Dear Sir/Madam,
The Government posted a list of intangible cultural heritage items recently. Besides, it called on action to protect the heritages. Two of the listed items are traditional egg tarts and mahjong, which motivated me, a cultural heritage protection worker, to write this letter to support the choice of the Government. In this letter, I will explain why the items are worth protecting and how they can be protected.
Firstly, the main reason why traditional egg tarts should be protected is that they well symbolise the citizens. Traditional egg tart is a famous Hong Kong dim sum, and plentiful residents love having conventional egg tarts. They love to order one or two egg tarts on their busy way to work, as this food does not take much time to make and eat and has an alluring aroma. Thus, the citizens may enjoy their tarts at the start of a hustle day. Therefore, traditional egg tarts not only exhibit the history and culture of Hong Kong but also the spirit of the citizens. Traditional egg tarts remind others of Hong Kong, including its food culture and Hong Kong mornings filled with beeping cars passing by and aromas from the tarts. A city needs this symbolisation to display its ingrained charm to make its citizens proud and fascinate tourists. Accordingly, traditional egg tarts should be protected to preserve and illustrate Hong Kong culture.
Secondly, mahjong symbolises Hong Kong and should be protected as well. Different from egg tarts, mahjong shows the opposite image of Hong Kong. Mahjong is an activity that has been prevailing in Hong Kong for decades. Hong Kongers would love to spend their spare time on mahjong tables, chatting with friends, having snacks, and making pocket money while playing the interesting game - mahjong, especially in the old times when smartphones did not exist. Mahjong symbolised the entertainment of Hong Kong. When people look at mahjong, they think of the waves of laughter and connection between their friends in the old days. However, people nowadays are more likely to spend time in their rooms alone, surfing social media platforms and playing video games. In contrast, mahjong seems to become the dim dust of the disappearing old Hong Kong, and the bonding between Hong Kong people seems to break. In the work of preserving Hong Kong culture, mahjong must not fade away as it truthfully plays an imperative role.
One of the best ways to protect the aforementioned cultural heritages is to let the Government publish related policies, such as providing subsidies to conventional egg tart sellers. As long as the salespeople keep striving in their business with support from the Government, traditional egg tarts will last long in Hong Kong. Additionally, to preserve Hong Kong culture, organisations may also make contributions. For instance, neighbourhood councils can hold competitions to encourage residents to compete in playing mahjong. Hence, there is a platform to help the mahjong game gain popularity and boost residents to realise each other.
In summary, readers should note that conventional egg tarts and mahjong should be carefully protected as they mark different aspects of Hong Kong culture. Moreover, the Government and other organisations should take action to reach this goal.
Yours faithfully,
Chris Wong
