The Blue House is one of the oldest houses in Wan Chai, a busy district on Hong Kong island. In 2006, the government told the residents, who had been living there with their families for many years, that they had to move out due to renovation work.
The building was supposed to be turned into a tea museum.The residents fought back and formed the Blue House Residence Rights’ Group. They then joined forces with other grassroot organisations such as Community Culture Concern, Heritage Hong Kong and the Saint James settlement.
St. James’ elaborate plan for the Blue House cluster takes then residents’ well-being as its top priority. Abraham and Christina of St James settlement say that eight families have chosen to stay in the cluster, and by 2013, twelve new apartments with market-value rent will be available. On the renovation front, the first importance is to improve the residents’ conditions, as the tenement was built in the 1920′s.
One of the big goals for the project is to preserve and bring back old chinese traditional living, which is almost disappearing in the new, modern quarters of Hong Kong. The residents get to be involved in the whole development of their area and can take part in it. They have already put up a second hand store which runs on a time coupon system, a community based alternative currency system.
A very nice recycling exhibition in one of the showing rooms of the Blue House was taking place as we did this interview. A lady, who just lost her stand at the market nearby due to the raise of rent, was sewing wonderful bags and recycling t-shirts there.
I just hope that elderly people like her will not have to move away in the future and can stay in the parts of Hong Kong where they grew up and run their small businesses. The Blue House project is a successful example of how traditional lifestyles can be maintained and prosper in modern cities.
