Pottinger? Portland? Street names that reflects the maritime past in HK

Plotted on the map with familiar names?! not to be so surprised!

Plotted on a world map, the street names show how Hong Kong’s port has moved, as reclamation left the old working water­fronts inland. From a dotty land to an international city - the name of the streets tells me a lot about the maritime past of Hong Kong.  

Hong Kong is my hometown and every time I come back for a visit, Hong Kong greets me warmly with a hug - you will know it because it's the feel of home. - Kelsey Wong

So how did those names come from? Who were they? 

That is a very good question, as Hong Kong has gone through a several colonisation with the British and the Japanese Empire during WWII, as it sits in the southern shore of china near the harbour which can be beneficial to the other countries for trading - A deep colonial history with the British Empire since the 19th centuries after the Opium War - The colonisation has lead Hong Kong becoming one of the world's well known cities and heart of the Asia's economy.
Considering Hong Kong is one of the world’s great ports, street names with maritime connections are remarkably few – no more than 10 per cent of the total. But that is enough, when loaded into a database. and the others are named after our Governors, Prime Minister, King/Queen of UK and other members of the nobility or have authority in the past when HK was ruled centuries under the crown of Queen Victoria till Queen Elizabeth II. In memory of the maritime past we have gone through and the industrialisation.

 King's Road located in HK island from Wan Chai to North Point named after King George V, in memory of Queen Elizabeth II's father. 
Caine Road named after the Colonial Secretary 'William Caine' - situated near the midlands.

Pottinger Street - In memory of Sir Herny Pottinger, Pottinger street is located in Central, and is well known of the unique stone steps in Hong Kong.

But not every Governor were lucky enough to have his own street, such as Sir Edward Youde, Hong Kong's only Welsh Governor was widely liked for his kindly demeanour and greatly admired for his formidable erudition.  Sir Edward Youde was the Governor of Hong Kong when Margaret Thatcher was in pose during the 80s while London is going through depression(29 August 1974 – 15 June 1978), He was also the only Governor in HK died in office.  He went on to serve a total of four tours of Foreign Office duty in China, the last as ambassador, from 1974-78. He also served in Washington (1956 to 1959) and as a member of the British mission to the United Nations (1965 to 1969).
Even though a street name was not given or specially dedicated to him, but a plaque to his memory was commissioned by the Hong Kong Civil Service and placed on the wall of St John's Cathedral, in the Central District of Hong Kong.

And some other silly mistakes have taken place when the Government of Hong Kong was trying to name the streets - such as Queen's Road, as from a linguist perspective it is a derogatory term, in English it signifies the same position and authority with King, but in Chinese Culture there is also an unequal encounter presented - in this context it should be 'Lui Wong' meaning 'Women King' but they have accidentally named it 'Wong hau' which simply means 'Queen', a lower position.

Queen's Road West - named incorrectly





Sometimes Hong Kong make me feel like I'm home, it's like when see you the design of the direction signs and street signs - such as the blue background white text and street names (London has a Gloucester Station while HK has Gloucester Road), it gives me a sense of security of thinking that Hong Kong was part of UK and somehow things are similar, hospitals, streets and monuments named after and so much more, definitely great to travel- and you rarely get any homesick apart from streets are too crowded all the time, even the things are cheap though.

                                        

''Hong Kong has created one of the most successful societies on Earth." -Prince Charles

Hong Kong is one of those cities you never really stop discovering. With its breathtaking national parks and a Chinese culture influenced by years of British colonial rule, Hong Kong has unique and enduring characteristics that make it truly special. The city's intrigue will lead you there, while its economic and cultural vibrance will make it impossible to leave. - So why don't we book a flight? Travel to Hong Kong and savour Hong Kong with our own footsteps? :)

Kelsey xoxo

Happy National Poetry Day!

Happy National Poetry Day! Am very excited because it is the day when people celebrates poetry's.



 Here, I am dedicated to tell everyone about my favourite poem through out my life, not full of encouragement but I love the words about it and how the poet trying to represent himself in this poem.

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone

W. H. Auden

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Kelsey x

A place to introduce - Kowloon Walled City

The Kowloon Walled City was an amazing and extraordinary place for people to live in,  it was once the most densely populated place on earth. 
It is also known by the locals as '三不管地帶' - No mans land. - for more information :Info of the Walled City .
If you ask me how would I explain this place to you, I'll probably say It's like the Vatican City in Rome. where it is a small place but with it's own rules and things.
Basically a lawless area of Hong Kong and what it is today 20 years later(Now developed as a park in Kowloon City).



The Walled City contained 33,000 residents within its 2.6-hectare (6.4-acre) borders. From the 1950s to the 1970s, it was controlled by Triads and had high rates of prostitution, gambling, and drug use. 
The reason why I chose to introduce this place to the others out there because it is an extraordinary place, no one from outside the 'city' dare to go in there or live. Even my parents or grandparents hasn't been here before, because as the locals said : Once you get in here, you wouldn't have the chance to get out. Due to the high rates of criminality.
Dead bodies are everywhere due to there were drug dealers, Wall street journal once interviewed a former triad and he said : Rich people take 'red pills' or opium, people who are not rich but still could afford drugs take 'Heroin'. this also shows a juxtaposition in the city, you're rich then you can do whatever you want - even killing is permitted, but if you're poor then your destiny will be in charged by the rich. As simple as that.

However once there was a Japanese TV channel has visited this city before Hong Kong returns to China,  everyone in the city were incredibly amazed by the Japanese, because there was none of these people dare to get in there - but if you want to visit you'll have to pay someone to take you in there , but you don't need passports! (laughs!)


In Japan, there is a place called ' Kawasaki Warehouse', they developed a theme park based on the 'City'. all the little things from the city was recreated nearly 99% similar (apart from the language ).

Japan, 
〒210-0024
Kanagawa Prefecture, 
Kawasaki, Kawasaki Ward, Nisshincho, 3-7

-The address of 'Kawasaki Warehouse'.

People described here as a ''BEEHIVE'' or ''Maze''

Incredible claustrophobic footage from inside the Kowloon Walled City :

Photo taken in the 1970s.

Poverty and crimes were the matters in the Kowloon Walled City, therefore the refugees from China (China wasn't open to the others until 1989) took advantages to stay in Hong Kong by living inside and because ID's or certificates are not needed (Chinese doctors weren't allowed to open their own clinics before 1997), there were over a hundreds of dentists and doctors from China operating their clinics illegally.

Furthermore things were so cheap in there even wages, most of the traditional hong kong snacks or food were 90% made in inside the 'city'.

Including :

Hong Kong's most famous fish ball and Put chai Ko （A local traditional snack in Hong Kong) 

Fish ball.

Putchai KO. 

The city was also next to the former airport in Hong Kong - Kai Tak Airport. so the buildings are not allowed to build higher than the limit where the government has set (even though the former government of Hong Kong couldn't take care of this place).

Obviously, there are still some people listens to the law.

But in the 1997 Hong Kong has to be handover to China on the 1/7/1997, so everything has to be cleared out from the city because after the handover ceremony, the kowloon walled city belongs to China so they had to move people from the 'city' to outside. The government did pay them to find  new houses and start a new business.

1994 - The 'city' has been officially broken down into pieces, a year later in 1995, the former place of the 'city' has been developed as a park instead of buildings.

Kowloon Walled City Park -

If you visit Hong Kong, make sure you go to this amazing park, now it's full of histories and museums to introduce and explain the history behind the 'city'.\

Kelsey x