Safeguarding memory as intangible heritage: experiences and stories of life on Hong Kong’s social housing estates

Public housing is an important facet of social life in Hong Kong. Nearly half the population benefits from living in a publicly subsidised unit. In recent years, strategies have been put in place to preserve the architectural heritage of public housing in Hong Kong. Similarly, other strategies targeted the safeguarding, the valuation, and promotion of life in the public estates in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s as a manifestation of intangible heritage, and symbol of Hong Kong s identity. Memories of public housing contribute to preserving and promoting a form of intangible heritage that is remembered across Hong Kong s various heritage institutions. Over the last decade, many projects have attempted to engage with the ethos of life in public estates through different ambitious exhibitions and site redevelopment projects. After reviewing the different strategies put in place to engage with the intangible heritage of early life in public housing, this paper reviews the technical challenges and the ethical dimensions associated with the preservation and valuation of this type of intangible heritage.