As tomorrow is the last day of the dragon year, it is an invaluable moment for us to gather with our families and enjoy warm care and love after a whole year of hard work.
In these few days of the Lunar New Year holiday, other than greeting your friends and relatives, it would be a nice idea to visit our heritage trails. You can appreciate the trees and gardens along the routes, and at the same time learn about the appearance of the revitalised heritage locations and architecture which have grown with us, enjoy the green landscape inside our city and take a breath of fresh air.
The heritage trails I would like to suggest are mainly located at two places in Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. You can choose the one nearby or take the time to go a bit further away. For an urban area you may choose the heritage route at Central and Sheung Wan, while for the New Territories you may choose the heritage route at Tai O.
There are a number of historical buildings open to the public after revitalisation at the Central and Sheung Wan heritage route. On the well-known Hollywood Road, the remarkable historical architecture includes the Bridges Street Market, the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum, the Man Mo Temple and the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences.
The Bridges Street Market was the first permanent market built after World War II. It is partly located on the old site of the American Congregational Mission Preaching Hall where Dr Sun Yat-sen once lived and was baptised. The historical three-storey building has a utilitarian architectural design in the international modernist style.
Another historical building nearby is the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum, which was originally a residence of Mr Ho Kom-tong, the younger brother of the prominent businessman Sir Robert Ho Tung. It was preserved as a declared monument in 2010. The building is built in the composite classical style popular in the Edwardian colonial period in Hong Kong and features a richly decorated interior, arched balconies supported by Greek pillars, and well-preserved teakwood staircases. It was one of the first structures in Hong Kong built with a steel frame with concealed built-in electrical wiring. It is also one of the few remaining buildings built in the early 20th century.
Near the cluster of historical buildings related to Dr Sun Yat-sen is the former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road, which was the original home of the Central School. Although the site is not yet revitalised, we can still appreciate the banyan tree webbed on the granite wall of the Quarters, which has a unique ecological value. Nearby is the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences, housed in a building that was the first bacteriological institute established in Hong Kong. And also in the area is the Man Mo Temple, which served as a worshipping centre for the Chinese businessmen and the wider community in Hong Kong's early period after the city opened for trade.
The main scenic spot along the Tai O heritage route is the Tai O Heritage Hotel, which formerly was the Tai O Police Station. The old Tai O Police Station was rated as a Grade 2 historic building in 2009. After revitalisation as a hotel, it retains its own unique features and further fits in with the local community, the unique stilt houses built along the water channel and the natural ecology of Tai O. On the heritage route there is also the Yeung Hau Temple, which was rated as a Grade 1 historic building. You may also pay a visit to the Wang Hang Bridge to take a look at the mangroves.
However, if you want to experience the atmosphere of the Lunar New Year in a rural area and visit historic Hong Kong architecture at the same time, I would like to recommend the Ping Shan Heritage Trail and the Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail located in Yuen Long and Fanling respectively.
The Ping Shan Heritage Trail was the first of its kind in Hong Kong and is located between the area of Hang Tau Tsuen, Hang Mei Tsuen and Sheung Cheung Wai. The trail is connected by a cluster of classic traditional Chinese buildings, including Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda (Hong Kong's only ancient pagoda), the Tang Ancestral Hall (one of the largest ancestral halls in the territory), the Kun Ting Study Hall (built for students preparing for the Imperial Civil Service Examination), the Hung Shing Temple, the Yeung Hau Temple and several other Chinese buildings.
The Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail was the second of its kind established in the New Territories. Along the trail, many traditional Chinese buildings and structures have been retained, including the Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall and the Tin Hau Temple. Also preserved in their original state are the walls and entrance gates, as well as residences, of some of the walled villages such as Lo Wai and San Wai.
If you are interested in the heritage trails I mentioned, you can explore further details on the Conserve and Revitalise Hong Kong Heritage website of the Development Bureau and the Antiquities and Monuments Office website. The two heritage trails of Central to Sheung Wan and Tai O were the main locations of Heritage Fiesta 2012, which was held last year and received a favourable response. Later on we will launch another round of the event.
8 February, 2013
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