Newly-built subway stations in Hong Kong offer a peek of ancient China

However, challenges remain in today's rapid modernization process.

"About 30 years ago, there was no Chinese calligraphy class taught in my son's middle school," MTR's calligrapher Au recalled.

The number of people practicing this traditional art in Hong Kong has been decreasing, he said, and his calligraphy works with distinguishing styles inherited from different dynasties were sometimes taken as wrongly written characters. "Chinese calligraphy and printing characters are not the same thing," he said.

"I hope my works, if possible, can remind people of such a thing called Chinese calligraphy," Au said.

In Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui area, the Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower, standing beside the Victoria Harbor, used to be an iconic landmark and a key link between Hong Kong and mainland cities including Guangzhou and Beijing during the old days. The modern high-speed rail at West Kowloon came into operation in 2018.

"Demolition and redevelopment happen all the time," Chang said. "By taking account of history while looking into the future, we need to strike a prominent balance between development and conservation in order to achieve sustainable development."