the installation speaks to Tai Kok Tsui's own history of transformation - from sea to land, from industrial zone to residential neighborhood.
With several activities coinciding with World Sparrow Day on March 20, this year's events also highlight a lesser-seen aspect of urban development: its connection to wildlife. "Sparrows are excellent environmental indicators, as their population fluctuations directly reflect the health of urban ecosystems," says John Chung Chun-ting, senior research officer at Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, which has partnered with HKAC for a series of awareness events.
Since 2016, the Society has conducted annual sparrow censuses each March, encouraging the public to participate as citizen scientists.
"Through the activity, we give the public an opportunity to learn more about the birds and ecology around us, raising awareness of environmental conservation," Chung explains.
As part of the collaboration between HKBWS and HKAC, artist David Chui's "Urban Birdwatching x City Sketching Workshop" invites participants to observe and sketch urban birdlife. Five sessions will run until July, open to anyone over 12 years old.
artist David Chui
Meanwhile, comic artist ArYu brings a fresh perspective with her painting at Olympian City, capturing the neighborhood from a bird's-eye view.
During a live painting session on March 13, she shared her thoughts on the creative process.
"It struck me that when you look at the world from a bird's perspective, it's completely different from how we see it as humans," says ArYu.
"We share this space with birds, yet we rarely consider how they experience our world.
"I hope that when people pass by, even while shopping in the mall, they can pause for a moment and think about these creatures that live among us."
artist ArYu
The painting of ArYu will be on show until Sunday, while community tours for Tidal Stories are open for registration until June.
