Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Protect the urban heritage of the "pearl of Asia"

If the charm of a city is to be found in its architecture, then Phnom Penh is less alluring than it used to be. Its yellow-washed, green-shuttered, colonial-era buildings and angular, post-independence "new Khmer" architecture were both, rightly, renowned. They contributed to the low-rise elegance of the city, and even today’s travel guides and websites refer to Phnom Penh’s past as the “pearl of Asia”. But as land owners increasingly prize financial yield over urban heritage, the architecture is being lost. Architect Yam Sokly is involved in an effort to change that. He leads groups as part of Khmer Architecture Tours. The company offers tourists – and residents – a different perspective of Phnom Penh, one which may open their eyes to the treasures in their midst.

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http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20110616-phnom-penhs-fast-fading-architectural-treasures

Shanghai, China

The regeneration of Shanghai’s Bund

Today Shanghai is riding a second wave of success, spearheaded by China’s unstoppable economic rise, and the Bund, which has always been symbolic of the city’s rise and fall, is returning to its former glory. The Bund redevelopment project was awarded to Massachusetts-based firm Chan Krieger Sieniewicz, which also reworked the waterfronts in Detroit, Boston and Pittsburgh. The project included a widening of the river-facing promenade and a streamlining of the East Zhongshan thoroughfare. Today, the Bund is one of Shanghai’s tourism hot-spots, attracting millions of visitors every year. “The Bund is now one of the most opulent addresses in Shanghai,” Peter Hibbard, chairman of the Royal Asiatic Society in Shanghai said. “Many of the historic banking and customs headquarters have been turned into hotels, designer boutiques and high-end restaurants and bars.”

Check out to see more at:

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20111219-the-regeneration-of-shanghais-bund

Macao, China

Inheriting the 400-year-old marine culture

A 400-year-old port, Macau has long been closely linked with the sea. But the fishing and shipbuilding industries collapsed in the 1990s. Not only were the territory’s waters becoming increasingly polluted as China’s Zhujiang Delta began to develop, but Macau’s handcrafted wooden ships couldn't match the competitive prices from mainland China. Chan Yat Fung, president of the non-profit History and Culture Association of Port of Macau (HCAPM), agrees. “Macau city dwellers have largely lost that deep connection with the ocean,” he said. To celebrate this long legacy of shipbuilders and fishermen, the HKAPM organises shipbuilding exhibitions and tours of the inner harbour, and provides oral history and educational seminars.

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