To give students firsthand experience on the planning of this mega cultural project, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) organized some 30 guided tours at the WKCD site for secondary school students during the month of February 2010. Participating students were offered a talk on the planning and development of the WKCD, and a tour of the 2009 Hong Kong and Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture, an exhibition currently being held at the WKCD site. Students have high hopes for the WKCD—an arts and cultural district designed for the community and for them—and this was reflected in the many enthusiastic and thoughtful comments they made following the tours.

After the guided tours, participating students wrote down their hopes and wishes for the WKCD. They all believe the cultural district will enrich and enliven Hong Kong’s cultural milieu.

“It certainly made a deep impression on me! It is very different from what I had imagined the WKCD to be. It has everything for everyone; every student, no matter what subjects they are studying, can find something of interest to them, e.g. environmental protection, organic development, etc. To be honest, I have more confidence after the tour that the WKCD can be a cultural district. Still, I am concerned about the integration of the art museums and heritage museums in the future WKCD. I hope the WKCD can do more in the area of education to enhance students’ knowledge, so that they will become more culturally aware.” Mak Yin Yee, teacher, Chinese University of Hong Kong Federation of Alumni Associations Chan Chun Ha Secondary School