Walled villages of Hong Kong

Most of the walled villages in Hong Kong are located in the New Territories.

A walled village is a kind of traditional building which is completely surrounded by thick defensive walls, protecting the residents from the attack of wild animals and enemies. Usually, people living in the walled village are extended families or sharing the same surname. Walled villages can be found in mainland China and Hong Kong.

History

During the and Dynasties, the shore of Guangdong suffered from pirates. The area of Hong Kong was particular venuable to pirates' attacks. Winding shores, hilly lands and islands and far from administrative centres made Hong Kong an excellent hideout for pirates. Villages, both Punti and Hakka, built walls against pirates. Some villages even protected themselves by cannon guns.

In Punti Cantonese, ''Wai'' and ''Tsuen'' were once synonym.

Famous walled villages

Kat Hing Wai

Kat Hing Wai is a famous Punti walled village in of Hong Kong. It often mistakenly believed to be Hakka, whose people have similar traditions. However the Punti people were from Southern China and the first to settle in Hong Kong. Kat Hing Wai's residents speak , rather than . Popularly known as ''Kam Tin'', from the name of the area, it is home to about 400 descendants of the Tang Clan, who built the village back in the 1600s.

Kat Hing Wai is a rectangular walled village. As a family stronghold, Kat Hing Wai has served the Tangs well through the centuries, protecting the residents against bandits, rival clans, and wild tigers. In the Qing Dynasty, a five-metre high blue brick wall and four cannon towers were added to defend against bandits. Today, the village is still completely surrounded by 18-foot-thick walls, outside which are the remains of a moat. However, most houses within the walls have been rebuilt in recent years. There is only one narrow entrance, with a pair of iron gates that were once removed to Britain when the villagers rebelled against British colonial rule and which only one was eventually returned. The current standing gates are a mismatched pair, the left hand side originally belongs to Tai Hong Wai and was given to Kat Hing Wai as a gift upon the gates return.

Route: or bus routes 51, 54, 64K and 251M.

Tsang Tai Uk

Tsang Tai Uk , also known as Shan Ha Wai, is another well-known Hakka walled village in Hong Kong, and one of the best preserved. It is located close to the south of the Pok Hong Estate, not far from the Lion Rock Tunnel Road.
Built in the 1840s, it was constructed in 1848 as a stronghold for the Tsang Clan. It is a preserved Hakka fortified village in Sha Tin. It is said to have taken 20 years to build the village. The village is built with granite, grey bricks and solid timber.

Sheung Shui Wai

Sheung Shui Wai , also known as Sheung Shui Heung , is one of the very few rural settlements having retained its original moat which was built in 1646. Characterized by its magnificent moat and landscape setting, the walled village is the core of the Liu clan, of which ancestors came originally from Fujian during the Yuan Dynasty . The village is located in Sheung Shui.

Fanling Wai

Fanling Wai is a walled village in Fanling built by the Pang clan. It is recognisable with the distinctive pond and layout including features such as cannons and watchtowers. All these elements were crafted to form an integral part of the village setting. Fanling Wai is the centre of the Pang clan who arrived in Hong Kong from Guangxi province late in the Song Dynasty.

Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen

Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen is a walled village in , New Kowloon. It is the one of the few walled villages left in the urban built-up areas of Hong Kong. On July 18, 2007, the government announced its plans to reconstruct Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen.

List of walled villages

A village name ending in "Wai" usually indicates a walled village, but in some cases the walls have been partly or totally demolished. Remaining fully or partially walled villages in Hong Kong include:

North District

* Fanling Wai
* Sheung Shui Wai
* The "Five Wais" of Lung Yeuk Tau:
** Lo Wai
** Ma Wat Wai
** Wing Ning Wai
** Tung Kok Wai
** San Wai

Sai Kung District

* Sheung Yiu Village, now Sheung Yiu Folk Museum , a former Hakka walled village at Pak Tam Chung in Sai Kung .

Sha Tin District

* Tsang Tai Uk
* Chik Chuen Wai , commonly known as "Tai Wai" , and located in Tai Wai
* Tin Sam Wai , in Tai Wai

Tsuen Wan District

* Sam Tung Uk , a former Hakka walled village in Tsuen Wan, which has been converted into the Sam Tung Uk Museum, and is now a .

Wong Tai Sin District

* Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen

Yuen Long District

* Kat Hing Wai
* Sheung Cheung Wai , in Ping Shan, part of the Ping Shan Heritage Trail

Victoria Peak

Victoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island. With an altitude of , it is the highest mountain on the island proper, but not in the , an honour which belongs to Tai Mo Shan. Because of its view, history and spectacular location, Victoria Peak is strongly attached to an air of prestige.

The actual summit of Victoria Peak is occupied by a radio telecommunications facility and is closed to the public. However, the surrounding area of public parks and high-value residential land is the area that is normally meant by the name ''The Peak''. It is a major tourist attraction which offers spectacular views over central Hong Kong, Victoria Harbour, and the surrounding islands.

History

As early as 19th century, the Peak attracted non-native, prominent residents because of its panoramic view over the colony and its temperate climate compared to the climate in the rest of Hong Kong. The sixth Governor of Hong Kong, had a summer residence built on the Peak circa 1868.

These original residents reached their homes by , which were carried up and down the steep slope of Victoria Peak. This limited development of the Peak until the opening of the Peak Tram, a , in 1888.

The boost to accessibility caused by the opening of the Peak Tram created demand for residences on the Peak. Between 1904 and 1930, the Peak Reservation Ordinance designated the Peak as an exclusive residential area reserved for s and government officials. They also reserved the Peak Tram for the use of such passengers during peak periods. The Peak remains an upmarket residential area, although residency today is based on wealth.

Tourism

With some seven million visitors every year, the Peak is a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. It offers spectacular views of the city and its harbours. The number of visitors led to the construction of two major leisure and shopping centres, the Peak Tower and the Peak Galleria, situated adjacent to each other.

The Peak Tower incorporates the upper station of the Peak Tram, the that brings passengers up from Hong Kong's , whilst the Peak Galleria incorporates the bus station used by the Hong Kong and on the Peak. The Peak is also accessible by and private car via the circuitous Peak Road, or by walking up the steep Old Peak Road from near the .

Victoria Peak Garden is located on the site of Mountain Lodge, the Governor's old summer residence, and is the closest publicly accessible point to the summit. It can be reached from Victoria Gap by walking up Mount Austin Road, a climb of about . Another popular walk is the level loop along Lugard Road, giving good views of Hong Kong's and Kowloon, and then returning via Harlech Road, encircling the summit at the level of the Peak Tower.
There are several restaurants on Victoria Peak, most of which are located in the two shopping centres. However, the Peak Lookout Restaurant, is housed in an older and more traditional building which was originally a spacious house for engineers working on the Peak Tramway. It was rebuilt in 1901 as a stop area for sedan chairs, but was re-opened as a restaurant in 1947.

Natural history

The Peak is home to many species of birds, most prominently the Black Kite, and to numerous species of .

Alternative names

Victoria Harbour

Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea was instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent development as a trading centre. Throughout its history, the harbour has seen numerous projects undertaken on both shores, but still retains its founding role as a port for thousands of international vessels each year.

Long famous for its spectacular views, the harbour is a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. Lying in the middle of the territory's dense urban region, the harbour is the site of annual fireworks displays and its promenades are popular gathering places for tourists and residents.

History

Some of the first recreational activities to take place in the harbour were water competitions such as swimming and water polo in 1850s within the members of Hong Kong's first sports club, the Victoria Recreation Club.

During the Taiping Rebellion, armed rebels paraded the streets of Hong Kong. On December 21, 1854, the Hong Kong police arrested several armed rebels who were about to attack Kowloon City. On January 23, 1855, a fleet of Taiping was on the verge of a naval battle against Chinese imperial war boats defending the harbour. The Chinese defenders were ordered away by the British colonial authorities. These incidents caused rising tension that would eventually lead to the Arrow War. The harbour was originally called "Hong Kong Harbour," but was later renamed as "Victoria Harbour," to assure shelter for the British fleet under .

The subject of pollution arrived in the 1970s with rapid growth in the manufacturing sector. The water club races were stopped in 1973 due to pollution in the harbour.

After completion of the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation Feasibility Study in 1989, the Land Development Policy Committee endorsed a concept for gradual implementation of the reclamation. The reclamation consists of three district development cells separated by parks, namely, , and .

The latest proposed reclamation extends along the waterfront from Sheung Wan to Causeway Bay faced public opposition, as the harbour has become a pivotal location to Hongkongers in general. Activists has denounced the government's actions as destructive not only to the natural environment, but also to what is widely considered as one of the most prized natural assets of the territory. s, including the Society for Protection of the Harbour, were formed to resist further attempts to reduce the size of the waterbody, with its chairman, Christine Loh, quoted as saying that the harbour "...is a precious national asset and we must preserve it for future generations. I believe an insightful and visionary Chief Executive would support our stance and work with us to protect the harbour".

Geography

Victorial Harbour covers an area of about 41.88 km? as of 2004. The eastern boundary is generally considered to be the line formed between the westernmost extremity of Siu Chau Wan and the westernmost extremity of A Kung Ngam. The western boundary is generally considered to consist of a line drawn from the westernmost point of Hong Kong Island to the westernmost point of , thence a straight line drawn from the westernmost point of Green Island to the southeastern-most point of Tsing Yi, thence along the eastern and northern coastal lines of Tsing Yi to its westernmost extremity, and thence a straight line drawn true north therefrom to the mainland.

The following are major islands contained within the harbour:
*
*Little Green Island
*Kowloon Rock
*Tsing Yi Island

Due to land reclamation, the following are former islands that are now connected to adjacent lands or larger islands:
*Stonecutters Island
*Channel Rock
*Kellet Island
*Hoi Sham Island
*Nga Ying Chau
*Pillar Island
*Mong Chau
*Chau Tsai

Tourism

The Victoria Harbour is world-famous for its stunning night view and skyline, particularly in the direction towards Hong Kong Island where the skyline of skyscrapers is superimposed over the ridges behind. Among the best places to view the Harbour is at the Victoria Tower on the Victoria Peak, or from the piazza at the or the promenade of Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side. Rides on the Star Ferry to view the harbour are also widely popular.

As the natural centre of the territory, the harbour has played host to many major public shows, including the annual fireworks displays on the second night of the . These shows are popular with tourists and locals alike, and the show is usually telecast on local television. To add to the popularity of the harbour as a sightseeing location, the government introduced a show dubbed ''A Symphony of Lights'', using use audio, lights and pyrotechnics to introduce the city to its viewers every evening.

Also recently opened, was the '''', built along the promenade outside the New World Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Modeled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it honours the most illustrious people the film industry has produced over the past decades.

By the end of November every year, the outer walls of buildings in the central business districts on both side of the harbours are dressed with Christmas-related decorations, and replaced with Lunar New Year-related ones by January.

Port facilities

Victoria Harbour is home to most of the , making Hong Kong amongst the . An average of 220,000 ships visit the harbour each year, including both ocean going vessels and river vessels, for both goods and passengers. The in the western part of the harbour is the main container handling facility, operating round the clock and handling about 62 percent of the 21,930 TEUs handled by the territory in 2004. Some 400 container liners serve Hong Kong weekly, connecting to over 500 destinations around the world.

For many years until 2004, Hong Kong handled the most containers , but it faces competition from the ports in nearby Shenzhen in recent years, with the ports in Shenzhen combined handling more containers than the Kwai Chung terminals since August 2004.Overall, the Hong Kong port has also lost out to the Port of Singapore in containers handled, with Singapore's port outpacing Hong Kong's since the first quarter of 2005.

Transport

There is no bridge crossing the harbour, but there are three cross-harbour tunnels: Cross Harbour Tunnel , Eastern Harbour Crossing , and Western Harbour Crossing . They connect Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula across Victoria Harbour. The three tunnels act as important linkages between the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

Three MTR routes also have tunnels under the Harbour. They are namely:
*
*
* and , which share the same pair of tracks in the tunnel

The Star Ferry has been crossing the harbour since the late 1800s. The operated ferry routes today are: to Tsim Sha Tsui; Wanchai to Tsim Sha Tsui; Central to Hung Hom and Wan Chai to Hung Hom. Some other regular ferry services also operate in the harbour.

The Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company used to operate numerous cross-harbour routes between various piers of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Many of the routes are now operated by . Some of the piers no longer exist because of reclamation projects, or many of the routes became unprofitable. Currently, the company continues to operate vehicular ferry services for vehicles carrying dangerous goods that are prohibited within tunnel crossings.

For international passenger traffic and traffic to mainland China and Macau, there are two ferry terminals, namely and Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal, and a terminal for cruises, the . Another cruise terminal has been proposed.

''See also: Victoria Harbour crossings''

Tung Choi Street

Tung Choi Street is a street between Boundary Street and in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Its southern section is the most well-known street market in Hong Kong selling items of various kinds and is known as Ladies' Market or Ladies' Street . Ladies Market has many products for sale and you can haggle with the shop keeper. The products are not only for women. Many men's and children's products are for sale as well. Soft toys, clothes, bags, jeans, watches,... just to name a few. Its northern section features a market selling goldfish and is called Goldfish Street or .

After each section of Ladies Market there is a small width of road that must be crossed in order to reach the next section and luckily refreshments are available near those intersections. One very popular dessert shop located close to Ladies Market is , with a range of drinks and desserts predominantly featuring mango products, but also fruit, sago, mochi, red bean, etc.

History

The street was built on ''Ipomoea aquatica'' cultivation in a village, Mong Kok Tsuen , in Mong Kok in 1924. The name Tung Choi is the Cantonese name of ''ipomoea aquatica''. As time goes by the village and fields were replaced by high-rise buildings.

Teddy Bear Kingdom

The Teddy Bear Kingdom was an indoor theme in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The park was built in the basement of New World Centre, and was the first amusement park in Hong Kong to use teddy bears as a theme. The park opened on August 9, 2002 and closed less than three years later, in March, 2005. It was replaced by Sogo, a department store.

Soho, Hong Kong

The Soho district in Hong Kong is an entertainment zone located in Mid-levels and bordering Sheung Wan, within the Central and Western district. The name is derived from its location: South of , and it arguably extends up to and including .

One of the easiest ways of getting to Soho is through the Central-Mid-Levels escalator, which was built in 1993. It is said that the very existence of now vibrant Soho is attributed to the creation of the escalator system, which at the time was the longest escalator system in the world, and in fact prior to the escalator the area was populated by many elderley locals, old go-downs and porcelain shops.

The area now consists of restaurants, bars, nightclubs, art galleries and antique stores of Staunton Street and Elgin Street. Soho also is home to the first fulltime comedy club in Asia, The TakeOut Comedy Club Hong Kong. Hong Kong taxi drivers usually regard "Soho" to mean either Staunton Street or . It's easier to say "Soho" than "Standon gai", or "Elay gan gai."

Buildings in the Soho area are a mix of commercial/residential, with the commercial businesses on the lower floors, and residential above the First Floors. Around the same time the Mid Levels Escalator was built, a few foreigners started to move into the area, taking up both commercial premises and renting flats. At the time the flats were cheaper than other expat areas in Hong Kong, and only a few minutes walk from the business district.

The name Soho was first mentioned in a 1996 article in the South China Morning Post newspaper attributed to Elgin Street restaurant owner, Thomas Goetz, who came up with the acronym. Goetz was also instrumental in forming Soho's first business group, and The Soho Association Limited was established in 1998 to represent it's members in relation to difficulties they were experiencing with the local government departments in relation to licencing, and to collectively promote the area. The first Chairman was Jean-Paul Gauci, who had opened many businesses in the area.

However, in 2000, Democratic Party member Kam Nai-wai wanted to see Soho formally re-named the "Elgin/Staunton Street Themed Dining Area", and Kam and some Long-term residents associated the name Soho with being a place of disrepute, with red light district associations. The irony is Elgin Street was known in the 1860s as "Hung Mo Giu Gai," or "Foreign Girls Street," due to the vast number of European-staffed brothels. It was renamed after Lord Elgin, British envoy to China, during the Second Opium War .For several years the Democratic Party fought an ongoing battle against the new bars and restairants in the area, and also against formal adoption of the name "Soho", preferring instead the descriptive "Staunton/Elgin Street Themd Dinning Area", despite the fact that there were more non restaurants businesses than restaurants! The apprehension is that use of the name "Soho" will cause association with the London area of the same name.

Old and New

Like much of Hong Kong, this district treads a precarious balance between preserving the Chinese and colonial culture that shaped it, and recent modern developments. The escalator is a quintessential symbol of modernity which has encroached on the residential neighbourhood, bringing with it expats and the bars, cafes and boutiques which help cocoon some from Cantonese traditions.

The contrast between the past and present enriches the area and makes for great sightseeing on foot. The newly signposted ''Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail'' guides visitors along 16 points of historical interest from The University of Hong Kong to Central, taking in century old steps and leafy residential lanes. Unfortunately, most of the sites from Dr Sun's past have long been razed, replaced by concrete skyscrapers that are characteristic of 21st century Hong Kong. Even the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum's grandiose facade off Caine Road is easy to miss, perched as it is upon Castle Road which turns up through Mid-levels, surrounded by modern blocks.

Nowhere is the contrast more apparent than on the northern edge of Soho, on Hollywood Road itself where the brand new multistorey Centre Stage upscale residential complex towers alongside the historic Man Mo Temple.

When following Staunton Street west from the escalator, what was once a single block of conspicuously expat hangouts has migrated beyond. As property developers and entrepreneurs spread their reach into Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun, it's not hard to imagine what will become of the old neighbourhood.

Repulse Bay

Repulse Bay is an area in the southern part of Hong Kong Island, located in the , Hong Kong.

History

In 1841, the bay was used as a base by pirates and caused serious concern to foreign merchant ships trading with China. The pirates were subsequently repulsed by the British Fleet; hence the name. Another theory holds that the bay was named after which was stationed at the bay at one point.

In the 1910s, Repulse Bay was developed into a beach, and the Repulse Bay Hotel was built in 1920. To attract swimmers, a bus route from to Repulse Bay was created, and now stands as one of Hong Kong's oldest bus routes. During the Battle of Hong Kong in World War II, Repulse Bay was an important strategic location.

The beach was extended artificially, and thus the sand closer to the shore is coarser than that further away.

Present

The former Repulse Bay Hotel was refurnished to become a shopping mall in 1982, providing coffee shops, boutique stores and up-market restaurants. The hotel's colonial architecture was retained.

On the eastern end of the beach is a temple to Tin Hau, with prominent statues of two goddesses, Kwun Yum and . Also overlooking Repulse Bay, although from higher up, is the famous "building with a hole".

The Repulse Bay area is one of the most expensive housing areas in Hong Kong, due to the nice surroundings. The prices are matched only by the mid-levels at Victoria Peak. In 2006, some property prices reached HK$20,000 per square feet.

Stanley Ho owns both 1 Repulse Bay Road and 4 Repulse Bay Road.

Transport

Repulse Bay is served by Repulse Bay Road, which connects Wong Nai Chung Gap Road and Tai Tam Road. It is very convenient for people to travel to Repulse Bay as there many from Central, such as no. 6, 6A, 6X, 260; or the no. 40 . Transportation either takes you express through the Aberdeen Tunnel, or along the slightly longer scenic route.

Beach-goers may also opt to drive there. The beach provides some parking space, and the nearby Repulse Bay Hotel also has parking facilities.

Cultural references

Author Eileen Chang's novel, Love in a Fallen City is set at the Repulse Bay Hotel.

Panorama