Ahmad Rida Nisar often longs for the familiar surroundings of her childhood home at Wah Fu Estate in Hong Kong’s Southern district, despite moving out of her parents’ flat in 2021 to live with her husband.
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Compared with her current home in Lai Chi Kok, which is surrounded by private buildings, the 29-year-old Chinese-Pakistani pines for the natural scenery of her former flat at the public rental estate dubbed a “luxury residence for ordinary people” because of its coastal location.
While she barely knows her current neighbours, she recalls the close-knit community at Wah Fu Estate, where she regularly greeted households living on the same floor, played with children from another Pakistani family and cycled along the corridor with her younger brother, now 27.
She also enjoyed spending her Lunar New Year with her family as her mother, a local Chinese, would buy ingredients from the wet market and make halal turnip cakes with only mushrooms, shrimp and no pork. Serving them with spicy sauce has been the favourite festive snack of her father and grandfather.
With those vivid memories in mind, artist Ahmad painted murals to record residents’ daily lives upon the government’s invitation following plans to redevelop Wah Fu Estate.
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The mural, measuring 2.7 metres (8.8 feet) by 2.7 metres, features the scenery of Waterfall Bay located near the estate and a huge tree with red flowers, with residents of different ages and races gathered in a communal space.