Redevelopment has always been on the city’s radar. Neighborhoods collapse and high-end buildings soar – an urban transition we the locals are too accustomed to but reflections on the constant demolitions are starting to take place. Lee Tung Street, aka Wedding Card Street, a renowned neighborhood of small businesses selling traditional wedding invitation cards for half a century, was dismantled in 2010 and later replaced by a high-end pedestrian street filled with imported brands. The present Lee Tung Avenue has nothing left about the old printing cluster but memories. 

All the words associated with Lee Tung Street were always positive: community, human kindness, and continual happiness. Lined with pre-war tenements and cramped with hanging signboards – the street was a rare scene of the city that evoked locals’ sense of longing towards a closely bonded community. The connected buildings with no elevators only fostered unintended relationships and brought more people together, which were the things no money could buy. The neighborhood was also one of the most unforgettable memories of many couples, helping share their life-changing day through irreplaceable printed cards. Its cultures were so precious so much so that many locals had spoken up for the needs of preservation. Throughout the 5 years of strong opposition with protesting banners and widespread discussions, the authorities still neglected all the concerns raised. 

The boulevard now filled with top-notch restaurants and opulent bars does match with the image of the metropolis but comes at the expense of such a vivid street of high cultural values. It only leaves us to wonder – is demolition the only way out for urban development?