More Shophouses, Sham Shui Po
Inspired by the Sam Shui Po walk in Pete Spurrier’s new book, the missus and I thought we would go and have a wander around and see what there was. We didn’t really follow Pete’s recommended walk because we were too easily distracted by the street market, but we did find a whole bunch of shophouses that were new to me, including some that are featured in the book.
I haven’t really explored here at all, other than a brief sojourn back in 1995 when I went to see the rollercoaster at the top of the Dragon Centre (big disappointment, trust me), so it was nice just to wander around the old streets and try to spot some architectural gems, of which there are quite a few.
Most shophouses I see are fairly bog standard, nice to see simply because of their age, but other than their columns they can be quite bland and decrepit, but here in Sham Shui Po there are a few that stand out from the rest. The first one is a corner block which is crying out for some renovation.
Not far away is another corner plot, no elegant curves on this one but it has a really nice wrought-iron balcony rail on the side.
Here is the view from the front.
Here is one with a nice handy date stamp at the top: 1933. It’s a pretty well-kept one too which may account for its long life. The care and attention the tenants/owners take of this place is quite evident, it’s one of the best condition (externally at least) examples of an old shophouse I have seen yet, if only other shophouse owners could do this.
Finally, next door to this one is the old pawnshop mentioned in Pete’s book. This is a huge example of of a pawnshop and is also kept in excellent condition. The front facade is impressive enough but this place also has some nice touches on the side with some stylish but discreet canopies and circular windows. Actually another of the striking things about this place is its height – 5 floors! These places rarely go above 3 floors, so to see one this large is quite special and reminds me very much of the large fortress-like pawnshop towers that can still be found in Macau. I have had to make this merged photo to fit everything on.
You can see the side detail below.
Anyway, just a reminder that Pete’s book can be ordered here and for those interested in seeing more shophouses can browse the group I have set up on FLICKR. It’s open to everyone so please feel free to join.
May 22, 2011 at 1:44 am
Ahh! I have that book! My dad teased me about having lived here all my life and reading a “tourist” book until he picked it up and admitted that he hadn’t been to a good third of the places in there. So then he proceeded to show me around his childhood neighborhood in Causeway Bay – he was surprised to see his primary school next to Po Leung Kuk virtually unchanged – it was a fun time C:
This blog is really fascinating and great to read. Thanks so much! This summer I’m trying to get to as many historically interesting places as possible before they get changed into something else while I’m gone. It’s a little disturbing when you come back from university at Christmas break to see an enormous turquoise and silver Tiffany’s Christmas tree in front of the former Marine Police Headquarters.
May 22, 2011 at 8:46 am
Hi Amanda – thanks for the comment. Yes, all of Pete’s books are great to have and full of places that even locals don’t know about
I think HK is still very much under appreciated in terms of how much stuff there is to see and do, and Pete’s books help to change that impression. Cheers, Phil
February 22, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Not that this would have provide any more info to this entry but the corner block circular shophouse in the first picture was inhabited (maybe one of the flats or something inside) by my mom’s friend’s family like some 40-50yrs ago. She told me when she came to visit and we were walking down this old street. Next time I see her I will probe for more details! Gorgeous building too.
February 22, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Cheddy – that’s a fairly amazing coincidence when you think about it. It would be great if you could elicit any historical details about it. Keep me posted. Cheers, Phil
December 6, 2010 at 7:25 am
Singapore has done a much better job at conserving their shophouse heritage. Take a look at their Urban Development Board results at http://www.shophouses.sg/neighbourhoods
December 6, 2010 at 7:49 am
Hi Shophouses, yes, I’ve been to Singapore a few times and been impressed with the fact that old Harry saw the light before they all got demolished. The HK Govt is definitely way behind in that respect. Thanks for the link. Cheers Phil
December 6, 2010 at 9:25 pm
If you guys are giving kudos to Singapore, here’s sending a shout out for Penang!!!! ;b
December 6, 2010 at 9:49 pm
You know what Yvonne – I’ve spent the grand total of 1 day in Penang and wish I had stayed longer. Some great looking buildings out there. By the way, perhaps you can shed some light on this photo that appeared on Gwulo:
http://gwulo.com/node/7594
It’s a place called Waterfall Gardens and someone thinks it may be actually in Penang. Any ideas?
Cheers Phil
P.S I will go back one day. Actually, did quite a few dives at Pulau Payar some time ago (7 years or so)
December 8, 2010 at 12:28 am
Went to the Gwulo page but am not sure I can be of that much help there. The only thing that people there might wish to know is that what’s popularly known as the Waterfall Gardens in Penang is officially known as the Penang Botanic Garden there.
The official website is here:-
http://www.penangbotanicgardens.gov.my/
(And yes, there are some nice old black and white photos of the place on it)
December 8, 2010 at 7:47 am
Yvonne – many thanks for the link. I’ll post it on gwulo. Looks nice. Will hve to visit nbext time I make it to your birth place. Cheers Phil
(by the way, in reciprocation, I’ll expect you will be wanting to book your ticket to Coventry – my birthplace – as soon as possible. Just remember to pack your police issue stab vest and don’t stare at anyone or spill their pints
)
December 5, 2010 at 10:37 am
Hi Phil –
Looks like you spotted some architectural gems in Sham Shui Po. I’ve done so when walking about the area too but admit that often times, the poverty to be found there can get me depressed about the way too large economic disparity that exists between rich and poor here in Hong Kong — this especially since on one of my visits, I went to a Society for Community Organisation (SOCA) event in which I got to see cage homes and how spaces in tenements have been divided into multiple tiny living spaces which is all that some people can afford to rent.
On a different note: have you seen Derek Kwok’s “The Moss”? It’s one of those rare Hong Kong movies that’s set in Sham Shui Po. And while there are certain flights of fancy in the film, like that there is a genuine feel to much of the work — in large part because, the director told me, he lives in Sham Shui Po!
December 6, 2010 at 8:04 am
Hi Yvonne, I must admit that poverty wasn’t the first thing that struck me about the area, it didn’t seem anymore poverty stricken than other areas of Kowloon. The bustling street market is distracting in that way.
Having said that, it really is something the Govt has the power to fix, rather than wasting billions on unnecessary vanity projects (high-speed rail link, 2023 Asian games etc) and pandering to Leech Ker-ching. Sad.
I’ll keep an eye out for the movie.
Cheers Phil
December 4, 2010 at 9:47 pm
I like the circular crittall windows – very art deco.
December 4, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Hi Ben, is that what they are? Sounds like you know more about this than me. If you zoom in you can see that they are hinged in the middle. Pretty cool. Cheers Phil