c.1963 Tai Hang

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Submitted by David. View the original image on Flickr.

Authors:

Any guesses on dates? There's discussion on the Flickr page about whether it should be 1960s or 70s. (Click through to Flickr to see the larger version too)

Also look at the terraces behind the Tiger Balm Gardens. Were those hills farmed as recently as this, or is it just a cleared squatter area?

Date picture taken (may be approximate):

Tuesday, January 1, 1963

Gallery:

Undated

Connections:

c.1963 Tai Hang shows Place Tiger Balm Gardens, or what's left of it. [1935-2002]

c.1963 Tai Hang shows Place Hilton Hotel [1963-1995]

c.1963 Tai Hang shows Place Mandarin Oriental Hotel [1963- ]

Comments

Re: Tai Hang

Permalink Submitted by tngan on Sat, 2010-01-09 00:23.

Hi there,

I just downloaded the photo and is going over it slightly blown up for clues. After a brief glance I decided it should be of the early 1960's instead of anything 1970's because:

1. The Daimaru neon sign is already in place. They are the round green smudge and the blurred red characters on top of the white block building on the upper right;

2. the triangular block Hong Kong Mansion wasn't seen in the photo. Thus it should be sometime before 1964. I was a toddler back in 1964 and I lived in Paterson Street back then. Hong Kong Mansion was already there as one of my kindergarten classmates lived there;

3. The photo isn't clear but I think I saw the Lee Garden Hills still standing in the photo.

4. We have identified the Walden (is the spelling correct) quite a while ago and in this photo, it seemed to be in scaffoldings. It also obscured the Roxy Theatre;

5. The Dairy Farm/Ice House depot could be seen in the photo as well, also at the upper right, in front of the white block hosting the Diamaru neon sign;

6. Looking toward Central you should be able to see the Hilton and the Mandarin Oriental, another two well known landmarks which provided clues of the approximate period. The Prince's building looks like the old one in this photo;

7. The current version of City Hall is visible;

My 2 cents;

Re: Terraces behind the Tiger Balm Garden

Permalink Submitted by tngan on Sat, 2010-01-09 00:27.

Hi there,

The greenish and brownish terraces behind the Tiger Balm garden are fields. Most likely vegetable fields. Those are typical for older villages along a valley on the slopes around. Tai Hang Village was one of those already exist before the Brits.

Best Regards,

Re: Photo

Permalink Submitted by moddsey on Sat, 2010-01-09 08:40.

As Prince's Building (2nd generation) was completed in 1965 and from the photo appears to be in the process of construction, I think the photo can be dated to 1964 or thereabouts. Definitely not from the 1970s.

re: Tai Hang

Permalink Submitted by David on Sat, 2010-01-09 10:05.

Thanks Gents. I could make out the Mandarin, but you've picked out a lot more detail.

In other shots of the area, the hills around the Tiger Balm Gardens (on the side the photographer was standing) had a lot of squatter huts. Was there any reason that one area would have huts, and one area wouldn't? eg would villagers have been able to keep people off their land?