Atmosphere

– peter

Gin Drinker Bay got the name from the drinking pirate over there and there is hearsay of pirates killing after getting drunk. It was also called Lap Sap Wan as there was a landfill operating from 1955 to 1979. Therefore, safety and hygiene problems were caused and little people lived and visited there. For this reason, it was later chosen as the site for the cemetery and the public cargo working area.
As the facilities about death were built, people people think that the FengShui (Traditional practice originating from the ancient China which clams to use energy force to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment) there is bad and some blocks of Riviera Garden facing the cargo area and the cemetery are cheaper then the others. Besides, the TW slaughterhouse operating at night creates a creepy atmosphere with its stink and noises. Therefore there are nearly no people visiting the site at night. And due to the development of Tsuen Wan in the 70s to 90s, Tsuen Wan Mtr Station was built and more morden shopping malls were built and therefore less people visit the Riviera Plaza which is inconvenient to visit. It was later closed in 2013 and abandoned till present and created the feeling of abounded there.

opportunities and constraints :

In light of this, there is an opportunity to attract more visitors to visit the site and change the atmosphere. For example, there are opportunities to create more sport competitions, renovate the abandoned places and extend the opening hours for the public. However, the constraint is that most of the facilities there were private owned, it is hard to ask the owner to take part in or invest when there is no strong incentive.

Footnote:

  1. HK LegCo (2003), Legco Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene-Control of Environmental Nuisances Caused by the Operation of Tsuen Wan Slaughterhouse, LC Paper No. CB(2) 154/03-04(03)
  2. Legislative Council Secretariat (2002), Information note of Pork Supply to Hong Kong, Paper No. IN27/01-02
  3. Laws of Hong Kong: Slaughterhouses Regulation (Cap. 132 sub. leg. BU).