Finally, our Pok Fu Lam trip was on today. The weather was good :) Let's start with dead things.
CCCU Pokfulam Road Cemetery
CCCU Pokfulam Road Cemetery is organized by The Hong Kong Chinese Christian Church Union. It built along the mountain side and it is facing the sea. This cemetery inter many famous persons. Lands in Hong Kong are limited. Even there is taboo of Hong Kong people, there are many expensive residential near or facing the cemetery.
Many years ago, burial was a popular method to treat dead body. Traditional people could not accept cremation, they thought it's respect to keep the whole dead body. Due to limitation of land in Hong Kong, cremation became popular since many years ago.
Nowadays, population in Hong Kong is still increasing. It is not only cause housing problem, columbarium is not enough too. Some dead persons are temporary assigned to a columbarium for queue a permanent columbarium. Some private columbarium providers are selling HK$100k for one columbarium, which is more expensive than housing for living person. Government is promoting scatter cremated ashes to assigned garden and sea area. People are welcome to this service.
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| Main entrance of CCCU Pokfulam Road Cemetery |
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| The cemetery is facing the sea and high end residential. |
Jessville
We had a quick walk to pass by the main entrance of Jessville. Jessville built at 1937 which was a private residential. The building include garden has 3 million sqft. The name Jessville is the name of house owner's wife. The architecture is Italian style with the arch and columns. Government assigned it as grade 3 historic building in Hong Kong. The owner cannot dismantle it. Jessville is going to changed to a club house with high end residential around it.
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| It looks so elegant. |
Pok Fu Lam Village
Pok Fu Lam Village appeared since 17 century. It is the only Chinese culture heritage under World Monument Fund. They have traditional folk custom Dragon Dance celebration every year. People will hold a dragon (with incenses on dragon body) to dance on the street. There is a Li Ling Pagoda at the entrance of the village to protect the villagers. Pok Fu Lam Village is different to those villages in town. There still have certain amount of villagers living here. They have their markets and shops to supply the village.
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| Aerial view of the village |
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| Villagers' living place |
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| Vegetable market in village |
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| Meat market in village |
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| Li Ling Pagada |
Bethanie
Bethanie is a European style building with French colonial architecture. It was a sanatorium that built in 1875. It is a declared monument in Hong Kong. Bethanie has a chapel, theater and museum that open for public. Some areas are used by Academy's School of Film and Television. Bethanie chapel has 19 colored glass windows. They were lost when start of renovation. The construction director found them from Zetland Hall and returned them to Bethanie chapel.
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| Outside the theater |
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| Information counter |
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| Wellcome Theater |
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| Bethanie chapel |
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| The interior corridor in Bethanie |
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| Bethanie chapel |
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| One of the lost glass window |
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| The floors in Bethanie chapel |
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| The studio at roof top of Bethanie |
Trees in Hong Kong
Trees and mountains are everywhere in Hong Kong and close to living place. Hong Kong people built cement wall to hold the soil to protect Hong Kong people and maintain the trees.
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| Trees broke the road. |
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| Cement wall to hold the soil |
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| Cement wall under construction |
Cyberport & Bel-Air Residence
Cyberport is a creative digital community. It has four A grade office buildings, a five star hotel, a shopping mall and a residential. It owned by an Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited (which owed by Hong Kong government). Hong Kong government built Cyberport for the rapid increase of information & technology business. They foresee the growth of the business and try to make a information and technology center of Asia in Cyberport. Unlucky, the project is still in deficit. Transportation to cyberport is not convenience, not many companies want to station here.
Bel-Air Residence is a luxury residential at Cyberport. It include apartment and villas. It located next to the sea and has a wonderful sea view. The buildings looks like a big screen, half of the premises can have prefect sea view. Hong Kong people call it "Screen building". As it like a screen to block the sea wind go to the land.
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| Bel-Air Residence apartments. |
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| It like a screen block the sea wind. |
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Carparks, shopping mall and other facilities are at platform.
Even premises at first level are is still at high above
the ground. So, the premises can sell a better price. |
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| Prefect sea view |
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| Cyberport office building's interior used open ceiling. It make the ceiling looks much higher. |
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| Food court in Cyberport shopping mall is at top floor. Glazed roof provide sunlight to interior. |
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| It was a water feature. Management blocked it for easier maintenance. |
Waterfall Bay
Waterfall Bay is next to Bel-Air Residence. There is an old waterfall connect to the Waterfall Park. The bottom part is connect to the sea. The waterfall is very nice. Many kids like to play here and photographers like to take photos here. Some people said it is a Fung Shui water to Hong Kong. Due to accidents happened every few years, government block the road to the waterfall. It is so pity that it is not a recommended sightseeing and leisure spot.
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| There are not many waterfall in Hong Kong. |
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| Many rocks and rubbish. |
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| The waterfall is connect to the sea. |
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| The little beach is quite nice and comfortable. |
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| The governmnt block the road to the waterfall. |
Wah Fu Estate
Wah Fu Estate is one of the oldest public estates and famous estate in Hong Kong. It is the first public estate developed with facilities like shopping center, markets, carparks, school and library. Wah Fu Estate located far to the town, so it is not many Hong Kong people like to live here.
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| Public housing in Wah Fu Estate |
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| Wah Fu Estate has many buildings |
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| Another type of public housing in Wah Fu Estate |
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| Public sports court |
Repulse Bay Beach
Repulse Bay Beach is a very nice beach. The new shopping center, The Pulse, was complete two years ago which provide a comfortable leisure space and supporting facilities to the beach. There are some tours visit the beach as a sightseeing spots. Shuttle buses are fully parked on the street. Even the traffic is not convenience, the price of properties here is extremely high. It is because there are many high end apartments and villas at this district.
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| Repulse Bay Beach is very nice |
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| Another side of Repulse Bay Beach |
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| Tours visit Repulse Bay Beach |
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| The shopping center, The Pulse. |
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| Cafes and resturants at The Pulse are facing the beach. |
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| High end residential |
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| Cost of properties from HK$20k to HK$50k per sqft. |
The Lily
The Lily is a high end residential. The Chinachem Group bid the land by HK$ 55.5 hundred million which was the highest price in the past record in Hong Kong. The Lily completed at 2006. Chinachem didn't sell any premises and changed it to hotel. Lily was empty up to 2010. The Lily has a outstanding architecture design which like a flower Lily. The facade has LED system to show pattern at night. It is such a waste to spend a lot, but the premises is empty due to poor management and planning.
The Hong Kong trip is finished here. We will continue to discover the real estate in Macau and Guangzhou in next course.
