Awareness of Hong Kong's built heritage and its value is considered to have begun to increase around the time of the end of British rule. The change in Hong Kong's sovereignty in 1997 prompted a search for its own identity, because while no longer under British rule, and not being nor becoming entirely Chinese, it was not immediately obvious what the emerging Hong Kong should put forward as its cultural identity. The question since that time has also become economically pertinent, as Hong Kong has developed into a major Asian tourist destination. As cultural tourism could be developed into one of the pillars of Hong Kong's leisure economy, debate emerged on its identity and the built heritage it reflects.
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