Wan Chai

HONG KONG, June 3 ( tasteallchina ) -- Cantilevered balconies, tiled pitched roofs, timber French doors ... 7 Mallory Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong houses a cluster of 10 "grade II historic buildings" built in the 1910s which has been revitalized into a catering, retail and event space. On the third floor, a museum dedicated to the city's literature and covering an area of about 2,000 square feet (185.8 sq meters), was recently unveiled to the public, giving a unique twist to one of the busiest commercial areas in Hong Kong. "This is the first literary museum in Hong Kong's history, and probably the most 'mini' literary museum in the world," said Poon Yiu-ming, curator of the Museum of Hong Kong Literature and chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Writers, proudly and jokingly. "It is a green bud in the spring, breathing new vitality and hope to Hong Kong's literature." The museum quietly records the exchange and influence of literature and genres among writers from the Chinese mainland and local Hong Kong. In the 1970-80s, the reform and opening up drive made Hong Kong a "cultural station" for mainland writers on their journey to the overseas for exchanges. That…