Vignettes of the World
Take a walk in Central during non-office hours and you find two hot spots that brim with tourist energy. The Tsim Chai Kee wonton noodles and Lan Fong Yuen together take over the little walking space there is in the Central Mid-levels escalator area as …
Tai O of Lantau Island is known for many wonderful things. A thorough exploration of the treasures of Tai O is a whole-day affair. I have previously covered the Tai O Heritage Hotel, formerly Old Tai O Police Station. On this slightly cloudy spring day …
Founded in 1911, St. Paul’s Church stands beautifully on Glenealy in Neo-Gothic, Classical Revival and Dutch styles of architecture. The church belongs to a group of heritage buildings that stand on an area named Tit Kong, the Iron Mound. This group of heritage buildings include the church itself, the Bishop’s House, and the Old S.K.H. Kei Yan Primary School—amongst the many other Anglican buildings in the general area.
The buildings at the Iron Mound are the very testaments to the Anglican Church’s pastoral and educational missions in Hong Kong. Throughout the 20th century, the Anglican Church has established multiple schools in this location. The Bishop’s House (1851), for example, once served as the collegiate schoolhouse for St. Paul’s College, where prominent Hong Kong legislative councilor Wu Ting Fang once attended school.
Of the Anglican denomination, St. Paul’s Church came into existence by the efforts of four critical persons. At the time of founding, Lam Woo, Huang Mou Lin, Li Wei Zhen and Reverend A.D. Stewart called for the establishment of a church for the expatriate congregation of the Anglican faith in Hong Kong.
Throughout a century of its history, St. Paul’s Church has nurtured 35 bishops, 6 of whom became the archbishops in Hong Kong and overseas.
The St. Paul’s Church was one of the early Anglican parishes that began preaching in Chinese. It grew into a sizable church, and by 1938 it came under the administration of the Anglican Church in Hong Kong. During the Japanese Occupation, the church was turned into the training site for the kempeitai of the Japanese Imperial Army. After WWII, the church established the Sheng Kung Hui Kindergarten, bringing home its efforts in offering Christian education to the locals of Hong Kong.
If you take a stroll in this part of Central, just a stone’s throw from the bar and entertainment establishments of Lan Kwai Fong, you will not miss the stately St. Paul’s Church, situated a bit more uphill from the Fringe Club.
If placed in a historical context, this area’s hodge podge of heritage buildings (and yes, Lan Kwai Fong’s bar establishments are also historical) exemplify the varied, colorful and eclectic character that forms the very core of Hong Kong’s heterogeneity. The Fringe Club, formerly Old Dairy Farm Depot, is now an arts and culture venue. The decadence of Lan Kwai Fong’s nightlife is the result of astuteness by the business leaders of Hong Kong. The Anglican cluster of buildings then add to this unlikely mix of heritage the call for atonement and the pursuit of holiness. And surely, St. Paul’s Church’s architecture appeals to the soulful yearnings for peace and hope.
The main architectural style of the St. Paul’s Church is Neo-Gothic, with elements of Classical Revival, Dutch and Tudor.
The first striking impression of the St. Paul’s Church is the Dutch walls featuring the colors of blue and white. The blue color adorns the roof and the mouldings against the white stucco walls.
Extending to a seemingly endless sky is the spire on the southern end of the building that typifies century-old churches anywhere in the world. In the urbanscape that is Hong Kong, this gothic architectural feature of the church embodies a significance that transcends the changing face of Central in the past century.
The other end of the church features a Dutch gable and canted bay. The main arched window in its front is the same motif throughout the upper row of windows that follow in the side walls.
The windows on the upper row of the side walls have pointed arches, a detail that comports with the building’s gothic theme.
Of most significance in St. Paul Church’s interiors are the stained glass panes that lie behind the altar. It was a gift of Reverend Stewart in 1917, shipped from the United Kingdom. The paintings on glass depict the disciples of Jesus Christ and Jesus himself. I was not able to enter the church during non-sermon hours. Therefore, I have not been able to photograph this beautiful piece of installation.
The St. Paul’s Church is a Grade 1 Historic Building.
The Official Website of the St. Paul’s Church and Vicarage.
The Antiquities Advisory Board, Bishop’s House Historical Building Appraisal No. 9 and No. 49.
Master-insight.com, A Building Cluster that Carries the History of Sheng Kung Hui’s Faith and Educational Missions (Chin).
There are not too many options for proper hiking in Sheung Shui. I have covered Tai Shek Mo previously, and today I made it to the Wah Shan hike from Sheung Shui to Fanling. Be prepared to roll on the rolling ridges that fasten themselves …
The Man Mo Temple is one of the earliest temples established in Hong Kong Island. Two wealthy Chinese merchants came up with the funds to build it between 1847 and 1862. Standing on Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan, Man Mo Temple bears witness to the …
Once you’ve had Japanese food in Japan, you can never go back to Japanese food elsewhere.
This has been the comment I have heard from many, many people. As this was my first trip ever to Japan, I naturally had high expectations for its food. Yet, to my great disappointment, the food that I had on this trip had been the worst aspect of the traveling experience. I will discuss briefly some of the food I had in this entry.
As a first course, perhaps the book Rice, Noodle, Fish: Deep Travels Through Japan’s Food Culture by Matt Goulding will be helpful for those who are quite serious in learning about Japanese food. It is so well written that you will salivate by reading it. The book has the power to convey the brilliance of Japanese cuisine in words that readily transform into actual sensations in your palate.
For Hong Kong people, the go-to website for restaurant information is Open Rice. In Japan, the locals use Tabelog. These are sort of equivalent to the American Yelp. The great thing is that Tabelog comes in English as well.
With the exception of Unagiya Hirokawa, there was not one restaurant that required advanced booking. However, there were a few that have limited seating and required some kind of advanced queuing.
For example, Menya Inoichi, a Michelin-recommended ramen house in Kyoto, has only ten spots. Lines form at 5pm for dinner, and I arrived at around 5:35 pm or so. The waiter called out the person right in front of me as the very last customer they could take in the evening. Yes, they cut off the queue right in front of me. I begged, but a no is a no.
The restaurants in the following table come in a random order, it is not a ranking.
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Unagi Hirokawa (Kyoto) | 44-1 Kitatsukurimicho Sagatenryuji, Ukyo-Ku, Kyoto 616-8374 | Unagiya Hirokawa is a 1-star Michelin restaurant serving charcoal grilled freshwater eel over rice. The flavors of the unagi were wonderful, but the eel was lacking in texture. | Lukewarm recommendation |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Curry House Coco Ichibanya (Kyoto) | 411 Matsuyacho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto 600-8105 | Curry House CoCo Ichibanya is a chain restaurant specializing in Japanese curry. I had a katsu curry and it was good. Unlike the Japanese curry I had previously, the dish at Coco Curry came with a bit of heat. It was a pleasant surprise. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Sushiden Kenzan (Kyoto) | 7th Floor, Kyoto Takashimaya Shopping Center | Sushiden Kenzan serves mostly sushi. There was a piece of sushi that I had never tried before in my sushi platter. I thought the sushi was quite good, but perhaps not necessarily much better than what I get in the United States or in Hong Kong. I arrived at a later time of the night and so some of the items I wanted were sold out already. There was a half hour wait around 7:30pm. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Namaste Dhaula Giri
(Kyoto) |
80 Tamamizucho, Higashiyama-Ku, Kyoto | Namaste Dhaula Giri serves Nepalese cuisine near the Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Its curry was excellent with the naan. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Machikadoya Karasuma Gojo
(Kyoto) |
418 Matsuyacho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto 600-8105 | The Machikadoya Karasuma Gojo is a perfect spot for solo diners, offering one-person meals for a super economical price. The food is simple, very basic, but you can taste the natural flavors and it is very satisfying. It is commoners’ food and that was what I liked. Opens 24 hours. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Ootoya
(Kyoto) |
601 Nishiuoyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto 604-8142 | I went into this Ootoya before heading into Nishiki Market because the sign outside says, “fall vegetables,” and I was craving just that. My dish came with a generous portion of wok-fried oysters with an assortment of fall vegetables, and it was exceedingly pleasant. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Marion Crepes
(Kyoto) |
230 Eirakucho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto 604-8071 | In this pedestrian area with many wonderful street food establishments, Marion Crepes offers a wide selection of both savory and sweet crepes. I opted for a simple strawberry with vanilla ice cream. To be fair, it wasn’t too bad. | Lukewarm recommendation |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| 7-Eleven
(Kyoto) |
43-2 Bishamoncho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto 605-0812 | The egg salad sando’s of Japanese convenience stores are world famous. I had just one opportunity to try it near the Kiyomizu-dera Temple. It was quite good. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Natakanidou
(Nara) |
29 Hashimotocho, Nara 630-8217 | The mochi of Natakanidou is the delightful product of the traditional pounding technique of mochisutki. | Must-try |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Kyo Tsuke-men Tsurukame
(Kyoto) |
559 Nakanocho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto 604-8042, Nakagyo Ward | I decided to have a bowl of ramen here because of the “votes” of the Japanese locals. There was a bit of a line. The restaurant was very cramped. I ordered the spicy ramen and it did not turn out that well for me. The broth was simply too thick. But maybe their other ramen flavors would turn out better. | Lukewarm recommendation |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Kyoto Gyo-collet
(Kyoto) |
The shop at Nakagyo Ward (close to the Nishiki Market) closed permanently and they are now at another location. | Gyoza is the Japanese rendition of dumplings. I ordered the kobe beef gyoza at this shop, and it did not turn out well. The meat had a gamey taste that is unusual for beef. It only tasted better after adding soy sauce and their spicy chilli oil. Their gyoza were also way overpriced. | No |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Nero
(Nara) |
39 Hayashikojicho, Nara 630-8227 | Nero is a restaurant in Nara serving Japanese styled western food. I had a burger patty meal, but the meat did not turn out well. Like the kobe beef gyoza at Kyoto Gyo-collet, the buger patty had a gamey taste that is unusual for beef. The restaurant had a pretty cool ambience however. I went in the late afternoon and even then they almost turned me down because they were quite full. | No |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Myriam Café
(Nara) |
39 Hayashikoujicho, Nara-shi, Nara 630-8227 | Myriam is a petite Japanese styled café in Nara. I had its signature chocolate cake with black coffee, and sat there for an afternoon admiring the non-Japanese lady there speaking fluent Japanese. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Moku Kintetsu Nara
(Nara) |
Floor 2, 5 Konishicho, Nara 630-8226 | Yakiniku is Japanese grilled meat. You grill the meat at the table in open fire yourself. I really enjoyed my only dinner in Nara there. Needless to say, all beef is Japanese-grown there. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Sally’s Kitchen (Kyoto) | 400 Funayacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto 604-8051 (inside the Nishiki Market of Kyoto) | Sally’s Kitchen offers the famous Japanese fruit sando’s. I liked my strawberry sando but perhaps it did not live up to all the hype that surrounds it. | Lukewarm recommendation |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Ichibachosou Kaisentonya (Kyoto) | 209 Kajiyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto 604-8052 (inside the Nishiki Market of Kyoto) | In Kyoto’s Nishiki Market, Ichibachosou Kaisentonya offers a wide spectrum of sashimi over rice kaisen-don (seafood rice bowl). I ordered uni (sea urchin) and tuna, which are supposedly the higher-end sashimi, but the food was underwhelming. It was not cheap either. | No |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Romantei Lucua
(Osaka) |
Lucua Food Hall B2 Level | Romantei Lucua is a chain restaurant specializing in beef don (grilled beef over rice). The seasoning was a bit too light at first impression. I added a whole lot of furikake and it was much better. | Lukewarm recommendation |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Oyajino Kushiya Honten
(Osaka) |
2 Chome-4-14 Ebisuhigashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0002 (inside the Shinsekai neighborhood) | Oyajino Kushiya serves a special kind of Osakan food known as kushikatsu, which are skewers deep fried in breaded batter. This restaurant has very interesting ambience and offers more than kushikatsu. I wanted to try it because this type of food typified the Osakan workmen culture as a kind of cheap street food for them. However, it is just not my type of food. | No |
I think what readers can take out of this list is the types of common Japanese food that you should try on your first visit in Japan. Although some of my meals did not turn out so well, the same type of food can be found in other restaurants. If you are quite serious about the local cuisine of Kyoto, certainly look up kyo-kaiseki in your research.
The Gio-ji Temple lies in the quiet of Arashiyama’s back quarters, its petite garden covered in moss. Its humility is deceiving. Unlike the bigger temples, such as Tenryu-ji, Jojakko-ji or the Nison-in Temple, Gio-ji appears, at first glance, to pale significantly in terms of the …
If the 1,200 rakan statues that stand at the Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple represent the Buddhist followers’ celebration of their faith in life, then the 8,000 stone markers at the Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple are the proper tribute to death. The sky opened up at this hour …
The Hehu Xinju is in so many ways representative of Hakka culture in both Shenzhen and in China. In this tour of the enormous Hakka residential complex, I learned about the significance of the Luo family, who established its prominence in Shenzhen since the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty.
The address of Hehu Xinju is No.1, Luoruihe North Street, Longgang District, Shenzhen.
Before the formal establishment of Shenzhen as a district in 1979, about 60% of the population in residence in Bao’an County were of Hakka origin. As such, there are hundreds of Hakka old villages in Shenzhen alone. Most of them came to Shenzhen during the Qing dynasty, or even from an older time. Both the Gankeng Ancient Hakka Townlet and the Dapeng Fortress were Hakka settlement areas, and I have told their stories.
The Hehu Xinju, however, is quite distinct from the other two, in the fact that it is a walled village. The walled village is a feature for Hakka architecture. It serves, first and foremost, defensive purposes. It also prescribes an approximate square or rectangular layout for the village’s residential life.
Hehu Xinju, meaning “crane lake villa,” is one of the best preserved Hakka “wai” (walled) villages in Shenzhen. Of the Luo clan of Hakka people, the walled village consists of two wall enclosures. There lie three main courts in the main axis separated by courtyards, and two rows of houses on the side. The ancestral hall lies at the very center of the whole village.
In terms of defensive structures, both walls feature multistory diaolou’s and watchtowers. While the inner wall is a square, the outer wall is shaped like a trapezoid. The walled village exhibits a well-planned layout that typifies a few ancient architectural styles, primarily the fudi (mansion) style of China’s central plains. It is no surprise that it took decades for the Luo villagers to complete the construction of this residential complex.
As one of the most significant Hakka walled villages in China, Hehu Xinju spans a large area of 25,000 square meters. There are more than 300 chambers in the village. Construction for Hehu Xinju began during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty (1736-1795), and it was completed during the 22nd year of the Jiaqing reign (1817), apparently the joint effort of three generations for five decades.
The Luo’s was a prominent lineage in China’s history, tracing back to the Luo State of the pre-Qin dynasty period. The Luo’s of Hehu Xinju are the direct descendants of the Luo’s from Dongmen, Xingning in northeastern Guangdong. The founder of Hehu Xinju is Luo Ruifeng. He is the 16th generation of the Luo’s ancestors.
The migration of the Hakka people into now Shenzhen peaked during the Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns of the Qing dynasty. Luo Ruifeng came to Longgang District during that time as well, in the 23rd year of the Qianlong reign (1758).
Luo Reuifeng was known for his keen foresights, diligence, frugality and business acumen. At first, he engaged in farming and commerce. He slowly grew his business as a small vendor to the firm of Ruihe Trading Firm. At its peak, the Ruihe Trading Firm had hundreds of stores.
The Luo’s became very prominent in Shenzhen during the Qing dynasty. But even as early as the late Qing dynasty, during the Guangxu period, a number of the Luo’s went abroad to capture the rising wave of migrant opportunities. Some of them ended up in Southeast Asia, and some went as far as the Americas. Out of the estimated 8,600 descendants of Luo’s, about 5,600 remain in China, and the rest are living in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the United States, Jamaica, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Suriname, Tahiti and New Zeeland.
Finally, amongst all these descendants there were famous persons. The Luo’s proud lineage has continued into the modern times. A descendant Luo Qiuhang, who was an avid supporter of the 1911 Revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty, had lived in Hehu Xinju. During the 1930s and 1940s, he led the effort to establish a logistics company, helping Longgang’s economic development. His former residence is also featured at Hehu Xinju (more below).
Allow for about two hours to walk through Hehu Xinju Walled Village.
Today, all of Hehu Xinju is turned into a museum that showcases both the history of the Luo’s, the walled village architecture and Hakka culture, as well as the latest creations of contemporary artists. Perhaps because of the international character of the Luo family descendants, all the key exhibits on site come in Chinese and English. That makes touring very easy for international visitors.
I think a walk through the whole area is worthwhile. The ambience is serene, the structures are well-preserved and the exhibits are mostly engaging. I will point out some of the more prominent features to watch out for in this tour.
Upon arrival, you will see a beautiful halfmoon lake right outside of the main entrance into Hehu Xinju. Traditionally, it is considered an exceedingly good fengshui for Chinese structures to “sit against the mountain, facing water.” The half-moon lake serves this purpose.
The inner “ring” enclosed by the inner wall was the first section that was built, then the villagers slowly added the surrounding structures that were enclosed by the outer wall. At the watchtower of the inner enclosure, the village established the private school for its children. Named Yiyan School, it has the meaning of “the elders provide for their descendants, much like the swallow protects is young with its wings.” Beginning in the third generation of the Luo’s in Longgang, Shenzhen, some of the descendants became very achieved in scholarship and served as government officials.
And the Daifu Residence plaque of the Qing dynasty is the perfect witness to the Luo’s emphasis on erudition. “Daifu” was a title for scholars that served as civilian government officials during the imperial times of China. The daifu that earned this plaque was Luo Zhaoxiong, third-generation grandson of the Luo family. He was the Minister of Confucian Education of Guangzhou. The plaque was bestowed upon him in the 14th year of the Daogguang reign (1834) in recognition of his efforts on disaster relief after a flood.
Glass was used Chinese architecture only during the mid-Qing dynasty. Before then, thin paper or woven yarn were used as the medium of light transmissions in windows. In a room in Hehu Xinju, people discovered a set of rare Qing-era sea mirror windows. They turned out to be the largest and best-preserved sea mirror windows in Shenzhen.
These pieces are called sea mirror because they are actually thinned oyster shells installed amidst the diamon-shaped wooden frame. “When they are dusted off, it looks as if the shells like fish scales shinning quietly in the aged wooden frames and some rainbow colors show. The unique ice cracks on the shells make each shell different from others.”
Luo Qiuhang is a prominent figure of the Luo’s in Hehu Xinju during the modern times. In one of the chambers, his former residence is restored. As the leader of the family during the modern times, Luo lived with wealth and his residence was notably more lavish than the commoners’ home.
The Back Yard features a nicely landscaped garden space lined with old trees. There you will find the Old Well, as well as the Dragon Hall of the Outer Wall, which was a watch tower.
The Dragon Hall is completely dilapidated by now, but it came with a fascinating history during World War II, when the Japanese forces tried to annihilate the people of Hehu Xinju by burning it down. The villagers escaped unscathed due to the design of the Dragon Hall, which provided ample access for escape.
All touring at the museums is done on the ground level and there is no tourist access to the towers.
Descriptions on site at Hehu Xinju.
Baidu.com, Shenzhen Hakka Walled Villages (Chin).
Sheung Shui Heung, also known as Sheung Shui Wai, is traditionally of the Liu surname. As a large centuries-long settlement area for indigenous villagers, Sheung Shui Heung has a few heritage sites worthy of visiting. I have discussed the stately Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral …