1956 Hong Kong Film

The cattage area should be Tiao Keng Leng (Rennie's Mill) which was allocated to the Nationalist Chinese military personnel who took refuge in HK when the Communists tookover.  Stone cottages were built on the hillside over looking Junk Bay.  Junk Bay was an area for the dismantling of ships, hence the ship moored in the bay I should think.  A small police station was situated at the top of the hill, being a sub-division of Kung Tong Division (now District).  Notice the flying of the Nationalist Republic of China flags as well as the sign indicating that it was the Women Section of the Military Association.  It was a Nationalist stronghold.  The church may be part of the Rennie's Mill community.  The Haven of Hope Hospital is still in the district.

The photo with junks seems to have Island House in the background on an island referred to as Yuan Chau Tsai.  It was the residence of the District Commissioner New Territories in those days.  The bay beside it was full of junks which were more like a squatter area.  The bay was reclaimed and now full of highrises.  Island House remained on what was the island linked by a bridge / dyke.

In the 70s, Chuk Yuan Centre was where young children in trouble arising from home were sent to for protective custody.

The restaurant seems to be at the old Repulse Bay Hotel.

I would speculate that the man is holding a live bird which is used for catching fish - practise in some part of Mainland China.  A piece of string is tied to the neck to prevent the fish from swallowing the fish, which is retrieved by the fisherman on a raft.

Lawrence

Hi Lawrence

"The photo with junks seems to have Island House in the background on an island referred to as Yuan Chau Tsai"

The road you can see in the picture is the causeway that linked Yuen Chau Tsai to the rest of Tai Po market, so the small hill/island in the background with the building is actually the one with the old police bungalow. In that shot on the video, Island house and Yuen Chau Tsai would be off-camera to the right.

Here's an aerial snap from circa 1963 that shows the causeway between Yuen Chau Tsai (the small island centre right) and town.

Cheers

Phil

Hi Phil,

I'm not convinced.  I think the picture was taken right at the bottom of Taipo Road as it leveled off to the long stright road that led to Taipo Market. The casueway in the picture is on the right.  The background should be the hills along Taipo Road before Taipo Market.  Taipo Police Station was higher up on a hill at Taipo Market.  However, we might be referring to different images.

Cheers,

Lawrence

Hi Lawrence

I think we are referring to the same photo with the boats and causeway. I've marked the photographers positiion on the aerial to make it clearer.

The photographer was at that postion looking along the causeway towards Tai Po Market. Yuen Chau Tsai cannot be seen on the shot because as you can see from the position I have marked it is ff-camera to the right. The hill that can be seen contains the Police Bungalow NOT the police station. This is a name it is often called by because Police officers used to live there. It's at 175 Kwong Fuk Road and is now the Norwegian Int Kindergarten.

Cheers

Phil

Hi Phil,

You've shaken my confidence.  The hills at the background do look like the Pat Sin Range.  However, the straight causeway still seemed a bit too short for the Kwong Fuk Road-Taipo Road section; however, I only remember it as scanty town on both sides later in the 60s & 70s. I participated in a Dragon Boat race there in the mid-70s with some 'kweilo' friends - the boat sank; we were happy to have the roast piglet for drinking at the Taipo Kau Officers' Mess afterwards. 

Too bad the Wong Shiu Chi School which should be on the other side of the road cannot be seen.  It would have been built in the 50s.

There were some white buildings in the far background in the film.  I wonder what they were.  Was the Taipo Industrial Park already in place?  Was the old Taiping Carpet factory located there?

Lawrence

Hi Lawrence

I'm not sure the school was built at that time. I have friends who went there and I know it only recently celebrated its 50 year anniversay (maybe 2009 or 2010, i can't remember?) - but yes, it's current position would have been just off to the left.

That ridgeline is very distinctive and leads up to Cloudy Hill. It has a very distinctive 'bump' which is still recognisable today.

The cluster of buildings at the back are perhaps the small cluster that was around the area which includes the Sing Kung Cho Tong temple and the Tin Hau temple. I don't know about Tai Ping, the current factory is in that area but I don't know if it is in the original site?

Cheers

Phil