The proposed designs for the Lam Tsuen Wishing Square will be considered by the Tai Po District Council Working Groups on Wednesday afternoon.
The designs are part of a HK$50 million plan on improving Lam Tsuen’s facilities undertaken by the Tai Po District Council.
Netizens have called the designs “tacky” and likened them to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, local media reported.
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying proposed allocating HK$100 million to each district for community projects in his 2013 policy address.
The Tai Po District Council decided to split the money on two projects: the Tai Po Government Secondary School is set to be transformed into a community art centre, while facilities at the Lam Tsuen Wishing Square will be improved to attract more tourists.
On Monday, Tai Po district councillor Kwok Wing-kin set up an online questionnaire to collect feedback on the plans from Tai Po residents. On Tai Po Facebook groups, many netizens expressed their disapproval of the project. One commenter said, “The wishing tree has become the money tree.”
Famed for its “wishing trees,” Lam Tsuen consists of a collection of indigenous villages. The area attracts masses of tourists, especially during festive periods.
