Hundreds of old Hong Kong buildings with historical significance might have been knocked down because authorities were slow to catalogue them, according to land issue researchers.

Liber Research Community reviewed the government’s inventory of 8,803 structures that were assessed in a heritage survey, and found that many notable buildings had slipped through the cracks — including the now-demolished former home of Hong Kong film star Bruce Lee.

The citywide survey was conducted from 1996 to 2000 by the Antiquities and Monuments Office, with the goal of shortlisting sites for historical appraisal and grading. The office announced in 2009 that it had completed the assessment of 1,444 structures.

But Liber researcher Stewart Cheng said the lists were incomplete, citing the example of a shophouse at 3 Nam Kok Road in the Kowloon City district that was left off the list. The building was of a now-rare style known as Qilou — or arcade houses — and was at risk of being knocked down, Cheng said.

Bruce Lee’s former home in Kowloon Tong might also have been preserved had the Antiquities and Monuments Office acted faster, Cheng said. There were plans to turn the building into a museum commemorating Lee, but they fell apart in 2011 after the government stood firm on building regulations and rejected the proposed renovations.

The lists needed a complete review as it was compiled over two decades ago, Cheng said, adding that the evaluation criteria used for the lists had never been disclosed.

Architectural conservationist Wendy Ng agreed that the Kowloon City shophouse had historical value and was comparable to another structure in the neighborhood that received a historical grading.

The shophouse had ornaments around its rooftop and was likely constructed before WWII, she added. “Conservation is more difficult due to its small size. An average landlord would probably choose to demolish it.”

Ng also criticized the Antiquities Advisory Board — which advises the government on grading structures — for its glacial pace, saying the board only met four times a year and worked slowly.

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