Tag Archives: Heyuan

water drafting @ commune

Hong Kong has become increasingly dependent on water from Heyuan, Guangdong since the 80s. This process of water transfer is way more than just a commercial transaction, but also a socio-political one. The imperial power behind commanded the sacrifice of one place  in order to claim the sovereignty of another, by supplying and governing what is essential to life.  The strict environmental regulations imposed on Heyuan to keep its water grade A and the socio-economical isolation created by creating the reservoir to hold the sweet water, have been keeping the Heyuan very poor. Its GDP lied in the bottom of Guangdong until a few years ago.

The fragile white paper boats in Chinese traditional mourning colour symbolizing the grave ecologically, socially and economical weight Heyuan has to bear, by carrying the 80-litre boxes of water. The amount is what a person needs for maintaining hygiene and health each day according to World Water Organization. The sealing strips imitating the ancient sealing used in the imperial days of China, read: Water exclusive for Hong Kong/ Sealed by the Central Water Services Ministry/ Guangdong Investment Inc. The slideshow in the background captures the situation of the dam dwellers are into. 

香港用水由80年代起已大部份依靠廣東。東江之水越山來並不對等單純的貿易，而是有重要的政治經濟元素參含其間，可以旨令一方作出犧牲。河源直至３年前，收入都是廣東省的包尾, 因為要保持水質上乘,河源在工、農和生活上都被嚴加規範, 加上水庫帶來的經濟和社群的影響, 河源即使曾是漁米之鄉, 但一直貧窮. 

單薄的紙船是傳統的哀悼顏色，裝載著黃負荷不了的生態、社會及經濟代價，裏面載著的８０公升的水箱，也就是世界水組織所說一個人的衛生及健康所需份量, 順流而下, 以香港為終站。封著這些水箱的仿古封條寫著: 香港專用水/北京配水權/粵海投資專用. 牆上的投影展示了河源新豐江水庫的庫民面對的景況.