Architecture

Adjacent to Sung Wong Toi Park nestle three blocks of building, which consist of an arched steel house, a hangar cum office painted with “Hong Kong Aviation Club” on the facade and a club centre. Do you know the story between the complex and the old airport? Hinted by the surrounding metal fencing, one can…

In between Kowloon Tsai Park and Kowloon Walled City Park sit a Christian seminary that was built more than 80 years ago. The snow white exterior catches the eyes from far away. Founded as “Bethel Mission” in Shanghai, the seminary was later renamed “Bethel Bible College”. When the warfare led by the Marco Polo Bridge…

Guangzhou verandah-type shophouse buildings are very common in the Kowloon City neighbourhood. You can easily spot one in every few steps when wandering around the narrow streets. The verandah projects from the external wall and is supported by two columns at its sides. It provides comfortable shelter for the pedestrians and shops on the ground…

The Kwun Yum Temple in Hung Hom comes alive hours before the 26th day of the first lunar month, when the Kwun Yum Treasury is said to open. It is the most vibrant day in Hung Hom throughout the year! Armed with incense and offerings, thousands of worshippers flood the halls of the temple to…

A yamen in Hong Kong? Indeed. Hong Kong may have started out as a fishing village, but Kowloon was also once an important centre for salt production — so important that an imperial Chinese government office, or yamen, had to be built to govern the area. In 1996, the Yamen Building, located within Kowloon Walled…

Visit To Kwa Wan Road and turn into “13 Streets”, the colourful cluster of seven-storey tenement buildings will catch your sight! Built in the 1950s, the buildings were given height restrictions because they were near the Kai Tak Airport. Most of the ground-floor units are garages, while the units above are residences. Since undergoing a…

A yamen in Hong Kong? Indeed. Hong Kong may have started out as a fishing village, but Kowloon was also once an important centre for salt production — so important that an imperial Chinese administrative office, or yamen, had to be built to govern the area. In 1996, the Yamen Building, located with in Kowloon…

In Kowloon City, there’s a popular spot for film shooting — Kowloon Walled City? Nope, demolished already. Kai Tak Airport? Nope, it has been relocated. It’s actually the Lok Koo Fook Restaurant on Hau Wong Road. Lok Koo Fook Restaurant has a long history, tracing back to its opening in 1954, spanning over 60 years….

The history of Kowloon City, apart from Walled City and the Song Dynasty, also encompasses significant aviation history. The land of the former Kai Tak Airport is still under development, but there’s a place where you can experience Kowloon City’s old aviation legacy: the site of the old Far East Flying School, now the headquarters…

There is a small temple between the residences along Ma Tau Wai Road. Though it is very small, the temple has everything. Over the past century, it has endured two relocations and eight years of displacement, bearing witness to the industrial rise and fall of Hung Hom, as well as the land reclamation efforts. According…

To understand Hong Kong’s architectural conservation, you can visit Stone Houses Family Garden in Kowloon City. Originally the Old House of the former Hau Wong Temple New Village, which were built during World War II. In 2010, they were rated as Grade III historic buildings and were revitalized as “Stone Houses Family Garden” under the…

Holy Trinity Cathedral is a representative of Chinese Renaissance architecture. With its red brick walls and green tiled roof, it resembles a Chinese temple, facing north to south. However, the cross on its roof clearly indicates it is a church. There are only two similar buildings in Hong Kong, the other being St. Mary’s Church…

You can find a building with granite exterior walls on Dyer Avenue. It is the St. Mary’s Church that has stood in Hung Hom for sixty years. In the 1950s, a large number of refugees fled to Hong Kong from the mainland. Bishop Bianchi, who came to Hong Kong with the refugees, learned that many…

Before the Cross Harbour Tunnel was constructed, many Hong Kong drivers used the Kowloon City Ferry Pier . It was built in 1965, providing service back and forth to North Point. Since the harbour tunnel and the cross-harbour railway developed, the number of people using this ferry has declined. In 1998, the Kowloon City Car…

There is a temple between residential buildings and right in the middle of the footpath? This unusual sight can be found at the end of Bulkeley Street in Hung Hom. It has a long history and  has always been the guardian temple for the residents of Hung Hom. “Fuk Tak” refers to the Tudi Gong….

The industrial landmark in To Kwa Wan must be the only remaining gas holder on Ma Tau Kok Road, which was commissioned in 1956. Originally, there were two gas holders; one was demolished in 2015. The remaining gas holder can be seen as a collective memory of the old neighborhood in To Kwa Wan. The…