Street - Duddell Street StePs and Gas LAmps

The Duddell Street Steps was built between 1875 and 1889 and bounded by Ice House Street andQueen's Road . It was ended a flight of granite steps at its southern.

First of all, let me tell you about the name of the street. It was named for a English businessman--George Duddell. In 1844, Duddell arrived in HongKong and run opium business, then changed to operate ironmongery and bakery. Because of the hot weather and no natural ices provided in HongKong, the europeans cannot get used to it. With other English businessmen, Duddell provided some hospitals and welfare societies with the natural ices. George Duddell was ultimately a signficant property owner in Ice House Street in the mid-19th century and he remained good relationship with HongKong government, the government decided to commemorate him with a street name--that is Duddell Street.

What attracted most people in that street is the four gas-powered street lamps. As we know, all street lamps are now electric in HongKong, however, these four remain using gas and are operated by HongKong and China Gas Company on the ground of historical interest.

The gas lamps are really scarce in HongKong, even in the urban, it worths to pay a vist and take photos there.

What is more, if you want to know the exact location of Duddell street, donot hesitate to browse into the google maps of Duddell Street.

--BY KATHERINE YEUNG

Building - Western Market

Hihi~~ All reader~

The building is beautiful, right? Yes, that is the Old Central Market (Western Market) which is located in Hong Kong Island. And it’s very valuable of the heritage nowadays. Don’t miss the chance. I am really wanted to recommend you to go there and taking some photos for your memory.

Let me tell you more about the building. The Old Central Market (Western Market) consisted originally of two separate blocks, the South Block at Queen’s Road Central was built in 1858 and demolished in 1980. Existing North Terminal was built in 1906 which is smaller and more compact in design. And the turret brick wall decorated with ribbon. When the former Urban Council’s market facilities came into operation in 1898, the market building became vacant and was later converted into traditional trades, arts and crafts center. It is now managed by the Urban Renewal Authority. The photo that you can see on your left hand side, it is the Old Central Market of 1895.

However, I think that the government may keep the culture for protecting the old history building. Do you think so?!

--- Jessica Yim

When I see this building, I think that is a private house in the past or one of the government offices in my mind. It is because I feel that building is very luxurious and grander in that district. It has kept the Britain-style; it can let me think about what happen in the past. However, I am very surprised that is a market which is converted into traditional trades, arts and crafts center nowadays. As we know, this building is one of the declared monuments in Hong Kong Island, I think that Hong Kong Government not only focus on this type of building, but also the other building which is not located in Hong Kong Island or lack of repairs. That history is one of the memories of Hong Kong’s people, and those have their own values, government can’t just focus the economic of Hong Kong and ignore those building. I think government really put more resources or attention on this condition which means to take the balance between the economic and heritage in the future. If we lose those building, we can not return to start again.

--- Change Kwok

Reference

Here is the link of Western Market.

http://www.westernmarket.com.hk/

Street - Nathan Road

Hong Kong Governor : http://www.nntp.hk/web/post,news.3home.net,3special.benedict,106838.html

Before 1997, Hong Kong was managed by the United Kingdom.

At that time, many names of street used the Hong Kong Governor's name. 

For this history, we know that the streets of Hong Kong are one of the Hong Kong Heritage.

And today, i will introduce the street called " Nathan Road". Although this is not in Hong Kong Island, it is very popular. It is the must that you need to know.

Nathan Road is one of the famous street in Hong Kong. Many tourist must pass through this street when they have visited Hong Kong. It is because Nathan Road connects Mong Kok to Tsim Sha Tsui and these two places are the attractions in Hong Kong. Tourist can have fun there.

Nathan Road is about 3.6 kilometer. It passes through Prince Edward, Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Jardon and Tsim Sha Tsui. For Transportation, portions of the Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan Lines for MTR run underneath Nathan Road.

History

"Nathan Road" was named at the nineteen of March in 1909. It comes from the Hong Kong Governor'name, Sir Mathew Nathan. He was the 13th Governor who served between 1904 and 1907. However, The road was originally named Robinson Road. It came from the 5th Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Hercules Robinson. The first section of the road was completed in 1861. It was the very first road built in Kowloon. At that time, the government want to avoid confusion with the Robinson Road on Hong Kong Island, the name was changed to Nathan Road in 1909.

Famous attractions along Nathan Road

There are some buildings and landmarks along the road. Let see the photo.^^

 

                  

To know more about Nathan Road, You can click on :

 http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%BD%8C%E6%95%A6%E9%81%93

Here you a video in the bus that pass through Nathan Road at night. You can see that there are still many people there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ClovWPnOtc&feature=related

My reflection

I am living in Mong Kok, so i have a big feeling about Nathan Road. For the transportation, it is very convinient. You can go there by bus, train, MTR etc. This is a easy-go place. You would not be afraid that you cannot go back home at night. For tourists, there are many special building and shopping places along Nathan Road. Also, some street next to Nathan Road are the popular shopping place that they must visit such as the Women's Street.  At night, this road will be being a hot place. There are many people to come and go. Nathan Road is being a cheerful street. people would like to have dinner here. It is because there are different knid of restaurants that they can choose. And i am the one inside ^^.

--- Mable Chiu

Nathan Road is one of the longest road in Hong Kong and it across from Prince Edward to Tsim Sha Tsui. There are many shopping mall like Longham Place and some special streets on the both side of street. One of the good example is ladies market. Those places are the hot spots that most Hong Kong people and tourists usually go. Due to the popularity of Mong Kok and other districts around the Nathan Road, there is a traffic jam on the road especially the rush hour. As a result, I suggest that if you want to have a look in Nathan Road or the malls around that, you can go there on foot. It may save your time and you can experience the real life of Hong Kong people.

--- Jovy Tam

Building - Flagstaff House

NOW, it is the turn of talking about HongKong heritage building. To commence with, let us have something fun.
A Tongue Twister:
PETER PIPER
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?


One of the declared monuments in HongKong is Flagstaff House(中環紅棉路舊三軍司令官邸), which is located in Cotton Tree Drive,Centre, HongKong Island. It was built for Major General George Charles D'Aguilar in 1846 and named "Headquaters House"(司令總部大樓). Its name had been changed to "Flagstaff House" in about 1932. The building is the oldest British-style architecture remaining in HongKong.


FLAGSTAFF HOUSE in 1846

                                           

These day and year, the building has been treated as the Museum of Tea Ware displaying Chinese tea ware and related materials, and because of its location and setting, it is a popular for wedding photography as well.

                                                                   FLAGSTAFF HOUSE in 2009

If you are interesting, please pay a visit there, EXCEPT those days: Tuesday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and the first 3 days of the Lunar New Year.





 For more interesting of Hong Kong Tea Culture and museum in Hong Kong, Please go to the Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_tea_culture
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museums_in_Hong_Kong                                                               

---BY KATHERINE YEUNG      

Chung Yeung Festival (Special Event)

Chung Yeung Festival will be comig tomorrow.
Therefore, I want to let you know more about this festival.
Althougt this is not a physical heritage, it has a historial culture.
SO~~ I would like to tell you that what the meaning of Chung Yeung Festival is ?
And what things people will do in that day?
Hope you would like it.

Introduction  
The Chung Yeung Festival (which is on Ninth Moon, Day 9) is a day to respect and remember ancestors, a ritual that is widely followed in Hong Kong among the Chinese community.

Things that people do

Also known as Autumn Remembrance, this festival is similar to Ching Ming in the spring, in that families journey to the graves of their ancestors to perform cleansing rites and pay their respects. They will share the food they bring along, especially Chinese cakes, ko, which is a homonym of the word for "top". Some believe that those who eat these cakes will be promoted to the top. It is also a day for hiking. The Chung Yeung Festival commemorates a Han Dynasty (BC 202-AD 220) legend, which tells how a soothsayer advised Woon King (桓景)that he should take his family to a high place for the entire ninth day of the ninth moon. Upon their return, the Woon family discovered all living things in their village had been slaughtered. Today, many Hong Kong families head to the hills to picnic during the Chung Yeung Festival.

Our Sharing

On this festival, I will follow my grandma and grandpa to respect and remember ancestors in Cheung Chau every year. It is because I am the representative of my family. I need and represent my family to do so. I am the biggest grandson in the family; I have the responsibility to participate. I think that Chung Yeung Festival is one of our gathering moments; it is because some of our family members not lived in Cheung Chau, but they will come back at this moment and we go to mountain together. I think our family member around 20-30persons each time. Yes, I am come from the big family. Ha! Ha! We will go to the mountain with lots of things, for example, chicken, rice, fruit, drinks, rice wine etc. those are the things which my great-grandfather and great-grandmother like to eat in their be living. Actually, I very like this festival; it’s because I can meet my family members and do some exercises to get more heavily body.

-----Change Kwok

For me, Chung Yeung Festival is not a sad day. At that day, my parent would go up to the hill in the morning and do somethings to expree respecting for our forerunners. I seldom go with them because when i was young, my parent didn't want to take care of us and they didn't bring me and my 3 sister to there. Therefoe, this situation is until now^^. However, after finishing the respecting ceremony, our family would have a gathering in "Ming Sing Restaurant". We go there for gathering every year at that day.^^ After the gathering, we may plan somethings to do with the family relative. For example, we may play badminton or play cards etc. Actually, for our family, this day is to improve our relationship with each relatives. We can have a space day for increacing the interaction to know more each other. It is because we are very busy for the work so we would enjoy this day so much.

--- Mable Chiu

Transport - Peak Tram

History of Peak Tram
By 1888 the transport that reaching the peak is wholly dependent on the use of the sedan chair. However, it is time consuming and inconvenient because the population of Hong Kong rose and there was a hotel located on the Peak. In the May of 1881, Scotsman Alexander Findlay Smith planned to introduce a new tram system which could connect Murray Barracks to Victoria Gap and this innovate idea was done and provide service since 30 May 1888. The Peak Tram became the first cable funicular in Asia, extending 1,350 metres and connecting five intermediate stations.

Generations of Peak Tram

1888 - 1926
The tramway was officially operated by Governor, Sir William Des Voeus in May 1888 The wooden tram's haulage system was powered by coal fired steam boilers.

1926 - 1948
The steam power was replaced by electrically-powered haulage gear system. Each tram car could carry 52 passengers.

1948 - 1959
After World War2, the local population of Hong Kong increased sharply and a 62 seat, all-metal tramcar was introduced in order to fulfill the increasing demand of transportation.

1959 - 1989
A fully enclosed, lightweight and all-aluminum tram car with 72 seats replaced the metal tram car to ensure the passengers’ safety.

1989 - present
A significant modernization of the system was undertaken, introducing microprocessor-control technology and brand new tramcars carrying 120 passengers.

My Reflection

Peak Tram is one of the oldest transportations in Hong Kong. It is a famous tourist attraction at Hong Kong because they can enjoy the wonderful view of Victoria Harbor. Apart from tram, although we can go to the Peak either by bus or minibus, I love travel by peak tram because it is a unique experience for my whole life. Peak tram is the only transport that there is an angle when you go up and it just like you are riding on the roller coaster and you are going to the highest point of the ride. I love this ride and I hope that I can use that more oftern.

--- Jovy Tam