'King of Kowloon' graffiti could be preserved on the spot

MTR Corporation said on Tuesday that it is following up with the graffiti of the late “King of Kowloon" found underneath a Mong Kok rail bridge, and is considering to preserve it on the spot.

The piece from the late Tsang Tsou-choi, dubbed the “King of Kowloon", resurfaced earlier after paint peeled off a wall underneath a railway bridge Boundary Street.

The graffiti - which can be seen on the Google Arts & Culture website in full - was covered with paint by authorities back in 1997.

The "King", who died in 2007, had said Kowloon City was given to his ancestors as a fief before it was ceded to Britain during the Qing dynasty. He painted graffiti around town to declare his sovereignty.

In response to media questions, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said it inspected the site and took detailed photographs for record.

The department said initial investigations suggested that the artwork has faded and flaked.

The graffiti was painted underneath a metal water catcher. To avoid accelerating an increase in humidity and causing the growth of insects and molds, the department said it is not recommended to add a protective cover over the graffiti.

The Home Affairs Bureau said the government has been preserving Tsang's graffiti left in public areas in accordance to the actual circumstances and technical feasibility.

The bureau will regularly issue circulars to remind relevant departments and contractors to avoid removing, covering or relocating the artworks, and to keep them in place as far as possible.