Vignettes of the World
From the Minor Mosque I took the metro to arrive at the State Museum of History in Tashkent. The museum itself offers some insight into Uzbekistan’s past. If I had a choice, I might have visited this museum in Tashkent before heading off to the …
Bright and early at 6am we were back in Tashkent by train. This would be our very final day in Uzbekistan. We would be seeing some museums for this day, before we head out for our flight in the evening. The Bon! Café It was …
The Tash Khauli Palace of Khiva would be the last sightseeing that we did in Khiva before we hopped on the afternoon train for Tashkent. Khiva blessed us with another gorgeous day with a bright blue sky, echoing the turquoise mosaics that would become the motif of our sightseeing that day. We were nearing the end of this 13-day journey in Uzbekistan, and the last few hours of our time in Khiva must be memorable. The Tash Khauli Palace was our finale and it did not disappoint.
Meaning the “Stone House,” the Tash Khauli Palace was built in 1830-1838, by the order of the Allakuli Khan. It is said that the construction of a new palace was motivated by a shift of the heart of Khiva’s city life from the west (where the Kunya Ark is) to the east (where the Tash Khauli is).
As Allakuli Khan was known for his penchant for all things luxurious, the Tash Khauli was indeed designed and built to entertain a lavish lifestyle. Just to give an idea of what that meant, Allakuli Khan had four wives and more than 30 concubines!
A project of this scale was going to require resources. Being a demanding man of excesses, Allakuli Khan wanted the palace built in three years. The plan for the palace envisioned three courtyards and more than 160 rooms. The Tash Khauli eventually took eight years to complete, and even this was only possible with the labor of 1,000 slaves.
The tour of the Tash Khauli inspired much intrigue. The experience was varied with many turns of pleasant surprises. First of all, I found the courtyards to be incredibly charming. When I arrived, no one was there and I could enjoy quiet moments surrounded by burnt brick walls adorned with blue majolica panels. These blue and white ceramic panels were the work of famous ceramist Abdullah Djinn.
The lodges of the harem showed the turquoise blue as its theme but when you look up you will see the ceilings decorated in brown and red.
All of the lodges have a door facing the courtyard and that was the only entrance into the chamber inside.
The columned lodges show mosaic patterns in different shades of blue, fully expressing the sweeping grandeur of a glorious Khiva, an elegance enabled only by the dictates of a strongman rule. For it was during Allakuli Khan’s reign that central power was restored in Khiva, with success in foreign relations, especially in strengthening commercial ties with the Russian empire.
There are hundreds of rooms in the Tash Khauli Palace and when the structure was completed, all rooms were interconnected by a web of dim corridors, at the time only accessible by the Khan himself. However, as a tourist site now, one would have to enter the structures separately, as the entrance to the Ichrat Khaouli (reception hall) and the Arz Khaouli (the Court of Justice) was separated from the Harem courtyard.
The Ichrat Khaouli features a square yard with a round platform in the center. It is meant to be the khan’s guest yurt. The square courtyard here is also surrounded by terraced iwans supported by columns. It was in here that the Khan received Convoy Abbot, who was sent by Britain to approach the Khan for a release of the Russian slaves in order to thwart the potential cause for an invasion of this part of Central Asia by the Russian empire.
Photograph: A panorama of the Ichrat Khaouli showing the surrounding structure of the square courtyard and a round platform.
As mentioned above, the Allakuli Khan had four wives and 30 concubines. A visit at the Tash Khauli is the perfect occasion to learn about the life of the harem in the Khiva Khanate. The first courtyard that I visited was the harem, with rooms dedicated to first the four wives and then to the concubines.
In the courtyard one would see five lodges supported by wooden carved columns. Four were for the wives of the Khan, and the fifth, also the largest, belonged to the Khan himself. The structure surrounding the courtyard had two stories.
The harem is the sacred, inviolable space for an upperclass Muslim man’s wives, concubines and otherwise the female members of his household. Generally, it was off bounds to outsiders, and sometimes eunuchs could enter and tend to the needs of the female members of the household.
The concubines of the Khan were chosen amongst the slave girls, who could not have been the free Muslim women. They were not meant to bear children for the Khan, as such if they became pregnant, they would be given forced abortions. If the Khan dies, they would be sent back to the slave market to be sold again. Islam forbids them from becoming the concubines of the next Khan, who usually was the son of the late Khan.
Both Khiva and Bukhara were infamous for slave trade up till the late 19th century. In fact, as briefly discussed in a previous entry, the slave trade was so rampant that the Russians considered it the cause of annexing Khiva in the 1840s or so. When Russia finally succeeded in annexing Khiva in 1873, it also abolished the Khivan slave trade.
In the Tash Khauli, the harem, which also included the chamber for the Khan himself, was the first to be built. The construction of the Ichrat Khaouli and the Arz Khaouli were built after.
There was a small exhibition on site showcasing Uzbek crafts, especially in fabric making and tailoring. I found the Uzbek clothing on display to be very beautiful.
In the 1.5 days of touring in Khiva, I found all the meals that I had to be exceedingly pleasant. The Khiva Moon has a good reputation, and so my friend and I had our final lunch in Khiva there. It is located right outsides of the Ichon Qala city gate. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
The Wikipedia on Toshhovli Palace.
The Wikipedia on Khivan Slave Trade.
Centralasia-travel.com, Tash Khauli Palace.
Sophie Ibbotson, Uzbekistan, Bradt Travel Guide (2020).
Uzbek-travel.com, About Uzbekistan, Tash Khauli.
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 …