Vignettes of the World
At first glance of the introduction of Kaiping, I was actually least interested in Liyuan. Somehow when the Diaolou’s are placed in a rich man’s manicured garden they seemed to lose authenticity to me. As it turned out, the Liyuan Diaolou’s were very engaging as …
For a very long time, the Lin Heung Tea House of Sheung Wan was known for being a prime touristy restaurant that the Hong Kong locals do not go. Often touted as the “most traditional dim sum in Hong Kong,” the restaurant served its dim …
The free public tour at the Hong Kong Observatory is rumored to be very difficult for anyone to secure a spot. I was fortunate that I succeeded in signing up in my first attempt. On a rainy afternoon I headed to the Observatory with much anticipation. There was a short walk up a small hill. When I saw multiple families with children on the way, I knew I was at the observatory. It is indeed a very educational and fun activity for families with young children.
Established in 1883, the Observatory was intended to be a site of observation of astronomical phenomena. As such, it was not, strictly speaking, a meteorological institute. The original intention of the Observatory was to assist maritime navigation by telling time and forecasting storms. And its name, the Hong Kong Observatory, has been used since, (as Royal Observatory between 1912 and 1997) to express the original intention of the institution.
Photo: The Hong Kong meridian was recently re-discovered at the Observatory after an inquiry made by a geographer during COVID.
The Hong Kong Observatory building is an antique monument. Built in 1884 in the Victorian-Colonial style, the building features two stories in a rectangular block with very classy verandas. The New Centennial Building next door has given home to the scientific wing of the Observatory since 1984.
There is a small exhibition gallery dedicated to showing the Observatory’s history, as well as some very interesting relics. It is part of the guided tour.
In our tour, we learned plenty of interesting facts about the weather forecasting function of the Observatory. I will discuss just a few of those lessons here. In the front patch, there are a number of functioning and nonfunctioning instruments related to weather forecasting. A set of enormous metal typhoon signals hang there. They are the very testament to how technology changes official practice, resulting in changes of the standard official language.
In a bygone time that I still remember, the Hong Kong Observatory’s language reporting typhoons references to the act of “hoisting,” as in “Typhoon Signal No. 8 has been hoisted.” Back in those days, the Hong Kong Observatory would actually hoist these very heavy metal-made typhoon signs on its pole on its Tsim Sha Tsui premise. Those were the days when this hillside location was a high point, where people in approaching ships and surrounding buildings could see the signs. Times have changed, and so has the urban face of Hong Kong. There is no longer any point in “hoisting” the typhoon signals now, as every single building in Tsim Sha Tsui has dwarfed the typhoon pole by now. The metal framed typhoon signs are simply relics these days, and the standard language for typhoons is “Typhoon Signal No. X has now been issued.”
On the website of the Hong Kong Observatory, there are both satellite and radar images that indicate the movements of clouds, rainbands, and typhoons. It was only with the explanations given by our tour guides that I understood the difference.
The satellites detect the projected path of a storm. Satellite cameras can capture the accurate images of a storm system as viewed from space. Hong Kong does not have its own satellites, but the Hong Kong Observatory maintains relationships with the meteorological institutes abroad to obtain satellite images of storm systems.
The radar uses electronic signals that transmits through the air from the ground radar stations (where you see a giant white globes on tall mountains, those are radars). These transmissions will hit objects in the atmosphere and bounce back, resulting in data that can be interpreted to detect clouds, rain and tornadoes. The intensity of the reflected signal will indicate the severity of the weather condition being scanned.
There are three radar stations that belong to the Hong Kong Observatory, namely Tai Mo Shan, Tates Cairn and Tai Lam Chung. The one in Tai Lam Chung is used exclusively for the airport. Tai Mo Shan is for general use, and Tates Cairn is a backup radar.
At the Observatory, one would easily be drawn to the beautiful colonial architecture of the old observatory building. But in fact, almost all of the scientific fact gathering takes place in the front patch.
The Observatory’s standard language that references “so-and-so is situated at [distance] km [cardinal direction] of the Observatory” presents an interesting point of learning. From which point is this distance and cardinal direction measured? The answer is in the front patch. This short stone post in the photograph is what indicates the location of “the Observatory” in this statement. It is an actual, physical, identifiable point from which the distance and cardinal direction of a certain something is measured.
The issuance of the rainstorm signals depends on the hourly rainfall rate. For example, where the hourly rainfall rate has reached 30mm per hour, then the condition will warrant the issuance of the amber warning.
This data of hourly rainfall rate is collected with very simple instruments, and basically, buckets. During rainy days, the staff of the Observatory periodically come to the front patch and take the rainwater collected in the cup anemometer and tipping bucket to gauge the hourly rainfall. We had the pleasure to watch a staff removing the bucket when we were right at the front patch for this tour. The Observatory is capable of seismic detection as well, and this equipment is underground, also at the front patch.
A building that also looks very classic and colonial-styled stands next to the antique Observatory building. Although this is not an antique monument, it has enormous significance as the residency for the administration of the Observatory.
The inaugural Government Astronomer of the Hong Kong Observatory was Dr. William Doberck. The current Director is Dr. Chan Pak Wai. The administration of the Hong Kong Observatory is made up of the Director, Assistant Director and many science officers.
Throughout the Observatory’s history, most of the directors have lived in this building. There is a residency on site because Typhoons 8, 9, 10 and black rainstorm warning must be signed off by the director, and he is also required to be on duty throughout the whole time that these signals are in effect.
Given the tour’s exceptionally educational nature, many children were keen at the presentation. The natural question thus arose. “What would one have to study in order to work at the observatory?”
There was no doubt that everybody at the observatory must have majored in physics. Nope, not geography or other kinds of science. Physics, and a heavy focus on math. All of the functions that the Hong Kong Observatory engages in require measurements and the interpretation of data. Physics and math are necessary.
To this day, the weather maps at the Observatory are still hand-drawn, four times daily. To be the weather artists at the Observatory, one must still have a physics degree.
To sign up for a free public tour at the Observatory, visit this link here. When a tour has been full, the tour spots are assigned by lottery. It takes 1.5 hours to participate in this tour, and yes, it will take up a full 1.5 hours.
The Guided Tour of the Hong Kong Observatory.
The Website of the Hong Kong Observatory.
Descriptions on site at the Hong Kong Observatory.
I took interest in the Tsiu Keng village area in Sheung Shui because there is a palm woods there that is very photogenic. Upon some research I learned that there are a few interesting things to do and see there. Let me take you on …
Want milk tea? Cha Chaan Teng is the way to go. Cha (tea) chaan teng (restaurant), refers to a practice in the early times that these restaurants would charge you double if you sat there and only sipped the bland Chinese tea that the waiter …
What is known as the Cantonese bamboo noodles (in Cantonese “Zuk Sing” noodles) is a food familiar to many. The yellow, stringy and bouncy noodle is the very spirit in the Cantonese wonton noodle soup. Many people in Hong Kong and Guangdong would consider a bowl of wonton noodles to be the best, most nostalgic comfort food. I daresay the craving for wonton noodles runs in the blood of every Cantonese born.
There is no guesswork required to know that the wonton noodle consists of three parts. A good bowl of wonton noodles is the perfect repertoire of handmade wontons, zuk sing noodles, and the soup.
The name “zuk sing noodle,” meaning “bamboo-raised,” comes from the technique that requires the use of a long bamboo staff in pressing the noodles. In Cantonese, a bamboo staff is pronounced “zuk gon” and the character “gon” rhymes with the word for “lowering.” As such it does not bode well for business. It then became a convention to change “gon” into “sing,” which means “rising” or “raised.” The name “zuk sing” then has the literal meaning of “raised by a bamboo.”
It is believed that the bamboo noodles originated from the Old Xiguan area in Guangzhou.
In all bamboo noodles eggs are always a key ingredient in the dough. Either duck eggs or chicken eggs are used. That is what gives the noodles its yellow color. Furthermore, sodium bicarbonate is commonly used in the making of bamboo noodle dough as well (see more below).
The process, as I imagine, is a sight to behold. The traditional technique for making zuk sing noodles involves the use of a long bamboo staff to apply pressure on the noodle dough. The dough is placed on one end of the two-meter bamboo staff. The chef making the noodles uses his own body weight to press on the other end.
As the noodle dough is being repeatedly pressed, it acquires density and forms a bouncy and chewy consistency. Each session takes half an hour. Clearly, this process imposes a rather strenuous physical demand on the chef. In fact, very few noodle shops use handmade noodles these days, as machine-made noodles are so common and cost effective now. Hand noodle-making is considered an intangible heritage by the Hong Kong Government.
After pressing, the dough has to sit and air for a while, before it is suitable for cooking. This step is to ensure that the sodium bicarbonate that was added into the dough had enough time to evaporate, such that it will not affect the taste of the noodles.
Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, is a common ingredient in both the making and the cooking of bamboo noodles. Baking soda consists of potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate. Mixed with hot water, these two compounds will give the zuk sing noodles its enchanting texture — silky, chewy and bouncy on the roof of your mouth.
Boiling baking soda with hot water is a common way to both make the noodle dough and to cook the noodles. Making noodles this way will also preserve the noodles longer. The baking soda water that is used for cooking the noodles is never served in the bowl. Instead, a prepared broth is used as the soup base that is served with the wonton noodles.
In the wonton noodle repertoire the soup is also a critical component that elevates the flavor profile of the whole bowl of noodles. Traditionally, the broth that is served with your wonton noodle is made by slow cooking dried flounder flakes, the shells of shrimp, dried monk fruit and licorice herbs. The rendered essences of these ingredients result in a broth that comes into your mouth light but with subtly complex umami flavours. People eating the wonton noodle for the first time probably would not be able to tell what were the actors that made such a harmonic repertoire to go with the wontons and the bamboo noodles.
Kwan Kee, a multi-year Michelin star recipient in Cheung Sha Wan, features handmade bamboo noodles made wholly in eggs. I certainly sensed the hard work that was put into the noodles, handmade on site at the restaurant twice a day. But if I must compare, I liked the noodles at Lau Sum Kee a tad better. The texture of Lau Sum Kee’s noodles is more chewy, and also a little smoother in the slurp.
What I found to be particularly well made at Kwan Kee was the broth that added a touch of delectable flavor to the whole bowl of noodles. That was certainly the highlight in the bowl. I liked my combo, with beef and wontons, for a jaw-dropping good price.
Lau Sum Kee is a historic restaurant in Sham Shui Po. As a third-generation owned noodle shop, the restaurant has been making its famous zuk sing noodles for over 70 years. The restaurant started in the 1940s, when the grandfather of the current owner, Lau Fat Cheong, was selling zuk sing noodles in Guangzhou’s streets. Lau Fat Cheong’s father came to Hong Kong during the Civil War of China, and began selling its signature, handmade zuk sing noodles in the streets of Shau Kei Wan.
It then found its roots in the equally famous food haven of Sham Shui Po in the 1950s. In the 1970s, the family acquired the license to run a dai pai dong (street stall restaurant) in Sham Shui Po. It found its permanent home in the 1970s when they secured a proper restaurant space, also in Sham Shui Po.
Of these three restaurants I have introduced in this entry, I enjoyed the zuk sing noodles at Lau Sum Kee the most. It is made with duck egg, and like Kwan Kee, it remains handmade to this day. Because I like the soup, I usually order soup wonton noodles. There are a lot of other choices, however, such as the lomein style (dry noodles) with beef brisket, also one of the favorite menu items for diners.
Even on a regular weekday, expect to have to line up for at least ten minutes during the rush hours.
The Changping Bamboo Noodles is a chain restaurant serving traditional wonton noodles in Shenzhen. I visited its shop in Shajing, and was pleasantly surprised by how well made the noodles were.
I arrived before 11am as the only customer at that hour. The shop was getting ready and a lady was wrapping wontons. I observed how the fillings are mixed with large shrimps and plenty of ground pork. I knew this wonton would be good.
Besides the traditional menu items, such as wonton and beef brisket with noodles, Changping Bamboo Noodles also features crab paste. I ordered a wonton noodle with crab paste, and the hot soup was served on the side. It was already the most expensive combination on the menu and still quite a lot cheaper than a bowl of common wonton noodles in Hong Kong.
I inquired about the noodles there, and the staff told me that the noodles are shipped to them daily from their company. I was not able to confirm if the noodles were hand made, but chances are they were machine made, due to the volume involved for the many stores that this franchise brand runs in Shenzhen.
Time Out Hong Kong, Good Eats in Sham Shui Po: Lau Sum Kee’s Bamboo Noodles.
Guide.michelin.com, Bib Gourmand Recommended: Kwan Kee Bamboo Noodles.
The Wikipedia on Bamboo Noodles (Chin).
I like seeing old towns and villages. I have seen a few of the ancient old towns and communities in Shenzhen, including the Dapeng Fortress, Gankeng Ancient Hakka Townlet, Nantou Ancient City and Shui Wei 1368. I was interested in the areas in Shenzhen that …
The Lui Seng Chun building stands testament to a century-long entrepreneurship in Hong Kong and a prominent family history. Designed by foreign architect W. H. Bourne in 1929, the beautiful structure expressed the style of the Chinese eclectic with carefully crafted and designed western elements. …
The driver suggested that we visited the Zili Village first, as that village was officially recognized, restored and developed as the preeminent location for Diaolou tourism.
He told me quite a bit about himself. He is a native of Chikan. Mr. Guan is his name, as that is a major surname in the Chikan area. This driving gig is a side business for him. He has a store that sells frozen meats, but since business there was a bit slow, he took on this side gig of driving tourists around.
All of the sightseeing spots that I visited in Kaiping charged admission fees, including Zili Village, Li Yuan Garden, Majianglong Village and the Chikan Ancient Town. At the Zili Village, the ticket office offers a package deal of RMB 180 for the visitation of three sites, including Zili Village, Liyuan Garden and Majianglong Village. As it turned out, I had no time to see the interiors of the buildings at Majianglong Village, so if I could choose again, I would just purchase the tickets at each site.
On the way to the Zili village, there were views of many Diaolou’s, and the scenes were exceedingly pleasing. The structures inside the Zili village serve as museums with introduction and illustration of the owner’s stories and lifestyle.
The Zili Village showcases the largest, most concentrated clusters of Diaolou’s in Kaiping. There are 15 Diaolou’s in Zili Village, the largest of Diaolou cluster in any given village in Kaiping. Therefore, if you have limited time, certainly visit the Zili Village. Allow for at least 1.5 to 2 hours in Zili Village if you would like to climb these towers and take a thorough look at the museum exhibitions.
There is also a wonderful museum discussing all aspects of these Diaolou’s, including the architectural features, building structures and materials, and history.
As a vernacular architectural form, the Diaolou’s have existed since the Ming dynasty. The Chinese eclectic style is broad and accommodating in its practical expression. For example, the Diaolou’s feature a wide array of western architectural styles, including the renaissance, byzantine, gothic and more.
The general features that define the Diaolou’s are their multistory tower-like structures incorporating western architectural elements, such as rooftop pavilions, elaborate window adornment, arcades, arches, balconies, and roman columns etc.
In Kaiping, the popularlity of the Diaolou’s reached its height in the 19th and 20th centuries. Most of the buildings in the Zili Village were built in the 1920s to 1930s. As discussed in the last entry, the overseas Chinese returnees built these structures to protect and provide for their families in China.
Broadly speaking, they can be categorized into genglou, julou and zhonglou. The genglou’s were built simply as watch towers. The julou and zhonglou’s are for residential purposes. The julou’s refer to a building that was funded and owned by one owner, whereas the zhonglou’s were built with funds pooled by the village of a few families. There are also Diaolou’s for educational and commercial purposes, especially for hosting banks and pawn shops.
The Fong clan are the residents in Zili Village. They originated from Henan and had a celebrated lineage as the descendants of a king’s son-in-law (usually a top scholar in the imperial exams). But beyond a shared surname, the similarity of the Diaolou owners’ lives stop there. The Fong clansmen have gone to vastly different countries abroad, including Canada, the United States, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia. Fong Pah Liang, in particular, has returned with exceptional education as the first Chinese student at MIT in the United States. He was one of the children that were sent by the Qing court to the United States on the Chinese Education Mission. After returning to China, he made exceptional contribution in the telecommunications sector, a critical project for China’s modernization efforts.
Mingshi Lou is the key Diaolou to visit. It has five stories and a rooftop offering fantastic 360 views of the village and featuring many Diaolou’s amidst the lush rural pastures. The rice paddies suggest a continued reliance on farming by the village, although the village is now a part of a UNESCO heritage with a thriving tourist presence.
Mingshi Lou was built by Fang Runwen in 1925. His father was a quarryman and therefore the name of the building meant “in memory of stones.” Mingshi Lou is a representative structure of combining both defensive and residential purposes in one. The “swallow’s nest” at the corners of the roof terrace features defensive gun holes, as against the threat to property and life posed by the bandits that ran rampant at that time. The building was also designed against the threats of flooding.
Besides the main Diaolou tower, Mingshi Lou also consists of a flat-roofed, shorter annex building that served as the tool shed and kitchen for the family. Finally, it also features a garden.
There are five stories of exhibits showing the lifestyle of the Fang’s. The rooms display a lifestyle that was classic and traditional in some respects, and novel in terms of its historical context in some other. On display were antique phonograph players, the rattan baskets that were essential containers in a Chinese kitchen of those times, perfume bottles and warm water tumblers, and classic Chinese bedframes with soft beddings.
The highlight of a tour of Mingshi Lou was the climb up to the roof terrace. In its middle stands a hexagonal pavilion with Chinese glazed tile roof. It is at this vantage point that you can have unobstructed views of the whole village, seeing the juxtaposition of tall Diaolou towers with traditional Chinese village homes, in their midst lied ponds, the crisscrossing mud paths within the rice paddies, and arbors blooming in cascading bouquets of flowers.
These are some other Diaolou’s at Zili Village. Most of them are in fact not open to public visit. Suffice to say, they show a wide variety of western elements in their architecture.
Fang Wendian, who spent time abroad in Canada, built this residential Diaolou in 1928. The name “Yinong” expresses the wish for a carefree, rustic retired life.
Fang Wenxian, who spent time abroad in Malaysia, built this residential Diaolou in 1928. The name “Yunhuan,” with the literal meaning of “the illusion of the clouds,” seemed to suggest that the owner had certain disillusionment in life.
The brothers of Fang Wenlong, Fang Wensheng build this Diaolou in 1917, and it was the very first Diaolou in Zili Village. Above the archway of the main entrance is a relief (lime sculpture) of a flying eagle. The name of Longsheng Lou came from the combination of the brothers’ given names, Long and Sheng.
Fang Wenji, who spent time in Southeast Asia, built the Yangxian Villa. It is a julou, serving residential purposes for one owner. At two corners on the 5th floor there are “swallow’s nest” as defensive structures. The name “yangxian” also suggest the yearning for a carefree life.
The Diaolou Museum at Zili Village covers all bases in its educational objective. For tourists, the most important piece of information is an overall introduction of “the best of Kaiping’s Diaolou’s,” where the exhibits show you fun facts about their towering history.
On display is a map showing where the “best of Kaiping’s Diaolou’s” are located. There was “the Diaolou with the most number of rooms,” the “most heroic Diaolou,” or “the most forward thinking Diaolou” having an elevator shaft built in. It was fascinating and if I had another chance to visit Kaiping again, I would certain look up this big map to see which specific Diaolou I would like to visit.
Another very educational section of the exhibition was the materials that were used in building them. The Diaolou’s were built with rocks, mixed rammed earth, bricks and concrete.
Needless to say, the construction of western style materials also required the technology of making these western features and incorporating them into the structures. Therefore the Diaolou’s also stand for the technology transfer that these overseas Chinese returnees have enabled, besides the funds, investment and the ideas that were introduced to the architecture industry of China.
Finally, the lime sculpture, which is a preeminent feature in the rural architecture of the Lingnan region (southern China), finds application in the mostly-western elements of the Diaolou’s.
Unfortunately, all of the descriptions in the museum exhibits are in Chinese only.
Descriptions on site at the Zili Village of Kaiping.
Kaiping is a county in Guangdong Province in China that is known for its people’s long history of migration abroad. Waves of migrants made it in foreign countries and returned to Kaiping rich and glorious. These successful returnees built big houses in their villages as …