Vignettes of the World
I stopped by the Hau Wong Temple of Kowloon City after visiting the Stone House Family Garden just across the street on Junction Road. Even when I passed by the temple, I was quite amazed at how well-kept it was. So I decided to take …
A friend of ours works at the Xiqu Centre in West Kowloon and from time to time she invites us to special events at the cultural hub of West Kowloon. This day we got tickets to the M+ Appreciation Day, which allowed us a sneak …
I learned about the Stone House Family Garden when I looked up the free tours for heritage sites under the Heritage Fiesta 2021 programme of the Hong Kong Government. From the pictures the Stone House looked beautiful, and I was keen to pay a visit.
When I arrived at the site, I noticed the clear effort to maintain both the Grade 3 Historic Building and the garden space. The Stone House has five adjacent rooms in one row. There is a large garden in front of the building. A good number of tents provide shade for the tables and chairs. Customers of the restaurant, which is a social enterprise, can dine at their leisure outdoors.
Worthy of mention is the labyrinth that spans all of the garden space on the site. Old aerial photographs show the patterns on this site. The restoration of the garden thus included a re-construction of the original patterns. Seven exhibits display the history of Kowloon City here, and visitors are encouraged to meditate as they follow the patterns on the ground.
The café operates as a social enterprise. It is the main source of income that sustains the Stone House Family Garden as a heritage site as well as its ongoing community service commitments. It provides training in the food and beverages industry to those who would like to acquire experience. In the past, the Stone House organized Poon Choi banquets (treasures in a tub) for the elderly in the neighborhood. Now, there are paid and unpaid programmes such as open theatre performances, board game sessions and guided tours.
I quote the description on the pamphlet that introduces the Stone House:
The Stone Houses consist of a row of Chinese style two-storey tenement buildings, constructed of granite blocks with walls supporting pitched roofs of timber rafters, purlins and clay tiles. The roofs are covered with Chinese pan and roll tiles. A kitchen and a toilet are found at the rear court of the Houses. Doors of the Houses are in Chinese Style, with timber locks and rock sockets.
Ryan greeted the group for a tour and introduction of Stonehouse Family. As he himself grew up in Kowloon City, he has a commitment to the betterment of this neighborhood.
The interiors of the Stone House show some interesting features. Ryan took note of the stairwell. When the residents built the original stairwell, the first few steps from the ground up were cement steps. Then came the wooden staircase leading to the first floor. They have intended this feature to prevent the humidity of the ground from eroding the stairs. This was a very thoughtful design.
This following is the best-preserved original window of the whole Stone House. You can see that the alignment of the wooden planks are off. The horizontal planks are slanted slightly upward. The glass pane was specially ordered to show the typical patterns of the windows in those times. The restoration throughout the structure showed significant efforts in their details.
This following shows the toilet that the residents used. Note the spot is very narrow. In those days, human excretion was valuable. The families collected their own waste in a bucket, and later can sell it for a profit. In fact, there were people that stole the sewage if they did not keep watch.
The five rooms of the original Stonehouse now serve different purposes, including the space for the restaurant, an interpretation center with interactive and still historical display and illustrated installation, and the administrative office of the social enterprise. Ryan conducted most of the tour in Room 32. He said that in the old days, the small area accommodated as many as 30 people in that room alone. Even considering the fact that people were of smaller stature then, the living condition was terrible by any standard.
But they did have a roof, and in those days, that was a blessing in itself.
This installation illustrates the small living space for a whole family in those times. Ryan told us about an interesting practice then. He said that many people of that era would stuff their most important belongings in the hollow legs of the bed’s metal frame. Things like birth certificate, gold bars, jewelry or anything would go inside the metal frame. The difficulty in lifting the whole bed would prevent thieves from stealing. The metal frame was also fire-proof.
As of the day of the visit, the standard history of the Stonehouse Family as I learned from the official sources on site is as follows.
The predecessor of the Stonehouse Family is Ho Ka Yuen, meaning the home village of the Ho’s. The village had existed since the late 1800s. The Ho’s were rich. Their village consisted of large houses, lychee groves, and streams and wells. The Ho family vacated their home during the Japanese Occupation of 1941-1945.
Until this week, the official account at the Stone House is that the structure was built during the Japanese Occupation years upon the foundations of the Ho Ka Yuen. The Japanese expanded the Kai Tak Airport. They built the Stone House and other settlements to accommodate the displaced residents of Kowloon City.
However, new evidence has emerged to contest this view. The understanding of its history continues to evolve, and it will result in a revision of its standard history. I will discuss more below.
In those times, there was a rocky hill right across the site, in the general area of Mei Tung Estate today. The residents just took the building materials from that hill. It was their stone quarry.
A discussion of the Stone House’s history would not be complete without a comparison with the nearby Kowloon Walled City. Like the Kowloon Walled City, many industries have sprung up within the squatter settlement.
The immigrants of the 1940s and 1950s brought with them the technical know-how for a number of practical industries, which used to be their trade in China. As a result, skilled workers of all kinds opened factories here. Stonecutters, smiths and home building and furnishing craftsmen found a livelihood in this neighborhood.
There is a large stone plaque with the store name Nam Yan Kee. Nam Yan Kee was a company that made tombstones. The business had existed since the 1980s. It was an example of the industries that sprang up within the settlement area.
The squatter area surrounding the Stone House represents the era of explosive population growth in Hong Kong, owing both to the refugee influx and the baby boomers. The public hospitals could not handle the high birth rates at the time. The government decided to grant licenses to midwives, who would help women give birth outside of the hospitals. As a result, there were a number of maternity homes in this community as well.
In 2001, the Hong Kong Government demolished the surrounding squatter areas to make way for new development. The Stone House serves as a remembrance of this once-thriving immigrant community of the mid-20th century. It remains the only original building standing now in the area known formerly as squatter settlement of Hau Wong Temple New Village.
Recently, the Stone House Family Garden has considered new evidence in relation to the actual construction date of the structure. Although it has held that the Stone House was built during the Japanese Occupation years, former residents and community members have disputed this view. Oral evidence suggests that the Stone House came into being after the end of WWII. This would comport with the historic fact of immigration influx into Hong Kong post-WWII due to the civil war in China, creating the need for squatter settlement.
In light of this finding, the Stone House Family Garden considered the old aerial photos of the relevant years. They learned from these old photographs that a shadow showing the potential existence of a structure at this location only appeared on the aerial photos post-WWII as well.
Our tour guide Ryan told us that they are revising the museum captions to reflect this new understanding. That means some of the museum displays on site would undergo revision. Therefore the standard history is still changing.
Photo: This grinder was an original item on-site at the Stone House.
The Guided Tour of the Stone House Family Garden.
The Descriptions on site.
The website of Stone House Family Garden.
The Pamphlet on the Stone Houses Family Garden.
I dug in, as soon as the waiter set down the steamed meatloaf. Man Sing Bing Sutt’s Food What is Hong Kong without its Bing Sutt’s? In Chinese, “bing sutt” means “ice room,” named as such because these establishments were the first in Hong Kong …
An entry on Hong Kong’s historic restaurants is long overdue. This day I went to La Taverna, Hong Kong’s original Italian restaurant, for lunch. Established in 1969, La Taverna was the first traditional Italian restaurant in Hong Kong. The original owners of the restaurant were …
The Shek O Beach would not be “lesser known” to Hong Kong people because it is one of the most popular local beaches. It comes with soft, fine white sand, a beautiful coastline, and crisp clean waters. But what impressed me on this visit were the waves rocky enough for surfing.
The waves “pushed one after another” as the common Chinese saying goes. I have visited a few beaches in Hong Kong in this past year and the waves at Shek O Beach really feel different. There were indeed quite a number of surfers at the beach. I was intimidated by these strong waves. Therefore I decided to sunbathe instead.
We went to Shek O on this early autumn day, when the summer heat has waned quite a bit. Surely, the sunshine was generous and we would call it a warm weather. Yet there was no urge for us to take to the shore, unlike in our previous visits to the beaches during the peak of the summer. We comfortably sunbathed this time for a whole afternoon. By around 4pm, it turned cool enough that we thought we had better leave.
The beach overlooks a petite island not far away and the view of the island was very pleasing to me. It is named Ng Fun Chau. An online search shows people scaling this uninhabited island for an adventurous day. The things to see there are rocks and eroded caves.
Photos: Views of Ng Fun Chau with high waves
Nearby Shek O are quite a few other very popular outing options. The Tai Tau Chau (Urn Island) is an islet that is connected to Shek O at a very walkable distance. Then there is the famous Dragon’s Back trail, and the beautiful scenery of Cape D’Aguilar. There are also wartime relics in the neighbourhood but I will save that for a later day. Finally, there is also the Big Wave Bay Beach, but I picked Shek O because of its nearby hangout spots. We found the Happy Garden for a delightful long lunch.
There are many eateries in Shek O with all ranges of budget and cuisine. We had our lunch at Happy Garden, a Thai Restaurant with an upper deck that overlooks the entrance of the beach. But when we inquired they told us that the upper deck would remain closed until downstairs seating reach maximum capacity.
But the food was so good you would be busy eating more so than savouring views. We went all out and ordered four dishes for the two of us. We had a peppercorn soup, wok fried morning glory, salt and pepper prawns and a fried dry noodles. Dining at the beach front is always my favourite thing to do, and we certainly took our time at this restaurant.
Fans of comedian Stephen Chow would find it home in Shek O as the King of Comedy was filmed here. The site of filming is the Shek O Health Centre. You will see it when you get off the bus.
All in all, I had a great day at Shek O Beach. There will be more visits in the area to explore other options for outdoor activities.
Close to the Shek O Beach is the path to Tai Tau Chau (Urn Island). Also a bit of a way up north lies the Big Wave Bay, where you can hike via the Pottinger Peak to Chai Wan.
On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, bus X9 departs from the Star Ferry Pier in Central and has a final stop at Shek O. On other days, take Bus 9 from the Shau Kei Wan bus terminus and get off at the final stop. There is also a red top minibus from Shau Kei Wan to Shek O and its final stop is the neighbouring Big Wave Bay.
I have previously visited the Murals of Love in Kam Tin. There is another mural village in Hong Kong. The Ping Yeung New Village in Ping Che, Fanling is another mural village. Yet the reasons for these murals were markedly different from the ones in …
This was probably the first time that I have kayaked in Hong Kong. We went to Hoi Ha in Sai Kung for an exciting day in kayaking. About Hoi Ha Wan Hoi Ha, in Chinese, means “beneath the sea.” The beaches in this area, some …
There is no official English name to this hill known locally as “Curvy Hill.” It has acquired its name from the meandering path that leads downward from the top of neighboring mountains. I saw photographs online and became very drawn to the scenery there. On this early autumn day I took up the journey in search of Curvy Hill with a friend.
The itinerary is quite simple. At Shui Long Wo in Sai Kung, embark upon the MacLehose Trail Section 4 toward the Shui Long Wo Campsite. Be vigilant throughout the trail and watch the signs pointing to MacLehose Trail Section 4. We did miss one and had to turn back to find the right way. The signs are all clear, however, just make sure you do not get so deep in your conversations that you miss the signs.
The first part of the trail was a gentle but continuously upward incline on paved slopes. We passed by a beautiful bamboo grove on the way:
Otherwise, the scenery on the first part of the trail is of standard mountain views. I do warn readers that, once you find your way to the stony stairs, it is a continuous upward climb on both stairs and mountainous paths until you see the peak of Ma On Shan. There are some nice views on the way.
Photos above: Views on the way, including the peak of Ma On Shan
From the beginning of the trail to the point of beautiful aerial views at Curvy Hill, it took 2-2.5 hours of a continuous climb. Be prepared, the rigor does demand physical fitness.
The hard work was well-rewarded. When we approached the meandering path on Curvy Hill, we could see the wide-open sceneries of Tai Po and Sai Kung. I swear we could have touched the sky there.
From then on, follow the path to descend the mountain. You will then come to this sign.
We headed toward the Hang On Estate direction. This section of our hike is on Ma On Shan Country Trail, until we reach Ma On Shan Village. From the village back to civilization, it took another half hour to 40 minutes, with no views whatsoever. Therefore my suggestion is to haul a taxi back to Ma On Shan proper, if you do see one.
We went on an early autumn day and the heat has already dropped a few degrees from the summer prime. The early sections of the trail, where there are lots of upward climb, were full of shades. The climb was rigorous, however, and so I kept drinking my water to rehydrate. The section of Curvy Hill has no shades, but that is already at the point of descent. I do think that 2 litres of water is necessary for this hike at the current weather.
Also, the trail is quite demanding, and it will be wise to bring snacks and a hiking pole with you.
Bus 299X goes from Shatin or Sai Kung to Shui Long Wo. From Shatin, get off at the Shui Long Wo stop and keep going toward the Sai Kung direction. You will arrive at the entrance to MacLehose Trail Section 4 in 5-8 minutes. From Sai Kung, get off at the Shui Long Wo Stop and walk backwards to reach the entrance.
The Mini Great Wall Trail of Cheung Chau is an easy walk on the southeastern coast of Cheung Chau for under two hours. It has acquired this name because of the trail’s stone-paved and stone-fenced features. Another popular island trail is in Cheung Chau north, …