Gambling House - Kowloon | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Gambling House - Kowloon

Gambling House - Kowloon
Submitted by indieorientalis
Tags: 
Antique
Gambling
Kowloon City
Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Saturday, June 22, 1889
Gallery: 
Brian Seed Fine Art
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Submitted by David on Sat, 2010-05-15 18:50.

Hi, I wonder if the location for this set of drawings was Kowloon rather than Macau? I've seen some old photos of buildings near the Lung Tsun Pier (near Kowloon City) that were marked as showing gambling houses.

I don't see anything on the photo that identifies the location as Macau. Is there anything in the accompanying text?

Regards, David

Submitted by indieorientalis on Sat, 2010-05-15 19:24.

Title:  Sketches in a Chinese Gambling House, Near Hong Kong.

 " Gamblers hurrying to catch the boat for Hong Kong".   Dated 1889.

( More research,  shows that it is kowloon.  )

Although public gambling is forbidden by law in china, gambling houses flourish in every city, and are thronged by wooers of fortune of all classes.  To such a point do the chinese carry their passion for the gaming table, that it is by no means an unusual thing for an unlucky gambler as a last resort to stake his clothes, and finally to be turned out in the street in a suit of sacking, of which the proprietors of the tables make him a present. 

"The sketches in our illustrations were taken at Kowloon, a town situated on the mainland and wither the denizens of Hong Kong resort to indulge in pursuit of their favourite vice."  Various methods of gaming are practiced.  In the one shown here there is a small box.  This is placed under cover and turned round several times, and stakes are placed on four numbers on the table.  The cover is taken off and the number to which the white band marked on the box  points wins three times the stake.  The gallery above is mainly used by women, whose stakes are taken by an attendant and let down i a little basket, as shown in one of the illustrations.

I also have one engraving A gambling House in Macao 1873.