The Building of Hong Kong: Constructing Hong Kong Through the Ages

Chapter Two: Evolution

Chapter Two Evolution The Early Days As long as 5000 years ago there were people living in Hong Kong, but looking at today's skyline it is difficult t o imagine that buildings had been erected other than in the last few years. Nevertheless , some of the villages in the New Territories are thought to have been founded in the Sung period (A.D. 960-1279) and many have been established subsequently. The ability of Hong Kong's early builders is well illustrated by the walled villages of the New Territories suc h as Kat Hing Wai which was settled over 500 years ago but with the wall built much later, in the 17th century. In those days the villagers were their own builders an d i t wa s probabl y no t unti l th e Britis h arrive d tha t independent construction firms first appeared. Prior to the arrival of the British, Hong Kong was settled by fishermen, farmers and quarrymen who worked the excellent local Evolution granite. In fact the walled village of Tsang Tai Uk was completed in 185 0 by Tsang Kun-man , a stone mason fro m W u Hua fro m where many local masons came. Hong Kong's roots in construction are very deep. Evidence o f Hon g Kong' s constructio n tradition s i s furthe r illustrated b y the territory's temple s an d many ancestra l halls , a number of which are over 300 years old. It is fortunate that some still exist today and bear witness to the traditional craftsmanship of the early builders. An early example of ornament Whilst th e British ha d been visitin g an d shelterin g i n Hon g Kong waters earlier, it was not until January 1841, when it was first occupied, that any great impetus to the development of its rudimentary buildin g stoc k an d infrastructur e occurred . Fro m thi s poin t however, building and infrastructure developmen t was rapid as a result of Hong Kong's establishment as an entrepot and immigration caused by political disturbances in China. The population of the island at the first census in 1841 did not exceed 5,450 , livin g i n som e sixtee n villages , hamlet s an d th e bazaar, and about 2,000 fishermen living afloat. Chinese labourers, encouraged b y the prospect o f wor k offere d a s a result o f larg e numbers of foreign companies shifting from their bases at Macau, began to come to Hong Kong and by April 1844, the population had reached 19,000. However, the first mass of immigrants from China did not arrive until 185 1 when the Taiping disturbances broke out on the mainland. In 1852 , at the time of the "Gold Rush", Hong 14 Evolution Kong became the center for coolie transport from mainland China to San Francisco and Australia until 1869 when legislation prohibiting shipment of coolies to territories other than British possessions was introduced. At the beginning o f this period the military wer e significan t clients of the embryo construction industry, as were the merchants who wer e settin g up their warehouses (godowns ) an d offices. I n 1845 Hong Kong already had a number of substantial buildings, many of which were three storeys. The rapid rate of building development, which many consider to be a recent phenomenon did, in fact, begin shortly after the British occupation. In early 1842 it was rather rudimentary, as reported in the Hong Kong Gazette for 1 January 1842 , in its review o f th e colony during its first year: Line engraving of Hong Kong Island 1845 15 Various materials have been used in building. At the commencement n o one though t o f anythin g bette r tha n houses constructe d b y palm leaf , called b y th e Chines e kwai; the next stage was having them boarded and made with doors and window s that could open and shut; then occasionally was found one room of brick and the rest of the house of the aforementioned material . The first to set the example of a stone and brick house was Mr. Matheson, and th e Governmen t soo n afte r commence d th e Magistracy and prison... Some wooden houses have been imported from...