Letters | Let the West Kowloon Cultural District cut its opening hours if need be

Readers discuss the solutions to the art precinct’s funding problems, legalising ride-hailing service Uber, and political divisions within the European far-right

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Visitors walk through a special exhibition at the M+ museum at the West Kowloon Cultural District in July last year. Photo: May Tse

Published: 11:30am, 27 May 2024

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Henry Tang Ying-yen, chairman of the board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, recently warned that if the government failed to resolve the art hub’s funding crunch, the operator might have to reduce museum opening days to save costs.

The West Kowloon Cultural District is meant to be a self-financing operation. As a member of the public, I see nothing wrong with closing its museums and facilities for, say, two days a week if it helps the museum cut expenses. Hong Kong has many other venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s management which can host art performances and exhibitions.

Adjusting museum operating hours is acceptable. What is unacceptable is the art district authority’s proposal to ease its funding problems by selling part of the art district’s 40 hectares. This seems a simple solution, but it will only replicate the fiasco of the development of our supposed tech hub Cyberport, wherein land was handed over to a developer to build residential blocks.

Land is a scarce and valuable resource. Once sold, the government loses the rights to it.

The money obtained can solve the art district’s immediate funding problem. However, it is the board’s responsibility to ensure the district can finance itself and be sustainable in the long run. The art district’s response to financial difficulties should not be to sell its land whenever it is short of funding.