Google Street View brings Hong Kong's Pokfulam Village to the world stage
Google street view of the Pokfulam VillageThe fire dragon dance is a beloved ritual and highlight of Mid-Autumn Festival every year in Hong Kong. In time for this year’s Mid-Autumn festivities, Google made Pokfulam Village, a venue for the annual fire dragon dance, a part of the Google Cultural Institute.
Users can now experience a virtual tour around Pokfulam Village, which was listed on the WMF World Monuments Watch List, using Google Street View.
With 360-degree panoramic images of the village, not only will web users be able to view the architecture of the traditional village up close, they will also have the chance to learn about the heritage and cultural significance of fire dragon dance.
Working with the Pokfulam Village Cultural Landscape Conservation Group, Google digitised the fire dragon dance as a showcase to a world-wide audience. The Cultural Institute’s online exhibition features imagery from the festive event, including production of the fire dragon to a video of the actual ceremony. Rare photographs, footage and historical information provided by the Pokfulam Village Cultural Landscape Conservation Group will make visitors to the gallery feel like they are on a professionally guided tour of the village.
Dominic Allon, Managing Director of Google Hong Kong, said, “Hong Kong has a rich heritage and is home to a number of historic sites that tell stories about the city, its people, and its development over the last few centuries. In the last few years, Google has been actively capturing imagery of Hong Kong’s unique cultural locations and making them easily accessible to web users all over the world through the Google Maps Street View platform. Pokfulam Village houses a beautiful sample of Hong Kong architecture and landscapes, and we are very excited to showcase this part of Hong Kong’s history through the Google Cultural Institute.”