29-06-22
I am tired of Central, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui which frighten me with ceaseless noises, colours and lights. It takes a simple and forgotten district to make me happy. The art of strolling in a small district is easy to acquire: just be humble and friendly. Shau Kei Wan bay area on Hong Kong Island is quickly changing, with shopping malls, expensive residences and modern hospital coming into view. But, we wish it could hold on to that old town character forever. The kind of charming people that I met in Shau Kei Wan haunt me. I want to do stories about the unexpected encounters with them who are ordinarily extraordinary.
Please make a trip to Shau Kei Wan and you will be thrilled to be in the exotic Kam Wa Street outdoor fresh market.
Hundreds of years ago, boat dwellers lived in the remote area of Shau Kei Wan which was geographically an excellent typhoon shelter. It was difficult to dream big and the fishermen’s best dream was one day to be able to cross the tall hill in Quarry Bay which blocked Shau Kei Wan and the other parts of Hong Kong Island, and be able to go to the city area such as North Point. The earliest recorded history of Shau Kei Wan was back in the Ming Dynasty, an imperial kingdom ruling China about 400 years ago. Being on the extreme eastern tip of Hong Kong Island and with a broad inlet of the sea where Mount Parker(柏架山) curved inwards, Shau Kei Wan was the popular bay area for fishermen and refugees to settle down when they first set foot in the Victoria Harbour of Hong Kong. During World War II, the Japanese established a co-operative market for local fishmongers. After the war, ‘industrial revolution’ took place in Shau Kei Wan in the 1940s and entrepreneurs started factories along Factory Street to manufacture toys, plastic flowers and artificial jewellery by making use of the massive low-skilled labour. There was an industrial wastewater ditch in the middle of Factory Street releasing a foul smell.
An old kaifong recalled, “Boat dwellers travelled far and wide and did not use banks. They bought gold jewellery and put them on the boat. In the old days, there were a lot of goldsmith shops near Mong Lung Street(望隆街) and Main Street East(東大街). For the kids, the first on their list was street food. From fish balls to stinky tofu, charcoal-cooked chestnuts to wonton noodles and from steamed sticky rice to salt-baked quail eggs, these streetside attractions only cost ten cents! There were also many simple gambling games in the streets such as ‘balloon dart’ or ‘the odd or even marble guess’. Prizes were snacks. Cycling was a cheap way for the teenagers to get around Wang Wa Street(宏華街) . Some swam near Tam Kung Temple(譚公廟).”
A granny said, “We had no TV at that time. We got into the cinema to forget about the reality. There were 4 to 6 movie houses in Shau Kei Wan and most were not well-decorated. Bedbugs shamelessly watched movies together with us while enjoying their dinner.”
A senior citizen told me, “All sins became apparent after the 60s when people could afford vices. Criminals started making money from such trades. Street prostitutions, drug dealing and illegal gambling had become almost a commonplace of community life in Shau Kei Wan. In 1976, a big fire burnt down the seaside squatter area of Shau Kei Wan and government had to build decent housing units to take care of the poor. The housing improvements in our district gradually became a great anti-poverty as well as anti-crime measure. Shau Kei Wan is now a quiet, simple and friendly place to live with the best law and order. If you are a huge seafood lover, come to Shau Kei Wan. Residents here used to work with fish and naturally there are now many seafood restaurants and fish-ball ‘cha chaan tengs’(Hong Kong-style cafes) in our neighbourhood to entertain you!”
An elderly butcher remembered, “Now, we are amazed at the home delivery innovative services such as Foodpanda. In our gold and silver days, home delivery services were not rendered by big companies. Mom-and-pop stores all sent the children of the family, irrespective of their age, to carry and deliver bags of rice, LP gas cylinders, bottles of peanut oil, soft drinks, mahjong table and even wonton noodle soup to homes. Tipping was generally not given. Manpower was never a problem in the 60s and 70s.”
If you long for a walk which helps you be able to escape the torture of living in a busy big city like Hong Kong, you can stroll over the quiet and comforting streets and alleys of Shau Kei Wan. Do not omit the level paved lane area behind the buildings along Ngoi Man Street(愛民街). This ancient terrace is nostalgically isolated from the outside world and good food from the family restaurants is served on the terrace as a special treat to you for overcoming a flight of stone steps.
The famous General Rock(將軍石), on the top of the hill embracing Shau Kei Wan, is an object of veneration for tourists. Over hundreds of years, the Rock has been overlooking and protecting Shau Kei Wan obediently. Any ship sailing into the beautiful Victoria Harbour from the East would be security-checked by the General.
History is a chain of memories contributed by all. Following the light of the sun, we will leave the old world. Place stands still and so does the sentimental old Shau Kei Wan…
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