High counter top, full-height screen in front of main hall and accompanied with narrow staircase, which never see another end, pawnshop seems very mystery to everyone. Never having visited a pawnshop before, the author interviewed and tried to unfold this mysterious mask. Pawnbroking business is an interesting traditional business. It is full of old traditions and customs. Through more than eight months of research and several interviews, the author has documented and analyzed this old business in Hong Kong. Pawnbroking business is an ancient trade in the world. Although different countries have different traditions and practices, it is believed that it originated from a temple in China. It can be traced back to AD420-589. Sharing the same origin with China, Hong Kong pawnbroking business is still keeping its traditional business practices. However, little literature about the Hong Kong pawnbroking business can be found. Published documentations about the topic are not based on in-depth research. Besides, the general public and scholars tend to focus on the pawnshop building with little attention on its traditional trade. This paper aims to recognize the tangible and intangible features of pawnbroking by documentation of a traditional pawnshop in Hong Kong. Through the understanding of its significance, hopefully a way to preserve this traditional trade can be determined, raising the general public’s and scholar’s attention and keeping it sustainable in the future. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

At the famous Lan Kwai Fong area in Central, there exists a small red shrine that does not fit into the surrounding environment. Owing to its intimacy and convenience, people are fond of worshipping at this communal street shrine and it becomes one of the interesting street scenes in Hong Kong. This unique type of communal street shrines is commonly found in old urban districts of Hong Kong. Many of them have existed more than hundred years and have a specific group of worshippers. The worshippers voluntarily manage the daily operation of these shrines. For some larger shines, the voluntary managers organize different celebrations and ceremonies at the shrines every year. Due to the influence of globalization on the new generations and redevelopment at old urban districts, the voluntary support for these shrines in communities is gradually diminishing. The existence of these street shrines is much related to old communities that are being rapidly phased out by urban redevelopment. In UNESCO terms, these shrines can be considered as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.” This dissertation is only a starting point that may lead to ways to safeguard these endangered shrines. It does so by making an inventory of communal street shrines located in old urban districts on Hong Kong Island. Further studies are needed to thoroughly understand the heritage significance of these communal street shrines to the worshippers and nearby neighborhood as well as the social influence upon them. This dissertation emphasizes on the first step of the conservation process – documentation. It is with well-researched documentation that Hong Kong’s communal street shrines can be identified as the foci for safeguarding. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

Hong Kong was watched by the world when it was reverted to the People Republic of China (PRC) on 1st July 1997. Hong Kong was a British colony that was an important world trading, financial, and transportation center. Under British rule, Hong Kong was capitalist in contrast to the PRC, a socialist country ruled by the Communist Party. In the 1980s, when the PRC decided to resume sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, the Chinese leaders created a new policy toward Hong Kong, called "one country, two systems". The policy meant that Hong Kong's system would remain unchanged for fifty years while the PRC would continue to be socialist after 1997. This thesis seeks to explore the PRC's development and application of united front work in the take over of Hong Kong. Chapter one examines the twin concepts of united front and "one country two systems" (chapter 1). Chapters 2 and 3 will examine how the Chinese used the united front in their successful handling of the Sino-British negotiations (chapter 2) and the drafting of the Hong Kong Basic Law (chapter 3). Chapter 4 analyses the implementation by the PRC of its Hong Kong policy through its agencies in Hong Kong after reaching the Sino-British agreement of 1984 (chapter 4), and how this process affected developments of politics (chapter 5), economics (chapter 6), and Hong Kong society as a whole (chapter 7). Chapter 8 (Conclusions) will assess the overall success of the PRC's use of united front work in its reunification policy.

published_or_final_version / Journalism and Media Studies Centre / Master / Master of Journalism

published_or_final_version / Journalism and Media Studies Centre / Master / Master of Journalism

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

published_or_final_version / Transport Policy and Planning / Master / Master of Arts in Transport Policy and Planning

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Geography and Geology / Master / Master of Philosophy