Conserving socio-spiritual values in Hong Kong's multi-religious society : a case study of Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre

Abstract

The coexistence of different religious communities shapes the distinctive multicultural context of Hong Kong. Not only do these communities play a vital role in satisfying local spiritual needs, but also were the diaphysis of social welfare’s provision during the early British colonial era, manifesting their outstanding social and spiritual contribution. Local religious heritage associated with them are often under-assessed by the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB), which places an emphasis merely on historical and architectural values. The incomprehensiveness of assessment fails to interpret such historic sites as wholes and limits the execution of sustainable heritage management. This research uses Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre, a Grade 2 historic religious complex in Hong Kong, as a case study to illustrate the above issues. To fulfill the current research gap, a qualitative approach is adopted to investigate the socio-spiritual values of Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre, with a theoretical reference taken from Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter. Data is analyzed from primary and secondary sources acquired from desktop research, social media studies, as well as an interview with Pastor Chan Shing Tung, the director of the spiritual ministry at Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre. Research clearly identifies three groups of community of Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre, who contribute fundamentally to the socio-spiritual significance of the place. With a particular focus on these community groups, an analysis of the site’s socio-spiritual values is completed to assess the interaction between the site’s rich history of spiritual devotion and the local community. It is found that Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre demonstrates exceptional socio-spiritual values by not only serving as a symbol of the free and multicultural religious context of Hong Kong, but also facilitating the establishment of “contextualized” spiritual identity of the local community and maintaining their spiritual health and well-being. Given that Tao Fong Shan is a local tourist attraction and hiking spot, the fruitful creative and artistic spiritual expressions found on-site also recall the locals’ understanding of the spiritual realm. Managerial issues and recommendations for the site to sustain its socio-spiritual values are discussed in the last chapter. The research challenges the status quo by establishing a critical examination of the AAB’s assessment of local religious heritage. The case study of Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre serves as a reference for future holistic assessment and management of the site, as well as other religious heritage in Hong Kong.