609
22.
DEVELOPMENT OF KOWLOON - 2 (cont.)
"Salisbury Road at this end in which the pier will stand be made 100 feet wide all the way to the Praya. In order to effect this improvement two or more of the existing godowns are destined to disappear. Such an improvement will be much appreciated by those who at present are compelled to inhale the nauseous but insistent smells that a quarter of Elgin Road emits. The time, too, we are assured, is not distant when the fine roadway now running the whole length of the Bund will be widened so as to be in harmony with the scheme of road-widening. A highway 100 feet wide there again may be looked for. (What used to be Elgin road is now known as Haiphong Road).
"The whole of the road north of Salisbury Road i.e. to the left of the new pier, that section facing the harbour as well as the lower part of Elgin Road, which at present acutely reminds us of a switchback is to be closed to all public traffic. There shall the coolie have supreme sway! As far as the road south of the Naval Yard no traffic will be permitted.
"It would be well at this stage to explode an idea which seems to have obtained currency: that the lower portion of Elgin Road will be built over. That is not the case. No godown is to be erected there in lieu of those to be dismantled. The open space will be reserved, though closed to the public.
"Robinson Road (now known as Nathan Road) will be 100 feet wide all the way, and the hope is held out at present that some scheme will be devised whereby those who frequent the ferry-boats need not approach the wharf direct. Perhaps a bridge to span the roadway will be erected.
"A hundred foot road has been made and finished up to Sixth Street and runs right away to Hunghom, and another has been carried from the pumping station by the new disinfecting station as far as Ma Tau Wai. When the full use of the reservoir is obtained and existing watersheds are disposed of, we may look forward to the sale of a deal of land and then the consequent rush of builders.
"If rumour lies not, houses now being erected have been let months before the buildings have been erected. This is significant, and can only be interpreted as a sign of progress. The (Steam) Laundry Company have acquired land recently, and everything in Kowloon to-day seems an index of what is slowly but surely tending to the growth of a large and populous suburb."
As we know, the rapid development of Kowloon Peninsula has continued since that date with hardly a pause,
**
KOWLOON, OLD CITY 1
Although the Chinese settlements in Hongkong go back to comparatively recent times (a little over 150 years), there are portions of the mainland which have much older associations. These it is hoped to deal with more fully in due course. There are still quite a number of ancient inscriptions to be found on slabs of stone in Kowloon and the New Territories, and perhaps some day these might be noted, translated, and their history collated. A recent visit to Kowloon Old City (as the place is popularly known) was a reminder that there are still standing some old Chinese houses which were used over one hundred years ago, such as the former Kowloon customs house, a public school and the yamen for the Chinese officials who administered Kowloon City. There is an old jetty which in those days served for the landing of visiting officials from Canton, and the disembarking of troops. One of these very old buildings is used as the Kowloon City Public Dispensary.
Some years ago there was a stone pai lau standing outside the jetty (or pier), with two characters on it, "Lung Tsun", meaning the "Dragon's Path". This stone pai lau was removed to make way for the increasing traffic, as the pier now serves for the ferry service. The usage of the character for "dragon" conveys the impression that the old pai lau, which
609
22.
DEVELOPMENT OF KOWLOON - 2 (cont.)
mak
is to
"Salisbury Road at this end in which the pier will stand be made 100 feet wide all the way to the Praya. In order to effect this improvement two or more of the existing godowns are destined to disappear. Such an improvement will be much appreciated by those who at present are compelled to inhale the nauseous but insistent smells that a quarter of Elgin Road emits. The time, too, we are assured, is not distant when the fine roadway now running the whole length of the Bund will be widened so as to be in harmony with the scheme of road-widening. A highway 100 feet wide there again may be looked for. (What used to be Elgin road is now known as Haiphong Road).
"The whole of the road north of Salisbury Road i.e. to the left of the new pier, that section facing the harbour as well as the lower part of
is to be Elgin Road, which at present acutely reminds us of a switchback
As closed tall public traffic. There shall the coolie have supreme sway! far as the road south of the Naval Yard no traffic will be permitted.
****
"It would be well at this stage to explode an idea which seems to have obtained currency: that the lower portion of Elgin Road will be built over. That is not the case. No godown is to be erected there in lieu of those to be dismantled. The open space will be reserved, though closed to the public
"Robinson Road (now known as Nathan Road) will be 100 feet wide all the way, and the hope is held out at present that some scheme will be devised whereby those who frequent the ferry-boats need not approach the wharf direct. Perhaps a bridge to span the roadway will be erected. *
"A hundred foot road has been made and finished up to Sixth Street and runs right away to Hunghom, and another. has been carried from the pump- ing station by the new disinfecting station as far as Ma Tau Wai. When the full use of the reservoir is obtained and existing watersheds are dis- posed of, we may look forward to the sale of a deal of land and then the consequent rush of builders.
"If rumour lies not, houses now being erected have been let months before the buildings have been erected. This is significant, and can only be interpreted as a sign of progress. The (Steam) Laundry Company have acquired land recently, and everything in Kowloon to-day seems an index of what is slowly but surely tending to the growth of a large and populous suburb."
As we know, the rapid development of Kowloon Peninsula has continued since that date with hardly a pause,
**
KOWLOON, OLD CITY 1
Although the Chinese settlements in Hongkong go back to comparative- ly recent times (a little over 150 years), there are portions of the main- land which have much older associations. These it is hoped to deal with more fully in due course. There are still quite a number of ancient inscriptions to be found on slabs of stone in Kowloon and the New Territo- ries, and perhaps some day these might be noted, translated, and their his-- tory collated. A recent visit to Kowloon Old City (as the place is popularly known) was a reminder that there are still standing some old Chinese houses which were used over one hundred years ago, such as the former Kowloon customs house, a public school and the yamen for the Chinese officials who administered Kowloon City. There is an old jetty which in those days served for the landing of visiting officials from Canton, and the disembarking of troops. One of these very old buildings is used as the Kowloon City Public Dispensary.
Some years ago there was a stone pai lau standing outside the jetty (or pier), with two characters on it, "Lung Tsun", meaning the "Dragon's Path". This stone pai lau was removed to make way for the increasing traffic, as the pier now serves for the ferry service. The usage of the character for "dragon" conveys the impression that the old pai lau, which
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