Among Hong Kong's gleaming skyscrapers and huge futuristic shopping centers lie pockets of the old city: ancient quarters, historic buildings and preserved streets which offer glimpses of days gone by.
In a cramped city where space is at a premium, however, many of these neighborhoods are under threat from developers keen on cannibalizing old properties for new projects.
But a dedicated effort by residents, politicians and architects has all but managed to save one of the city's oldest neighborhoods from the wrecking ball in a campaign which is being watched by residents of other zones earmarked for redevelopment.
Lee Tung Street in the Wan Chai district is better known as Wedding Card Street because it has been home to the city's wedding invitation printing shops for as long as anyone can remember.
There's hardly a sign in English on the shops along some of its side streets, in the heart of the former red-light district made famous in the film that was based on the book, The World of Suzie Wong.
Almost every property has a traditional mini-Buddhist temple at which offerings are burnt or laid.
While other areas have given in to the redevelopers, stakeholders in Wedding Card Street have fought back. And they have won a major victory.
After residents, local politicians and architects attacked the redevelopment plan, fearing century-old Wan Chai could be in danger of losing its unique character, the government has agreed to think again.
"We are currently reviewing our situation, said Urbab Renewal Authority (URA) spokesman Leo Law, following uproar caused by the redevelopment proposal.
"We will continue to meet with the shop operators as well as the local community. There are two more years before we need to demolish the buildings so we will have enough time for consultation."
Ada Wong Ying-kay, chairman of Wan Chai District Council, welcomed the review.
"A lot of Hong Kong people don't think history is important -- they want everything new," said Wong.
"But people in the foreign countries, they like historic buildings ... we have different values here," she added.
"I agree urban renewal is important otherwise the inner city would be at risk of becoming a slum but we must also preserve the unique and cultural character of Hong Kong."
The URA, established in 2002 to regenerate the shabbier parts of the city, is one of the preservationists' greatest concerns.
With a war chest of HK$3.58 billion (US$461 million), its brief has been to attract private investment to the city's crumbling districts and bring renewed vigor to the down-at-heel neighborhoods that sit alongside the towering modern edifices.
Admittedly many of the zones earmarked for redevelopment desperately need help: rats often swarm the streets, roads are cracked and pot-holed and businesses are leaving in droves.
But the government's broad-brush approach threatens to sweep away some architectural and cultural gems which preservationists believe would be of more benefit renovated rather than destroyed.
"Hong Kong needs a proper heritage-protection policy," said Wong Wah-sang, associate professor in the Department of Architecture in the University of Hong Kong, and the chairman of Urban Watch, a non-profit organization that was set up to observe and care for the city's urban
environment.
"Conserving our heritage does not only give cultural and tourism value, it also helps educate young people and helps them understand the history of Hong Kong."
Johnston Road, not far from Wedding Card Street in northern Wan Chai, is one place where history looks set to disappear.
Under threat, in particular, are five fine pre-war buildings with special character, including a row of four Cantonese terrace-style buildings and a four-story shophouse building in nearby Ship Street.
But residents seem resigned to change in the crowded street, where trams rumble past old pawn shops, Western fast-food stores, mobile phone shops and old-style market stalls.
"When something gets old, it should be replaced, otherwise the whole city will become a slum," said the owner of Wo Cheung Pawn Shop, which recently moved across the street to make way for the demolition men.
"If you are given a good sum of money, why wouldn't you move out?"
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