Sai Kung Old House | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Sai Kung Old House

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Sai Kung Old House
Submitted by L.S.Hemshall
Tags: 
Sai Kung
Old House
Pre war

Could anyone identify the house in the photo and share some information about it?

The house is located off Fui Yiu Lane at the end of Sai Kung old town and is surrounded by other small old houses that seem to date from a similar time to the main house - unusual given most of SK 'old town' is now made up of post-war buildings.

I'd love to know some history - when it was built, who owned it and why it has fallen into disrepair. It appears the house is split into three or six seperate units as there are six entrances into it, not sure if that's an original feature from when it was constructed or if the house was subdivided later on. I peaked inside one of the three doors along the rear of the house and saw a small room blackened by what appears to have been created by a fire - or perhaps this is just the old kitchen.

Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Connections: 
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Comments

Submitted by David on Sat, 2014-08-09 02:12.

Thanks for the photo. Please could you make a Place to pinpoint the location (http://gwulo.com/node/add/place), then I'll ask a couple of Sai Kung residents what they can tell us about it.

Regards, David

Submitted by Dave W on Sun, 2014-08-10 12:41.

There is a horzontally polarised television aerial on the right hand side of the roof top aimed in an upwards direction - probably Kowloon Peak.

The doorway has large orange coloured posters with Chinese characters thereon.

The potted plants are in full bloom which suggests the photograph was taken during Lunar New Year time.

Submitted by gweilo8888 on Fri, 2014-08-15 08:06.

Looking at a satellite photo and comparing to the map, I think we're talking about 41-45 Sai Kung Rd here. (That's lots DD215L 563 and 576.)

Checking the Rating and Valuation Department database, they say they have no age or permitted occupation purposes records for these buildings, and there's a note that "Matching work in progress for property data concerned".

I really couldn't find out much else; you need to pay if you want most records. I'm speculating, though, but I wonder if (at least partial) records have been lost for these since they're most likely pre-war properties. (And that the reason they're sitting vacant and semi-abandoned is that until the ownership can be established, they can't be torn down and replaced with something new and expensive.)

Submitted by gweilo8888 on Fri, 2014-08-15 08:45.

I hadn't realized how much reclamation there's been in Sai Kung over the last few decades. Looking at this photo, those houses would once have been facing (and fairly close to) the water.

You can just about make out those houses in this 1983 shot, right near the bottom of the photo and a bit left of center.

Submitted by L.S.Hemshall on Sun, 2014-08-17 17:16.

Thank you for the tip David! I've just labelled it on the map - it's not an easy one to see on google earth though.

Submitted by L.S.Hemshall on Sun, 2014-08-17 17:16.

Correct - it was taken earlier this year by myself

Submitted by L.S.Hemshall on Sun, 2014-08-17 17:18.

Wow fantastic - thanks for all this info! I love the aerial shots and yes, if you zoom in the house is that large square looking building by the sea - now of course it's right across the street from Lakeside Garden apartments and rather far from the sea.