"Sung Wong Tai, or the Terrace of Emperor Sung, near Kowloon City, commemorates the young emperor who, in the course of his flight, and before he was drowned in Nai-moon, in 1278, spent a night in the cave there. These three Chinese characters having become effaced after more than 500 years, the Canton Viceroy had them renewed and a separate inscription was engraved upon the rock in 1807.
"Many places have received their names from fancied resemblance to various articles. Thus we find Tong Law Wan, Brass Gong Bay, so named from the shape of Causeway Bay. Ting Lung Chau, or the Isle of Lanterns, is now Kellett Island. Shau ki Wan means Sieve Bay; Ap-li-chau, the duck's tongue island; Dumb-bell island is the English name for Cheung Chau. Ngor King Kiu, Goose Neck Bridge, is near Happy Valley; Kwai Pui, the Turtle's Back, is in Queen's Road West, not far from the Tai Ping Theatre.
"Most of us are familiar with that peculiar rock formation, called the Amah and child, or the Statue Rock, Mon Fu Shek the unfortunate wife looking for the return of her husband; though not all know of the legend connected with it. Other lesser known rocks are the Kau Pui Shek, the Dog's Back Rock, near Kowloon City, and Kam Kui Shek, the Climbing Frog Rock, below the Signal Station on Victoria Peak.
"The two entrances of the harbour, Lyeemun and Kap Shui Mun, or Throat Gates, mean respectively Gap Fish Gate and Rapid Water Gate. The former takes its name from a legendary enormous fish that dwelt there, the latter is well named, as those can testify who have been caught in the tide rip there. Stonecutters Island bears the ominous name of Ngong Shu Chau Capsized Boat Island.
"Legend accounts for the name Tsat Chi Mui, or Seven Sisters Bay at North Point. The Legend is well-known and probably seven suicides deserve commemoration as a record. Similarly, superstition is responsible for the Kwat Tuen Lung, which may be translated "The Dragon injured by road excavation." This place is at the lower end of Stubbs Road, and those interested may look for the traces of blood shed by the unfortunate monster, when pierced by the picks and shovels of workmen. In Robinson Road we find the Man kwai Kui, Fierce Ghost Bridge. It has been suggested that the name is due to the narrow and circuitous road and it is thus a warning to motorists, a sort of "Safety First signal. On the other hand, there are those who assure us that they have actually seen the ghost - a headless figure that "walks."
"The end of Gough Street is more poetically termed the Hundred Steps Ladder, Sap Wong Tin, or Palace of the Ten Kings, near the Western Market where the fruiterers are doing business. Chuk Shu Po, or Bamboo Bush near the Central Theatre, dates to a time when the city had not grown to its present proportions.
"Besides these, there were many more names, now vanished. Kong, or Iron Tank, was applied to Glenealy, where now stands the Dairy Farm and the St. Paul's College front entrance Yuen was an old name for Queen's Garden.
"In olden days Hongkong had a more sinister name and shared with the Gold Coast the nickname of "The White Man's Grave." General d'Aguliar in 1845 declared, "to retain Hongkong will require the loss of a whole regiment every three years, and to have 700 effective men, it is necessary to maintain 1400." We may thank the British for their work in developing a barren unhealthy island into the Pearl of the Orient."
2.
"Sung Wong Tai, or the Terrace of Emperor Sung, near Kowloon City, commemorates the young emperor who, in the course of his flight, and before he was drowned in Nai- moon, in 1278, spent a night in the cave there. These three Chinese characters having become effaced after more than 500 years, the Canton Viceroy had them renewed and a separate inscription was engraved upon the rock in 1807.
"Many places have received their names from fancied re semblance to various articles. Thus we find Tong Law Wan, Brass Gong Bay, so named from the shape of Causeway Bay. Ting Lung Chau, or the Isle of Lanterns, is now Kellett Island. Shau ki Wan means Sieve Bay; Ap-li-chau, the duck's tongue island; Dumb-bell island is the English name for Cheung Chau. Ngor King Kiu, Goose Neck Bridge, is near Happy Valley; Kwai Pui, the Turtle's Back, is in Queen's Road West, not far from the Tai Ping Theatre.
"Most of us are familiar with that peculiar rock for- mation, called the Amah and child, or the Statue Rock, Mon Fu Shek the unfortunate wife looking for the return of her husband; though not all know of the legend connected with it. Other lesser known rocks are the Kau Pui Shek, the Dog's Back Rock, near..Kowloon City, and Kam Kui Shek, the Climbing Frog Rock, below the Signal Station on Victoria Peak.
"The two entrances of the harbour, Lyeemun and Kap! Shui Mun,
or Throat Gates, mean respectively Grap Fish Gate and Rapid Water Gate. The former takes its name from a legendary enormous fish that dwelt there, the latter is well named, as those can testify who have been caught in the tide rip there. Stonecutters Island bears the ominous name of Ngong Shu Chau Capsized Boat Island.
"Legend accounts for the name Tsat Chi Mui, or Seven Sisters Bay at North Point. The Legend is well-known and probably seven suicides deserve commemoration as a record. Similarly, superstition is responsible for the Kwąt Tuen Lung, which may be translated "The Dragon injured by road excavation." This place is at the lower end of Stubbs Road, and those interested may look for the traces of blood shed by the unfortunate monster, when pierced by the picks and shoevels of workmen. In Robinson Road we find the Man kwai Kui, Fierce Ghost Bridge. It has beel. suggested that the name is due to the narrow and circuitious road and it is thus a warning to motorists, a sort of "Safety First signal. On the other hand, there are those who assure us that they have actually seen the ghost - a headless figure that "walks."
"Then end of Gough Street is more poetically termed the Hundred Steps Ladder, Sap Wong Tin, or Palace of the Ten Kings, near the Western Market where the fruiterers are doing business. Chuk Shu Po, or Bamboo Bush near the Central Theatre, dates to a time when the city had not grown to its present proportions.
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"Besides these, there were many more names, now vanished. Kong, or Iron Tank, was applied to Glenealy, where now stands the Dairy Farm and the St. Paul's College front entrance Yuen was an old name for Queen's Garden.
Tit
Ma Cho
"In olden days Hongkong had a more sinister name and shared with the Gold Coast the nickname of "The White Man's Grave." General d'Aguliar in 1845 declared, "to retain Hongkong will re- quire the loss of a whole regiment every three years, and to have 700 effective men, it is necessary to maintain 1400." W, may thank the British for their work in developing a barren unhealthy island into the Pearl of the Orient."
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