Journey to Hong Kong

A glimpse into history in Central

Mar 142013

The Beijing’s control over Hong Kong is tightening up. The political and social environment of the city is suffocating. One may want to look into the history to have some respite from the reality, but even history, in this city, has so little left.

Take Central, currently the city’s financial centre. Here is what is left.

I have introduced Chan Yee Jai earlier. Next to it, on the same side of sidewalk, stand three old buildings retaining arcade architecture. They are probably the oldest buildings still standing in Central (176 Queen’s Road Central). Sincere, the oldest department store in Hong Kong founded in 1900, had its store in one of the buildings.

Front door of Lin Heung Tea House

Lin Heung Tea House (蓮香樓) (160 Wellington Street, Central) is another legend in Central. It is most famous for producing very smooth lotus seed paste, and is credited for pioneering the moon cakes for Mid-Autumn Festival. First established in Guangzhou in 1889, and branched out to Hong Kong in 1918, the tea house is among the oldest tea houses in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. It was Lin Heung Tea house and its like that have set the trend of Yum Cha (飲茶) in Southern China.

In the Tea House, the old way of keeping a kettle warm retains. Tea serving is a tradition that you can still witness here. Relatively old waiters will help serve the tea, with first round being tea leave washing and second round the real tea to be served. Here, you must order buns with lotus seed paste, the signature dish here.

Man Wa Lane

This lane, without the informing by an expert in Hong Kong history, I would not have known is so much steeped in history. Man Wa Lane (文華里), a small lane in Central filled with small stalls to offer seals, was once very prosperous as in old times, people relied on seals as identification. The lane has been in existence since 1850.

Nearly century-old snack shop

Where to Visit No Responses »

Mar 132013

This shop has been around for over 85 years. It was established in Foshan(佛山) in Guangdong in1927, then its founder moved to Hong Kong and so was the shop. Chan Yee Jai（陳意齋）sells traditional snack food and biscuits such as almond cakes, sesame cakes, dry plumes and ginger candy.

Chan Yee Jai in Central

The shop prides itself on still making traditional snacks that is made in Hong Kong and in the old way, that is hand made. It is most busy before the Chinese New Year when locals shop for new year traditional snacks. So if you want to savor Chinese new year snacks and it is not new year time, Chan Yee Jai must be the place to be.

The most delicious snack of the shop, according to an expert in Hong Kong history, is its shrimp beancurd rolls (蝦子扎蹄). It is also the only cooked food sold in the shop. So when you visit the shop, you won’t miss it. And I did try. Indeed very delicious. Highly recommend it.

Chan Yee Jai has two branches, one in Central, and one in APM, Kwun Tong.

Address in Central: G/F, 176B, Queen’s Road Central.

Tel: 25438414

Ho Pui Reservoir walk

Hiking No Responses »

Feb 172013

Date: 10 Feb 2013 (First Day of Chinese New Year)

Route: Ho Pui Reservoir Family Walk (河背水塘家樂徑)

As seen from the route name, this reservoir walk is very relaxing and suitable for all ages. The walk around the reservoir is about 45 minutes, excluding the time to walk up to the reservoir from bus stop.

The reservoir’s setting reminds me of Jiuzhaigou(九寨溝) , a scenic spot in Sichuan, China, though the latter is much more beautiful. If you have been to Jiuzhaigou and see photos of Ho Pui reservoir below, you may agree with me.If you want a relaxing short walk, this may be it. The walk also presents a chance for you to visit Yuen Long, traditionally a market town in Northwest Hong Kong, and one of its villages, Ho Pui Village.

How to get to the starting point

It is rather easy to reach the reservoir. Go to Kam Sheung Road MTR station and exit at C. At the public transport area wait for mini bus No. 71 which goes between Ho Pui Village (河背村)and Yuen Long. Please note that at the time of writing there is no minibus stand for No.71. Don’t panic. Just wait. Do make sure that the minibus you board is in the direction of Ho Pui Village, not Yuen Long, for No.71 stopping at Kam Sheung Road MTR station for both directions.

Get off at Ho Pui Village, where the minibus’s terminus is. Where you get off, you are faced with village houses, one of them being the village communal house. There is a path going between houses (just right in front of the minibus as shown in the photo below), follow it, and when you reach a cement road, turn left and go up the slope.

The path running between houses

The cement slope leading to the reservoir

Before long, you will come to a barbecue place with a sign pointing the direction to Ho Pui Reservoir Family Walk. It will be 20-min walk before you reach the starting point of the walk from Ho Pui Village.

Upon finishing the walk, you can walk the same way down and catch No.71 minibus to Kam Sheung Road MTR station.

A must-walk trail: from Tai Mei Tuk to Luk Keng

Hiking No Responses »

Feb 162013

Date: 13 Feb 2013 (the fourth day of Chinese New Year)

Route: Tai Mei Tuk (大尾篤) –Pat Sin Leng Nature Trail (八仙嶺自然教育徑)- Wang Shan Keuk Village (橫山腳村)- Wang Che Old Trail (橫七古道)—Che Muk Kiu Village (七木橋村)—Luk Keng(鹿頸)

I highly recommend this trail walk, which I finished in about 4 hours. The trail is rich in history, very green and serene, and a great pleasure to walk, without any steep slopes. The villages on the trail have long been abandoned, leaving behind fragments of walls and houses / temples only.The route is all the way dirt or stone paths, with Wang Che Old Trail (橫七古道) paved in the old days to connect neighboring villages in the area, a highlight of the route. No cement to walk on. Another reason for me to love and recommend the trail.Soon after you embark on Pat Sin Leng Nature Trail, you can have a fantastic view over Plover Cove Reservoir and its surrounding mountains and waters.Around the Chinese New Year, i.e. this time of the year, bell flowers (also called Chinese New Year flowers as they are in full bloom during the time) are blooming. A bunch of bell flower trees smiled in the sun.Bamboos, trees with color leaves and small streams dot the trail.

Towards the end, while approaching Luk Keng, Sha Tau Kok in mainland China is in sight with Shenzhen River separating Hong Kong from Shenzhen, its neighbor. In Luk Keng village where some houses are vacant/abandoned, elderly people are seen living there, peacefully. Houses were built as early as 1960s, which give visitors a glimpse of the old village life in Hong Kong.

How to get to the starting point:
Take bus 75K from Tai Po MTR station and get off at the last stop Tai Mei Tuk. Walk up the slope to reach Pat Sin Leng Visitor Centre (八仙嶺遊客中心) – a walk of about 10 minutes. There is a path next to the Centre, leading to Pat Sin Leng Nature Trail.

You can also do as I did. Take bus 275R from Tai Po MTR station, and get off at Plover Cove Country Park station(船灣郊野公園站), i.e. the stop after Tai Mei Tuk (Dragon Tail stop龍尾站). Where you get off, there is a path going up the hill, which is clearly labeled as Pat Sin Leng Nature Trail. It is easier to get to the starting point by taking bus 275R, as you don’t need to walk up the slope, but the bus runs only on weekends and during holidays.

Direction
During the first part of the trail, follow the signs that say going to “Wang Shan Keuk” or “Bride’s Pool”. At about the middle of the trail, you will see signs that point to the direction of “Luk Keng” and “Bride’s Pool”. Choose “Luk Keng” direction from now on.

Toward the end of the journey, when you see a public toilet, you should know you are at Luk Keng village. Turn left to enter the village and pass by it. You will come to a bustling place, with two small outdoor restaurants and the mini bus stop of 65K. Good to wind down at one of the restaurants after hours of walking.

65k mini bus will take you to Fan Ling MTR station. The bus is very popular during the weekends. There is usually a long queue but you have no other public transport option and have to wait.

The village way to celebrate CNY

Where to Visit No Responses »

Feb 102013

It is not allowed to set off firecrackers or fireworks in Hong Kong. This is understandable as it would be very dangerous to allow this in a city with high population density. Yet, in the villages in New Territories, this prohibition is ignored and firecrackers are set off on festive occasions, particularly during Lunar New Year.

Today, the first day of 2013 Lunar New Year, when I passed by Ho Pui Village (河背村) in Yuen Long, a sea of amazing red caught my eye. It is what has been left behind after firecrackers were set off in front of a temple. And this is a colorful billboard celebrating Chinese New Year in the traditional village way. It hangs high over the village’s communal building.

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