There are new public spaces and entertainment facilities in Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong that citizens and tourists need to see. Everything will soon change as Financial Secretary Paul Chan even set aside a budget to improve the area in the future.
Over 1.7 million locals that live near Victoria Harbour can enjoy its fresh sea breeze and scenic view of the water. People can take a jog along the shore while the fishermen cast their lines to catch rabbitfish drawn by ferries.
There are also karaoke performers, singing Canto-pop classics and singer-songwriters belting their original compositions. There are also jazz performers, playing remarkable songs at Victoria Harbour that visitors will surely enjoy.
More street performers can also be seen in Tsim Sha Tsui across Victoria Harbour. There, too, are buskers trying to steal the crowds' attention to watch their unbelievable laser show.
You can see couples enjoyably sitting on the newly refurbished Salisbury Garden. Nearby, the Hong Kong Museum of Art will soon reopen this year after a complete overhaul. Here, you can also see Victoria Dockside, which its developer called "Hong Kong's new art and design district," composed of hotel rooms, flats, shops, bars, and restaurants overlooking the water.
According to the South China Morning Post, Victoria Harbour is dubbed as Hong Kong's greatest natural asset. However, despite its great history, it has been overlooked for a long while. Former Harbourfront Commission chair Nicholas Brooke said in 2018 that less than half of its 73km shoreline is "currently accessible to the public," but it will soon change.
There are plans to build new promenades and more public areas in Victoria Harbour. "We have the opportunity to do something very special," Brooke said.
In fact, at the recent unveiling of Chan's "modest budget," it includes funds for the development of Victoria Harbour, per Bloomberg. Aside from the support to tech, healthcare, public toilets, the financial secretary announced HK$6 billion budget for the development of new harborfront spaces.
Victoria Harbour is popular to tourists and locals alike, so there is a need to improve this place. There will be an extension of the length of promenades that run along the area from around 20 kilometers to 34 kilometers within the next decade.
Chan revealed that the available fiscal surplus for 2019 was HK$58.7 billion ($7.48 billion), which was far lower compared to HK$149 billion in 2018. The drastic drop was said to be because of the economic slowdown due to the US-China trade war and the property market that dented the land sale revenues. But, it is still higher than his original estimate of HK$46.6 billion last year.
