Tai Tam Road Ruin [????- ]
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Submitted by gw on Fri, 2014-02-14 22:41
Current condition:
Ruin
Photos that show this place
 2014 |
 2014 |
 2014 |
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Tai Tam Road Ruin
Two ruined buildings stand just off Tai Tam Road about mid-way between the Shau Kei Wan/Chai Wan traffic lights and the Shek O/Tai Tam roundabout. The easiest approach is from the pavement on the other side of the furthest lampost from the camera in this photo.
If I remember correctly, the bus stop on the opposite side of the road is called "New Bridge". Running back from the road beyond the aforementioned lamppost is a stream with a patch of flat ground to its left. The ruins stand at the rear of this flat patch, only about 20 meters from the road but invisible from it due to the undergrowth. As you approach, the first sight is of a high stone wall.
At this point a wild pig bolted out from behind the wall, and thankfully disappeared up the stream bed. It's the first time I've seen a wild pig on the Island.
Behind the stone wall, and accessable around both sides of it, is the entrance to the building.
The building itself consists of a partly demolished, stone, front wall containing the only entrance. Both sides and the rear appear to have been dug out of the hillside. A shot through the entrance shows a few concrete pillars standing inside. I'm not sure if they once supported a roof or served some other purpose.
Right next to the stone building is a similar structure constructed of concrete. Again a tall wall covers its only entrance.
Again there's no sign of a roof and the sides and rear are cut out of the hillside. I couldn't see any concrete pillars inside. The building is full of rubbish, apparently dropped into it from a now vacant terrace directly above.
The tall, thick, walls placed directly infront of the entrances to both buildings seem to be anti-blast walls, so the ruins are probably of military origin. The fact that one is made of stone, and the other of concrete, suggests they were built at different times.
The War Diary of the Royal Rifles of Canada (Page 23) mentions a "ration store about 1/2 mile from Tai Tam HQ and in the direction of Lye Mun", a description that roughly fits this location. Another possibility is that the ruins are something to do with the terraces that run above Tai Tam Road for considerable distances between here and Tai Tam Gap. Can anyone enlighten me?
More ruins
Hello GW,
I've visited the simular places years ago with Rusty (local wwii historian) and can share a bit of finding and guessing.
Another ruin nearby this site from an old road further down Tai Tam Road towards Chai Wan (Leiyemun) and there should be a small house which reseamble a guard post at the junction. The road looks alike other military road built around HK with deep grove, according to the current map it ran along the eastern slope of Mt. Parker which connect all those tower for high thension cables. What we do not know is if the road was built for the cables or the other way round (cables built along the road)...
We also found ruins on the opposite side of Tai Tam Road but seems the main structre are towards the hill side. Simular structures you mentioned about i.e. with blast proof wall make of stones which cut into the hillside...
looking at the current government map on the internet it marked clusters of building around this site. I believe the places GW mentioned are the buildings north of the sharp bend of Tai Tam Road next to the stream, and other site is about 250 meters to the East on both side of tai tam road. I believe they are the same group of structures serving the same purpose.
I should have some old photos regarding this site will post them here when I found them.
Regards,
VHHATC
Tai Tam Road Ruins
Don't know about the first mentioned building, but just in that area is an old arched stone bridge, presumably on the original alignment of Tai Tam Road.
The second part of the ruins appear to be part of the WW 2 Mt Parker 6" Howitzer Battery. I believe the road that now leads to the power pylons is an extension of the cut to the battery. Just at the roadside are a series of Shelters, and the road leads a short distance to the right to a flat area above Tai Tam Road, where some ready use ammunition storage receptacles can be found in the vegetation. Some more Shelters are on the opposite side of, but well above, Tai Tam Road.