#60 Hollywood Road, Central [1925- ] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

#60 Hollywood Road, Central [1925- ]

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Submitted by tngan on Wed, 2008-10-01 22:37
Current condition: 
In use
Date Place completed: 
1925-01-01

 The one on the left is #60.

P1020060a.JPG
P1020060a.JPG, by tngan

The side door

P1020068a.JPG
P1020068a.JPG, by tngan

Note the chimney.  By observations many of these houses have chimneys.

P1020074a.JPG
P1020074a.JPG, by tngan

 

Tags: 
central
shop house
Non-Guangzhou style
Wah Yan College
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Photos that show this place

Comments

Submitted by philk on Wed, 2011-03-23 13:18.

There was an article on this place in the SCMP not long ago which put the buildi date in the 1920's.

I also found out (by someone leaving a comment on my blog) that it was used as the first incarnation of the now famous Wah Yan College.

Submitted by 80sKid on Wed, 2011-03-23 13:40.

yep amo has same rough date in its appraisal: Land records show that the leases on all three landed properties (Nos. 60, 62 and 64 Hollywood Road) commenced in the 1850s, but it is not known when the lots were first built on. Possibly, there may have been earlier buildings on site which they replaced. Judging from their appearance, it is believed that No. 60 Hollywood Road was built in the 1920s which may also be the period when the other two shophouses (i.e. Nos. 62 and 64) were built.

Submitted by breskvar on Mon, 2016-10-03 17:35.

Hi David,

I was following your Happy Valley post about the building on Village Road and got here, but the photos here seem not to load.  Is that because the format is not the same anymore or have they become dead links? 

breskvar

Submitted by tngan on Mon, 2016-10-03 17:48.

Hi there,

That's because the site I used to store the photos morphed into something else and does not allow photo hosting anymore.  I will try and see if I could dig up the four missing photographs and upload them here.  If not, hope I could go there, hopefully within the month, to take new photographs.

T

Submitted by Admin on Tue, 2016-10-04 13:36.

T, thanks for updating the photos.

Breskvar, apologies, I put the wrong link in the newsletter. It should have linked to 20, Hollywood Road, which hopefully makes more sense.

Regards, David

Submitted by tngan on Wed, 2016-10-05 11:21.

Hi Phil,

If I'm not reposting the photos I migjt not take up this thread again.

Our Official school history hammered into us during the first History class in Form one stated the School was founded in December 1919 here.  I could not recall if it took up the whole block or just the 3rd and 4th floors as mentioned in Wiki.

The question now, is the current building the same building occupied by Wah Yan (whether the whole building or just the 3rd &4 th floors) before they moved to #2 Robinson Road in 1921?  Or the existing building was built after Wah Yan moved out?

Don't know if my teachers still living remember it.  I will see if there are old photos of the time somewhere....

Just found an old comment from another thread from Lawrence Tsui.

T

Submitted by David on Wed, 2016-10-05 13:01.

Hi Thomas,

I think the marker needs to move across a block, to be on the corner of Peel Street?

I looked at an 1897 map of the area, in case there had been any re-numbering of the buildings around here. But number 60 is shown at the same location as we see today (SW corner of Peel / Hollywood junction), so Wah Yan was definitely at this spot, just not sure of the building generation yet.

Regards, David

Submitted by tngan on Wed, 2016-10-05 14:12.

Hi David,

I believe the marker drifted over the years over the update of Google Map itself.  Done.

To rectify the buildint itself I guess we would have to find someone in their senior for information.  Let's hope Lawrence reads this and pop-up.

T

Submitted by tngan on Wed, 2016-10-05 15:59.

Hi There,

OK, dug around and found a public Facebook link talking about 60 Hollywood Road among Wahyanites.  Hope they don't mind me reposting the information here:

Quote>>

[華仁歷史從竹蔗水開始？]

第49期（2001年）九華校刊《華暉》曾經以「歷史從竹蔗水開始」為題，探討徐仁壽先生在1919年創辦華仁的故事。[附圖] [註(1)]

提到「竹蔗水」，是因爲我校最初的校址（中環荷李活道60號）現在是一家在1948年開業、名叫「公利真料竹蔗水」的涼茶店。

Admin一直以爲，現在位於中環荷李活道60號的建築物就是我校創校時的地方。但早前，黃鄧淑賢老師（Mrs Angela Wong）向嶺南大學歷史系副教授劉智鵬博士求證，獲對方告知地址是正確無誤，但原先的那一座大樓已被拆卸。現在的建築物是1920年代左右落成的。[註(2)]

在網上尋找關於「公利真料竹蔗水」那座大樓的資料，Admin找到以下一段相信是正確的描述：「土地記錄顯示荷李活道 60 號的契約於1850 年代生效，但該地段何時首次進行建築工程則不得而知。從外貌看，現有的建築物大約建於1920 年代。」[註(3)]

按劉博士所言和上述資料推斷，現在「公利真料竹蔗水」所在的戰前大樓，應該是在我校1921年2月遷往羅便臣道校舍之後才落成的。

如各位師兄弟有任何其他意見或進一步資料，歡迎在這裏和大家分享。

註(1)《華暉》「歷史從竹蔗水開始」：http://shield49.wyk.edu.hk/mosaic/13.php 
註(2) 劉智鵬博士的個人簡介：https://www.ln.edu.hk/history/staff/laucp.php
註(3) 網上關於荷李活道 60 號的背景資料：http://www.somanhing.com/recomme…/chair/cheungchun/form3.pdf

 End Quote>>

 It would seem a Teacher (Mrs Angela Wong) had consulted Prof. Lau Chi-Pang for the same question concerning if it was the same building that Wah Yan occupied back in 1919 through 1921.  Prof. Lau suggested it the current building was likely being built in the 1920s, after Wah Yan moved out.  On the other hand, the same thread mentioned 60 Hollywood Road is among Inland Lot 480.  I looked it up at GeoInfo Map and found it is in fact IL 408 S.C.  In this respect I guess paying the fee for a lookup at the Lands office should clear up everything (assuming the records had not been destroyed during WWII, that is).

T

Submitted by Lawrence Tsui on Thu, 2016-10-06 05:43.

According to personal written statement of Peter TSUI Yan-sau, the founder of the two Wah Yan Colleges, he rented the 2nd Floor of 60 Hollywood Rd to start up Wah Yan College (Hong Kong) in Dec 1919.  The school grew rapidly from 4 students to 400 by 1921.  He also rented the 3rd floor of No.60 Hollywood Rd as well as No. 54A Peel St and 33 Mosque Junction for WYHK, before consolidating the school in 1922 at No.2 Robinson Rd (the St. Joseph's complex).  

I went through lots of documents that were the case papers and personal notes of Peter Tsui with regards to an extended litigation concerning the buildings and lands of Wah Yan College (Kowloon) at Mongkok, but failed to find any reference that would throw light on whether the present building at No.60 Hollywood Rd would be the same as the one used by WYHK. If indeed not, then the present building would have been erected on or after 1922 after WYHK vacated the original building.  Until it is established that it is indeed the case, I would presume that it is the same building.

Lawrence