Editorial | Kam Tin Jiao Festival proves heritage and development can coexist in harmony

Featuring a Guinness-certified world’s largest temporary bamboo structure – an area of more than 41,000 square feet – for shows and exhibitions this month, the once-a-decade spectacle is justifiably a showpiece of the city’s intangible cultural heritage.

Known in Chinese as “repayment for benevolence”, the Taoist ritual in memory of the Tang clan’s family migration and settlement dates back to 1685. The 34th edition showcased some 10 cultural practices, including bamboo scaffolding, lion and dragon dancing, puppet theatre and the traditional cheongsams worn by villagers during rituals. Held just weeks after the deadly Tai Po blaze tragedy and debates over the safety of bamboo scaffolding, the event came with additional meaning. A dedicated area was set up during the festival to appease the spirits of the fire victims. A strict no-smoking policy was also imposed.

Safeguarding such heritage certainly requires commitment and support, both from local villagers and from society at large. Like the practice of many crafts, trades and customs, the continuation of the decennial festival for more than three centuries owes much to the villagers’ ancestral identity and succession across generations. The recognition and support from the heritage conservation policy are also pivotal to promoting the indigenous culture for wider appreciation.

The festival stands as living proof that heritage and development can coexist in harmony. Instead of being preserved and displayed inside museum showcases, many of these crafts and traditions are still part of the city’s cultural pulse every day. They are truly what define Hong Kong’s unique East-meets-West identity and history. As the New Territories gears up for more extensive development, it is important that these traditions and festivals live on.