HKU Bulletin January 2005 (Vol. 6 No. 2)

7 6 COVER STORY for protection at the national and international levels. I hope more of our graduates will have the opportunity to work there,” he said. Graduates are already starting to share their expertise with others, for example, by training people in building conservation principles in Shanghai and fighting to protect heritage sites under threat in Hong Kong. Significantly, the Hong Kong community is also taking a greater interest in conservation issues, such as the Central Police Station. One of Professor Lung’s prime concerns is to heighten public awareness. The University is exploring the possibility of launching the Architectural Conservation Programme in the Mainland. While Professor Lung is interested, his busy schedule as Head of Department means it will take another two or three years to get that off the ground. Recently, he and his colleagues launched another programme in Hong Kong, Cul tural Her i tage Management , wi th the HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU SPACE), which begins this month. “If I didn’t love what I do to death, I wouldn’t have done all of this,” he said. “My humble purpose is to train students in the region to international standards and have them go into the community and share their knowledge. In turn they all become experts. My team-mates have all contributed selflessly to this end and I couldn’t have done it without their collaborative efforts.” Professor David Lung of the Department of Architecture is helping Kaiping apply for World Heritage status for its watchtowers, called diaolou . Many were built in a European style by village men who worked overseas early in the last century. Kaiping residents are busy restoring the diaolou in anticipation of a tourism boost from World Heritage status. The application is going through the approval process and a decision is not expected for two or three years. Some of the diaolou are still occupied and contain original paintwork, furniture and fittings.