Tin magnate and businessman Eu Tong-sen had 13 sons and 11 daughters by his many wives, among whom were a few Europeans. He was also told he must continue building, although when he died, in 1941, he had completed only three fantasy homes (all now demolished); one at Eucliff at Repulse Bay and another at Euston in Bonham Road, both in pseudo-Gothic style. The third was an old-world, rambling, English-style country mansion, named "Sirmio", which stood on the north shore of Tolo Harbour.
The author attended a swimming party at Eucliff which contained a large number of paintings — in 1955, and a picnic in the grounds of Sirmio a few months later. At the time, apart from caretakers, both were unoccupied.
With 1997 approaching the Aw and Eu prophecies regarding building, as stated above, are now being applied to Hong Kong itself, and some believe that, if construction stops, the Territory itself will wither and die.
Acknowledgement
The author is grateful to Doctor James Hayes for his comments on a draft of this paper.
NOTES
2 V.R. Burkhardt, Chinese Creeds and Customs (1982), p. 174.
3 Remarks of the nephew of J.J. Ropes, letter to the Editor Hong Kong Standard (later 1970s); and Anthony Walker and Stephen M. Rowlinson, The Building of Hong Kong. Constructing Hong Kong Through the Ages (1990), passim.
4 Burkhardt, op.cit. passim; and Anthony Walker and Stephen M. Rowlinson, op.cit. Chapter Four.
5 The author recalls how, when a Chinese woodwork instructor in one of the old Technical College workshops (which was equipped with western-style tools) wanted a particularly good finish on a piece of timber, he would always use his own Chinese plane.
6 The author taught building technology and allied subjects at the Government Technical College (this became the Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1972) during his early years in Hong Kong.
8 G.B. Endacott, A History of Hong Kong (1958), p. 116.
9 The Craft of Chinese Scaffolding, editor Ho So (Circa 1972); and Jayson Wong, "The bamboo wonders of territory's high-rise world", South China Morning Post, 20 September
6
Tin magnate and businessman Eu Tong-sen had 13 sons and 11 daughters by his many wives, among whom were a few Europeans. He was also told he must continue building, although when he died, in 1941, he had completed only three fantasy homes (all now demolished); one at Eucliff at Repulse Bay and another at Euston in Bonham Road, both in pseudo-Gothic style. The third was an old-world, rambling, English- style country mansion, named "Sirmio", which stood on the north shore of Tolo Harbour.
-
The author attended a swimming party at Eucliff which contained a large number of paintings — in 1955, and a picnic in the grounds of Sirmio a few months later. At the time, apart from caretakers, both were unoccupied.
With 1997 approaching the Aw and Eu prophecies regarding building, as stated above, are now being applied to Hong Kong itself, and some believes that, if construction stops, the Territory itself will wither and die.
Acknowledgement
The author is grateful to Doctor James Hayes for his comments on a draft of this paper.
NOTES
2
V.R. Burkhardt, Chinese Creeds and Customs (1982), p. 174.
Remarks of the nephew of J.J. Ropes, letter to the Editor Hong Kong Standard (later 1970s); and Anthony Walker and Stephen M. Rowlinson, The Building of Hong Kong. Constructing Hong Kong Through the Ages (1990), passim.
} Burkhardt, op.cit. passim; and Anthony Walker and Stephen M. Rowlinson, op.cit. Chapter Four.
The author recalls how, when a Chinese woodwork instructor in one of the old Technical College workshops (which was equipped with western-style tools) wanted a particularly good finish on a piece of timber, he would always use his own Chinese plane.
Some of this article is based on oral history. This has an important part to play although recollections are not always as accurate as one imagines. Facts are sometimes distorted when handed down by word-of-mouth.
6 The author taught building technology and allied subjects at the Government Technical College (this became the Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1972) during his early years in Hong Kong.
8
G.B. Endacott, A History of Hong Kong (1958), p. 116.
The Craft of Chinese Scaffolding, editor Ho So (Circa 1972); and Jayson Wong, "The bamboo wonders of territory's high-rise world", South China Morning Post, 20 September
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