Vignettes of the World
I have long yearned to visit the lead mine pits of Lin Ma Hang. Due to the trail being somewhat challenging, I shelved the plan for a year until I found some companions to go with. The opportunity finally came last week. The Way to …
Kai Shan is a small hill in Yuen Long with a 360 view of the cities and hilly terrain of both Hong Kong and China. At a height of 120 metres, the walk is suitable for beginners. The temperature has been rising in this late …
I guess people in Asia tend to think that those who speak fair English are from Singapore. Despite my initial introduction, Mr. T mistook me for a Singaporean a few times in our conversation. Although I did not insist on this point, I said that I identify as American. I did look Chinese to him, however, so in our chats I asked him questions about the Vietnamese people’s views on both China and America. Both present somewhat sensitive issues in Vietnam’s foreign relations.
Soon enough, we came to an open view of the Rockpile.
The Rockpile is a rocky hill that rises above from the Cam Lo River bottom. At 240 metres in height, it provided a good vantage point for military purposes in the vicinity. Located about 16 km from the southernmost border of the DMZ and 26 km west of Dong Ha, the hill overlooks an area with “several major infiltration routes from North Vietnam and Laos.” At this height, the Rockpile also enables the observation of the South China Sea in the east. As such, the Rockpile has served as the outpost for anti-infiltration surveillance for the United States during the American War.
In 1966, the U.S. military launched Operation Hastings to drive out the North Vietnamese in the area and overtook the Rockpile. Between 1966-1969, the United States Army and the Marine Corps used it as an observation post and artillery base. In 1970-1971, the U.S. military patrolled the Rockpile, Dong Ha and DMZ areas. In addition, the hill was a good location to monitor movements around the Khe Sanh Combat Base, Ca Lu Combat Base, and Camp Carroll. It was also believed that the surveillance involved the interception of radio transmission from North Vietnam. The Rockpile had an official name as the Elliot Combat Base.
The operation of the observation post relied heavily upon helicopters, for the hill itself is inaccessible to human traffic. These helicopters would land on the top of the hill. The U.S. military also installed radars and metal detectors on the hill to detect the North Vietnamese army, especially because they often ambushed in the jungle. Once they discovered movements by the North Vietnamese military, they would bomb them.
One cannot miss the distinctive shape of the Rockpile. According to the Wikipedia, a Marine described the hill as “toothpick-type mountain stuck out in the middle of an open area with a sheer cliff straight up and down.” The plateau-like summit of the Rockpile enabled helicopter landing.
The Wikipedia has a very thorough introduction of the Rockpile. Please visit the link below.
When we stopped there, there was another group tour. Leading the tour was a young Vietnamese woman speaking good English. I gathered from their conversation that Mr. T was more knowledgeable. I was just thankful that I got to meet Mr. T for this tour. Because he lived the experience of the very war itself, he spoke with a moving conviction. Dates, places, people, stories, views, perspectives – coming from Mr. T they seem to bear a weightiness, a burden in the soul, that a young tour guide would not be able to convey naturally.
The Wikipedia on the Rockpile.
Bright and early at 8am I was ready for the day. I would be meeting Mr. T, an ARVN veteran of Vietnam War that will be leading me on a one-day tour at the DMZ (the Demilitarized Zone). The trip to the DMZ was the …
Sai Lau Kong lies on the northeastern coast of Hong Kong. At that location, one has perhaps one of the best views of Double Haven. About Sai Lau Kong Sai Lau Kong was once a thriving fishing village in the northeastern coast of the New …
This location along the MacLehose Trail Section 9 has the somewhat unusual name of “the Crocodile.” The locals call it the “Skyward Crocodile” and I am not able to find its English name. Nor is there an explanation for why it is named as such.
Located west of Tai Mo Shan, the Crocodile lies on an altitude of 559 metres. The walk is easy, however, because entering from Route Twisk you would already be on a high altitude to begin with. The site presents excellent views of northwestern New Territories.
I went on a Monday morning, and there was no one there. I basked in the glorious sunshine for a good half hour there.
Most of the walking is on MacLehose Trail Section 9 in Tsuen Wan. At the Tai Lam Country Park Twisk Management Centre entrance, I began the walk on MacLehose Trail Section 9.
There are no stairs on this whole trail. In fact, most of it is a paved road upward on gentle slopes. The path is actually very nice with generous shades throughout.
On the way, there is a very nice viewing point with wide open views of western Hong Kong.
Keep on going on MacLehose Trail Section 9, until you come upon this crossroads. Take the path to the right toward Tin Fu Tsai.
Within ten minutes on this path, you will come across this sign saying “Fire Lookout.” It lies on your right, please watch out for it.
Head up the trail, and you will soon come upon the Fire Lookout.
To come back, go back the same way. Choose the path on the right on this crossroads. It will lead you back on MacLehose Trail Section 9.
At the Crocodile, you will see unobstructed views on the mountainous terrain on the east. Westward, you will see the views of the populated settlements of Pat Heung, with Kai Kung Leng as its backdrop. Even farther, there are views of the skyline of Shenzhen.
Photos: A panorama of the view at the Crocodile
I went back the same way but made a detour onto the Twisk Nature Trail. Watch out for the helipad along MacLehose Trail Section 9. The entrance to the Twisk Nature Trail is at the back of the helipad.
To be honest, the Twisk Nature Trail has nothing too interesting to offer. It was a generously shaded path, however, and so the walk was pleasant.
Even though this visit is meant to be a short walk, it did take me almost three hours to finish and get back to my car.
Finally, the Lin Fa Shan nearby is also quite a popular hiking trail.
By private car, I drove to the parking lot at the Rotary Club Park Campsite on Tai Mo Shan Road. There is metered parking there.
On the same side of Route Twisk as the Tai Lam Country Park Twisk Management Centre, there is a very small carpark at the Twisk Barbeque Site No. 2 as well.
By public transport, I believe the only bus that goes through Route Twisk is Route 51. Get off at the Tai Lam Country Park Stop and the entrance to the MacLehose Trail Section 9 is right there. Do watch out for the bus schedule, especially that during the fifth wave of the pandemic in Hong Kong some bus routes have been suspended. Finally, Route 51 runs very sporadically, perhaps only once in an hour. Therefore be sure to check out its schedule.
The weather has not been too good lately so I opted for a short hike in my neighborhood. The Wu Tip Shan Path of Fanling serves a good purpose. I clocked in some pretty good exercise and saw some decent views on the way. Entrances …
It took me a while, with many confusing turns, before I found the Jubilee Battery. For there is only one ruins of the battery that is accessible by proper roadways. The Jubilee Battery’s Gun Emplacement 2 lies within the University of Chicago Francis and Rose …
Update as of August 2023: The area of the heritage site has been blocked off from visits. It is likely due to the revitalization and construction work that was approved. The old trees with their aerial roots that hovered over the building have been removed. It looks like one would have to wait a bit before it is open again and dressed in new clothes.
As soon as I saw its photographs online, Siu Lo captured my imagination. I decided to pay a visit.
Siu Lo is an abandoned old house on Tai Tong Road, Yuen Long. The original owner of the building was named Chan Mo Ching (transliteration), a merchant that operated a business in Indonesia. Chan Mo Ching returned to his hometown in China during WWII. Thereafter, his relatives lived in Siu Lo.
There are rumours that the house has once been the assembly point for the self-defence forces of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column. This particular fighting force was a locally-organised guerilla force throughout the war and the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong.
Siu Lo’s owner Chan Mo Ching did return to the house after WWII. He and his family then lived there until the late 1970s. Despite a chapter full of intrigue in its history, Siu Lo has been vacant, and thus left in ruins, since the family left. Chan’s descendants held onto its ownership until 2016, when Tang Shing Bor’s family enterprise bought the land forHK$63 million. Tang Shing Bor died in 2021. Thereafter his son sold this land to Kato (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited for HK$65 million.
The Town Planning Board opined in an application for development of Siu Lo (more below) that “Siu Lo itself is not related to a very prominent figure in Hong Kong, yet its history is subtle to lie with the development and lives in villages in Yuen Long.” It is a Grade 3 Historic Building.
Online sources suggest that this house is haunted. Not only that, it tops the list for the most haunted in Hong Kong as well. Neighbours have heard sounds of playing mahjong there even after the abandonment.
Built in the 1940s, the old house shows mixed eastern and western features. According to Hong-Kong-Heritage.com, the name plaque atop the entrance gateway, the verandah, and the balcony on second floor are common and traditional features for structures in southern China. The two stone pillars on the side of the gateway, with corresponding pillars on the second floor balcony, however, are a touch of western architecture.
The building has remained this way, authentically and in ruins, since the late 1970s. The typical signs of abandonment show amply on the structure. A tree (or maybe more than one) has grown its roots over the broken windows. Nature has extended its merciless hand over it. It is eerie indeed, and perhaps that is also the reason why haunted stories about Siu Lo circulated.
When I arrived at the site, I was a little taken aback because the area is now a public parking lot. I did have to pay a parking fee for my car to park there, just to take photos of the building. The minimum spending is two hours, but I negotiated with the kind man there to pay only one hour for $14.
Like the Pun Uk (Yam Wah Lo) near Pok Oi Hospital, the former owner of Siu Lo had plans to revitalize Siu Lo. I located online an application for use/development for the whole lot of Siu Lo, including the area that is now a parking lot. The application suggests erecting a five-storey building, plus a one-level basement, to serve as an elderly care home on site.
For Siu Lo itself, on the other hand, the plan is to conserve it fully. Restoration will proceed with both the two-storey main structure, and the one-storey annex. When restoration completes, visitors can visit the site in its renewed glory.
I must say, however, that the current Siu Lo in ruins has a beauty of its own.
This said application has been approved by the Town Planning Board already. Finally, in May 2021, Tang Shing Bor’s family enterprise sold Siu Lo to Kato (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited. The Notice of Discloseable Transaction seems to suggest that the already-approved plan for development of an elderly care home will go forward, as well as the conservation of Siu Lo.
Siu Lo is located next to the Caltex on Tai Tong Road, Yuen Long. By public transport, perhaps you can take the light rail and get off at the Tai Tong Road Station, then walk about 10 minutes.
If you are not able to search its English name on Google Map, you will find it if you point your location marker to the Caltex on Tai Tong Road.
Hong-Kong-Heritage.com on Siu Lo (Chin).
Weekendhk.com, Neighbors with the Ghosts: Building An Elderly Home Next to Yuen Long’s Siu Lo, January 24, 2022.
Town Planning Board, Broad Development Parameters of the Applied Use / Development in respect of Application No. A/YL/256.
Kato (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited (Stock Code: 2189), Discloseable Transaction Acquisition of Lands, 21 May 2021.
Hong Kong Museum of History, Newsletter, October to December 2013.
I was intrigued by the Lau Village Houses in Tung Shing Lei, Yuen Long after seeing photographs online. Upon some research, I learned that the property was the subject matter in a highly contested court case. Therefore I will draw on the case to report …