Hong Kong Dollarsaver

2012-03-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hong Kong is a good starting point to visit the many interesting places nearby, conveniently and cost-effectively. This can be an outlying island, the real China Town in the city, or the many Asian countries that are within easy reach. For expatriate residents and their visitors, this is an opportunity not to be missed. For youngsters who happen to live in this multicultural city, they would definitely benefit from these early global experiences.

Hong Kong Radius, with the accompanied one page Print On Demand Guide is a ‘Living Travel Guide’ for residents and visitors to make interesting outings during their stay. Coupled with HK Food Note included in the POD Guide, a multifaceted personal experience is waiting to be discovered. There is a blog for those who wish to share updates and comments, or simply ask questions.

2011-06-23T03:11:00.000-07:00

Part One of Hong Kong Urban Pilgrimage covers mainly temples and churches. In Part Two, there are more worshipping places for the living. But there are also resting places for the dead that belong to six different religions, all in Happy Valley. Except the Jewish Cemetery, the other five are situated in a stretch of land on the west side of the Jockey Club racecourse.

Riding the tram is the idyllic way to begin this part of the Urban Pilgrimage. If it is a continuation of Part One, walk from Zoroastrian Building to the Percival St. tram stop. Otherwise, take the Happy Valley tram from Central/ Wanchai or from North Point/Causeway Bay. It is a one-way journey to the final stop.

From the terminus, go back along the track to Blue Pool Rd. At the junction with Ventris Rd. is Tam Kung Temple, which was built in 1901. The practice of worshipping the main folk deity, Tam Kung, came with the fishing community originated from western Guang Dong. He died in the 12th Century at a young age and was deified in the 19th Century by the Qing Emperor. This was after the report that he led an army from heaven to protect the city of Hui Zhou from rebels.

Jewish Cemetery was built in 1855. The entrance gate is located away from the street and is sandwiched between Tong Lin Kok Yuen Buddhist Nunnery and the school it operates. A footbridge links the two buildings and hangs right above the path to the Cemetery. East really crosses path with West here.

In the cemetery, there is a small chapel and 301 graves. One prominent name to be found is ‘Kadoorie’. The Kadoorie family owns The China Light & Power, Peninsula Hotel and also The Kadoorie Farm. The latter is a charity that has been helping local farmers and Hong Kong-based Gurkha soldiers since 1951.

Tung Lin Kok Yuen Nunnery and Po Kok School for Girls were built in 1935 by Lady Clara Cheng Lin Kok, the second wife of Sir Robert Hotung. She used the money given by her husband at their 50th wedding anniversary to fulfill her dream. This was to propagate Buddhism and educate under-privileged women. The Nunnery has been classified as a Grade 1 Historical Building.

The Hindu Temple in Happy Valley was built in 1952 and is at 1B Wong Nei Chong Rd. After a flight of stairs to the top and turn left you will reach the North Indian style temple. Lord Vishnu (Preserver of the Universe) and Goddess Lakshimi are worshipped in the central shrine. Lord Siva (Destroyer of the Universe) and Goddess Parvati are on their left. Jhulelan, the community God of Sindhis, is on the right. There are over 20,000 Hindus in Hong Kong, with 90% from this community.

The Temple was built on the edge of a piece of land allocated as the site of the Hindu Cemetery. There are only a small number of interments to be found as Hindus cremate their dead. Among these are graves of children who died young, at the request of their parents.

Next to the Hindu Cemetery is the Parsee Cemetery, It was built in 1852 and the resting places of those practicing the Zoroastrian faith. This includes Sir Mody, who was instrumental in the establishment of the University of Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Cemetery, also known as the Colonial Cemetery, was established in 1844. There are 12,100 mainly Christian interments including military personnel.

The St. Michael Catholic Cemetery was moved from the previous Wanchai site to the present location in 1848. There are about 23,000 graves.

The Muslim Cemetery includes civilian burials as well as Commonwealth burials of the First and Second World War.

The antithesis of one local secular faith – Property Investment, is included in Part One of Hong Kong Urban Pilgrimage. Now, you can visit the premises of the other popular secular faith, Horse Racing. Every week, except during summer holidays, at the Happy Valley (or the Shatin) racecourse, ardent believers will gather to satisfy their betting desire for instant fortune. In addition, there are 105 Off-course Betting Branches all over the territory.

To have a feel of the popular ritual, there is no need to join the races. The Moon Koon Restaurant of the Hong Kong Jockey commands a panoramic view of the racecourse. It offers dim sum and Cantonese cuisine. To go to the restaurant and the Racing Museum in the same building, take the underground passage in front of the Cosmopolitan Hotel next to the Muslim Cemetery.

To stick to the religious route, turn left form the Cosmopolitan Hotel and you will come to Queen's Road East. Up the road at No. 371 is the Sikh Temple (Gurudwara). It was built in 1901 and is the worshipping place for the 8,000 strong Sikh community. Free meals are offered at the Guru’s langar (kitchen-cum-eating house) where everybody is eating together.

To reach to the Masjid Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre, cross the road to the other side of Queen’s Road East. Walk down a flight of stairs, go straight along Oi Kwan Rd. and then turn right. The Mosque and Centre was open in 1981. There are a total of five mosques in Hong Kong serving over 80,000 Muslims (half are Chinese) and 100,000 Indonesian migrant domestic workers.

Oi Kwan Road Baptist Church is across the road from the Islamic Centre. It was built in 1981 and serves mainly a Chinese congregation. The two harmonious looking buildings are on the same ground where Morrison Hill once stood, a perfect end to Hong Kong's Urban Pilgrimage.

2011-06-21T02:00:00.000-07:00

Riding the tram is the idyllic way to begin Part Two of the Pilgrimage. If it is a continuation of Part One, walk to the Percival St. tram stop. Otherwise, take the Happy Valley tram from Central/ Wanchai or from North Point/Causeway Bay. It is a one-way journey to the final stop.

Tung Lin Kok Yuen

From the terminus, go back along the track to Blue Pool Rd. At the junction with Ventris Rd. is Tam Kung Temple, which was built in 1901. In the main hall, the darker face Matsu, Goddess of the Sea, is on Tam Kung’s left. Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, is on his right.

Tung Lin Kok Yuen Nunnery is at No. 15 Shan Kwong Rd. with the Po Kok Primary School for Girls at No. 11. Lady Clara Cheng, the second wife of Sir Robert Hotung, built the complex in 1935. Her dream was to propagate Buddhism and educate under-privileged girls. The complex was classified as a Grade II Historical Building.

Hindu Temple

The Hindu Temple in was built in 1952. After a flight of stairs to the top and turn left will reach the North Indian style temple. Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshimi is worshipped in the central shrine, with Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati on the their left and Jhulelan on the right.

The Temple was built on the edge of a piece of land allocated as the site of the Hindu Cemetery. There are only a small number of interments to be found as Hindus cremate their dead. Among these are graves of children who died young, at the request of their parents.

Parsee Cemetery

Next to the Hindu Cemetery is the Parsee Cemetery, the resting places of believers practicing the Zoroastrian faith. It was built in 1852.

Hong Kong Cemetery

The Hong Kong Cemetery, also known as the Colonial Cemetery, was established in 1844. There are 12,100 mainly Christian interments.

St. Michael Catholic Cemetery

The St. Michael Catholic Cemetery was moved from the previous Wanchai site to the present location in 1948. There are about 23,000 graves

The Muslim Cemetery is the burial ground for civilians as well as Commonwealth burials of the First and Second World War.

There is no need to join the races to have a feel of another popular Hong Kong secular faith, Horse Racing. The Moon Koon Restaurant of the Hong Kong Jockey Club commands a panoramic view of the racecourse. It offers dim sum and Cantonese cuisine. Tel: 2966 7111.

Muslim Cemetery

To go to the restaurant and the Racing Museum in the same building, take the underground passage in front of the Cosmopolitan Hotel next to the Muslim Cemetery.

The Sikh Temple is next if you wish to stick to the religious route. Turn left form the Cosmopolitan Hotel and walk up to No. 371, Queen's Road East. It was built in 1901 and is the worshipping place for the 8,000 strong Sikh community.

To reach to the Masjid Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre, cross the road to the other side of Queen’s Road East. Walk down a flight of stairs, go straight along Oi Kwan Rd. and then turn left. The Mosque and Centre was open in 1981.

Oi Kwan Baptist Church is across the road from the Islamic Centre. It was built in 1981 and serves a Chinese congregation. The two harmonious looking buildings are on the same ground where Morrison Hill once stood, a perfect full stop to Hong Kong's Urban Pilgrimage.

2011-02-18T02:02:00.000-08:00

Hong Kong is a World City of 7 million people. It has flourished because of many reasons and one is that it is truly cosmopolitan. You will find a harmonious coexistence of different races, religions, believes and faiths in the crowded metropolis where 70% of its people profess to believe in one faith or another. To discover this side of Hong Kong one has to embark on a “pilgrimage”. It would not be an arduous one like visiting religious holy places. It is a journey to feel and reflect about spirituality through an experience of diversity and tolerance. A “pilgrimage” that can be taken with ease and is within easy reach.

Hong Kong Urban Pilgrimage is divided into two parts. The first part was included in the Tin Hau/Tai Hang Guide (published in the 14 February issue of HK Dollarsaver). You are to find six places of religious worship, one religious institute, one Indian spiritual centre and one totem of local secular faith. To make Part One complete, there are two more places to go.

After the stop at Christ the King Chapel, walk to the end of Cotton Path and turn left at Caroline Hill Rd. The Confucius Hall was built in 1935 by Kong Sing Tong, an organization established in 1928 with the purpose of propagating Confucius teachings. The auditorium has been a venue for holding cultural events and can accommodate an audience of over 1,000 people.

Walking down the slope to the end will reach Leighton Rd. The Zoroastrian Building is directly opposite at No. 101. It replaced the Zoroastrian Chapel that was torn down in 1991. The modern commercial building still houses a place of worship and the office of “The Incorporated Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hong Kong, Canton and Macao”.

Zoroastrianism is an ancient Persian religion with a history of over 3,000 years. The rise of Islam after the 7th century drove many believers to other parts of the world. Those who settled in Bombay (Mumbai), India are called Parsee and some came to Hong Kong in the 19th century. Being both astute merchants and charitable at heart because of their religion, they have made great contributions to the society of Hong Kong. There are streets and hospital bearing names of prominent Parsee figures like Mody, Kotewall, Bisney and Ruttonjee. For those who wish to learn more about the religion, their priest (Ervad) Homyo can be reached at 2882 3227.

The first part of the "pilgrimage" ends in Causeway Bay, where glass and steel high rises, fine food dining venues and large brand name signs compete for your attention. Welcome back to the “real” World City.

Faravahar is the symbol of Zoroastrianism. The human figure, or the soul, stands in the circle of wisdom and points one hand upward to connect with the higher power. The other hand holds the ring of faithfulness. The three main rows of feathers are representative of the basic ethics of the religion – good thoughts, good words and good deeds. The three rows of tail feathers represent the opposite – bad thoughts, bad words and bad deeds. The two streamers represent the spirits of good and evil, of which every person in their life has to strive to choose the former.

2011-01-20T02:47:00.000-08:00

Tin Hau, a residential area situated between Causeway Bay and North Point, is named after the 200 year old Tin Hau (Goddess of the Sea) Temple. There is also a road and a MTR station that bear the name. When major renovation and expansion work of the temple was carried out in 1868, the Dai family was the main donor and has since been responsible in the running of the temple.* Their family ancestral hall is also in the compound.

* From an 1999 article by Dr. Joseph Tin, former Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of History.

Beside the temple is a small garden where there is a spiral staircase to Dragon Road. A tall banyan tree in the middle of the road greets you when emerging from the spiral staircase. Opposite is The Red Swastika Society, which was founded in China in 1922. Based on Taoistic believes and the idea of the Red Cross to provide relief during disasters, the Society also advocates peaceful co-existence of all major religions. The place is not open to the public except the clinic which offers free medical services.

If you are looking for enlightenment from India, the Raja Yoga Centre, a registered charity since 1971, is behind the banyan tree. An unexpected oasis just a short distance from busy traffic, the Centre has been offering free courses on meditation and spirituality with English first lesson conducted on every 1st and 3rd Thursday except public holidays.

The Antithesis of a Secular Faith
For many of the seven million inhabitants in Hong Kong, the dream is to buy an apartment, not only as home, but also with the belief that this will make them rich. Hence, property investment is definitely on the top of the local secular faith list.

At Dragon Road, a major property development is underway. The bulldozer stopped short at No. 15–17. For whatever reason, the developer has to settle with a compromised plan. This requires its multi-million high rise residential block to co-exist with two old buildings by the side. Another interesting fact is that No. 13 Dragon Road is not on government records. Maybe, a predestined barrier was long in place.

The scene of a pebble being allowed a space in between big rocks is yet to materialize at this construction site. Surprisingly, you can find one within a few dozen steps further up at No. 11 Dragon Terrace. Yes, a three storey, 700 sq. ft. house is standing in front of two towering high-rise buildings. See it as an orphaned structure left behind in the rapid pace of progress. But it can be regarded conversely as a Totem of Defiance (wittingly or unwittingly) against the roaring tide of money making.

From here, choose to backtrack to Tin Hau Temple Road to reach Tai Hang or walk to the end of Dragon Terrace, where there are two flights of stairs leading down to Tung Lo Wan Road. The right one is less steep to negotiate.

Tai Hang – The Big Stream is a quiet residential district next to Tin Hau. If one find the sense of spirituality appealing at Tin Hau Road/Dragon Rd., there are two more Chinese temples, two churches and one chapel in this area. Not many cities can offer an experience of peaceful religious co-existence within such a short distance.

Lin Fa Kung (Palace of Lotus Flower) in Tai Hang was built in 1864. Once privately owned, it is now a Grade I historical building. The semi-octagonal front of the temple was built on raised platform. This could be a design against possible flooding when the causeway broke at present day Causeway Road. Such platform was also used at the Tin Hau Temple but is now covered by a wall.
The temple is dedicated to Kun-Yam or Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva in Buddhist believes. He was already a buddha but stays as the lesser bodhisattva to assist common people to attain eternal happiness. Some scholars have suggested that during the reign of the only Chinese empress at the seventh century, his image was changed to a female. Since then, believers worship him as the Goddess of Mercy.

Inside the temple, the plafond features a dragon, possibly related to the yearly fire dragon dance during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The altar was built over a big rock.

Streets of Tai Hang
In Tai Hang, there are streets with Anglo-Saxon names like King, Ormsby, Brown, Warren, Shepherd and Jones, which make one feel like walking into a British town. This part of the area probably once housed the staff working for Jardine Matheson & Co. Ltd., which had strong commercial interests in nearby Causeway Bay since the Nineteenth Century. Wun Sha St. (meaning washing yarn) was named in 1932 maybe because villagers once washed clothes at the now covered up stream. It is also possible that they offered such service to the residents living near-by.

What Tai Hang lacks is British bar grub. Instead you can sample from Japanese sushi to Brazilian oyster, Cantonese dim sum to German double cheese cake, Vietnamese pho to Singaporean laksa, French to continental fare, local coffee shop cha chaan ten to stall food tai pai dong, all within short open-air distance. Savour the charm and taste of the place before it becomes the next Soho as someone has suggested.

After walking the streets of Tai Hang and back to Tung Lo Wan Road to the left, you will find Fook Tak Old Temple, a simple roadside shrine dedicated to the earth god. Further on is the Trilogy of Christian Worship.

First is the Anglican St. Mary's Church, which was completed in 1936 with distinctive traditional Chinese architectural elements. It is a Grade II historic building. A small distance up East Hospital Road is Shing Kwong Church, a member of The Church of Christ in China. Originally established in 1870 by London Missionary Society, the church was built in 1927 and is a Grade III historic building. The Catholic Christ the King Chapel, built in 1928, is in the St. Paul Convent compound, established by the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres from France. The round Corinthian columns provide support at the outer perimeter of the chapel, allowing an unobstructed space inside. A father of the Paris Society of Foreign Missions conceived this unique design. The Chapel is open until 5 p.m.

Victoria Park
Walking back to Causeway Road and turn right is the Central Library. The pedestrian footbridge in front leads to the centre of Victorian Park where the statue of Queen Victoria sits facing the front gate. During the Second World War, the statue was removed from Statue Square in Central and shipped back to Japan for its metal. With the war ended, it was returned and placed in the park. After narrowly escaped the melting flame, it cannot avoid the fiery of a performance artist, who, in September 1996, smashed the nose of the statue and pour red paint over it.

Undiscovered Quiet Corners
There are three mid-size hotels in the vicinity. During the afternoon, with guests left for sightseeing or business engagements, you can practically claim one of their dining venues to be your own – to read a book or not to read a book.

The L’hotel is at King’s Road opposite the MTR station with the Tin Hau Temple behind it. The Corner 18 Restaurant is on the first floor.
At Tung Lo Wan Road, the Café du Parc of Metro Park Hotel is on the Second floor.
The Rosedale sits quietly at Shelter St. With an elevation of thirty three floors above ground, the SkyZone Restaurant & Lounge will open up half of Victoria Park with its carpet of green before you. Hopefully, after transcending through a passage of different religious and secular faiths, half the scene will suffice.

2011-01-19T23:07:00.000-08:00

Sam Kee Book Co., at the basement of King's Centre, 193 King's Rd., sells only Chinese books. But you can find second hand English books at its sister shop nearby. If you are also a cat lover, there is another reason to visit the shop. It is a sanctuary for cats. Most of them are in different states of slumbering, high and low on stacks of books.

This building, in front of the HK Electric Home Management Centre, is connected with a footbridge to the Fortress Hill MTR Station. Besides vegetable and meat stalls, you can also find a flower shop. On the second floor is a food centre with an interesting combination of eateries Ð Indian, Thai and Chinese. Next door is a public library with English books for adults and children.

2010-07-09T01:35:00.000-07:00

North Point in Hong Kong Island is seldom within the radar range of visitors or expatriate residents. By making the 2.95 miles/4.75 km trip from Central, or six MTR stops away, you will be rewarded with interesting discoveries and perhaps turning a new page in your culinary experience.
Following are some good reasons to start with. To download the one page North Point On Demand Guide with map and transportation information.

Marble Road Market 馬寶道
The beginning of Marble Road is pedestrian only from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Stalls line on one side of the road selling mainly clothes and accessories. If you are planning a spicy dinner, check out the shops behind the stalls that sell Thai, Indian and Indonesian spices. There are also decades old shops like People Congee & Noodle Dai Chung Juk Min 大眾粥麵 and Tak Hing Long 德興隆 selling bean curd – fresh, fried and fermented.
The Chinese residential buildings or tang lau 唐樓 at the odd number side of the road remain mostly undeveloped. These were once dwellings for migrants from Shanghai because of the 1946 civil war. The open balconies of these buildings, except a few, were enclosed to accommodate more people – a common phenomenon in Hong Kong where space is precious.

Sunbeam Theatre 新光戲院
The thirty-eight year old Sunbeam Theatre has its plan of demolition delayed for the time being. The only venue to stage Cantonese opera on a continuous basis, many of the performing troupes are now from Guangdong. For the initiated, there is a music shop selling recordings of popular artists. To have a glimpse of the costumes and elaborate face paintings of performers, pick up a flyer of coming attractions. If you have patience, watching a complete opera may last for nearly three hours.
432 King’s Road 英皇道

Home Management Centre
Wanting to take a cooking course? Check out the studio and courses offered at Home Management Centre operated by Hong Kong Electric. To get familiar with what is available in a local wet market, there is one at the Municipal Services Building opposite the Centre.
10/F, Electric Centre, 28 City Garden Road

Le 188º, Harbour Grand Hotel
Situated on the 41/F of Harbour Grand Hotel, this restaurant serves buffet lunch with an 188º view of Victoria Harbour. On Saturdays and Sundays, really high tea is served.
23 Oil Street 油街

View of Lei Yu Mun Channel
There are actually five approches to view Lei Yu Mun (meaning Carp Gate), the eastern shipping channel of Hong Kong. At North Point, you get the Panoramic View by taking the ferry to Hung Hom. It is particularly beautiful at dusk when lights on the two sides of the channel are turned on. There are public transports at the Hung Hom ferry pier, and the railway station is a short taxi ride away.

The Slipper Shop
This shop can be what remains from the Little Shanghai days in the Fifties. It sells beautiful thread and bead embroidered slippers to the tai tai or lady of the house. But the availability of larger sizes is limited.
The shop has no English name. We can translate 英皇拖鞋公司 to “English King’s Slipper Co.” But this may give the wrong impression that it has something to do with "By appointment to His Majesty the King of England." Nor is "King's Slipper Co." better, as it will fall into what a historian suggested "…King's Road in Chinese reads 'English King's Road' – not as neutral a moniker as it may at first appear!"* So, "The Slipper Shop" is to be used.
G/F, 315 King's Road 英皇道

*Jason Wordie "Streets, Exploring Hong Kong Island"

Provident Centre Home World Outlets

For discounted sportswear and baby/children's clothes.
Nike G3 & G5; Adidas G9; Toonsland G22
21–53, Wharf Road 和富道

Hong Kong Food Note – A Culinary Adventure on Your Own
Tired of sorting through a list of restaurant names and reviews? You can actually formulate your personal culinary experience with a starting guidance.
In the HK Radius One Demand Guide, sampling menu of a particular cuisine will be provided, plus the suggestion of a restaurant. Use this as the basis to judge other restaurants with similar dishes. Bestow your ratings and have your own gourmet guide (for friends and visitors) based on personal taste and preference. In North Point, you will be introduced to Shanghai food, Chinese dessert, and the place to buy fresh seafood.

You can also venture into the many restaurants or eateries to your liking. Send your Food Note or any questions to the HK Radius Blog.

Shanghai Cuisine, an important part of Chinese culinary tradition, actually includes dishes originated from nearby provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Many restaurants also include those from Beijing and Sichuan to make the menu more appealing. Prices are inexpensive at the restaurant suggested and the starter menu in the guide includes only traditional Shanghai food.

Sugar Water Tong Shui 糖水 is what local Cantonese call their after supper or late night dessert. Nowadays, with growing affluence, people can satisfy their sweet tooth any time of the day. One is like porridge, with ingredients such as red peas, green peas or sesame. The other is in the form of soup with sweet potato or egg and bean curd skin. As to Rice Balls in Soup Tong Yuen 湯圓, this is made of glutinous rice flour with fillings and served in ginger water. Start your journey to China’s sweet territory from North Point, which can be an adventurous and sometimes challenging experience.

Live Seafood Stall, North Point Ferry Pier

If you wish to enjoy fresh seafood, not in a restaurant, but with your family in the comfort of your own home, here is a fresh idea. Make the pier the last stop of your trip. Choose from an international selection of catches from the sea – scallop, abalone, shrimp, fish, crab, and more. Have your family recipe get alive again in your dining room.

Butterfly Watching

2010-05-19T02:43:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong is a busy commercial city, but surprisingly, with nature within its close embrace. For example, there is a place we can enjoy watching a dozen species of local butterflies dancing around blossoms of wild Lantana, with just a short ferry ride and leisurely hike away.

Talking about butterfly watching, it is more than a visual feast. We can learn more about the feeding, courting, and other behaviours of butterflies. Added to these are the understanding of nature such as the change in season and the assortment of flowers it brings. One example is the Chinese Privet with its fragrant flowers blossoming in summer. During winter, it is the Ivy Tree that draws our attention.

Besides field guides, it would make the experience more enjoyable by bringing along a pair of 6x or 10x binoculars and a magnifying glass with built-in light source. The latter would be useful when examining interesting close-up objects. Light colour and long sleeve clothing are essential attire for the outdoors. Black is to be avoided as it attracts mosquitoes.

Butterflies usually tolerate human beings who approach slowly, with crawling on the ground required for the wary kind. Even if disturbed, some butterflies may come back to the same flower.

The life span of butterflies is from a few weeks to three or four months for the wintering species, like the Tigers and Crows. These would congregate in dense woods well sheltered from the north winds and come out to bask in the warm sunny days. When disturbed, the sight of hundreds or thousands of butterflies taking to the air is quite a magnificent sight.

Well, the place we are talking about is the butterfly garden of Paul Lau located in Lamma Island. Paul is the author/photographer of two books* about Hong Kong butterflies. He will lead guided walks and give presentations to those who are interested in this natural beauty of Hong Kong.

For more information, just google “Kwok-leung Paul Lau” or email: spoonbillbooks@netvigator.com

* The two books are “Butterflies of Hong Kong” and “Butterflies and Moths of Hong Kong: Portraits With Flowers”

Sketching and Painting on Lamma Island

2010-03-30T01:04:00.001-07:00

- Roz Keep

I started sketching on Lamma years ago. One of the reasons I came to live here was due to a weekend stay to paint. I will never forget the smell of the ginger flowers and the sight of all that green after the drab city greys and stench of pollution in down town Hong Kong where I had tried to paint city scenes earlier in the week.

On Lamma you get a sense of yesterday – a feeling that not much has changed since people first started cultivating the land centuries ago. The vegetation around the villages is mainly fruit trees and vegetables and out on the open hills more wild and scrubby. Rocks and small bushes stretch across the undulating hills and the painters’ eyes are drawn across the busy East Lamma Channel to the contrasting urbanization on the distant hills of Hong Kong Island just a few kilometers away.

I enjoy walking in the hills until I have found a place I can sit with a view when I can take in the shapes, the colours and the compositions of the scene in front of me. A hat, a rock to perch on and a small sketchbook, portable watercolour paint box and selection of two or three brushes are all I need. My bag is filled with paper, pencils, a bottle of water sun block and mosquito repellant as well. I stay here for two hours perhaps and first sketch ideas in a small sketchbook and then transfer the idea to a quality piece of watercolour paper. The paint goes on in lush stains and my eyes strain to adjust to the glare from the white paper until I have blocked in enough colours to cover the bright sheet of paper. The hardest part over, I put the detail in after waiting for wind and sun to dry the paint and then proceed until I am happy that I have done all I can.

When I have enough, I can return to the busy and populated village for a cold beer or a cup of coffee in one of the many cafes on the high street.

A day out painting in the hills of Lamma is one of life’s very great pleasures.

SketchCrawl: http://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=4963

2010-03-05T02:06:00.000-08:00

Lamma Island

– Radius from Central 5.12 miles/8.25 km

Lamma Island, on the southwest of Hong Kong Island, is an interesting place to visit. It offers beaches, hiking, Chinese temples, sumptuous cuisines and a breath of fresh air. In addition, you can have a glimpse of the down to earth way of life very different from the high to the sky one in town. Among the population of 5,500 are Westerners who moved in to enjoy the peaceful surroundings and simple lifestyle.

Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan are the two villages in Lamma with ferry connections either from Central or Aberdeen.

You can download and print the A4 size, two fold On Demand Guide with Chinese names, map and ferry schedule here:

A. Start the Trip from Central
Go to Pier 4 at the Central waterfront. The trip takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Generally, visitors go to Yung Shue Wan first. After arriving, one suggestion is to walk the whole length of Main St. You will finally reach the point where spiritual and physical needs of the body are met. This is where the Tin Hau Temple and North Lamma Clinic are located.

Along the way, take note of the myriad of restaurants and eateries. There are Chinese seafood, dim sum, mix of international and Indian, Japanese, bar fare, plus Thai and Turkish fast food at the Back St. Both streets are also lined with interesting shops.

To go to the other village Sok Kwu Wan, it takes less than two hours and begins from the Back St. This is one of Hong Kong's popular food beaches, where the main focus is seafood. It can be an exercise to choose from the many restaurants with names ending in 'Kee', or to decide which 'Lamma Hilton', one preceded with 'Genuine', is more appealing. After an evening basking in the glow of festival lights, take the ferry heading for Central, or the Kaito ferry via Mo Tat Bay to Aberdeen Fish Market which takes approx. 30 min.

B. Start the trip from Aberdeen
Take a taxi ride to Aberdeen Fish Market. The kaito ferry pier to Sok Kwu Wan via Mo Tat Wan is right beside it. Next is the Jumbo Floating Restaurant pier. Further down is the ferry pier to Yung Shue Wan and Po Toi Island (near Stanley).

Updated information provided by Lamma-Gung (www.lamma.com.hk) on 11 August. 2008.

THE TEMPLE TRAIL

You can download and print the A4 size, two fold On demand Guide with Chinese names, map and ferry schedule here:

1. Yung Shue Wan Tin Hau Temple 榕樹灣天后廟
Tin Hau or Goddess of The Sea, was born by the name of Lin Mo Niang in 960 A.D., during the Sung Dynasty. The imperial court deified her because of her power in protecting seafarers. Through the course of history, she was also credited with many life saving deeds. She is called Matsu in Taiwan and in Macau.

In her temple, there are usually two fierce looking figures by her side. One is Guard of Thousand Mile Vision and the other Guard of Tail Wind Ear who can listen from afar.

The Yung Shue Wan Tin Hau Temple is at the end of Main St. One interesting story is about the pair of stone lions at the front of the temple, which actually resembles in style the bronze pair at HK & Shanghai Banking Corp. headquarter building in Central. During the 1965 renovation when the lions had to be replaced, traditional Chinese style lions were not available from China because of the Cultural Revolution. So, a local artisan, who once carved Western style lions for the rich in South East Asia, was given the job. * 魯金 - 香港廟趣

2. Three Mountain Gods Temple 沙埔村三山國王廟
A small temple near Sha Po Village dedicated to gods of the three mountains in Chaozhou, eastern Guandong Province. According to Lamma-Gung, he has never heard of this temple.

3. The Chan Clan Family Temple and School 大灣新村陳氏家祠及家塾
The temple and school was established in 1921 and located in New Tai Wan San Tsuen.

4. Sok Kwu Wan Tin Hau Temple 索罟灣天后廟

5. Tung O Hung Shing Temple 東澳村洪聖廟
This temple is dedicated to Hung Shing Ye (洪聖爺), who is the protective god of fishermen. In Hong Kong, there are nineteen Hung Shing temples honouring this Guangzhou government official during the Tang Dynasty. He was a learned scholar with integrity, who set up a weather observatory serving the seafaring community. He died because of overwork and was deified by the emperor.

6. Luk Chau Tin Hau Temple 鹿州天后廟

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2010-02-01T01:23:00.000-08:00

Po Toi Island

– Radius from Central 4.5 miles/7.25km

Hong Kong SAR has over two hundred islands within its territory. The main Hong Kong Island, once described as a “barren rock”, is everything but barren now. Most of the other islands remain uninhabited, and are not easily accessible. But with a few, you can make an enjoyable day trip quite conveniently.

One of these islands is Po Toi, a 30-minute ferry ride away from Stanley. It is the most southerly point of Hong Kong. You will be reminded of this fact because here the signal of your mobile phone operator maybe lost to one from the mainland.
The 4 sq. km. island has few inhabitants now. There are a couple of stalls selling drinks and local fare, a seafood restaurant at the beach, and, most importantly for fishing folks, one Goddess of the Sea Temple.

Goddess of the Sea
Goddess of The Sea Tin Hau was born in 960 A.D. during the Sung Dynasty. The imperial court deified her because of her power in protecting seafarers. Through the course of history, she was also credited with many life saving deeds. She is called Matsu in Taiwan and in Macau.

It is only a leisurely stroll along the bay to the temple. Bring along some drinks and maybe stretch out on the rocks in front of the temple. For hikers, the Po Toi Print On Demand Guide has a map, transport information and descriptions of various trails. Of these trails, one is rugged and the other can be strenuous (over thousand steps) but all are quite pleasant because of the open view. There are pre-historical rock carvings and also formations bearing names that challenge one's imagination. The island is rich in flora and fauna and a stopping point in spring and summer for over 200 species of migratory birds*.

* According to the bird migration study of Geoff Welch in 2006

The Hong Kong Maritime Museum is at the G/F of Murray House near the pier. If time permits, consider to start or end a trip to Po Toi Island with a visit to the museum. They are open from 10:00 to 18:00 from Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays. Closed on Mondays and the first two days of the Lunar New year.

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