Vignettes of the World
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. Chung Hom Kok as a Structure of Defence The half-dome structure is beautiful, as it is …
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 Song Dynasty.
It only came to my attention recently that Yuen Long has an Old Market area, which spans the three streets of Cheung Shing Street, Lee Yick Street and Wine Street. I was intrigued, as the local tour agencies call it the “Qing Dynasty Street.” I paid a short visit and read up on its history.
During the Qing Dynasty, the Yuen Long Old Market was the heart of economic activities. Throughout the Qing Dynasty, it was the major marketplace in all of Hong Kong. Due to the imperial edict of coastal evacuation, the market stopped running. During the 8th year of the Kangxi Reign (1699), the jinshi[i] village gentry Tang Man-wai of Kam Tin (then known as Shum Tin) submitted a formal request to the Qing Court to revive the Yuen Long region’s economy. The Yuen Long Old Market was a result of this initiative. The Tang’s re-established the market in the general area of Nam Bin Wai.
This geographical location was a very good choice for a market. The land lied in the northwestern part of Hong Kong, bordered the southern shore of the Shenzhen River west, where the Shan Pui River and Kam Tin River intersected. This enabled the people of the neighborhood villages, including Ping Shan, Kam Tin, and Shap Pat Heung to arrive by boat. As such, the market had quickly garnered the presence of vendors selling all kinds of necessities. From daily veggies to letter-writing services, the Yuen Long Old Market had plenty to offer.
In Cantonese, the Yuen Long Old Market is the Yuen Long “Kau Hui” (“kau” meaning old, and “hui” meaning market). Yet the “hui” has a nuanced difference from the more commonly used word “shi,” which, for the lack of an alternative word in English, also means market.
At the Yuen Long Old Market’s new beginning, it was a “hui” consisting of temporary vendors selling their goods in make-shift stalls. They began the day early at dawn, and they would wrap up the day’s trade after noon. The “hui” elicits the idea of mobility, versus the more stable “shi.” Craftsmen of all kinds would offer one-off services, such as barbers, fortune tellers, or letter-writers.
As opposed to “shi,” “hui” refers to a kind of marketplace that has more downtime. On certain days when the “hui” opens for business, it draws vendors from all walks of life. Yet in any given month the “hui” would open for only about ten days or so. The “shi,” on the other hand, is more permanent, although perhaps operating on a smaller scale. As times progressed, however, the distinction between “hui” and “shi” slowly disappeared. The Cantonese language no longer distinguishes between the two. A marketplace, in old Cantonese, is simply known as “hui shi.”
As business continued to develop, people built and operated standard stores in the Yuen Long Old Market. The earlier establishments were grocers. Then further development invited the presence of food and beverages, tools, services and even entertainment industries. It did become a one-stop market that met all of people’s daily and lifestyle needs.
Tang Man-wai set up the Kwong Yu Tong to handle the day-to-day management of the Old Market. As it was common to other marketplaces in the New Territories, the commission system (gong ching) ensured a steady stream of profits for the market owners. At each transaction, both buyers and sellers share equally the commission, a rate that depended on the quantity of the goods changing hands. Having won a bidding process, the holder of “ching” can collect these commissions for the period of one year typically. Then the holder of “ching” would pay a rental fee to Kwong Yu Tong. Kwong Yu Tong used these funds for maintenance and community development.
Because Tang Man-wai’s family monopolized this space, the commission system was rife with corruption. And this feature could have contributed to the downfall of the Old Market, which had a glorious 240 years of operation.
The parts of Yuen Long bustling with economic activities today are actually the Yuen Long New Market (“san hui.”) During the early 20th century, the Yuen Long Chung riverbeds were clogged, causing significant inconvenience for transport by boats. The New Market also came about due to some villagers’ discontent with the long-time monopoly of land rights and profits in the Old Market by the Tang Man-wai family.
In 1915, Yuen Long’s New Market completed its basic structures, made possible by a pooling of funds from a number of village leaders. The Hop Yick Company was responsible for the management of the New Market.[ii] The features of the market included wide-open space for store fronts and a plaza for street stalls. Most importantly, the owners established an independent commission system that ensured fair trade. The New Market became very popular, causing the Old Market to gradually phase out in significance.
I exited the Yuen Long MTR Station at Exit B. Having passed the Nam Bin Wai village (see picture below), I walked on and passed by the thriving banyan tree. That is the way to Cheung Shing Street, the main street that runs through the Old Market area.
I took a leisurely walk within this area and it took me about 30-40 minutes to finish the walk.
Most of the old buildings of the Qing Dynasty have now been rebuilt into modern homes. Some heritage still remains, however. I took a quick tour of the area and saw three main structures that are still here today.
The Po Yuen Pawn
The Po Yuen Pawn is the oldest pawn site in Hong Kong. It was built during the mid to late 18th century by a descendant of the Tang clan, Tang Lim-ming. The blue brick structure stands beautifully today, unfazed by the currents of history.
The Po Yuen Pawn served as the vendors’ go-to store for cash flow. They would pawn a piece of valuable in exchange for cash. When they have made their rounds trading at the market, and have earned money, they would redeem the pawned good.
The Po Yuen Pawn shut down during the Japanese Occupation of the 1940s, and remains closed today.
One can only imagine the kind of big money that used to come and go at this type of establishment.
Tai Wong Temple
The Tai Wong Temple has stood its time of 340 years since the inception of the Yuen Long Old Market. It is the oldest building in the Old Market area. The resident gods are Hong Shing and Hau Wong.
Yi Tai Temple
The Yi Tai Temple has had at least 300 years of history. The resident gods are Pak Tai and Kwan Tai. They were revered as the gods of commerce.
These temples served more than religious purposes. As a social and community space, they were the venues for dispute resolution and policy-making by the village leaders.
Although most of the buildings in this area are modern homes, some do retain an old-fashioned feel. They were clearly 20th century buildings, which by now can be deemed historic. These are the views of the Old Market area now.
All historical descriptions of Yuen Long’s Old Market came from Society of Hong Kong History, Hong Kong History in Historical Artefacts (Chin. 2014) at 67-74.
[i] The title “jinshi” is given to those who has past the final level of Qing Dynasty’s imperial civilian examination. As such, Tang Man-wai was a reputable village gentry, in addition to being a member of a prominent Tang indigenous family in Yuen Long then.
The original plan of the day was to hike the general areas of Hong Kong east, namely, Mount Butler, Mount Parker or the Quarry Pass area. We began at Nam Fung Sun Tsuen but that was the last thing we knew. Some wrong ways here …
Pre World War II History The British built the Sai Wan Battery early during the colonial times. Originally, they built only the redoubt up on the hilltop in 1895. Three years later, the British military added two 6-inch gun platform as well, and construction completed …
It could not have been a better weather for a ride on the sea. I was joining a friend for lunch at Sai Wan Ho. We planned on meeting at Soho East, the well-known restaurant strip right next to the Sai Wan Ho Pier. It was out of convenience that I decided to take the ferry, and it turned out to be a wonderful decision.
I took a bus to Kwun Tong and got off at Millennium City. I walked for ten minutes toward the sea and arrived at the Kwun Tong Public Pier. Its humility came as a surprise to me. I did not know what to expect, to begin with, but in the back of my mind I had the image of the swanky pier establishments in Central. Surely, someone thought that the selling point of this pier was its humble, simple elegance. On one of the main pillars there are printed words saying “boats of nostalgia.”
The ferry schedule is simple. In each hour of operation, the ferry comes twice, on the 18th and 48th minute. True to its word, the ferry to Sai Wan Ho came at 11:48am. When it arrived, I understood immediately the meaning of “boats of nostalgia.”
The ferry was clown-themed. It came with a very festive décor, perhaps in an outmoded way. The operator is Coral Sea, a company that I have not heard of. But the wooden ferry in its bright colors made me smile. I went on board and saw a clown, smiling ear-to-ear, sitting in the middle of the boat. It was as much a surprise as it was comical, “ah-ha, so these are clown colors!”
I took the stairs to the upper deck. The ferry headed right across the eastern entry to the Victoria Harbour, the Lei Yue Mun Pass. The first landmark that came into sight was the former runway of the Kai Tak Airport. Then came open, wide open, views of the Victoria Harbour. All of Hong Kong’s skyline, from the eastern corridor to the very western end, and on both sides of the harbour, reeled by.
Very frankly, I did not foresee that a boat ride could so refreshing. It really brightened up the day for me. I told my friend that I would be going for lunch with her again. And yes, I would do this again, and again.
Originally we were going to hike the Lung Mun Country Trail from Chuen Lung Village to the Shing Mun Reservoir. However, after a mad good time at dim sum at the village, we were left with little time for the intended trail. Therefore we changed …
You can’t miss it, spring is here in Hong Kong. It is time to see flowers. The local press has been reporting on the Shun Sum Yuen Farm in San Tin, Yuen Long. My friend and I took a trip out there this past Sunday. …
The Lung Ha Wan (also known as Lobster Bay) Country Trail shows exceptional aerial views of the outlaying islands and Kowloon’s eastern coastline at Clear Water Bay. I was hiking this day with a group. Someone would be leading and I could enjoy the views and the hike.
Originally, we intended to take Minibus 16 from the Po Lam Bus Terminus, then get off at Tai Au Mun. What would have followed was a half-hour walk to the beginning of the Lung Ha Wan Trail inside the Clear Water Bay Country Park.
However, it was a Sunday and a long line formed at the minibus stop. We waited for more than half hour, then decided to just hail down a cab. The cab took us into the Clear Water Bay Country Park (where the Lobster Bay Viewing Point is). We then began at the Lung Ha Wan Country Trail.
The Lung Ha Wan Country Trail is a path up Tai Leng Tong. The initial stairs up takes a good twenty to thirty minutes. There are views of the golf course and the coast on this part of the trail.
Once up at the top, we came upon the first photo spot. It is a rock on a gentle slope. Given the right angle, the photograph shows some illusions of a dangerous maneuver, but in fact the gentle slope is just a few feet below the rock.
At that location we have already passed the peak of Tai Leng Tong. We then headed onto a downward path. Despite a sunny morning, it became very cloudy and windy when we started our hike. Although we could observe the beautiful coastline and the outlaying islands, the photographs do not do justice to the views.
We passed by another rock. And we kept going downward. The trail ends at the Clearwater Bat Equestrian Center. The kite flying site of Lung Ha Wan is also nearby. Hang on though because that is by no means the end of hiking. We headed onto Lung Ha Wan Road. Soon enough we passed by Lung Ha Wan (Lobster Bay). It is a rocky stretch of a beach.
Another site worthy of visit on Lung Ha Wan Road is the Lung Ha Wan Rock Carving. According to the descriptions on site, the rock carving is possibly dated to 3,000 years old ago during the Bronze Age. These carvings show geometric patterns that symbolize clouds, thunders and other forces of nature generally. The patterns are also consistent with the patterns shown on the pottery and vessels of the Bronze Age unearthed in the territory. There are a total of nine such rock carvings found in Hong Kong, most of them along the coast. A possible explanation is that the early inhabitants of Hong Kong were sea farers and therefore they might have done these carvings to invoke the power of the sea.
I think we walked on Lung Ha Wan Road for a little more than thirty minutes until we reached the roundabout at Tai Au Mun. We then took Bus 91 back to Choi Hung. It was a wonderful hike, if only the sun could show a bit more.
It is with sadness that Hoi An Cafe, with 69 years of history behind it, has now permanently closed, as of October 2021. Reports suggest that the owner had to close it because nobody was going to take over the operation of the restaurant. Farewell …