Zhao Wenqiang worked as a coolie in Southeast Asia and was always thinking about returning to Hong Kong.
But Yu Wenyin really wants to escape from Hong Kong and travel to Southeast Asia to relax.
Thailand or Bali is good too, both are better than staying in the suffocating city of Hong Kong.
Yu Wenyin has suffered from the ruthless beatings of society, cruel bullying in the workplace, and discrimination from her boyfriend's mother, and is already exhausted.
However, I dare not take a vacation now because I am still in debt.
My mother just bought a house and doesn’t even have enough money to renovate it, so she wants to redeem the bag as soon as possible.
After all, this is the first designer bag Li Ninghao gave to himself, and it has extraordinary significance.
When I am worried or tired, the first people I think of are my two good friends.
Today she hosted and invited Yu Wenyin and Ma Dandan to her house for dinner. In fact, Zhao Zitong and Ma Dandan seldom came to Yu Wenyin's house for dinner because no one liked a saintly empress dowager like Zhou Qingqiu.
But it's rare that my mother is not here today. She went to attend a thank-you reception held by the developer for the owners.
There is a large European-style architectural model in Yu Wenyin's room, covered with a glass cover, just like the Lego street scene models in later generations.
Zhao Zitong likes to play Lego, especially the Street View series, Harry Potter series, and Disney Castle series. Maybe it’s because every woman likes a beautiful house.
Zhao Zitong particularly liked this European-style architectural model and stayed in Yu Wenyin's room to look at it again and again.
"You like this?"
Yu Wenyin was a little surprised. This model had been in her house for several years, and Zhao Zitong had come to her house many times, but this was the first time she saw her staring at this model for so long.
"I like it. Did you make this model yourself? Does it have any special meaning?"
Zhao Zitong thinks Yu Wenyin is really smart and capable, and is worthy of being a top student in the Department of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong.
A top student is a god in many people's minds.
“This is the third generation of HSBC Bank, born in October 1935 and died in July 1981.”
When talking about this, Yu Wenyin, who was holding the thermos cup, had a sad look on her face.
Zhao Zitong didn't expect that this was actually the tomb of this building? Yu Wenyin even gave it such an epitaph
"Xiaoxiaotong, don't you know? Wen Quyin is a member of the Hong Kong Ancient Buildings Conservation Society, and she also joined the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Society last year." Ma Dandan added.
Hong Kong Environmental Protection Association (Hong Kong Ee Asso) is abbreviated as “HKEPA” in English.
It was registered in Hong Kong in 1990. It is a government-mandated independent, non-profit environmental protection group and one of the earliest environmental protection groups established in Hong Kong.
Architect, protector of ancient buildings, environmental defender
These three identities are concentrated in one person, which is really... hard to describe.
Zhao Zitong secretly drew a red circle in his heart.
However, at this time, Zhao Zitong was more interested in the identity and history of this ancient building. Is it the third generation HSBC Building
So, the one in Central is now the fourth generation. But to be honest, the model in Yu Wenyin's house is much better looking than the HSBC Building in Central.
"The third generation of the HSBC Building was opened in 1935. It was designed in the Chicago School and adopts the Art Deco style. It has high-speed elevators. The lobby is decorated with European marble and the dome ceiling is decorated with mosaics, which depict the prosperous scene of industry and trade between the East and the West."
"The third-generation building is 70 meters high and has 13 floors. The ninth floor of the building is the residence of the general manager of HSBC. At that time, the third-generation HSBC building was the largest building in the Far East. It was also the first building in Hong Kong to be equipped with air conditioning."
Wow…
In 1935, there was air conditioning
The prosperity of Hong Kong is really Zhao Zitong's imagination. Not to mention 1935, even now in 1991, there are still very few buildings in mainland China that can afford air conditioning.
When Yu Wenyin talked about this, she was as proud as a parent introducing the honor their child had won to other parents.
It seems that Yu Wenyin really likes ancient buildings.
"In the early 1980s, the international community had already begun to develop a sense of protection for modern and contemporary architecture. The demolition of such an outstanding building is not only a great loss in architectural history, but also a great shame for Hong Kong's construction industry!"
Yu Wenyin was indignant: "But the British Hong Kong government completely disregarded the architectural memory of us Hong Kong people and wantonly demolished these beautiful buildings!"
Seeing that Zhao Zitong was interested, Yu Wenyin took out a large photo album from the drawer, which contained all the ancient buildings in Hong Kong from the 1930s and 1940s.
"Is this Hong Kong? Why does it look so much like old Shanghai?" Zhao Zitong was a little surprised when looking at the pictures of ancient European-style buildings in the album.
"Yes, Hong Kong once had a large number of excellent modern and contemporary historical buildings, just like Shanghai. But starting in the 1970s, the British Hong Kong government destroyed these excellent buildings in order to make money by selling land."
Yu Wenyin's face was filled with regret and indignation:
“This is a tragedy for these great buildings, and it’s also a tragedy for the people of Hong Kong.”
“The Hong Kong Marine Department Headquarters Building was built in 1906. This excellent building was already a Grade I historic building before it was demolished. However, the British Hong Kong government decided to demolish the building in 1981.”
Yu Wenyin pointed to a black-and-white photo of an ancient building with a strong European style and said.
"Hong Kong's third-generation General Post Office was built in 1911. When it was demolished in 1976, it was strongly opposed by the Society for the Protection of Our Ancient Buildings. However, the British Hong Kong government turned a deaf ear to it. It is basically difficult for ordinary Hong Kong people like us to shake the government's policy."
At this point, Yu Wenyin sighed:
“And the Tsim Sha Tsui train station was also demolished in 1978.”
"In order to prevent the station from being demolished, the Hong Kong Antiquities Society raised 15,000 signatures in February 1978 and petitioned Queen Elizabeth II directly, hoping that the royal family would intervene."
“Finally, the royal family made the decision to have the demolition work begin within 48 hours!”
Yu Wenyin felt regretful and angry!
Although Zhao Zitong couldn't quite understand Yu Wenyin's emotions, she also understood one thing: "Those who are not of my race must have different hearts!"
The British don't care at all about the city memory that Hong Kong people cherish.
Anything that prevents the British from making money will be demolished.
Do the British really not understand the importance of historical buildings
Obviously not, the UK already had the "Ancient Monuments Protection Act" in 1882 to protect ancient buildings. After World War II, a large number of historical buildings were included in the protection list.
After large-scale demolitions by the British Hong Kong government, the quantity and quality of Hong Kong's modern and contemporary historical buildings are no longer comparable to those of cities such as Tianjin, Qingdao, Wuhan, Xiamen, Jinan and Guangzhou.
Not to mention Shanghai.
And now there are still some young people in Hong Kong waving the British flag to commemorate the British colonial era.
It's so ridiculous and hateful!