Southside Magazine February 2015

FAMILY | FOOD | HOME | SPORT | LIVING

February 2015

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Tales from Stanley Market

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The really useful magazine FEBRUARY 2015

PEOPLE

NEWS FROM THE GREENS

2 Snapped!

Southside’s social life.

THE PLANNER

18 Farmville or agriculture Questioning the AgriPark policy.

READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

6 Happening in February What’s on in your neighborhood.

LETTERS 10 Have your say From our readers.

NEWS 12 What’s going on?

In your backyard.

INTERVIEW 14 Carney Denmark How the carnival came to town.

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

16 Lucy’s turns 20 Meet restaurateur Lucy Humbert.

20 Vote to win Have your say in our annual Southside awards.

FEATURE 22 Life in Stanley Market Down memory lane with the shop owners.

EATING 28 Behind the scenes Inside South Stream Seafoods.

Plus Nibbles from the dining scene.

FAMILY 32 Rumple the Clown Matt Coombes gets into character.

EDUCATION 34 Tutor time Where to find one in Southside.

OUTDOORS 40 Bike tracks Cycle-friendly Hong Kong for kids.

BIG DAY OUT 44 Get a room Fun sleepovers for grown-ups.

HOME 50 Sweep out the old Traditional Lunar New Year preparations.

TRAVEL

PETS 60 Friends with benefits How pooches help people make pals.

HONG KONG CREATURES 61 Mangrove crab Living by their pincers.

MARKETPLACE 62 Your guide to shops and services Cool stuff to buy and do.

SOUTHSIDE SECRETS 68 Prison break The grisly past of Stanley Prison.

54 Macau weekend The best of the sister ’hood.

HEALTH & BEAUTY 58 Good hair day Get the snip.

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“WHOEVER SAID MONEY CAN’T BUY HAPPINESS SIMPLY DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO GO SHOPPING.” – BO DEREK

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people Snaps from Southside

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say cheese

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people

say cheese

Cold Half Swim

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Photo credits to Carlos Leung and The Cold Half

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Share your event photos with us at photo@fastmedia.com.hk. Get snapping!

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planner

FEB 1 Bee’s Nest Open Farm Day Learn how honey is produced from the bees to the jar, with honeycomb, bee pollen and honey available to try and buy. Free, 11am-5pm. 14 Tai Tam Reservoir Road, Tai Tam, 5186 0802, www.beesnest.hk.

FEB 1 Oxfam Walkathon Walk around the Peak to raise funds for the fight against poverty. For details, visit www. oxfam.org.hk.

UNTIL FEB 22

AIA Great European Carnival

Three hectares of waterfront carnival fun, including bumper cars, a ferris wheel, street entertainers and a “European tour”. Central Harbourfront.

Tickets $125 (children aged three-11, $90) from www.ticketflap.com.

UNTIL FEB 15 Kidsfest!

Eight favourite children’s stories and a bunch of dinosaurs live (except the dinos) on stage.

Shows include Barmy Britain, Vile Victorians, The Tiger Who Came to Tea and The Princess and the Pea. Drama Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $195-$435 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

FEB 3 Open House at Flex Central

FEB 1 Southside Market Long Lunch Join Butchers Club for unlimited food, drink, music and entertainment from noon to 5pm.

Tickets $550 (free for under-eights) from www. butchersclub.com.hk. The Butchers Club Deli Rooftop, 16/F, 18 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, 2884 0768.

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A chance to try Pilates Allegro, Xtend Barre and Pilates apparatus in the private studio. Drinks, food and great prizes. Free, but call to RSVP. 6pm-9pm. 3/F Man Cheung Building, 15-17 Wyndham Street, Central, 2813 2399, www.flexhk.com.

FEB 5-8 Fantastic Mr Fox Faust International’s kid performers present Roald Dahl’s tale of the crafty canine vs Boggis, Bunce & Bean. Drama Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $220-$270 from www.hkticketing. com, 3128 8288.

happening in february FEB 13-15 Hong Kong Masters Showjumping action and lifestyle entertainment.

AsiaWorld-Expo, Lantau. Tickets $330-$980 from www.cityline.com, 2111 5333.

FEB 20 Lunar New Year Fireworks

FEB 8 Discovery Bay Sunday Market Artists, makers, designers and bakers sell their wares. Free, 11am-6pm. Discovery Bay Plaza, www.handmadehongkong.com.

FEB 10 Belle & Sebastian Live The darlings of the indie world. AsiaWorldArena, Lantau. Tickets $760 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

FEB 11 Health Seminar Hong Kong specialists give 20-minute talks on four subjects: exercise for women aged over 35; detoxing done right (and as modern torture); posture and pain; and communicating with kids for a stress-free home. Free, but please register in advance. 7pm-9pm, Hong Kong Cricket Club, 141 Wong Nai Chung Gap Rd, Wong Nai Chung Gap, 2552 9925, info@eliteptstudio.com.

Blink as much as you like, you can’t miss them.

Boomtime in Victoria Harbour is 8pm.

FEB 14 Valentine’s Day

FEB 21 Lunar New Year Race Day

Get smoochy.

Fingers crossed you back a winner. Sha Tin Racecourse, www.hkjc.com.

FEB 19-MAR 5 Hong Kong Well-Wishing Festival While it’s no longer possible to throw oranges into the Lam Tsuen wishing trees, you can still make a wish as well as see the parade floats and performances, and try local foods. Free, 9am-7pm. Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, www.lamtsuen. com, 2638 3678.

FEB 19-21 Lunar New Year Kung hei fat choi! Welcome the Year of the Sheep.

FEB 12-MAR 8 Disneyland’s Spring Time Celebration

The city’s annual cultural bonanza, with worldclass performers from Asia and beyond. For details, visit www.hk.artsfestival.org.

FEB 27-MAR 8 Restaurant Week FEB 19 Lunar New Year Night Parade

Love is in the air, with live music, stalls and a romantic ambience. Feb 13, 6pm-10pm; Feb 14, 4pm-10pm. PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central.

Hardy swimmers race from Stanley Main Beach to Middle Island, followed by a beach party at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. Register by February 7 at www. openwaterasia.com.

FEB 27-MAR 29 Hong Kong Arts Festival

Mickey & Co turn red and gold for Lunar New Year. Tickets $355-$499 from Hong Kong Disneyland, Lantau, www.disney.com.hk.

FEB 13-14 Valentine’s Day Night Market

FEB 24 Cold Half Swim

Floats, marching bands, acrobat troupes, dragons, lions and dancers parade through Kowloon. Seats $300-$450; roadside viewing free. 8pm, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2508 1234, www. discoverhongkong.com.

Some of the finest food in Hong Kong at discount prices. Booking starts Feb 23 at www.restaurantweek.hk.

FEB 28-MAR 2 Paper Cinema’s Odyssey Charming retelling of Homer’s epic using paper cutouts and live music. HKAPA, Wan Chai.

Tickets $80-$300 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

What is your favourite annual event on Southside? Tell us by voting in our Readers’ Choice Awards. Vote now at www.southside.hk.

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planner

BOOK NOW MAR 15-17 Art Basel Hong Kong The giant international art fair returns. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai.

Tickets $150$850 from www. artbasel.com.

MAR 5-15 Pride and Prejudice The Gate Theatre present the Bennet sisters’ hunt for husbands. Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $180-$500 from www.hk.artsfestival.org.

MAR 18 One Direction On The Road Again Brace yourselves for 1D mania. AsiaWorldArena, Lantau. Tickets $998-$3,488 from www. hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

APR 2-5 Smurfs Save Spring The Smurfs on stage. Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Smurfy seats $688 (including gifts), other seats $250-$588 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

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APR 20 Charli XCX Boom clap! Music Zone, KITEC, Kowloon Bay. Tickets $490 from www.ticketflap.com.

MAR 6-15 CATS

MAY 15-JUN 7 Sound of Music

Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s feline masterpiece comes to The Venetian Macao. Tickets $280-$680 from www.cotaiticketing.com, 6333 6660.

A few of your favourite things, direct from the West End. Lyric Theatre, HKAPA, Wan Chai. Tickets $395-$995, family packages available, at www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

MAR 31-APR 12 Cavalia Devised by the people behind Cirque de Soleil, this is a modern circus on horseback with 50 horses, 20 riders, plus aerialists, acrobats, dancers and performers from around the world. Tickets are $245-$1,195 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288. Big Top, Central Harbourfront.

MAR 21 Pitbull Live in Hong Kong Woof. AsiaWorldExpo, Lantau. Tickets $880-$1,080 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Got an event? We can publish the details for free. Email editor@southside.hk.

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Headline letters

have your say

“#zoinks! I’m on the cover of January’s wellness issue.

Thankyou #CherrieYu and @southsidemag.

I am absolutely living for the explosive vibrancy of our Southside community.

2015… how about it!” @maynogoyyoga

“Some random shots I took during a visit to Stanley on a gorgeous winter’s day.” Janet Wood from Sydney, Australia

“Chillaxing view at Repulse Bay.” Annie Tang

Please email your letters to editorial@fastmedia.com.hk We may edit for length.

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news Manmade island off Pok Fu Lam Tsing Yi

Kowloon

Lantau Island Hong Kong Island Hei Ling Chau

Lamma Island

In a policy address last month, the Hong Kong Government reiterated its plan to build a manmade island off Pok Fu Lam. East Lantau Metropolis will be a new town on an artificial island between Lantau and Hong Kong. Initial plans show transport links between the metropolis and Hong Kong Island near Mount Davis, as well as east Lantau, Tuen Mun and West Kowloon. It is not clear yet

whether the links will be tunnels or bridges.

“We have expressed our concerns to the Government on traffic impacts,” says Southern District Councillor Paul Zimmerman.

“In their response the government explained it is studying transport connection proposals.

We have put the government on notice and we will keep you posted when updates become available.”

Free parenting and wellness seminar Four Hong Kong wellness and parenting specialists are linking up to present 20-minute seminars on issues close to the hearts of many Southsiders.

Personal trainer Nathan Solia will be discussing exercise techniques for women aged 35 and over. Nutritionist Tanja GuigonRech looks at detoxing and how it is becoming a modern form of torture when it is not done correctly.

Chiropractor, naturopath and kinesiologist Dr Brian Leung talks about posture and pain.

And parent effectiveness teacher Katherine Sellery explores ways to communicate with children for a stress-free home.

The seminars are free, but please register in advance. February 11, 7pm-9pm. Hong Kong Cricket Club, 141 Wong Nai Chung Gap Rd, Wong Nai Chung Gap, 2552 9925, info@ eliteptstudio.com.

Cashmere sale

Recycle a mobile, help a child

Put your old ding wah to good use and donate it to charity. The Child Welfare Scheme (www. cwshk.org) is asking for donations of old mobile phones to help children in need in Nepal.

Delete all your personal data and drop off unwanted units at donation boxes around Hong Kong. The phones will be sold by Cash4Mobile, with proceeds going to the Child Welfare

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Scheme in Nepal. Phones that are not resold will be recycled by Hong Kong company E-Tech Management.

Drop-off locations include Pure Fitness branches and the Dutch Consulate (24/F Great Eagle Centre, 23 Harbour Road, Wan Chai). For details, contact organiser Barbara Markovits, 5190 1700, barbara@markovits.eu.

Pick up quality knitwear at discounted prices at Feine Cashmere’s Lunar New Year sale.

The company, which is sponsoring Southside Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards, is holding a sale from February 9-28, noon-8pm (closed Sundays). Visit the store at 37 Staunton Street, Central, 2617 6610, www.feinecashmere.com.

in your backyard

Free basketball at Stanley IMS Fancy a game? Stanley International Montessori School makes its basketball courts available to local residents daily from 6.30pm-10pm.

The scheme is part of the school’s plan to provide more facilities to people living in the area, explained its founders Karin Ann and Anne Sawyer.

“From the beginning we looked for different ways to collaborate and improve the life of Southside residents. We approached the Housing Authority, Lung Tak Court and District Councilor Chan Lee Pui-ying,” they said.

“We have also been very careful to minimise traffic impact to the neighborhood so we have a very strict bussing and walking policy for our students.”

The courts are open from 6.30pm, with no requirement for booking and no charge. In return, the school requests that members of the public use the court solely for basketball and not bring pets, bikes or anything that may damage the surface onto the courts. Stanley IMS, Phase III, Ma Hang Estate, Stanley.

Win a Colour Me Beautiful Consultation

GIV EAW AY

We are giving away a makeover with Colour Me Beautiful worth $1,100. The one-on-one session includes advice on makeup and outfits that best suit your colouring and shape, and dressing for different occasions.

To enter, like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ SouthsideMagazineHK), tag three friends in the comment box, and send us a private message with your name, email and phone number.

January’s giveaway winners David Coates wins a helicopter flight for two with Heliservices. And Bonnie Chow wins three months’ unlimited gym membership at Strive Fitness. Congratulations to both!

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local Editorial

Senior Consultant Editor Jane Steer jane@fastmedia.com.hk

roll up, roll up

Mr Carnival Michael Denmark tells Hannah Grogan how he brought the AIA Carnival to town. equipment. I went to AIA, which was keen to explore the carnival because it had been so successful.

Managing Editor Hannah Grogan hannah@fastmedia.com.hk Editorial Assistant Cherrie Yu cherrie@fastmedia.com.hk

I went to Europe and met lots of showmen. The success of carnivals in Asia is folklore within that world but convincing them to get on a boat and travel halfway around the world was a process.

Staff Writer Callum Wiggins callum@fastmedia.com.hk

Design

In London, we joined forces with the Mannings family, which has been in carnivals for six or seven generations. In Britain, they do Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, the Edinburgh festival and the South Bank carnivals. They helped put a strategy together.

Art Director Kelvin Lau kelvin@fastmedia.com.hk Graphic Design Setareh Parvin setareh@fastmedia.com.hk Evy Cheung evy@fastmedia.com.hk

Sales & Marketing

I wanted to bring a flavour of a European carnival so all the games are operated by an expert from Europe and we have entertainers from around the world. We scoured the world for an ice rink and found the best operators to be in Holland. We flew in chillers from different countries.

Head of Sales & Marketing Karman So karman@fastmedia.com.hk

Business Development Manager Tristan Watkins tristan@fastmedia.com.hk Marketing & Communications Manager Sharon Wong sharon@fastmedia.com.hk Sales & Marketing Executive John Lee john@fastmedia.com.hk Sara Tomovic sara@fastmedia.com.hk Viola Choi viola@fastmedia.com.hk

Accounts Manager Connie Lam connie@fastmedia.com.hk

Publisher Tom Hilditch tom@fastmedia.com.hk

Michael Denmark has all the fun of the fair.

I’ve been in Hong Kong nearly 20 years. My girlfriend, now wife, Tina came to Hong Kong on a contract and I realised I missed her, so I followed her over.

I partnered up with entertainment producers, sponsoring events, then went on to the digital media revolution that started in 19992000. My first business was Branded, with Jasper Donat, predominantly working with brands, media and entertainment.

In 2002, the carnival came to Hong Kong and was a huge success. I met the guys who owned it, traditional carnival folk, and explained the value of what they had, because millions of people attended.

The last AIA Carnival in Hong

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Kong was at Tamar in 2006-2007.

More than a million people came along. It was wonderful. Then the guy from that particular carnival went back to Europe and stayed there. That’s the only reason it never came back.

My two sons, 11 and 15, were born here. In 2012, they started asking me why there wasn’t a carnival any more. At that time the Tamar space wasn’t available for commercial use, but in 2013, the government put out a tender for someone to manage the land as a public park and for community and commercial events. I knew the company that won the tender.

Then I had to find a carnival. To produce an event like this, first you need the land, then the money and the right partners, producers and

My wife runs the entertainment.

The food is by Castelo Concepts, run by Wayne and Brian Parfitt.

We’ve had a lot of fun with them.

The government has been incredibly supportive. We’ve had great feedback. It’s been remarkable how friendly and proactive everyone’s been.

My sons are happy. It’s not uncool to have a dad who has a carnival.

They helped build it – they’ve given me lots of feedback and pointers on what should be where.

This is year one; year two we’ll go up a level. We’ll have different street entertainers and probably a spiegeltent with cabaret shows.

Hong Kong has a nice edge.

There’s more happening outdoors than there has ever been.

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five minutes with...

Contributors Adele Brunner Carolynne Dear Sally Andersen Paul Zimmerman Steffi Yuen Mei-li Rose Bacani

top spot

We love Lucy’s As Stanley favourite Lucy’s turns 20, restaurateur Lucy Humbert talks to Hannah Grogan.

Printer

Apex Print 11-13 Dai Kwai Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Po, Hong Kong

Published by

Fast Media Floor LG1, 222 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong

Lucy Humbert and the entrance to Lucy’s in the heart of Stanley Market.

To read our feature on Stanley Market, flip to pg 22.

www.southside.hk ads@fastmedia.com.hk @southsidemag facebook.com/SouthsideMagazineHK GIVE US A CALL! Admin: 3568 3722 Editorial: 2776 2773 Advertising: 2776 2772, 3563 9755 Southside Magazine is published by Fast Media Ltd. This magazine is published on the understanding that the publishers, advertisers, contributors and their employees are not responsible for the results of any actions, errors and omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication. The publisher, advertisers, contributors and their employees expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, whether a reader of this publication or not, in respect of any action or omission by this publication. Southside Magazine cannot be held responsible for any errors or inaccuracies provided by advertisers or contributors. The views herein are not necessarily shared by the staff or pubishers. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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Twenty years has gone very quickly. I came to Hong Kong in 1988 on holiday, and I really liked it. Before 1997, Brits could just walk in, so I started doing catering.

I worked in a sandwich shop in World Wide House for about a year, then set up my own catering business. That’s what I was doing when I started Lucy’s in 1994.

Someone rang up and said there’s a restaurant available in Stanley, are you interested? I was not looking to do anything like that. I looked at it and thought, no, no, no! I looked again and they called again and said it’s really cheap, I think you should go for it. And that was it. I took the plunge.

It was a bit of a whim. I hadn’t much restaurant experience, but it worked out in the end.

I passed all my catering business to Gingers – although in 2003, during Sars, we started catering again, because there wasn’t much restaurant business. We did whatever we could. We didn’t close.

Lucy’s is tightly run, we’re not overstaffed.

I still do the cooking for three nights, one lunch. I’m working a bit more at the moment as a chef left last year. It’s a bit difficult to get staff in Stanley. My head chef comes from Fanling, he’s been with me at least six years. I’m back in the kitchen now, but I don’t mind.

It’s good for me.

People come back 10 years after they moved away, and can’t believe we still have the same staff. Ricky’s been with me 20 years, Gilbert 15 years. They love that.

People like Lucy’s because it’s very relaxing but if you want something smarter we can also do that. We do a lot of functions where

People come back after 10 years away and can’t believe we still have the same staff

people take the whole restaurant, we can fit 40.

The government has closed the juice shop and the florist and the Apple Mall. All these funny little shops. The estate agents were furious, with a great big banner saying “bloody government”. It’s come down now.

We’re so quiet, it’s a bit of a worry. We get so many changes of shops, people coming and going.

Some stores make money and a lot of people have been there a long time. I’d like Stanley to stay the same. It’s quirky and quaint, a tiny bit tacky – a bit naff.

Parking is not great. A few people like me want to park all day and we need another car-park. People should come in by boat, there should be a ferry from Central. It’s the most sensible thing.

Lucy’s isn’t planning to go anywhere. Just keep the standard of food and service, and we’ll be fine.

For reservations, call 2813 9055.

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Headline news from

the greens

back to the land

Farmville or agriculture?

Paul Zimmerman questions the government’s AgriPark policy.

Owners consider agriculture an effective temporary measure to keep the ecological value of their land low The Government has started consultation on a new agriculture policy. It is proposing an 80-hectare mini AgriPark. But after years of calling for sustainable agriculture in Hong Kong, this smells like a red herring.

Rural developers hope infrastructure required for the AgriPark would unlock nearby land for development and are proposing it to be put in or near a country park enclave. Or is the proposal for a 80ha Disneyfied farm project in fact a disguised proposal to rezone all remaining agricultural land for development?

Most of the 4,523 hectares of agricultural

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land in Hong Kong is hoarded by property developers. Only 729 ha is actively farmed, primarily by subsistence tenants. Owners consider agriculture an effective temporary measure to keep the ecological value of their land low with regular vegetation removal.

Making sure woodland does not mature is critical when seeking to rezone land for development later.

Sustainable and quality farming operations on our agricultural land will only happen once the expectation of future development on agricultural land is removed.

Safeguarding land for agriculture requires

certainty of land-use designation, planning control over land zoned for agriculture and a halt to encroachment on agricultural land with development approvals under the smallhouse policy.

There are some key questions the government fails to raise in the consultation on agriculture policy. Why do we want to safeguard land for agriculture? For food security, food safety or to let retired people play “Farmville�?

How many hectares (from 80 to 4,523) of our scarce land do we want to protect for agriculture purposes? Where is that land? And how do we ensure agricultural land is protected and used for agriculture (regulation and enforcement)?

Paul Zimmerman is the CEO of Designing Hong Kong, a Southern District Councillor and the co-convenor of Save Our Country Parks alliance.

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VOTE TO WIN

Readers’ Choice Awards Venture Photography package Valued $14,500 Prize includes a one hour photography session, a one hour exclusive review, and one framed image to take home. www.venturephotography.com.hk

One-night stay and dinner at L’hotel Island South Valued at $10,819 www.lhotelislandsouth.com 16 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

Six-month Pure South gym membership Valued at $7,600 www.pure-fitness.com

Vote now!

Go to www.southside.hk, vote for your favourite things in Southside, and win great prizes.

Six-months of top quality meat from Farmers Kitchen Valued at $6,000 www.farmerskitchen.com.hk

Feine Cashmere gift voucher Valued at $5,000 www.feinecashmere.com

Secret Ingredient private dinner for eight

Valued at $5,200 www.secretingredient.com.hk

Limewood dining voucher Valued at $5,000 www.limewood.hk

Entry deadline: March 15

Five dining vouchers for The Verandah and Spices Valued at $1,000 each www.therepulsebay.com

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feature

Cherrie Yu gets the inside story of the Hong Kong icon from the people who live and work there.

Pictures by Hannah Grogan.

Lo Chi-wing, owner of 1+1 Co. “I have lived here for nearly 50 years and went to primary school here. In the 1960s, I worked for a local grocery store. As a little kid, my family shared a flat with about 10 other families, with just one kitchen and one bathroom shared among us all.

“I started to sell vegetables and tried getting out of Stanley, working as a dishwasher and a cleaner. At age 27, I returned to Stanley and worked as a hawker, selling underwear to local residents. I moved into a shop after a year and have been here for 20 years.

“My customers are mainly Americans and Europeans, and the top item right now is the selfie stick. I can sell five or six a day. I keep an eye out for new products – the shops are very competitive when we are selling similar items.”

5BD Stanley Main Street, 2813 5554.

Lo in front of his store.

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We shared a flat with about 10 other families

market life T-Wong, owner and painting instructor at T. Wong Art Gallery “Every day I travel to Stanley from Kowloon to the gallery. I was born in Singapore and, like every 17-year-old, I wanted to see the world.

I took a ferry to the mainland. I still remember the immigration officer telling me: ‘You still have ten minutes to change your mind.’ At that time, it wasn’t an easy to travel around and moving elsewhere meant no return.

“In China, I studied at high school and worked on farms. It was under Mao Zedong’s rule at the time. After six years, in 1962, I came to Hong Kong due to political pressure.

“I was able to live in a family who ran a rice business in Ho Man Tin. It was hard to get used to Hong Kong. After several odd jobs, I wanted to follow my passion for art, so I started selling paintings. When I started in Stanley in the 70s, it was as a street business and I would paint what my customers requested. Gradually customers started to build up, and I started this gallery. I also teach in my studio behind the shop. Once a western lady asked to throw a children’s birthday party there so I set up drawing boards for the 10-year-olds.

Yip Yuk-zan, owner of Dragon souvenir shop “I was born here and my family lived in Ma Hang’s wooden houses with six brothers and sisters. I still live in my grandma’s home (my grandpa used to work in construction in Repulse Bay and nearby).

“Back then, Stanley mainly consisted of shops selling rice and groceries and the area was very rural. There were three primary schools (SKH Stanley Village Primary School, St Teresa’s School in Stanley, and the school for fishermen), I went to SKH because it was right next to where we lived. There weren’t any cars, only single-deck buses: bus 6 to Central, 14 to Shau Kei Wan, and 73 to Aberdeen.

“As kids, we could roam the area without our parents worrying, but we never travelled out of Stanley because public transport was a luxury. It cost 80 cents for a single trip, and five cents could buy congee and cruller. Wonton noodles were 30 cents a bowl.

“I remember my parents walking to Repulse Bay or Red Hill. They only earned a few dollars a day, so 80 cents was a lot. We didn’t have water or electricity and either got water from the well near Pak Kan Uk or a water tap on the street. We used oil lamps.

“In 1990, I returned to Stanley and have been running this shop ever since. Stanley Market used to sell only outlet products and it

T-Wong surrounded by his paintings.

“Stanley has changed a lot. When I first moved here, it was very rundown. The community is awesome, with wonderful close neighbours.”

42A, Stanley Main Street, 2813 5211.

I studied at high school and worked on farms under Mao

Yip in her souvenir shop.

was very popular – no shops were empty. But business is quite a challenge these days, and Occupy Central really did impact us.

“Now, there are always shops closing down and many are left empty. It is more difficult to sustain business now compared with the past.”

5-5A Stanley Main Street, 2899 0813.

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feature Susan So Choi Sau-lan, owner of shoe shop Kong Kee Sports Co “I was born in Stanley more than 60 years ago, the second of five siblings. My father started this shoe shop – he was a cobbler. He used to live in Causeway Bay and would walk to Stanley every day with his tools in baskets on a shoulder carrying pole. He would fix shoes by the side of the road in the same spot where the shop is now.

My father would fix shoes by the side of the road “In the early 1970s, a man started bringing in jeans from outlets and sold them here. Before that there were just a few shops selling herbal tea and gold. Our business grew into a tiny store. Now we have two shops, one side is my parents’ property and the other half I share with a business partner.

“We have lived in different places in Stanley, including the wooden houses in Ma Hang and the one-storey houses at Eight Houses (Pak Kan Uk), which we shared with eight or nine other families. Where Watson’s is now also used to be two-storey houses.

“As kids, we would play paper dolls, skipping, and I remember everyone paying ten cents to watch television at a herbal tea place. It was a luxury – five cents could buy a full breakfast.

“There weren’t many big rituals in Stanley, but it was common for people to pay respect to

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Once a champion windsurfer, Susan So now runs the shoe shop established by her father.

the dead. When someone passed away, their body was brought back to Stanley (if they were born here) and the coffin would be left open on the street for people to pay their respect and say goodbye. Now it would just freak people out.

“With so many westerners living in Stanley, it was common to work for them, boys as drivers and girls as babysitters. It was a great job for a teenager – $8 an hour to look after the kids while the parents went out to parties.

The kids were usually already asleep and I was allowed to just watch television.

“After I got married, my husband’s friend

bought a small rowing boat and windsurfer.

It was a new concept in 1979 when I started windsurfing; I was in my 20s. My brother took up the sport and we saved up to buy two windsurfers – he placed third in the 1984 Asian Games. I also participated in local windsurfing competitions and was champion of the women’s league for seven years. That was before Lee Lai-shan. I used to be super tanned.

“Before I took over the shoe shop, I ran a windsurfing centre on Stanley Main Beach (19811991), teaching people from age three to 70.”

1C Stanley Main Street, Stanley, 2813 1925.

Annie Leung’s nieces help out at the store.

Annie Leung Yuk-lin, owner of Lotus Village “I wasn’t born here, but I have lived here for a long time. I was the seventh of nine brothers and sisters. My family lived in one of the twostorey houses on the waterfront – we were a fishing family and occasionally I would join them on fishing trips.

“I worked different jobs in the city before returning to Stanley about 20 years ago. I rent the shop – we’ve been in several different locations – and my daughter helps me. We have a factory in China, making our own silk clothes.

It is quite tricky dealing with mainland factories.

Rent is quite a big problem for us and there’s a lot of competition. We faced hard times during Sars and the financial crisis, but the problems are even more serious now. Many tours come into Stanley, but the tourists only have a short period of free time to shop. And it’s unfair that guides often tell tourists to bargain – if some shops rip off tourists, it doesn’t mean we all do.”

2A-6A, Stanley Main Street, 2813 1233, www.lotusvillage.com.hk.

feature Typhoon Mary swept away the market and killed lots of people... the water flowed through our house

Right of Pak Kan Uk is Tsang Gon-tak’s construction yard. “No one would steal from me,” he says.

Tsang Gon-tak, construction worker “I was born and raised here. I am now 64 years old. I am the youngest of four – my two brothers and sister are triplets, born in 1949. Sadly, one of my siblings passed away. My dad used to work at a hair salon, and my mum worked for the fishermen, helping to clear seaweed and oyster shells at low tide. When they switched to working in Repulse Bay, they would walk there – it took about an hour. I went to school at St Teresa’s, Stanley. At weekends, I collected firewood.

“One of the biggest changes to Stanley was Typhoon Mary in 1960 – it swept away

the market and killed lots of people. We used to live in wooden houses, and my dad had to open the door and let the water flow through to prevent our house being knocked down. We fled to a hotel that used to be here, which acted as a shelter for us. Afterwards, the government distributed rice for each family for one year.

“One of my most vivid memories was witnessing the sinking of the Queen Elizabeth liner after it caught fire in 1972 in Victoria Harbour. I watched the whole thing happen before my eyes.

“At age of 17, I started work at the petrol station on South Bay Road. My salary was $120

a month, but my boss deduct $40 for expenses.

Managers were quite ruthless back then. Luckily, I got quite a lot of tips from westerners – in good months, I earned $70-$80 in tips. I worked 8am8pm, six days a week. After a year, I changed to the oil extraction field, then worked as a dishwasher at the Repulse Bay Hotel. Thirty years ago, I started building wooden houses.

“My customers are mainly Stanley residents, I work as a contractor in their homes and shops. I have two friends helping out tonight. Stanley is a safe place to live with simple people – my workplace is basically open, but no one would steal from me.”

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 25

feature Then and now

This area was packed with dai pai dongs.

Single-deck bus

Stanley bus terminus.

Dai pai dongs

Before Murray House, Blake Pier and Stanley Plaza, Stanley was a fishing village with a large shanty town.

Old photographs provided by Cheng Kam-choi

Stanley’s French, now the Boat House.

Before and after the waterfront promenade reclamation. Note the colour of the Boat House.

Before the promenade reclamation, fishing boats were pulled up on the beach.

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feature

Cheng (left) runs Kwun Fung with his older brother.

Got an area you want us to cover? Tell us by voting in our Readers’ Choice Awards. Vote now at www.southside.hk.

Cheng Kam-choi, manager of toy and bag store Kwun Fung “I was born in Stanley and have lived here for about 50 years. I went to SKH Stanley Village Primary School. I used to run in the hills, go swimming at the Main Beach and the beach that disappeared with the reclamation for the waterfront promenade.

“In the past, we lived a village life in twostorey houses built in brick and wood. The ground floor was a shop with an entrance on Stanley Main Street, and the family lived behind the shop. The second floor was shared by up to 10 families.

“My family ran a rice business serving solely Stanley people and fishermen, who would stock up on rice for a few days at sea.

The rice came from Sai Ying Pun pier. I now manage a shop with my two elder brothers: one section sells toys and souvenirs, the other side sells handbags.

“Every Lunar New Year, we used to have five nights of Chinese opera, but slowly it became one night and last year we didn’t have any. I miss that. Stanley is a great place to live.”

72 Stanley Main Street, 2813 0349.

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eating

behind the scenes

Plane to plate Callum Wiggins finds out what it takes to bring top-quality produce to Hong Kong.

Clockwise from left: Mark Mowday and Bradley White; inside the prep room; the grocery section at the company’s Yuen Long depot.

In an unassuming warehouse in Yuen Long, South Stream Seafoods is bracing itself for the arrival of a big order. Since 1990, the company has been importing top-quality food from around the globe for distribution to restaurants, businesses and homes across Hong Kong.

The prepping stations, fridges and freezers – set at a bone-chilling minus 21 deg C – are relatively empty, but even as co-owner Bradley White shows me around, pallets of fresh and frozen meat, fruit, vegetables and household groceries are converging on Hong Kong.

Tomorrow, the building will be rammed and South Stream’s staff will be manically sorting all the produce to fulfil customers’ orders.

“It’s all hands to the pump when the stock reaches Hong Kong,” White says. “All the staff work together and take on multiple roles to get the orders sent out as quickly as we can.”

With more than 600 orders a week and suppliers located around the planet, this is a huge logistical operation. Advances in technology, such as going online, have helped streamline the process.

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We try to reduce our environmental impact The company has had its dark moments, including Sars and the financial crisis. In August 1995, a landslide destroyed their premises in Aberdeen and killed co-founder Paul Bouler.

“Losing Paul was devastating and it could have spelled the end for us,” White says.

Yet, 20 years on, White and his partner, Mark Mowday, are still going strong. White identifies one important reason why customers have remained so loyal: product quality.

“When we say we deliver Australian Black Angus beef, we promise this is exactly what you will receive,” he says. “Many people lack confidence in the quality of produce from local wet markets and suppliers. Food is such an important part of our daily lives and customers with children are especially mindful of seeking a

trusted and reliable food supplier. We have been delivering regularly to some of our customers for many, many years.”

The company also pays attention to environmental concerns.

“While we can’t get around the fact that our produce must travel many miles to reach Hong Kong, we do try to reduce our environmental impact in all other operations. We try to minimise the packaging as much as possible by not using unnecessary styrofoam and plastic wrapping. Any additional packaging we add to complete and order incurs an environmental surcharge. We then donate this money to Friends of the Earth,” White says.

“The only downside to this business is that going out to a restaurant for a meal is really disappointing. The meat we cook at home all week is far superior to even some of the most expensive restaurants. For the best meal in Hong Kong, come to ours for a barbecue!”

Order at www.south-stream-seafoods.com, 2555 6200.

promotion

Inside Pets Central North Point Meet the team saving Hong Kong’s four-legged friends.

Pets Central North Point opened in September 2006 offering veterinary hospital services to pets. The Pets Central group runs four hospitals and one mobile clinic, with hospitals also located in Mong Kok, Sai Kung and Tseung Kwan O. The North Point hospital is managed by Patrick Yuen and the senior veterinarian is Dr Pauline Taylor, who has been practicing in Hong Kong since 1995. A graduate of Edinburgh University, Dr Taylor started her professional career in a mixed practice in Scotland taking care of farm animals such as cattle, horses, sheep as well as domestic dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets. She moved to New Zealand for 10 years, setting up a practice in the central North Island and became a member of the Government Conservation Board. She also micro-chipped trout to track their spawning and migration patterns.

Dr Taylor came to Hong Kong as a locum vet on her way back to Scotland. She intended to stay a few months, but quickly became a “go-to vet” because she has a post-graduate degree known as a “Membership” in the veterinary community; at the time, she was the only vet at in Hong Kong with such a degree.

She was “last vet to the last governor of Hong Kong”, helping to save Governor Chris Patten’s dog, Whiskey, who was one of many poisoned on Bowen Road.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I first

The hospital relocated from the Provident Centre to its current address at 66 Java Road in August 2014 arrived in Hong Kong but instantly fell in love with the place and the people and decided to stay, much to the disappointment of my family and friends in Scotland. Hong Kong is home,” Dr Taylor said.

“We are a full-service hospital and I am very lucky to have such great partners as Dr David Coyle, who is a great internal medicine consultant and one of the most experienced ultrasonographers in Hong Kong. Dave is in the North Point hospital twice a month, and Dr Kurt Verkest, our oncologist-cancer consultant, is here every month. Both are based in our main hospital in Mong Kok.” Dr Taylor’s main interest nowadays is general practice, educating pet owners with commonsense advice about pet care, and she has a passion for behavioural medicine.

The hospital relocated from the Provident Centre to its current address at 66 Java Road in August 2014 following an “exorbitant” rent increase.

Practice Manager Patrick Yuen is supported by veterinary technician Ronald Lunar, a Filipino veterinarian, and a team of local staff including Kit Chung in management, Vincent Wong in retail, veterinary assistants Christy Pin, Apple Ko and Ray Kwok, and most recently dog trainer Helen Ho who runs puppy classes.

In addition to veterinary care, the Pets Central North Point Hospital offers a full line of pet retail products, home delivery service and grooming.

Appointments are recommended.

66 Java Road, North Point, 2811 8907.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 29

eating

Nibbles

News from the dining scene your front door. All its meat products are organic, produced without force-feeding or growth hormones, and include dry-aged beef, wagyu, lamb and ribs. Order online at www. farmerskitchen.com.hk or call 9301 7445.

Cafe Deco opens pizza place New in Sheung Wan, Café Deco Pizzeria is a contemporary-designed restaurant with an open kitchen and wooden tables. On the menu are pizzas, pastas, salads and handcrafted coffee. At weekends, it holds an antipasti buffet (adults $228, children $128, under-sixes free) with an optional main course of eggs Benedict, spaghetti carbonara,

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buffalo-mozzarella pizza, or grilled US sirloin steak with a sunny-side-up egg. Add free-flowing drinks for an additional $150. Shop 3-4, Tower 125, 11 Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan, 2559 4100, www.cafedecogroup.com.

V Day at Cirqle Feast on the food of love at Cirqle, the Mediterranean restaurant at Ovolo Southside.

For Valentine’s Day, executive chef Krzysztof Bandel has created a five-course menu for two, focused around aphrodisiac foods.

Dishes include French oysters with caviar, zesty marinated lobster, Jerusalem artichoke and cauliflower velouté, prime filet mignon, Boston lobster risotto and a sharing dessert plate including organic strawberries dipped in chocolate, crème brûlé and passion fruit mousse. 64 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, 3460 8100, www.cirqle.hk.

Meat from Oz Food-delivery company Farmer’s Kitchen brings prime beef and lamb from Australia to

Dinner in a bubble For Valentine’s Day, The Pulse is giving its 12 biggest spenders a free candlelit dinner

Cake in a box Duddells and G.O.D have teamed up on boxes of traditional New Year nian go ($270) and turnip cakes ($320). G.O.D founder Douglas Young has designed the limitededition boxes, and Duddell’s two-Michelinstarred chef Siu Hin-chi has made the cakes.

The cakes are available at Duddell’s (Level 3, Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell Street, Central, 2525 9191, duddells.co/home) with vouchers available at branches of G.O.D (www.god.com.hk).

under the stars on its rooftop. Before you start shivering, tables will be set inside their own inflatable transparent “love bubbles”. Shoppers who spend the most by Feb 10 will win dinner for two on February 13, 14 or 15. 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, 2835 6536, www.thepulse.com.hk/en.

Linguini Fini is back Linguini Fini has reopened in SoHo. Taking over the former Fat Angelo’s location on Elgin Street, its new incarnation sees a return of its authentic nose-to-tail Italian cuisine, using house-cured meats and sausages and produce grown by local farmers. 49 Elgin Street, Central, 2387 6338, www.linguinifini.com.

Fireworks feast For front-row streets at the Lunar New Year fireworks on Feb 20, dodge the crowds by making dinner reservations at Spasso, which has a huge terrace on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. The Fireworks Menu offers four courses ($638), including crab bisque, mallard duck ravioli, sea bream fillet or lamb rump in Arabica coffee marinade. 12-17 Empire Centre, 68 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, 2730 8027, www.divinogroup.com.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 31

family Rumple the Clown Children’s entertainer Matt Coombes gets into character. By Callum Wiggins.

Clockwise from left: Coombes clowning around at Clockenflap; saying the magic words; chilling with the Frozen gang.

I’m a clown and I’m proud to be a clown.

Rumple and Friends is a children’s partyentertainment company in Hong Kong. We are a great team of young performers. Between us we do three or four birthday parties a weekend, that’s more than 150 kids – they go absolutely nuts for us.

I was lucky to secure drama and acting jobs after my university studies. Now many graduates are finding it more difficult. I

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happened to see an ad from a theatre company in Hong Kong with the offer to work with children.

It was a step into the unknown. I sold my car, gave up my flat and packed my bags. My mum burst into tears when I told her I was going to Hong Kong for two years, but in the end she was very supportive.

I’m really proud of what I have achieved at the age of 26. My training at drama school has

I’m a clown and I’m proud to be a clown

the ringmaster

helped me to prepare for anything. I never really envisaged starting my own business and it has come as a surprise to be where I am now. It is kind of amazing.

The character of Rumple gets me through things. Once I have my clown outfit on, even if I’m really shattered and things are getting too much, I become a different person.

The world of Rumple and Friends is getting bigger, with more characters soon to be introduced. I am in the process of creating a live stage show, which I hope will debut later in the year; it’s going to be big.

Putting together new shows for kids is what I live for, I love it. There should be great kids’ theatre coming out of Hong Kong – we shouldn’t have to rely on international groups.

They aren’t doing things we can’t do ourselves in Hong Kong.

I haven’t had a weekend off in two years. As the business expands it will get to the stage

Putting together new shows for kids is what I live for, I love it

where I have to give up doing a lot of the clown performances myself, but I will never stop completely.

I was born with a condition in my right hand that means I don’t have fully formed fingers. Previously working with a disabled-led company, I realised we have to make it okay for people to ask questions about disabilities. Kids have no hesitation about asking questions to do with my hand. There is always one loud kid who will shout out the question that everybody in the room had been wanting to ask, but I’m fine with that and happy to answer their questions. Plus I love to surprise them when I juggle.

Rumple doing what he does best.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 33

education Mandarin is fun at Miles International Academy.

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extra lessons

Tutor time Where to find a tutor on Southside.

International Tuition Services ITS offers educational support for children of all ages. It places importance on finding the right school for each individual child and offers continuity of service from admissions to IB tutorial support to university entrance help. It offers tuition in a wide range of languages (including Mandarin, Cantonese, English, French, Latin, Spanish and German) as well as tailor-made private tuition programmes and exam preparation services for SAT, A-Levels, ACT, SSAT and more. It has centres in Central and Mong Kok. For details, visit www.tuition.com.hk.

A special fun club combines Mandarin language learning with play-based activities Kumon First established in Hong Kong in 1988, Kumon is an educational support system originally developed in Japan. It is based on completing daily worksheets, which develop the basic building blocks for core subjects, such as learning number bonds for maths.

Students are not split into groups by grade or age, but work at their own pace through the worksheets provided in maths, English and Chinese. Available across Hong Kong. For details of your nearest centre, call 2890 6533 or visit www.kumon.com.cn/KHK.

Miles International Academy This southside preschool runs after-school Mandarin classes at all levels for children aged six and under. Classes are held every Friday, 4pm-5pm. B102 The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay. For details call 3586 3071 or visit www.milesinternational.com.hk.

Mentorhood Learning Center Boasting a high teacher-student ratio, this learning centre provides academic tutoring in the IB, British and American curricula, as well as test preparations for the IB diploma, MYP, I/GCSE, A-Levels, SAT, AP, SSAT, TOEFL and IELTS. It also offers consultations for university preparation. Its International Math Program offers personalised tuition for children in years 7 to 13, and aims to build a comprehensive foundation in maths ahead of international examinations. It has centres on Ap Lei Chau and in Wong Chuk Hang. Details at 5160 1828, www. mentorhood.com.hk.

PGEM For one-on-one support outside the classroom, PGEM’s professional tutors offer online help in a wide range of subjects as well as external examination courses including IB, A-Levels and SAT. Learners can book slots with tutors through the PGEM website for a one-on-one session using interactive video calling, live chat and whiteboard facilities. Ask questions, receive feedback and develop a deeper understanding of academic subjects from the comfort of home. Suite 3203 Central Plaza, 18 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, 2877 9336, www.paradigm-gem.com.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 35

education Above, Southside Mandarin; top, Sylvan Learning Center.

Southside Mandarin As well as straightforward Mandarin language lessons, this centre offers art, music and drama classes taught in Mandarin. A special fun club combines language learning with play-based activities. Classes cater for children aged 12 and under. One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, 3427 9619, www.southsidemandarin.com.

Sylvan Learning Center Maths and English reading, writing and homework help, plus exam-preparation classes for the SAT and ACT. Assessments of new students identify each child’s strengths and weaknesses and tailor-made programmes are created to ensure the best improvement.

The teacher-studio ratio is limited to 1:3 with classes for students aged four to 18. 2/F, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Aberdeen; G209 The Repulse Bay, 109 Repulse Bay Road, 2873 0662, www.sylvanlearning.com.

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New French Club in Term 2 Learn French the FUN and FRIENDLY way!

Held at the Woodland Montessori Academy.

Key features: • Carefully structured and progressive language programme • Primary emphasis on FUN! Children learn through: fast-paced games, interactive activities, stories, rhymes, music and movement, role play etc.

• Introduction to France and French culture • Small classes Venez apprendre le français tout en s’amusant.

Nous offrons un environnement idéal pour découvrir cette merveilleuse langue à travers l’art, la peinture, la cuisine, les jeux et les histoires.

Le French Club permet aux enfants de s’enrichir d’une nouvelle culture et de se familiariser avec les chansons françaises traditionnelles.

a

5

B WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 37

sponsored column

Beyond the website Dig a bit deeper when choosing a private international school, says ITS Educational Services.

There are several ways to find information about a school before enrolling your child.

Talking to parents who have children attending the school is important, but your child is the person that matters most, so make sure you know everything there is to know to choose a school that is right for your child. Here are a few ways to explore what is really going on in a school: 1. While impressive websites offer some understanding of a school’s unique selling points, it’s important to look beyond glitzy marketing materials and facilities to the teaching staff and core values. Ask about pastoral care and discipline – a school’s bullying policy often gives an insight into how it views its responsibility to students.

2. Attend functions when you are invited, such as open houses, tours, observation days, holiday parties and school functions.

Use the opportunity to talk to other parents

38 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

and hear their true opinions about the school.

Ask the principal or head of school questions – don’t get too specific about your child, but ask general questions about any plans for special projects for the school and significant changes to personnel, teachers or teaching methods.

3. Go to the school when you are not invited such as during drop-off and pick-up times. Does the head of school greet children by name? Are teachers friendly and caring towards the children? Is there good order when the children enter and leave the school?

If you are a diverse family, does the school community have enough diversity? If you are a dual working-parent family, do you see nannies/ helpers or parents waiting for children? Attend as many PTA meetings as possible to learn how decisions are made and if parents’ opinions are taken into consideration.

4. Phone the school and talk with admissions staff about the admissions criteria

and application process. Is their tone friendly and are they able to answer your questions and represent the school in a positive way?

5. Analysing the last three years’ exam results will give you valuable academic information and reviewing the universities attended by recent graduates is also important.

Armed with this information, you’ll be on your way to finding a school where your child will be well educated, happy and comfortable.

ITS School Placements provides an education consulting service that works with families and employers to find the right schools for individual children in Hong Kong, from nursery to secondary schools. ITS also offers research, policy and advisory services for corporations. For more details, contact es@itseducation.asia, 3188 3940 or www.itseducation.asia.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 39

outdoors

freewheelin’

Find your two-wheeled mojo at Cyberport.

On yer bike Cycle tracks for kids on Hong Kong Island. By Cherrie Yu.

Cyberport Learner cyclists can take off their trainer wheels on the Cyberport waterfront, where there’s plenty of flat space for wobbly beginners (and their parents) to find their two-wheeled mojo.

The only obstacles are occasional fishermen and free running dogs. More experienced cyclists may prefer the easy breezy path in Cyberport park, overlooking Telegraph and Waterfall bays. Waterfront Park Cyberport, Pok Fu Lam. Chai Wan There are two cycling tracks in the area. The track at Siu Sai Wan Road Garden is wider and better suited to small children, plus it’s close to Island Resort with its dining options and waterfront promenade. The cycling park at Yee Shing Lane Sitting Out Area has short routes

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There's plenty of flat space for wobbly beginners with a incline for gentle freewheeling. There’s also a bicycle rental shop at Walton Estate, tucked into an alley to the right of Park n Shop (2pm-8pm daily, $20/hour, 9733 6647). Nearby Chai Wan Park (no cycling) has a waterfall, children’s playground, snack shop and lots of turtles. Siu Sai Wan Road Garden, Siu Sai Wan, Chai Wan; Yee Shing Lane, Chai Wan.

Quarry Bay In Quarry Bay Park Phase 2 (not Phase one, which is some distance away) is a designated 640m cycling track. Although flat, the track is narrow and windy, which makes it a bit challenging for novice riders. As well as the cycle path, the park has a running track and exercise equipment. Hoi Chak Street, Quarry Bay. Stanley Plaza Family-friendly Stanley Plaza is a popular destination for kids on wheels, who ride bikes, scooters and skateboards in the area near the kids playground and towards the temple. It’s a car-free spot, with cafes and picnic tables

Best outdoor activity for kids? Tell us by voting in our Readers’ Choice Awards.

Vote now at www.southside.hk.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 41

outdoors

Learning to cycle at Cyberport; the wide lane at Chai Wan; Quarry Bay cycle track and running track; follow the signs.

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outdoors for parents and plenty of space for learners.

There’s also a bike rack next to the plaza.

Repulse Bay Promenade The waterfront promenade running from Repulse Bay Beach to Deep Water Bay beach is a picturesque walkway that attracts plenty of families and kids on bikes. It’s a flat, twokilometre paved track.

Velodrome Serious cyclists will enjoy Hong Kong’s new indoor velodrome, a world-class cycling facility in Tseung Kwan O (currently under renovation).

Olympic bronze medallist Sarah Lee Wai-Sze regularly trains and competes on the sloping track. Access is restricted but would-be competitors can apply to the LCSD for a track pass. The public can watch the professionals from the spectator stands and there's a playroom, activities room, table tennis and other facilities downstairs. Outside there are kilometres of dedicated cycle track around the 5.3ha park and along the waterfront of Tseung Kwan O, Po Lam and Lohas Park. There's also a skate park, amphitheatre and climbing wall.

105-107 Po Hong Road, Tseung Kwan O, 2878 8621.

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 43

big day out

loved up

The new Aecosphere bubble tents at Mingle Farm.

Get a room Stay in a bubble, a warehouse conversion or grande dame hotel. Cherrie Yu finds fun options for a romantic interlude.

Love bubble Enjoy a little us-time in your own love bubble.

Mingle Farm in Tin Shiu Wai brings glamping to Hong Kong, with funky inflatable Aecospheres that arrived in November. Complete with air conditioning and blow-up mattresses, the spheres offer varying levels of privacy: one is totally transparent, four others have opaque walls and a “skylight” so you can sleep under the stars but safely out of view of your fellow campers. One bubble is a dining tent, with space for up to eight people to eat in comfort.

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There’s also a double bubble with a mini living area. As well as the Aecospheres ($1,200 a night during the week, $2,000 on weekends), accommodation on the farm includes conventional caravans and an inflatable house that looks like a bouncy castle with beds.

On-site activities include zorbing, archery, DIY workshops and fishing, or visit nearby attractions such as the Ping Shan Heritage Trail with its ancient pagoda and ancestral halls, Hong Kong Wetlands Park, the oyster beds of Lau Fau Shan or the walled village

of Kam Tin. Tin Tze Road, 30 Fung Ka Wei, Tin Shui Wai, 2891 8263 or 9785 8263, www.minglefarm.com.

Urban oasis Take a break with a cool, contemporary edge at Ovolo Southside, Hong Kong’s first “warehouse conversion hotel”. Bareboards, whitewashed brickwork, polished concrete ceilings and exposed pipes give the rooms a hip, urban vibe, while floor-to-ceiling windows offer views across Aberdeen, Shouson Hill

WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK | 45

big day out and Deepwater Bay. All rooms come with superspeed wi-fi, daily breakfast and freeflowing drinks from 6pm to 8pm. Sip a cocktail at Above, a rooftop bar with more great views and an easy breezy ambience, or go for dinner at Cirqle bistro, with its Mediterranean meets East Asia fusion cuisine. There’s an art gallery downstairs and some of the southside’s main attractions are on the doorstep, including Ocean Park and the galleries and shopping of Wong Chuk Hang and Ap Lei Chau. Rooms

from $1,488. Packages with Ocean Park tickets also available. 64 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, 2165 1000, www.ovolohotels.com.

Five-star fantasy For good old-fashioned romance it’s hard to beat The Peninsula, Hong Kong’s graceful grande dame hotel. The rooms have been renovated in a clean, contemporary style, with cream walls, polished wood and Asian touches such as a peach blossom wall motif. It’s the

Great brands at

ToddlePak - Toddler Reins

Mini Micro Scooter pink or blue

Bag $189

various styles

Lascal Assure Safety Gate

Mamas & Papas Haxby Cot Bed

Oak (mattress sold separately)

$899 I-Angel Four Season Hip Seat & Carrier

$1,100

from Josh Black or Fleur Pink

$225

$790 various colours

Tomy Digital Baby Monitor TF 525

B Kids Toys (3mths+)

$3,500

$650

Baby Dan Dan Chair

Kiddylicious Snack Range

$899 natural

from

$6.50

from

$49.90 Maclaren Mark II 6mths -15kg

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Carmine Rose or Midnight Navy

Pedder Building Store 5/F Pedder Building,12 Pedder Street, Central T: 2522 7112 Horizon Plaza Store 21/F Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau T: 2552 5000 Stanley Plaza Store 2/F Stanley Plaza, 23 Carmel Road, Stanley T: 2555 6318

www.bumpstobabes.com 46 | WWW.SOUTHSIDE.HK

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big day out Wrap up in bathrobes and pad down to the Romanstyle indoor pool

little things that set the Peninsula apart, such as the green Rolls-Royce pick-up, 300-count Egyptian cotton bedlinen, sitting areas in each room, and discreetly concealed universal adaptors and chargers. Pamper yourselves with a couple’s treatment at the awardwinning Peninsula Spa, or just wrap up in the complimentary bathrobes and pad down to the Roman-style indoor pool – a wonderful retreat in chilly February, with lunch and breakfast available poolside. Go for afternoon tea in the gold-trimmed lobby, share a fondue in alpine surroundings at Chesa or splurge on a meal at Gaddi’s, Felix or Spring Moon. You can’t go wrong. The 441 sqft deluxe rooms start at $3,880 on Valentine’s Day. Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2696 6682, hongkong.peninsula.com.

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living & home

kung hei fat choi

Get ready for Lunar New Year Callum Wiggins explores the traditions of the festival.

Like major festivals the world over, Lunar New Year has its own set of traditions – things to do, eat, wear and adorn the home during the celebration. Take the colour red, for example.

According to Chinese folklore, its use originates from the tale of the nian, a mythical beast that terrorised villages on the first day of the New Year by eating livestock, crops and even children.

The story goes that an old man passing through a village promised loud noises and bright red displays would frighten the beast away. And ever since, Chinese people have adorned themselves and their homes in the colour red during New Year, hanging red lanterns and decorations and setting off firecrackers or, more recently, attending large firework displays.

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There are many other traditions associated with the festival. Here are a few of the most significant.

Clean up Homes are thoroughly cleaned in the run up to Lunar New Year, with dust swept into the middle of the room and then out the door to symbolise sweeping bad luck away. Going one step further, some homeowners paint door frames and windows in order to welcome good luck in. However, it is considered bad luck to clean during New Year week, as you may sweep away the good fortune – so get your home in order by February 18.

Decorations Hong Kong takes on a rosy glow ahead of

Lunar New Year, plastered with red lanterns, candles and calligraphy banners bearing wishes for a healthy, prosperous and happy new year.

You can’t have too much of a good thing, but make sure that any decorations inside and outside the house are in auspicious red and gold. Put up your decorations on or before February 18.

Oranges, tangerines and kumquats Oranges symbolise abundant happiness, while tangerines with the leaves attached have the additional meaning of a secure relationship between giver and receiver, making them popular gifts at Lunar New Year. Many homes are adorned with potted kumquat trees, studded with tiny orange fruit that symbolise prosperity and good fortune. The fruit’s Chinese

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living & home Flowers that bloom on the first day of New Year are said to bring extra luck name, kam gat shu, sounds like the words for luck and gold. Attach red lai see packets containing a banknote for a really authentic touch. Bear in mind that the trees are grown more for aesthetic appeal than for greattasting fruit.

Fresh flowers Colourful fresh flowers symbolise the rejuvenation that comes with the arrival of spring. Flowers that bloom on the first day of New Year are said to bring extra luck. Not only are they beautiful but the language of flowers means certain blooms have special meanings.

Plum blossom (symbolising perseverance and reliability), peach blossom (prosperity, long life and romance), fragrant narcissus or Chinese sacred lilies (prosperity) and peonies (riches and honour) are particularly popular along with yellow chrysanthemums and spring flowers such as pussy willow and azaleas.

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living & home

Calligraphy 101 Look out for these auspicious characters and phrases. 福 Luck, prosperity 樂 Happiness 壽 Longevity 新年快樂 Happy New Year 恭喜發財 Prosperous New Year

As well as the permanent flower market in Prince Edward, pop-up flower markets spring up across the territory, with the largest in Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year.

Jostle with the crowds after dinner on February 18, the last day of the market, to pick up a bargain as prices are slashed.

Get a haircut While most hairdressers are likely to be shut over Lunar New Year, getting your hair cut during the festival is said to bring bad luck: by cutting your hair, you are cutting off good luck.

Appointment books fill up fast ahead of Lunar New Year so book early.

Buy a new outfit A new outfit signifying new beginnings – preferably in lucky red – is an integral part of Lunar New Year. Don’t be startled to see some people dressed in red from head to toe, but if a scarlet onesie is not your thing a subtle red tie or scarf should be sufficient to frighten off the nian.

travel

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the sister ’hood

Treat yourself to some R&R at the Banyan Tree Macau. Opposite: take a flying leap off the Macau Tower with the world’s highest bungy jump.

Macau weekend

Hannah Grogan discovers why Macau is one of Lonely Planet’s top spots for 2015.

When to go There’s no time like the present. Lonely Planet rated our sister Special Administrative Region among the top destinations of 2015. As with Hong Kong, Macau is more bearable during the cool, dry winter. Avoid public holidays when Macau is packed.

highest bungy jump or opt for the marginally less terrifying Skyjump, the Skywalk around the outside of the tower or the Tower Climb up the spindly 100m mast atop the tower. The bungy jump full package is 3,788 MOP, including the jump, T-shirt, certificate, photos and video.

Things to do It may be small, but there’s no shortage of things to do in the Las Vegas of Asia. Movie premieres, theatre performances, boxing matches, motorcycle shows – there’s always something happening in Macau. A sure-fire crowd-pleaser is the $2 billion House of Dancing Water – a high-energy combination of theatre, dance, diving and gymnastics – at the City of Dreams on the Cotai strip.

Reserve a seat in the first few rows and prepare to get wet.

Get the adrenaline pumping at AJ Hackett Macau Tower. Take the plunge with the world’s

The old village of Coloane retains its colonial charm Get cultural and visit the ruins of St Paul’s Church, the restored Mandarin’s House (10 Travessa Antonio da Silva, +853 2896 8820) and the lovely old mansions beneath the banyan trees on the Taipa waterfront. While the Taipa mansions now look out over the glitzy casinos of the Cotai strip, the old village of Coloane retains its colonial charm, with its tiled

square and little restaurants tucked under the colonades leading to the pretty church.

What to eat Eating is at the top of almost everyone’s must-do lists for Macau. Among the SAR’s most famous restaurants is Fernando’s, tucked behind a vine-covered terrace off the blacksand Hac Sa beach on Coloane. It’s a popular spot with a no-reservations policy, so go with time to spare and expect to wait for about an hour – order a bottle of vinho verde or a jug of sangria and a plate of chorizo at the alfresco bar, or challenge a friend to a game on the (increasingly rickety) foosball table. Everyone has their Fernando’s favourite: African chicken, roast suckling pig, barbecue spare ribs or prawns in clam sauce – it’s all good. Cash only.

(9 Praia de Hac Sa, Macau, 2888 2531.)

For Macanese cuisine – a fusion of Chinese and Portuguese – you can’t beat Restaurante Litoral (261 Rua do Almirante Sergio, +853 2896

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travel

From left: the bright lights of the Venetian Macau and the Cotai casino strip; outdoor entertainment and indoor feasts at Fernando’s; St Paul’s Church.

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travel

Eating is at the top of almost everyone’s must-do lists for Macau 7878). With its grand exterior and old-school decor of blue and white tiles, it’s another popular spot. Go for the grilled cod, baked duck rice and curry crab.

And don’t miss Macau’s most famous snack: a box of Portuguese egg tarts from Lord Stow’s Bakery (Coloane Town Square, +853 2888 2534). They’re worth every calorie.

Where to stay Since the development of Cotai, there’s no shortage of hotel rooms in Macau. Stay in the lap of luxury at the Banyan Tree Macau, where all rooms come with their own indoor pool – or splash out on one of the hotel’s villas, which also have private outdoor pools and gardens. Indulge in a couple’s massage at the Banyan Tree Spa or watch the sunset from your own private (air-conditioned) pool cabana, where you can even order up a barbecue package or cocktails. (Avenida Marginal Flor de

Lotus, Cotai, Macau, www.banyantree.com.)

City of Dreams has three hotels – Crown Towers, Grand Hyatt and Hard Rock Hotel – with reasonably priced packages for accommodation and entertainment (details at www.cityofdreamsmacau.com).

For something a little different, the historic Pousada de Sao Tiago is one of Macau’s most romantic destinations. Built into an old fortress, complete with cannons and a small stream running through the entrance, it has just 12 suites overlooking the inner harbour, a small free-form pool and a lovely terrace on the old ramparts that encourages guests to linger.

(Avenida da República, Fortaleza de São Tiago da Barra, + 853 2837 8111.)

How to get there For those staying on Cotai, the Cotai Ferry is a convenient option, with tickets starting at $177 at weekends. Or travel like a high-roller in the Cotai VIP Cabin, a private cabin with seats for up to eight people and complimentary food and drinks (from $1,807). For those who prefer to fly, Sky Shuttle operates a helicopter service departing every 30 minutes for the 15-minute trip (from $4,100 a person, www.skyshuttlehk.com).

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health & beauty Get the snip It’s traditional to get a haircut before Lunar New Year. Try these Southside stylists.

Capelli Hair Salon Part of the Sense of Touch group, Capelli is an award-winning Hong Kong salon that offers a wide array of services including KeraStraight treatments, expert cutting, highlights and colour corrections. For dry or damaged hair, try its hair-spa treatments to nourish your mane back to a shiny, healthy glow. G211, 1/F, The Repulse Bay Arcade, 109 Repulse Bay Road, 2592 9668, www.capelli.hk.

Studio S Located in Stanley Market, Studio S provides haircutting services for men, women and children at reasonable rates. Colouring treatments such as highlights, base colour and tinting, INOA (ammonia-free permanent colour), protein treatment and Brazilian blowout are also available. UG/F, 50 Stanley Main Street, Stanley, 2851 6993.

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Capelli Hair Salon in Repulse Bay.

chop chop

Hair Room If you want to practice Cantonese or Putonghua, this is the perfect place to do it. It covers your basic hair needs, such as haircuts, straightening and oil treatments at reasonable prices. INOA colour care services are also available. 3/F, Yue Fai Commercial Centre, 22-28 Aberdeen Main Road, Aberdeen, 2552 9133.

Paul Gerrard For hair the way you want it (rather than hair the way the stylist likes it), try Paul Gerrard, whose international team listens carefully during the consultation and gives you the style and colour you ask for. Services include Japanese straightening, Brazilian blowout, conditioning treatments, colouring, hair extensions and more. Men’s haircuts are also available.

Beauty services including CACI ULTRA nonsurgical lifting facial, make-up, mani-pedis and facials. 1/F and 2/F, Wah Hing House, 25 Pottinger Street, Central, 2869 4408, www.paulgerrard.com.

Inside the Paul Gerrard salon in Central.

Best beauty treatment on Southside? Tell us by voting in our Readers’ Choice Awards. Vote now at www.southside.hk.

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pets Friends with benefits

How dogs can make you a new best friend. By Sally Andersen.

A newspaper story was published recently about therapy dogs being used to help painfully shy young Hongkongers to overcome their social fears. But you don’t need to be young or shy to benefit from having a dog.

They are the best ice-breakers in any situation; people talk to each other more easily if there is an animal involved. Strangers happily stop to engage in conversation and long-term friendships are made over a mutual love of dogs.

Here are a few of the comments posted on my Facebook page after I wrote about the story: • •

•

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“Without my dogs I would not have all the friends I have now.”

“They get you out and about, I don’t see much point of going for a walk without a dog.”

“Shortly after we got our boy, we knew everyone around the neighbourhood.”

Many friendships have developed well beyond walking dogs together • •

“Dogs make fantastic personality checkers.”

“I directly attribute fostering a dog to helping me overcome post-surgical depression and speeding up the recovery process.”

In any country with an expatriate community, people are constantly arriving and leaving, but being a dog owner makes it easy to meet new friends. Just head off to any of the places that are popular for exercising dogs and, before you know it, you’ll be chatting to others who want to know the new dog on the block.

pooch pals

hong kong creatures Mangrove crab aka Neosarmatium smithi

If you don’t have a dog, volunteering as a dog walker will bring you into contact with other like-minded people. At both our Tai Po and Ap Lei Chau Homing Centres many friendships, romantic and platonic, have developed well beyond walking dogs together. There have been at least two marriages as a result of people meeting through their love of dogs and HKDR, although we don’t actively promote ourselves as matchmakers.

It’s absolutely true that a dog is man’s best friend, but it’s also true that a dog can help any lonely person to find good friends.

Sally Andersen is the founder of Hong Kong Dog Rescue, a charity that rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes unwanted or abandoned dogs.

Where to find them in Hong Kong: mangroves.

With bright orange pincers and a broad black shell, the mangrove crab is one of many crustaceans in Hong Kong’s wetlands. It’s a medium-sized crab with a shell of about 4cm, two pincers and four pairs of legs. The major pincer is used to fight, feed and attract a mate, and is larger in males. Mangrove crabs can also climb trees to escape predators.

Relatively uncommon in Hong Kong, it lives in the high inter-tidal zone, where mangroves meet terrestrial vegetation. It is of great ecological significance, with young fish feeding on the crab larvae. The crab’s burrows often feature small structures or turrets protruding above ground level and may be up to a metre deep, helping to aerate the mangrove sediment and reduce sulphide

and ammonium levels. It’s also important in removing leaf litter, which it buries or consumes at night. The crabs may also eat other small crustacea and sediment.

In recent years the population has been falling, owing to hypersalinity and the destruction of its habitat through reclamation and development. Attempts by the Hong Kong Government to conserve the mangrove ecosystem are good news for this colourful little creature.

Steffi Yuen

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marketplace

To advertise, email ads@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772.

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To advertise, email ads@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772

marketplace

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marketplace

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To advertise, email ads@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772

marketplace

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marketplace

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distribution

where to find us

Southside Magazine continues to extend its reach in our community, here is the latest in distribution news.

Pok Fu Lam

- Kellett School - Kennedy School - Mount Davis - Safari Kid - The Merton - Sunshine House Chi Fu - Sunshine House Pokfulam - Woodland Pokfulam Pre-School

Cyberport

- Baguio Villas - Bel-Air Clubhouse - Cyberport Arcade - Delaney’s - Indigo Kids - Indigo Living - International (Park N Shop) - Le Meridien Hotel Cyberport - Scenic Villas - Starbucks - Strive Fitness - Thaima-V

Larvotto

Due to popular demand, we’ve increased distribution to Larvotto by 30%. This marine-themed luxury residential complex offers unmatched waterfront views and is only 5 minutes from upscale shopping at Horizon Plaza.

Southside Magazine can be found at the Larvotto clubhouse and on the coffee tables of many of its residents.

Ap Lei Chau

- Bumps to Babes - Chapin House - Everything Under The Sun - Indigo - Indigo Kids - Indigo Outlet - Larvotto - Little Picasso Studio - Mothercare - Okooko - Pacific Gourmet - Tequila Kola - Rimba Rhyme - Shambala Cafe - Toof Contemporary - TREE

Aberdeen

- Aberdeen Marina Club - Brain Child - Colour My World - Elite PT Studio - Flex Studio - GCX - Golden Goose Gourmet - MUM - One Island South - Ovolo Southside - Park N Shop - Sift Patisserie - South Island School - The Mirth - Woodland Harbourside Pre-School

The Peak

- Cafe Deco The Peak - Delifrance - Glenealy School - Haagen-Dazs - International (Park N Shop) - Pho Yummee - Starbucks - Sunshine House The Peak - The Peak Lookout Café - Woodland Pre-School The Peak

Manhattan Tower

This exclusive residential building, tucked away in a lush country park setting, houses some of the most stunning apartments on the Southside.

All 40 units are 2,400 square feet with fully fitted kitchens and bathrooms, teak floors and best of all, large balconies to soak up the breathtaking views of Deep Water Bay and the South China Sea. Southside Magazine is now conveniently placed in the Manhattan Tower reception.

Stanley

- Biva Deep Water Bay - The Boathouse - O Thai Restaurant and Beach Bar - Cafe Groucho’s - Hong Kong Country Club - Chez Patrick - Park N Shop - Cheers Real Estate Limited - Victoria Recreation Club - The Chocolate Room - Classified - Core Fitness - Lucy’s on the Front - Mayarya - Mijas - Pacific Pets - Pickled Pelican Pok Fu Lam - Paisono’s Pizzeria Chi Fu The Peak Parkview - Pizza Club Tai Tam - Pizza Express Cyberport Shouson Hill - Print House Big Wave Bay Aberdeen - Ricacorp Properties Bel-Air Deep Water Bay - Saigon in Stanley - Smuggler’s Inn - Spiaggia Repulse Bay Red Hill Ap Lei Chau Wong Chuk Hang - Stan Cafe - Stanley Cave The Manhattan - Stanley Main Street Bar & Cafe Shek O Chung Hom Kok - Stanley Veterinary Centre - Starbucks One Island - Taste Supermarket - Vern’s Beach Bar Stanley South Located in the elegant surrounding of Wong Chuk Hang, this highly prestigious office building with spacious design offers a fresh new world of unlimited potential for work, life and innovation. One Island South is ideally located with inspiring sea views of Deep Water Bay and lush greenery of Shouson Hill. Employees at One Island South can now find Southside Magazine located in the lobby.

Sheung Wan & Central

- Epic MMA - Escapade Sports - ITS Educational Services - Seasons Fitness - Sense of Touch - Starlit Art Space - Wynd Co-Working Space

Tai Tam / Shek O

Repulse Bay

- Anastassia’s Art House - Bayley & Jackson Dental Surgeons - Dymocks - HS Modern Art - Indigo - Manhattan Tower - Miles International School - Sense of Touch - Spices - The Club - The Lily - The Pulse - The Somerset - The Verandah - Woodland Beachside Pre-School - The Woodland Montessori Pre-School

- American Club - Black Sheep - Ben’s Back Beach Bar - Cococabana - Craigengower Cricket Club - Eton House International Pre-School - Fusion (Park'N Shop) - Happy Garden Restaurant - Hong Kong Cricket Club - Hong Kong International School - Hong Kong Parkview - Lulu Shop - The Manhattan - Ming’s Cafe - Pacific View Residential Clubhouse - PIPS Kindergarten - Redhill Clubhouse - Shining Stone Restaurant - Soma Spa - Sunshine House Tai Tam - Wellcome, Red Hill Plaza - Woodland Tai Tam Montessori Pre-School

To advertise, email ads@fastmedia.com.hk or call 2776 2772

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southside secrets

porridge in stanley

Explore Stanley’s darker side.

Prison trip Callum Wiggins revisits the grisly history of Stanley Prison at the Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum.

Triad members, white-collar fraudsters and toplevel politicians have all done time in Stanley Prison, which is still a functioning gaol with more than 1,000 inmates.

Established in 1937, the prison has an intriguing and somewhat gruesome history.

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the prison and St Stephen’s College were used as a prisoner-of-war camp (1942 to 1945), housing 2,800 mostly British men, women and children in appalling conditions. Food was scarce and there were few medical facilities, although there were many doctors and nurses among the internees, which probably prevented any epidemics.

“The prison grounds, the cemetery and St Stephen’s College were the site of the civilian internment camps, whereas the prison itself

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Instruments used for punishment send shivers down the spine was used by the Japanese to intern those they wanted to interrogate,” says historian Tony Banham, who has written several books about wartime Hong Kong, While it’s not possible to visit the prison itself – guards at the gate turn away curious tourists – the Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum located next door offers a fascinating insight into its history.

There are displays that demonstrate the conditions experienced by former inmates and

plenty of grisly details about Hong Kong’s penal system. The museum has 10 galleries displaying about 600 artefacts on two floors, including rudimentary weapons made by inmates and smuggled contraband. There are replicas of a gallows and two cells from colonial-era Hong Kong. Instruments used for flogging and other forms of corporal punishment send shivers down the spine.

Gallery Six is particularly interesting. It details the plight of the Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong. Through photographs, video and witness testaments, it traces the history of the refugee crisis, the internment camps, riots and forced repatriations.

Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum, 45 Tung Tau Wan Road, Stanley, 2147 3199.