1936 Building along Ting Kok Road, Tai Po

Speaking of 1936, as we just were in this post where I mentioned the great (but not as great as 1937) typhoon of 1936, not far away from Sam Kung temple is a very old building sitting right next to Ting Kok Road at the edge of Po Sam Pai village.

We know it’s old because right above the central entrance – as is common with many older houses in HK – is a date stamp, you guessed it: 1936.

Praia Avenue, Taipa

Another of the sites worth taking in when you are in Taipa village. Located around the same hillock that houses the Carmel Church and Camoes Park. Praia Avenue is a fine example of how to do heritage conservation, something that Macau just does better than Hong Kong, period.

King Yin Lei, Stubbs Road

45 Stubbs Road. At last, after three years of espousing its unique architectural beauty and past use as a film location, I have finally made the effort to go up there and see how things are going. I was going to do this a couple of years ago, but events started happening quite quickly that preempted the usefulness of a visit.

A Walk along Bowen Road

I’m not a HK-sider and so many of the more hidden roads and streets, well-known to ‘Island’ living locals and expats alike, still elude me. One of the names I kept hearing when we first arrived was Bowen Road. The reason for this is slightly unfortunate.

Nam Koo Terrace, Ship Lane

Nam Koo Terrace is one of those buildings that makes you just stop and stare in awe and wonder. ‘Awe’ because it is a magnificent example of colonial architecture, ‘wonder’ because again like so many things of historical value in HK it sits neglected, possibly awaiting demolition, to make way for yet another pointless development dreamed up by someone with too much time and money on their hands.

Man Sze Cheung Yuen, Tai Po

Man Sze Cheung Yuen is one of those buildings that makes you stand and stare to see if anything or anyone is going to reveal the nature of the place. I’ve been here for three years and pass it frequently and have never seen anyone coming or going or even out on the balcony.

Woodside House, Mt Parker Road

Woodside House is a huge colonial-style mansion situated in the lower portion of the Mt Parker Road trail (see another entry coming soon) in the Quarry Bay Extension of the Tai Tam Country Park. The text below (taken from the plaque outside on the road) mentions the continued existance of some of the original internal features, however, we couldn’t get in on the day we went and, actually, I have no idea if it is possible right now. Either way you can still wander through the main gate and have a rest on one of the benches inside the grounds whilst looking at its impressive facade.

41 Cumberland Road, Kowloon

For most people, even those living in Hong Kong, this seemingly anonymous address would mean absolutely nothing to them, and why would it?  Since its last private owner vacated the premises back in the 1980′s, it has been used as a ‘Love Hotel’ and the current owners don’t really take too kindly to nosy people, like me, sticking our heads through the front gate to get a look inside.

Lou Lim Leoc Garden, Macau

Lou Lim leoc Garden was built by Macau businessman and scholar, Lou Kau. Named after his son, the garden has several entrances, but by far the best is via the tea museum. The garden was built in the classic ‘Suzhou’ style which encompasses miniature landscapes and grottoes. History tells us that Sun Yat Sen was a friend of Lou Kau and a frequent visitor to the garden and mansion contained within. In fact, it was here that the good Dr fled when the Manchu’s came after him as a revolutionary in 1894. This was to be his last ever trip to Macau although his family stayed behind.

Tiger Balm Gardens

I guess it is a bit silly of me to include this here for the simple reason that 90% of it was demolished circa 2005 so that someone could build yet another upscale apartment complex on the vast swathe of land it occupied *sigh*.

 

Thankfully, the mansion was saved from demolition but the rest of the garden has completely gone – even the distinctive white pagoda that can be seen in films such as “The World of Suzie Wong” was ripped down in the name of redevelopment. Incidentally, the Mansion previously housed one of the biggest private Jade collections in Hong Kong.