Where was this taken? | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Where was this taken?

Where was this taken?
I posted this photo on Facebook and have received different information about where it was taken. Some think it was Prince Edward Road, while another said Yuen Long. My mom took this photo in 1962 on her first trip to HK and doesn't even remember everywhere she went. I know she stayed at the Sun Ya in Mongkok and visited the San Miguel brewery.

Comments

Well the hill in the background I believe is of Kowloon Peak. So the road is either Agyll or Prince Edward.

Hi there,

The Dragon Seed Restaurant Night Club (龍子餐廳) in the middle of the photo used to be in Kowloon City.  But need more digging to find its exact location.  The bus stop is a good clue but I was unable to read the route number there.  Even if I could we would need a KMB historian to verify the route.

My 2 cents,

T

The black extension that juts out from the bus stop sign seem to suggest the route number is either 26 or 28.  On the KMB website (http://www.kmb.hk/tc/services/search.html), the modern route 26 does go round Kowloon City, on what we now know as Prince Edward Road East.  If Kowloon Peak was in the distance, then it would suggest the photographer was looking more or less northeast.

The modern route 28 is a bit different, in that it doesn't stop on Prince Edward Road.  The stops are either side of Kai Tak in Kowloon Bay and To Kwa Wan.

How much the modern routes conform with the old ones, I don't know.  But they do corroborate with T's comments about Kowloon City and Prince Edward Road.

Someone on Facebook placed Dragon Seed Restaurant at "377 Prince Edward Road, located east bound around Kowloon City near Kai Tak Airport." My mom took this photo and I wonder why she was in Kowloon City, unless she got off the bus early, before going to the airport.

Heading off to Kowloon City and surrounding areas for food after checking in and depositing the luggage was very common among air-travellers in Kai Tak.

 

 

Thanks!! 

There is Yuen Long. My dad recognises it.
He said the Dragon Seed Restaurant (龍子餐廳) was located at Yuen Long in 1960s as well. At the back, there is a banner '均和' and ' 龍城大酒家' which are quite blurred but he remember them. Also, the bus route of no.26 was from Yuen Long to Kowloon.

Thanks for your (and your father's!) help,

regards, David

WWM's father is right. It is more likely castle peak road yuen long. See picture below. The two big red chinese characters on top of the tall building on the left is an important clue. It was an advertisment for the cigarette brand "dear lion". One can see the first character in your picture here too. On the right hand side, one can see the red letters on the white walls of the top floor of the building. The 5 characters are Wing Wah restaurant (榮華大酒家). According to 1962 年香港年鑑, the address of this restaurant was 86 castle peak road yuen long. What is amazing is that one can still find this restaurant at the same place on Google map with a big sign at the entrance (wing wah 1950) except now it is is selling cakes and other food.

Though the dragon seed restaurant (龍子餐廳) is not in this picture but many signs match the ones in your picture. There is another source which describes this section of yuen long and the dragon seed restaurant too. For non-chinese-reading readers, I have put the chinese text in google translate and posted the translation below (with some corrections):

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Yuen Long Lung Tse Restaurant Dragon Seed Restaurant Night Club, Dragon Seed Restaurant Night Club on castle peak Road, Yuen Long, was founded by Long's family of south side village (南邊圍). The Longzi restaurant closed in the 1970s, and the Long family emigrated to Canada. On the right is believed to be bus stop No. 26, from Yuen Long to Jordan Road Ferry Pier. Long Zi Restaurant on castle peak Road, Yuen Long. Behind the sign of Long Zi Restaurant, you can see Jun Ho La Mei (均和臘味 or jun ho preserved chinese sausages and meats) and Long Cheng Restaurant (龍城大酒家 )(photo source: gwulo)

http://blog.terewong.com/archives/2926

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yuen long castle peak road 60s.png
yuen long castle peak road 60s.png, by simtang

Thank you so much for this!

Another photo from https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10154942649580259&set=gm.5838372684... with the following description.

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Old photo of Yuen Long Main Road, opposite to the Meiya store, you can see Guanghe restaurant, Junhe Lamei, Huafang, Yuanfa, Meixing Photography Academy, Gonghe Old Winery, Chen Jiaji Shoe Store, Longcheng Restaurant, Caiji Clocks and watches, Jiuxiangji oil rice groceries, Dahu Hotel, Zhudali  Department Store. Construction of the high-rise building  in the photo has completed, but the Yuen Long District Sports Association has not yet moved in. The main road has few cars and many people, and no traffic control booth has been built. , photo estimated to be 1959-1962 (photo by Zheng Baohong at Yuen Long West Rail Station)

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yuen long castle peak rd 1960s.png
yuen long castle peak rd 1960s.png, by simtang

 

Another photo taken in 70s 80s. As the other pictures here, it is looking east along castle peak road yuen long. The junction on the left where the building with the 2 big red chinese characters on top (characters not shown here) was located is kuk ting street. That Long Cheng Restaurant (龍城大酒家 ) with sign in blue background and white characters is today's bank of east asia. The third floor of that building was yuen long sports association. It had its name in red characters on the white side wall.

kuk ting street yuen long 70s-80s.png
kuk ting street yuen long 70s-80s.png, by simtang

The restaurent 榮華酒樓 mentioned above was still a restarent in 1978. It was at the Castle peak rd-Kuk Ting st junction. Seen here with a lot of flags celebrating the 67th anniversary of the Republic of china in 1978.

榮華酒樓 1978.jpg
榮華酒樓 1978.jpg, by simtang

This is fabulous!