Kowloon Walled City Park - Hong Kong

Kowloon Walled City was a densely populated, largely ungoverned settlement in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the Walled City became an enclave after the New Territories were leased to Britain in 1898. Its population increased dramatically following the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II.  From the 1950s to the 1970s, it was controlled by Triads and had high rates of prostitution, gambling, and drug use.

In January 1987, when the Hong Kong government announced plans to demolish the Walled City, there were 33,000 residents. After an arduous eviction process, demolition began in March 1993 and was completed in April 1994. Kowloon Walled City Park opened in December 1995 and occupies the area of the former Walled City. Some historical artefacts from the Walled City, including its Yamen, an imperial administrative building and remnants of its South Gate, have been preserved there.

The design of the gardens was inspired by the Jiangnan garden style of the early Qing Dynasty. Construction began in May 1994, with a work-force of skilled artisans from the Mainland being employed to ensure accurate reproduction of the classical concept.

Work was completed in August 1995, and the park was officially opened on December 22, 1995, by the Governor, the Rt. Hon. Christopher Patten.

The park covers 31,000 square metres and is divided into eight scenic zones with individual characteristics but blending into the overall design.

It was built at a cost of $76 million and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

It is now a very attractive park with pavilions and ponds and we were glad that we took the time to go there. Hopefully my photographs will give you a feel of just what a pleasant oasis within the city this park is. If you wish to view the complete album please visit the link Travel Tales - Kowloon Walled City Park.

Finally an explanation about The Chinese Zodiac Garden and a collage of some of the sculptures within this part of the garden. The rest of them can be viewed in My Flickr Album Travel Tales - Kowloon Walled City Park.

Location Map

To reach this park we took the underground from Admiralty Station to Lok Fu Station Exit B in the Kowloon city district  followed by a fifteen minute walk south to Tung Tsing Road.  If time is a problem it is possible to take a taxi from the station. Or alternatively, Bus 1 from the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier Terminus and get off at Tung Tau Tsuen Road (opposite to the park).

With thanks to the following sites for the background information included in this post. The links will take you directly to the pages on the Kowloon Walled City Park if you are interested in learning more about the history. 

Kowloon Walled City - Wikipedia     Kowloon Walled City Park - Discover Hong Kong     Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Dept     China Highlights       China Tour Guide

All photos are my own taken in October 2011.

  All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection 

The photos may also be viewed individually in my album entitled Travel Tales - Kowloon Walled City Park at My Flickr.com account. 

Trams in Hong Kong

During our last trip to Hong Kong we completed our exploration of  Hong Kong Tramways by taking the Tram from Western Market to the end of the line in Kennedy Town, so we have now travelled from one end of the line to the other. Travelling by tram is a fascinating way of experiencing the busy city and residential areas of Hong Kong from the western point of the island right across the city to the east side a journey of 13km in total. The trams are nicknamed 'Ding Ding' after the bell used to warn pedestrians and other traffic of their approach.

The tram system is one of the earliest forms of public transport in Hong Kong as they have been in existence for over one hundred years. Owned and operated by Veolia Transport, the tramway runs on Hong Kong Island between Shau Kei Wan and Kennedy Town, with a branch circulating Happy Valley. The trams which are an environmentally friendly mass transit system are not surprisingly a major tourist attraction. 

There is lots more information available on the internet about the tramway and in my opinion one of the most interesting and comprehensive articles is to be found at Hong Kong Extras. I will share here with you the photographs I captured of the eye catching advertising that completely covers the trams. There are more photos in my post of an earlier trip, Hong Kong Trip 2010 - Part Three - Hong Kong Trams where you will also find a video from YouTube

Map showing the current tram termini and major stops along the route.
Wikipedia

With thanks to the following sites for the background information included in this post. The links will take you directly to the pages on Hong Kong Tramways if you are interested in learning more about the history of the tramway. 

Wikipedia - Hong Kong Tramways    Hong Kong Tramways - Official Website     Hong Kong Extras

All photos unless stated otherwise are my own taken in October 2011.

  All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection 

The tram photos may also be viewed individually in my album entitled Travel Tales - Hong Kong Trams  at My Flickr.com account. 

Connaught Road and Western Market Areas - Hong Kong

Western Market courtesy of  Wikipedia

The Connaught Road and Western Market area of Hong Kong is a district where you will find many authentic local traders and if you have time is worth exploring apart from the Western Market itself, that is directed more at tourists. We personally have an interest in food and find it far more interesting to explore the areas not specifically aimed at the tourists. By doing this we also feel that we gain much more of an insight into the local culture. 
Connaught Road was once a waterfront promenade with boats docked against the northern side of the road, which is why originally rice wholesalers gathered there owing to its proximity to the shore. Due to reclamation of the harbour, the whole of Connaught Road has now become landlocked.

Western Market is one of the oldest structures in the area and is the oldest surviving market building in the city. It operated as a food market until 1988. In 1990, it was declared a historical monument and the renovated market building re-opened as "the Western Market" in 1991. It is now home to a wide range of traders including a restaurant on the top floor.

We did not visit the market interior on our most recent trip but we did take a few photos of local traders when we were walking through the district en route to take the tram to Kennedy Town, as part of our mission to have ridden the entire length of the Hong Kong Tram Line.  Both of these will be subjects of a future post, today I will share my photos from our walk along  Connaught Road.

All photos are my own taken in October 2011.

  All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection 

These photos may also be viewed individually in my album entitled Travel Tales - Connaught Road Traders  at My Flickr.com account.