Designed by FEI Achitects, Featuring a huge expanse of greenery surrounded by high-end residential development, museum and concert hall, the Ersha Island is actually the central park of Guangzhou. However, according to its original planning in 1980’s, all the developments on this island were targeted at foreign buyers and local citizens were denied access to it, which is a manifestation of its superior location. In the beginning of 1990’s, the government started to build a “Cultural Golden Coast” along its southern bank and a series of first-class art venues including the Guangdong Museum of Art and Xinghai Concert Hall emerged one after another on the scene. Now the Island has become synonym of “high art” in the eyes of the local people.
The Manlap Fong project is located at the last piece of land along the “Cultural Golden Coast”. A private art foundation plans to make a “Mini-West Kowloon” here by way of self-financing – funding cultural and art activities through revenues from portfolio operation with a view to create a self-reliable and sustainable operation model. When we were commissioned to take this project, I happened to live on the island and often took a walk along the southern bank in the evening.
Photography: Qiu
On one side of the road, there are fenced luxurious properties and museums with empty, dark expressions; while on the other side, there are “concerts” under the banyan tree...