Hong Kong Heritage Wins UNESCO Conservation Award

The Blue House Cluster in Wanchai of China's Hong Kong has won the Award of Excellence in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said in a press release on Wednesday.

It is the first time a built heritage conservation project in Hong Kong has received this award.

"The award not only recognizes our efforts in heritage conservation, but also proves that our adaptive re-use of government-owned historic buildings is up to international standards," said a spokesman for the Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau of the HKSAR government.

The Blue House Cluster comprises three tenement buildings constructed from the 1920s to the 1950s - the Blue House, the Yellow House and the Orange House.

The compound has been revitalized into Viva Blue House, a multifunctional complex providing residential accommodation and community services.

The jury of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation selected Blue House Cluster as the winner of the Award of Excellence from 43 submissions.

Launched in 2000, the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation aim to recognize and encourage conservation and restoration projects under private initiatives and public-private partnership in the Asia-Pacific region.