( CNN ) -- Hong Kong 's narrow streets were once a dazzling gallery of neon , where banks and even bordellos plied their trade under sizzling tubular signs . But while the city 's nights remain bright , its fluorescent facades are fast disappearing as science and safety concerns make them obsolete . The lights are unlikely to go out completely , however , thanks to a new museum that hopes to preserve Hong Kong 's colorful past so that it can illuminate generations to come . M+ , a state of the art `` visual culture '' museum due to open in 2017 has already acquired two classic 1970s neon logos -- one depicting a red rooster and the other a large cow . Now it 's seeking public help to keep Hong Kong 's neon heritage ablaze . Light bulb moment . Aric Chen , head curator of the museum 's art and design section , came across the rooster sign , the well known mascot of Hong Kong 's Kai Kee Mahjong schools , in 2013 while touring an area earmarked for redevelopment . That was to prove a light bulb moment . `` It was a no-brainer for us to collect neon signs , '' he says . `` They are a marriage of craft and technology , as well as typography and graphic design . `` They are used by artists and filmmakers as a lens for us to look at Hong Kong visual culture . '' To drum up interest in its new acquisition , M+ is holding an online exhibition of Hong Kong 's neon signs . The show calls on the public to submit images and information on their favorites . The crowd-sourcing approach is more than just a digital-era gimmick -- it 's a necessity . `` Neon signage is a highly under-researched topic , '' says Chen . `` We are asking the public to tell us what they know about them so we can document what is left . '' Fading neon glory . The museum 's spotlight on neon is well timed since the signs are rapidly becoming obsolete in Hong Kong , unlike 30 years ago when they supported a thriving industry . `` There were so many orders we almost could n't handle it , '' veteran neon craftsman Leung Lap Kei says in a video documentary by M+ . Those neon glory days are gone . William Tam , the second generation owner of Hong Kong signmakers Nam Wah Neonlight & Electrical Manufacturing , says orders have decreased by 85 % since the 1970s . One reason is a government crackdown on illegal and unsafe structures that in 2009 led to the removal of about 5,000 signboards , many of them neon . `` In the 1980s , whenever we had a serious typhoon , several signs would get blown down , '' recalls Lawrence Yau of Hong Kong 's Urban Renewal Authority ( URA ) . `` There has been an official campaign as early as the 1980s to remove illegal signage . This was n't only due to safety concerns . Many of the signs removed in Mongkok and Yau Ma Tei districts were also related to prostitution . '' The neon cow that will enter the M+ collection was deemed unfit as , at 4.5 meters wide , it busts official size limits . In 2010 , authorities issued an ultimatum to the owner of Sammy 's Kitchen , the steakhouse where the cow had been hanging for three decades , to take it down or face a fine of up to HK $ 200,000 ( $ 25,000 ) and a year in jail . Yau , a curator for Hong Kong 's Heritage Museum before taking up post at the URA , is sorry to see the cow go , but says : `` Life has to move on . Today 's design is tomorrow 's history . '' Buzzing bulbs . Perhaps the biggest enemies of neon are its own idiosyncrasies . The lights are tricky and expensive to make , requiring a neon tube-bending technician and , for something like the neon cow , a budget of HK $ 250,000 ( $ 32,225 ) . Plus , that classic neon sign buzzing sound gets on some people 's nerves . The city 's streets continue to be bathed in fluorescence -- so much so that it 's considered the most light-polluted place in the world . But these days , Hong Kong business owners who want their brand name up in lights opt for cheaper , energy efficient LEDs that lack the whimsy and extravagance of handmade neon . A push from mainland China to use LEDs has also dimmed Hong Kong 's love of neon . `` Many cities in China no longer support neon signage and this inevitably affects Hong Kong 's businesses , '' says Tam . Since LED light is harsher than the soft glow of neon , it 's a trend that has worsened Hong Kong 's light pollution . It also creates other environmental issues since LEDs , unlike neon , are n't normally repaired or reused.resurrects . But the neon lights are n't going out for good . `` It 's fairly safe to say neon 's heyday is over and not coming back , '' says Chen . `` However , it is such a compelling medium and holds so many associations that artists , designers and filmmakers will continue to use it in their work . `` Neon is increasingly being seen on its own terms . In terms of quantity , neon will recede . In terms of content , it is almost growing . ''
China newest museum now owns a rooster and a cow sign . Neon production has decreased by 85 % since as early as the 1980s . Unauthorized signs can lead to HK $ 25,000 fine and jail . Hong Kong 's pushes the use of LED lights over neon .