The theme of our project is the city and nature. This project will concentrate mainly on capturing the various sounds of the natural environment. We have chosen Central to study and record the sounds since it is the best place to merge and showcase the cityscape and natural landscape in Hong Kong. In addition to the bustling cityscape, this small commercial district contains harbor and botanical parks. It perfectly embodies the themes of the city and nature.

We believe the contrast between the city and nature as well as their symphony is interesting. To achieve this, we attempt to capture and present a juxtaposition of the urban and natural sounds of Hong Kong. This involves visiting different locations in Central, like busy streets, serene parks, and pristine trails, to capture the audio essence of each setting. On top of that, we also focus on capturing some distinct sounds that are unique to our city to create an auditory experience that highlights the city’s diverse audio landscape.

Significance of your project:

Firstly, our project aims to explore and showcase the spatial sound of the natural landscape in Central. Central is a special place in Hong Kong as it integrates nature into urban areas. The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens resemble Central Park in New York. They were both built in the commercial districts of Hong Kong and Manhattan. As the project is inspired by Central Park, this arouses our curiosity and a desire to listen to what the natural environment and ecological sounds in the urban area in Hong Kong are like. Thus, it is also hoped to capture and record the sounds of nature discovered in Central through this project.

Hong Kong is known for its skyscrapers and bustling streets, as an international financial center, it is quite difficult to link it with nature. With such a rapid lifestyle in Hong Kong, the importance of reconnecting to mother nature is often overlooked. Our sound project aims to capture the peaceful ambient sound of nature blending in with the urban city noises, as well as our way to try to preserve the balance between the two realms. The audio contains a symphony of nature playing alongside city sounds allowing listeners to evoke a sense of environmental consciousness, where people often overlook or overhear the sound of the green. We are hoping the above can also act as a reminder for people to recognize the preservation of our biodiversity.

Apart from that, our captured nature sounds such as birds chirping and waves crashing serve as an escape from reality and hustle, letting people’s minds rejuvenate. The audio project aims to provide relaxation and reduce stress for the daily anxiety of city dwellers and help individuals regain mental clarity. An additional aspect is that we want people to connect with nature. No doubt being exposed to natural places has numerous health benefits. However, it is not always feasible to seek out green places. By bringing nature sounds to the

city through the sound project. People can enjoy peacefulness even from within the confines of their homes or workplaces.