Vignettes of the World
It was a rainy and stormy weekend but we managed to visit the Port Island for a good stretch of eight hours, and the sun shined upon us throughout. The Port Island is a small island in the middle-to-western side of Mirs Bay (Tai Pang …
The first walk at the Kwu Tung Reservoir turned out to be a spooky experience. My grandfather was buried in the hillside graveyard across from the reservoir. When I got there, I was saying in my heart, “hi Grandpa, I am here.” The hillside graveyard …
The time has come and Kwu Tung Village is scheduled to be demolished in 2023 to make way for the Kwu Tung North New Development Area.
As part of the Hong Kong Government’s initiative to provide housing for an expected population growth of 1.4 million in the next thirty years, the North East New Territories New Development Areas Plan proceeded in 2013 after a few rounds of public engagements.
The protests against this plan turned violent, especially with the clash at the Legislative Council building in 2014. Members of the Save Kwu Tung Group and other activist organizations took radical actions. Eventually, they received jail time for the clash at the Legislative Council. As such, the North East New Territories New Development Areas Plan could be considered one of the many early signs of serious discontent against the Hong Kong Government that eventually led to the mass protests of 2019.
My maternal grandparents settled down in Kwu Tung during the 1950s. When I was young, my mother would take me to stay at their village house in Kwu Tung South during the summer holidays.
Kwu Tung was once one village, and for a long time there was no such division between Kwu Tung North and Kwu Tung South. Over its history, the village has experienced a few times of land resumption and redevelopment. The construction of Route 9 has caused many villagers to move to Choi Yuen Estate in Sheung Shui. A major private land development resumed Kwu Tung South during the 1990s. What used to be my family’s village home has since become luxurious housing. Finally, in the early 2000s, the MTR’s plan to build the Lok Ma Chau line ended up with more of Kwu Tung village being demolished. By now, what is left of Kwu Tung is near to nothing.
As compared to Kwu Tung South, this Kwu Tung North New Development Area Plan has, ostensibly, a much more “modern” vision of what Kwu Tung North might become. The Hong Kong Government aims to remake the whole rustic area of Kwu Tung North into a community and transportation hub. There are grand plans to link the location with an MTR stop and a motor link to alleviate the traffic of the North District. Equally grand, though perhaps rather incredulously, the famous farmlands, wetlands and the ecosystems in this part of Hong Kong would be conserved, and turned into some sort of an eco-park.
All good and well, except that the existing Kwu Tung Village will be demolished, and gone forever. Due to the auction of farmland for development, many residents have moved out of the village by now. What remains are some of the old businesses that have operated in this part of the New Territories for decades. And they shall close as well. In the interest of preserving this memory of old Kwu Tung, I went for a walk in the village on a bright and sunny day.
We parked at the Kwu Tung Village Committee, where Kam Yick Restaurant is. The Kwu Tung Village Committee is comprised of members from ten small areas within Kwu Tung, as you can see from the respective mailboxes that are no longer in use now. The Kwu Tung Village Committee remains active today. It still plays a critical role in fighting for the rights of the villagers of Kwu Tung, including the coordination of legal action in the process of land resumption by the Hong Kong Government.
The Kam Yick Restaurant, since 1961, remains in good business today, serving chiefly the Kwu Tung community, and the local communities of Sheung Shui with Hakka and Shunde cuisines. Because the villagers of Kwu Tung have mostly left the village, the restaurant now serve mostly the construction workers who are working in the preliminary phase of re-development in this area. Since Ben Sir introduced Kwu Tung on a television segment, there have also been some tourist interests recently.
Besides common items like braised pork in preserved vegetables in soy sauce, there are some rarer dishes here. The “look goose” and the fried boneless stuffed fish are the signature dishes of this restaurant.
Kam Yick Restaurant lies at the center of community life in Kwu Tung. Besides the fact that the current owner was once the village head of Kwu Tung, the villagers of Kwu Tung also congregated here daily. Friends met here, and even foes attempted to resolve their disputes here too.
Established in 1949, the Kwu Tung Vegetable Cooperative was once the largest produce exchange station in the New Territories. The Vegetable Cooperative stands testament to the once-rural, agriculture-based lifestyle of Kwu Tung.
Those villagers who settled down in Kwu Tung lived in the squatter houses of the 1950s and 1960s. They have been generations in Kwu Tung. According to New Territories historian Patrick Hase, the triads of those times built these houses for many of the immigrants from China. Quite a few of the immigrants were members of the Kuomintang fleeing Communist China. Once they settled down in the village, many earned a living by farming. In fact, Kwu Tung was known to be a non-indigenous village in Sheung Shui.
The Yan Wah Lo Private Study was once the village school. It provided free education for the village children. There is a short couplet on the two sides of its gate. On the right, the motif refers to the four virtues of Chinese culture. On the left, the motif wishes the Emperor of Qing Dynasty the three blessings of life. It has acquired the status of an antique monument, therefore it should stand as such even as the area undergoes massive demolition for redevelopment.
There are two businesses still operating that make sauces. The Yuet Wo and Kui Lee Sauce Companies are very much in production today. The Yuet Wo Sauce Company has been producing its sauces in Kwu Tung since the 1970s. It has its own wine distillation facility on site.
The Kui Lee Sauce and Preserved Fruit Company has been producing its sauces in Kwu Tung since the 1960s. The raw materials, such as soy beans, are sun-dried on-site in Kwu Tung.
Having passed the two sauce companies, we came upon the Living Water Lutheran Church of Kwu Tung. A villager donated this site to the church in 1955. It is a living testament to the work of Lutheran missionaries in the Sheung Shui area during the last century. They came from the Lutheran seminary in Hubei to Sheung Shui in Hong Kong on Christian mission. The Lutherans have also built the squatter village of Shun Yee San Tsuen in Ma Tso Lung around the 1960s.
The church now has a ministry for the elderly who struggle to live a lonely life in poverty. It no longer congregates in the Kwu Tung location, however, as the church has established its presence in Choi Yuen Estate instead. The site in Kwu Tung now serves this elderly ministry. It hosts community gathering for the elderly still.
Finally, the Chee Kee Sawmill and Timber Company will also have to close the family business, and it has been in Kwu Tung since 1983. Of all the remaining businesses in Kwu Tung, this sawmill company prides the largest square footage in its operation (10,000 Sq. Ft). The owner has a true passion for hand-crafted timber products. They work with raw timber, and they also recycle timber that has been cast out from other redevelopment projects in the city. Finally, they are passionate in their crafts and care about the community. They organize workshops for wood crafting. It is a sunset industry, but it will be remembered and sorely missed.
The villagers of Ping Yeung and Kwu Tung have put up a good fight in order to defend their homeland. In the days to come, the memories of a once-vibrant community will only remain in their hearts. The pictures here are but a snapshot of Kwu Tung before it will be demolished and dressed in new clothes. May the story live on.
Kwu Tung North / Fanling North New Development Area, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
It would be Difficult to Clear Out Hundreds of Squatter Huts in Kwu Tung North, February 6 2020, Topick, HKET.
Kwu Tung Village Committee’s Facebook Page.
Ben Sir on Local Hong Kong Tour: Kwu Tung and Ma Tso Lung.
Kwu Tung Stories, kwutung.wordpress.com.
Yuet Wo Sauce Company website.
Kui Lee Sauce and Preserved Fruit Company website.
Tour Kwu Tung for a Taste of the Northeast.
Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong.
Chee Kee Sawmill and Timber’s Facebook Page.
The Redevelopment and Resumption of Land in Northeast Costs the Last Sawmill in Hong Kong, Ming Pao Weekly.
I have been very eager to visit the Waterfall Bay at Wah Fu Estate for a while. After a stretch of rainy days last week, the water flow must be voluminous there. Therefore on the first sunny morning I headed out to the Southern District …
Views of the fish ponds at Ma Tso Lung has become a hot spot for photo-taking in recent years, especially for sunset photos. This area of the New Territories used to be restricted border area. In 2013, the Hong Kong Government lifted the border restrictions …
When I was young, I was always fascinated by a beautiful natural lake that I saw when the train passed between the University and Tai Po Market stations. Back then, it was simply a lake with a lone rock in its middle. This scenery in Tai Po Kau stayed on my mind even when I have moved abroad to America, its serenity has never left me. Needless to say, such beautiful views would not have remained untouched by the business acumen of the Hong Kong people.
During the 1990s, a developer built luxurious housing in this area on Hung Lam Drive. The Government required the developer to conserve the surrounding habitat, which included lush mangroves that gave home to egrets. As such, Little Egret became the name for the resulting conservation effort. The developer built a nice and large structure, which served as a restaurant and event venue. The lakefront became the venue for light water activities. The lakeshore areas grew beautiful flowers.
Yet after many years of use the structure and the lakefront facilities have degenerated. There was a long stretch of closure, and Billow is now the resident facility after a significant revamp of the area.
This sunny day I went to Billow for lunch with a companion. Because we went from Science Park, we passed by Yau King Lane. “Yau King” in Chinese means “beautiful scenery.” As the name suggests, this section of the drive blessed us, perhaps rather surprisingly, with breathtaking tranquility. It felt almost dreamy driving on this tree-lined avenue, curving its way into my childhood memory on a bright summer day.
I must say, however, that despite the very modern and beautiful ambiance of Billow, the food was not too good. My Thai seafood salad was good, but his steak was not good. Even though it was a Monday, it was a full house during lunch hour. Reservations are made online here two weeks in advance opening at 12:00am sharp. Phone reservation is not available.
After lunch, we walked around the area and found the mangroves near the train track. The views certainly made up for the mediocre food.
Parking is available on site, but weekends might draw crowds.
The Wikipedia on Little Egret.
The Ngau Wu Reservoir The Ngau Wu Reservoir is an unusual reservoir in Hong Kong. It is not a government-run reservoir. Built at mid-stream of the Ngau Wu Stream, it wells fresh water flowing from Ngau Ngak Shan (the Hunch Backs). The reservoir served the …
The Sai Wan Swimming Shed has become a much sought-after spot for photo-taking in recent years. As it faces the northwestern end of Hong Kong Island, the location is perfect for sunset photos. Many couples find it a beautiful spot for dating. I was curious …
There is a reason why I ran into three couples taking their wedding pictures on my visit to the Chung Hom Kok Battery. It is very much like Greece.
The half-dome structure is beautiful, as it is set against a clear blue sky by the seaside. Yet official history has it that the Chung Hom Kok Battery had never seen a day of battle.
During the 1930s, Britain’s Defence Committee determined that the Hong Kong Island would serve as the main venue of defence of Hong Kong. When this determination was made, the British built a series of defence structures in Hong Kong Island, particularly on the coastal areas. The Chung Hom Kok Battery was one of such structures.
Originally, there were two cannons at Chung Hom Kok. They were located one above the other. As there was a concern that the upper cannon might damage the lower one during firing, the British added a half-dome cement structure to the lower cannon platform. This structure is what the pictures show. The No. 2 cannon platform remains intact with its signature half-dome coverage. Cannon No. 1, however, was demolished after the Pacific War.
On the other hand, both cannons came with two searchlight platforms on a lower location. I was only able to find one on site.
As the Japanese military advanced in Hong Kong, the Royal Regiment of Artillery’s 8th Battalion was guarding the Chung Hom Kok Battery. On December 18th, the Japanese troops landed in Hong Kong and rapidly proceeded with their offensive. On the 19th they have arrived at the Wong Nai Chung and Tai Tam Reservoir areas.
The Eastern Fire Command of the British Force ordered the destruction of the three cannons under its command, including the Cape Collison Battery, the Bokhara battery at Cape D’Aguilar and the Chung Hom Kok Battery, in order to prevent critical defence facilities falling into the control of Japanese hands. The artillery did so as instructed, and then retreated to Stanley, which would become the “last man standing” when Hong Kong Governor Sir Mark Aitchison Young surrendered to the Japanese.
As mentioned above, the original half-dome bunker that covers Cannon No. 2 remains intact today. There is no longer any sign of the cannon platform now, as the Hong Kong Government has built a sort of “park” over it. Because of the bunker’s cream color, and its location on the seaside, it is a very popular location for wedding picture taking. On a sunny day, the view there almost could have been Greece.
I was able to find one searchlight platform on the stairs down by the seaside. It was an interesting view to look out the sea from within the platform.
These were the seaside views as I walked along Chung Hom Kok Road. It was a very beautiful location. Perhaps next time I will go to the Chung Hom Kok beach for a lazy afternoon.
On the other hand, there were also military installations, such as bunkers, on the way to the Battery proper.
I took Minibus 16M from the Chai Wan MTR Station. It dropped me off at the Chung Hom Kok Beach, where there is a roundabout. I then walked on Chung Hom Kok Road for 20 minutes to its very end. The former battery is right there.
Bus Routes 6, 6X, 65 and 66 also drop you off at the roundabout.
The road is 90% on level ground, and the last section to the seaside is a five-minute walk downward. On your way back you would have to climb a little. By car, just drive on Chom Hom Kok Road to the very end and there are unmarked parking spaces.
A gentle reminder that the Chom Hom Road, although with some shades, is very, very hot on a sunny day. Sure, it was not in any sense a hike, but prepare lots of water. A 20-minute walk under the sun when it is 33 degrees can be health-threatening if not with enough water and a hiking hat.
All historical descriptions in this entry came from Ko Tim Keung, The Guide to Hong Kong’s War Zones at 83-86.
This entry is part of the series on Hong Kong’s World War II history. Please visit the following links for:
Japanese Fortifications in Luk Keng
Murmurs of the Hollow at Mount Davis
Hike of the Year: From Nam Fung Sun Tsuen to Jardine’s Lookout and Back
War Relics at the Devil’s Peak
Yuen Long today is a thriving town in northwestern New Territories, mostly known for its great food. It is also an area heavily populated with indigenous villages. As such, Yuen Long had a long history of development in Hong Kong, going way back to the …