Vignettes of the World
The day was blessed with generous sunshine and it was extremely hot. There was quite a bit of walk to the Tai O Heritage Hotel from the bus stop, via parts of the Tai O town. I took my time, my tour would take place …
I needed a getaway and decided to go local this time. I booked a hostel in Lantau Island for a two-day one-night stay. With anticipation I embarked upon my journey. The first stop was Bathers at Lower Cheung Sha Beach for a beachside lunch. I …
On my way to the Museum of Coastal Defence, I passed by some heritage sites in Shau Kei Wan. Here are the gems that I found in this neighborhood.
Even as early as the 18th century, Shau Kei Wan was known to the fishermen to be a good storm shelter. There was a large fishing population there, as well as the quarries run by the Hakka people. The population boomed and by the end of World War II, the area has become a fish trading market. As can be seen below, Shau Kei Wan’s development was shaped by the fishermen and the quarrymen that found their homes here centuries ago.
Shau Kei Wan today is a large residential area especially known for its good food. The Shau Kei Wan Wholesale Fish Market is still operating today, where people can buy fresh sea catch from the fishermen.
The original Tin Hau Temple of Shau Kei Wan was built in 1873. It is believed that the temple was constructed due to the initiatives of a quarry owner and the fishermen of Shau Kei Wan. The quarry owner, whose quarry lied close by in A Kung Ngam, worshipped Tin Hau, the Sea Goddess. He asked for the protection of his stone transportation fleet to sail wide and far safely. For the fishermen, Tin Hau was always the deity that protected them at sea.
The original Tin Hau Temple of Shau Kei Wan was destroyed by a typhoon. Although this temple was destroyed, Shau Kei Wan as a whole suffered much less damage from this typhoon than other districts. The people wanted to thank Tin Hau for this protection, and rebuilt the temple in 1873 at the same site. Thereafter, this Tin Hau Temple underwent restoration in 1876, 1902, 1920, 1948 and 2005.
Standard architectural features are present in this Tin Hau Temple. It adopts the format of two-halls and three-bays. The resident deities at this Tin Hau Temple are Tin Hau, Lu Dongbin (one of the Eight Immortals), and Kwun Yam (the Goddess of Mercy).
The Tin Hau Temple of Shau Kei Wan is a Grade 2 Historic Building.
On the way to the Museum of Coastal Defence, I stopped by the A Kung Ngam Shipyard of Shau Kei Wan. I found the scene there to be very photogenic and took a few photographs there. Here is the story I learned about the shipyard there.
The Wong Pui Kee Ship Company (Pui Kee, Perfect Shipyard) was established by the family of the Wong’s around the 1940s or so, during the Sino-Japanese War. Its owner Mr. Wong Kwai Chuen’s father came to Hong Kong from Guangzhou.
At first, Perfect Shipyard was in the business of ship making only. In those days, Shau Kei Wan’s shelter was full of boats, like thousands of them. Those were the heyday of Mr. Wong’s business. The famous Keying II, commissioned by shipping tycoon Y.K. Pao, was made in Mr. Wong’s shipyard.
As the industry and the economy progressed, the shipyard shifted its business to offer ship repair. The rise of marine tourism in Sai Kung was one factor that kept the business booming. In fact, Mr. Wong’s shipyard is still operating today, and it had actually benefitted from the COVID pandemic as well because the ships could not be repaired in China.
The A Kung Ngam Shipyard remains ever so photogenic today, a scene of industry that once thrived in Hong Kong’s past life. May its spirit of perseverance live on, here and there.
In this area of Shau Kei Wan, also known as A Kung Ngam, the name A Kung, meaning “maternal grandfather,” comes from Tam Kung. Tam Kung is the god of the sea as worshipped by the quarrymen of Shau Kei Wan. In his place of origin, Huizhou, he was known, at a young age, to have the powers of prophecies (especially in predicting the weather) and healing. As such he was very relevant to both the quarrymen and the fishermen of Shau Kei Wan.The people from Huizhou settled down in Shau Kei Wan and brought their belief in Tam Kung with them.
The Tam Kung Temple of Shau Kei Wan was built in 1905. It is a Grade 3 Historic Building.
The Tam Kung Temple of Shau Kei Wan is one of the few Tam Kung temples in Hong Kong. There are Tam Kung temples in Happy Valley, Tung Ping Chau and Shek Pai Wan. The Tam Kung birthday is still being celebrated now. Festivities include a parade and traditional Chinese shows on stage.
The personal histories and industries of the people of Shau Kei Wan were themselves the face of Shau Kei Wan, a community with humble roots going back to centuries of hard work and survival.
Chinese Temples Committees website, Tam Kung Temple, Shau Kei Wan.
The Wikipedia on Shau Kei Wan.
etnet.com, Shau Kei Wan’s Old Shipyard Stands Tall for 70 Years (Chin).
On our last day in Dameisha, I took a walk in the Biling Hiking Trail, which is part of the Malian Mountain Country Park. I have done solo hiking in Xianggong Shan of Xingping, Guilin before. But this hiking experience is significant because I did …
As of April 2025, the Interlaken Resort in Shenzhen is permanently closed. There were those days. A few decades ago, my family took a vacation in Xiaomeisha in Shenzhen. That was when even the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant had not been built yet. In …
This is my second time visiting the Museum of Coastal Defense. My last visit was more than ten years ago. Revisiting this incredibly interesting museum, I found the learning to be even more comprehensive than my last visit.
It is my view that the Museum of Coastal Defense is the only place in Hong Kong where a coherent narrative of the British’s presence in Hong Kong is presented, a narrative approached from the specific angle of the defense of Hong Kong during war times. Surely, in British Hong Kong’s history there was really only one invasion that took place during WWII by the Japanese imperial forces. But the defense of Hong Kong was always a critical matter for the British military, due to the threats of war from other European powers during the 19th century, and the British’s own ambitions in China.
The exhibitions at the Museum of Coastal Defense lay out story of Hong Kong’s military defense in full light, beginning in the early dynastic times before the British takeover. The exhibitions then proceed to tell visitors about the British’s strategic considerations in preparing Hong Kong against the threat of invasion as early as the 19th century, as soon as the British took over the administration of Hong Kong.
The former site of the Museum of Coastal Defense is the Lyemun Fort. The Lei Yue Mun Channel is a narrow maritime approach to the Victoria Harbour from the east. At the Lyemun Fort, one can see the fortifications at Devil’s Peak. Together these locations on the headlands along the sides of the channel provided strategic defensive advantages as recognized by the British military in the late 19th century. Construction for the Lyemun Fort completed in 1887.
However, the Lyemun Fort lost its significance as a defensive position during the early 20th century, especially when the batteries at Pak Sha Wan, Devil’s Peak and Sai Wan began their service. As a matter of efficacy, the British military determined that the firing range of the defensive positions in Lyemun Fort was too narrow. Therefore, at the time of the Japanese invasion in 1941, the Lyemun Fort was already decommissioned.
After WWII, the British military further determined that the Lyemun Fort was too exposed in the air. Therefore the Lyemun Fort permanently retired from active defensive posture. Instead, it became the venue for the storage of ammunition, as well as military training.
In 2000 the Hong Kong Government turned this site into the Museum of Coastal Defense, and since then it has served the very important purpose of educating the public about the lesser-known history of war and defense in Hong Kong.
A comprehensive tour of the Museum of Coastal Defense should take at least 2-3 hours. Besides the fact that the site is itself very big, there is also the need to go through a few really wonderful exhibition galleries at the former redoubt. There are a whole lot of outdoor displays as well. Please be sure to visit the museum on a non-rainy day. On sunny days, bring a hat, put on sunscreen and have bottled water with you.
The former Redoubt of the Lyemun Fort hosts the exhibitions in a spacious and air-conditioned place for visitors to enjoy the history learning. The former Redoubt had 14 casemates, which were used as barrack rooms, magazines, engine room, coal storage etc. The soldiers used to assemble in the open courtyard. The Redoubt was reinforced by a defensive ditch (more below).
There are a total of 11 galleries in the permanent exhibition, detailing the history of Hong Kong’s military defense with wonderful photographs and coherent narratives. I had a great time visiting the main galleries that showcased the strategic measures taken by the British for the defense of Hong Kong during WWII. That certainly was the crux of the exhibitions, and I encourage readers to spend a bit of time to see those galleries. In here I would like to introduce to readers the defense of Hong Kong before the British takeover.
The exhibition is entitled Hong Kong Defence in the Past. Even as early as the Tang Dynasty, Tuen Mun has been a military outpost that protected maritime trade. Over the later dynastic times of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the defense of Hong Kong had the twin purposes of proper national defense as well as the protection of trade against the menace of pirates.
The story of the last emperors of Southern Song dynasty taking refuge in Hong Kong is well known. But besides the stationing of Song troops in the Kowloon City area that protected the last two young (boy) emperors of the Song Dynasty, there were troops guarding the eastern seas of Hong Kong in Fat Tong Mun (Sai Kung) as well, to protect the salt production of that area and in the Lantau Island.
The Lei Yue Mun Gap was once a hotbed for both pirates and resistance fighters of the Ming dynasty, as such the Qing government had long been wary of threat. It was due to the existence of remnant Ming forces in Hong Kong and Taiwan that the imperial edict for coastal evacuation was issued in the 8th year of the Kangxi reign (1699).
On display at this exhibition are some of the historical military artefacts, including the oldest Chinese-cast cannon discovered within Hong Kong, an instrument of the Yongli reign of the Ming dynasty.
This exhibition shows amply the fact that for all of Hong Kong’s history it has had military significance for both the imperial governments of China and the British administration. Although the military significance would not be considered a “defining feature” of Hong Kong, it was always operating in the minds of the governments that saw the strategic value of Hong Kong being the southern opening to China.
There are plenty of outdoor exhibitions showcasing some retired weaponry and military installations. The Armaments Display Area lies close to the entrance of the museum.
I will go through the ones that I found particularly fascinating.
According to the descriptions on site, “a ditch is a channel around a defensive position, designed to form a barrier around caponier to slow down or break up an enemy attack.”
A caponier is a Victorian era military structure, where soldiers are placed in a shelter with gun slits for shooting the intruders. In the South Caponier of Lyemun Redoubt, there were 14 firing slits, an underground passage, a drawbridge and a trough to serve the objective of pushing back potential approaching enemies.
The ditch at the Lyemun Redoubt is a dry ditch, unlike the typical moats that afford protection to more traditional forts. However, with the advance of weaponry technology at the end of the 19th century, the use of ditches, caponiers and ramparts gradually faded out. There was no longer the engagement of tunnel warfare around these types of structures.
The Brennan Torpedo Station in the Museum of Coastal Defense is likely the only such military facility in all of Hong Kong. This part of the exhibition is both indoors (the torpedo station) and outdoors (the torpedo launch). When you descend the stairs from the uphill part of the museum, you will come across the channel through which the torpedo was meant to launch into the sea. Then a bit father you will find the proper exhibition area showing torpedoes and how this facility was intended to work. I thought this was the most awesome part of the museum.
The Brennan Torpedo Station “was commissioned in 1894 to cope with the emerging threat of ironclads.” A whole lot of secrecy existed surrounding the whole project, including the invention, manufacturing and the actual operation of the torpedo. The inventor, Louis Brennan, claimed that the torpedo was steerable.
Above the exhibition galleries at the former redoubt, Madam Hong Café serves a full menu with hot foods and coffee and drinks. The venue offers a 90 degree view of the Lei Yue Mun Pass. It is a perfect illustration of the history learning at the galleries—how the narrowest maritime approach in the Victoria Harbour would be strategically important for incoming invasion.
Although that fact is no longer so relevant to Hong Kong now, the café’s view and comfortable seating area is a perfect way to enjoy the day. I highly recommend stopping by this café, if only for coffee, before heading out to see the outdoor exhibitions in the Museum of Coastal Defense.
A book that is right on point is recommended by the Museum of Coastal Defence. The author is Dr. Soloman Matthew Bard, Notes on the History of Hong Kong’s Coastal Defence during the British Administration, with Special Reference to Lei Yue Mun (2015). It is available at the Hong Kong Public Library.
The address of the Museum of Coastal Defense is 175 Tung Hei Road, Shau Kei Wan. The closest MTR station is Shau Kei Wan, and the walk from it to the museum takes about 10 minutes.
There is no entrance fee to enter the Museum.
Descriptions on site at the Museum of Coastal Defence
The Website of the Museum of Coastal Defence.
We strolled through more of the old town of Khiva, and came upon a little coppersmith shop. The small shop displayed many goods of interests, a humble collection of finished products and some were work-in-progress. The coppersmith was playing with some of his instruments when …
Khiva was clean, neat and windswept. We went right by the Kalta Minor to find the Orient Star Khiva Hotel, which took over the original site of the Madrassa Muhammad Aminkhan as its place of business. The construction for the Kalta Minor was never finished …
I’d be willing to offer a bag of gold in exchange for just one look at the ancient city of Khiva.
This Central Asian saying speaks amply to Khiva’s historic status as one of the most beautiful and storied cities along the ancient silk road in Uzbekistan. And having spent almost two days there, I would say Khiva lives amply up to its good name.
We woke up to brilliant rays of the morning sun and took our time at breakfast. The weather remained somewhat chilly, but the generous sunshine well compensated for the cold. There was no plan today, we would simply walk around the Ichon Qala (also Itchan Kala), as it is a well-defined, enclosed area with an endless number of heritage mosques, madrassas and defense fortifications.
Khiva is, in many ways, distinct from Samarkand and Bukhara. Known as an “open air museum,” Khiva’s Ichon Qala envisions itself as a place for the tourists. Whereas both in Samarkand and in Bukhara there were opportunities for us to take but a glimpse of the local residents’ lives there, in Khiva tourism is the very life itself for Khiva’s people. You do pay for this, as a result – the first thing to note is the (comparatively) costly entrance fee for the Ichon Qala. It costs 100,000 Som (about US$8) to enter and tour the city, and at key sites they will check your ticket (such as the Juma Mosque, which is a must-see). Also, there is a separate fee to enter the Pahlavon Mahmud complex, and we decided not to see it. This ticket will enable unlimited entry for two days at all other ancient sites in the Ichon Qala.
The Ichon Qala is a UNESCO heritage site. It is a well-defined area as enclosed by the Ark of Khiva. There are endless madrassas inside the Ichon Qala, along with mosques and mausoleums. Having spent just 1.5 days there, I think the Kunya Ark, the Juma Mosque, the Madrassa Muhammad Aminkhan, the Zarafshon Café, which is located in the Tolib Masxum Madrassa, and finally the former palace Tash Khauli were must-see attractions in Ichon Qala.
For as long as the existence of the ancient Silk Road Khiva had been the very last stop on the Central Asian segment of the trade route. For the caravan traders Khiva was a water stop for their fleet through the vast aridity of the Kyzylkum Desert, which was wedged between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya rivers.
According to legends, Shem, one of Noah’s sons, found sweet water here (“Khey-vakh”), thus began the name of this city as Khiva. It is believed that Khiva was founded around the 5th or 4th century B.C. Khiva was known to the Arabs as early as the 10th century. It must be noted that, like so many ancient cities in now Uzbekistan, Khiva was not spared from the brutality of the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. The Mongols razed down Khiva and therefore some of the ancient structures had to be rebuilt in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In 1511, the Khorezm khanate was established in this area. By the end of the 16th century, Khiva has risen to become the capital of choice for the Khorezm khanate, which rivalled the neighboring Shaybanid of Bukhara. Most of the grand heritage structures standing in Khiva now belonged to this era. By the mid 17th century, stronghanded khans Abdul Gazi Khan and his son Anusha Khan finally took the khanate to an era of glory, and they went to war with Bukhara as well.
As it turned out the Khorezm Khanate would continue to have century-long animosity with the Russians, the origin of which concerned the issue of slavery. In the times of the ancient silk road, both Bukhara and Khiva were loved and feared by the traders. While they presented excellent business opportunities for trade in all kinds of goods in their markets, in both locations the traders and their fleets were often abducted and turned into slaves. In the 16th century or so, slave trade ran rampant in Khiva, with going rates for all kinds of people based on their physiques, gender and race. Russians would fetch a high price, especially the men. Russia had repeatedly protested the taking of their men for trade, only to fall on deaf ears.
The savagery of the Khorezm khanate would eventually lead to its demise as the Russians made their final invasion in 1873 and succeeded in taking down Khiva. In 1717, Tsar Peter sent Prince Bekovich to Khiva wanting to learn about the potential of gold discovery in the Khorezm khanate and a new water route to British India. The khan welcomed the 4,000-strong Russian troop, only to slaughter them all later. Prince Bekovich was flayed alive. Thereafter, the Russians made a second attempt at invading Khiva between 1839 and 1840, but failed due to the snowy weather and terrain.
It was only with the third attempt made in 1873 that the Russians entered Khiva successfully. In 1920, Khan Abdulla abdicated and later died. The region was proclaimed the Khorezm People’s Republic. In 1922 the region became part of the Soviet Republic, and finally in 1924 joined the republic of Uzbekistan.
The typical turquoise of Uzbek architecture scintillated a minty brilliance under Khiva’s desert sun. When I had my first view of this ancient city under natural daylight, I noticed quite a number of minarets throughout the city. One after another, the minarets stood in varying heights, at 200m apart from each other. They crowd the scene with a grandeur that stood against the ravages of time—well, at least since the 18th to 19th century, when the city went through wholesale restoration and reconstruction after the destructions caused mostly by wars.
The minarets, 14 of which remain standing in the city, have certainly lost all of their intended functions for both religious and defensive purposes. The call to prayers by Uzbekistan’s minarets was stopped in 2005 after the Andijan incident and the subsequent massacre, with the government citing Islam extremism as the reason for the original protest. There was some revival of the Azan (the call to prayer) in a limited fashion in more recent years.
The first spot that we came upon was the petite bazaar next to the Kalta Minor Minaret. While we did love the beautiful, handcrafted pieces there, we noticed something that was slightly disappointing—being exposed to the elements of the desert climate, a lot of the goods were tainted by the sand and dusts. We did not buy anything, but instead savored the views of bazaars that were more in tune with the ancient middle eastern street markets in my imagination, the ones that were the elixir of life in ancient economies.
My first impression of Khiva was thus, “it is either heritage or bazaar here,” as I was muttering to myself. Suffice to say, those alone could keep us engaged for the next 1.5 days, in a series of busy sightseeing that involved a great deal of learning, and most importantly, the appreciation of the beauty of the ancient silk road that was preserved to this day.
I did offer the price of a gold coin just to see Uzbekistan.
Sources
Sophie Ibbotson, Uzbekistan, Bradt Travel Guide (2020).
Calum Macleod, Uzbekistan: the Golden Road to Samarkand (2014).
National Institute of Informatics, Digital Silk Road Project, The Journey to Khiva, the World Heritage in Silk Road Through Old Photographs.
At the roadside restaurant, where most tourists stopped for their meals in a vast stretch of no man’s land, we had a much-needed Lachman in hot soup. I also had the opportunity to put on whatever pieces of clothing that I had with me to …