HK rejects spending public assets to support Jackie Chan's donation

Hong Kong says Jackie Chan contacted the government twice about donating ancient buildings he owns, but that the offer was rejected because the movie star demanded they be available for his use as an exhibition hall and private office.

Web users have debated Chan's decision to give the four disassembled wood buildings to a university in Singapore since April 4, when he first announced his intention, with some saying he should have left the structures in the Chinese mainland, and others cheering his decision to preserve and spread Chinese culture.

A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government told the People's Daily that Chan contacted the local government in 2002 and in 2009 about donating some ancient wood structures.

The spokesperson said Chan required the local government to provide land and cover the cost of reconstruction and maintenance. In addition, the ancient buildings were to be an exhibition hall and private office for Chan.

The spokesperson said the local government believed that it was not suitable to provide land and use public funds to build Chan's exhibition hall and private office, so it did not accept the donation.

According to reports from Singaporean media, Chan talked with Singapore about the donation in 2009, and the four ancient buildings were transported to Singapore in 2010. The Singapore University of Technology and Design said recently the buildings would be assembled on its campus in 2014, and would be used as an entertainment space.