pic of shatin roadhouse

Mon, 09/22/2014 - 23:35
Date picture taken
1950s

Comments

Thanks Fred. As you say, the area has changed so much it's difficult to match it up. There are still some low-rise buildings along the north side of the railway track. I wonder if any of the buildings in this photo are still there?

If you zoom in to about 50% and look at the left of the photo, there's a bus about to cross a bridge. Looking up from the bus there's a line of houses along the base of the hill - mostly single storey with a couple of pitched-roof two storey houses. They run at an angle to the railway, unlike the houses on the right of the photo which run parallel to it.

I wonder if the angled houses are the ones that are parallel to Sha Tin Rural Committee Road, at the bottom of the ramp leading down from today's Sha Tin Station. They're marked "Pai Tau" on the Geoinfo map. The map also shows a good-sized stream / small river flowing down the valley there, which would explain the bridge in the old photo.

Does that sound right?

Regards, David

Not sure if the angled houses are part of SiLumJi Temple or Pai Tau Village.

 To my knowlegde, all those area on the other side of the railway(on top half of this photo) are land belonged to the native residents and they are remained untouched until today. I do know there is full of houses today as compared to the landscape 60 years ago.

About 200 feet past the end of this photo, (where the little bridge is on the left of this photo), it should be SaiLumJi Temple,  for another 200 yards past SaiLum Ji Temple, there should be The Shatin Train Station .

On the other side of the train station, there is Pai Tau Village and  the Village Affair Office is just a few minutes away from the train station.

Shatin Roadhouse in the photo is the landmark of Shatin in those day.

Boundary of Sheung Wo Chai Village started from the SaiLum Ji Temple all the way to Lung Wah Hotel where Ha Wo Chai Village emerge.

The Shatin Roadhouse is located somewhat at the mid point between the train station and Lung Wah Hotel. 

For now, I will do a bit more research myself before I can tell you more.

Regards

Fred 

 

Hi Fred and David

I believe David's guess of Pai Tau village is correct, the small row of houses still follows the same angle today although I suspect the only houses standing now that would have been around in 1950's are the ancestral hall. I pass here every weekday so perhaps I can pop off and grab a quick photo on Monday.

There are a couple of older houses in Wo Che village, such as this one:

http://www.thaiworldview.com/hongkong/newterritories/jpg/img367.jpg

But I'm not sure if this house is still old enough to have been on the picture provided by Fred.This is not far from the southern end (i.e. Sai Lam Temple) of the village and I am wondering if it is the second block in along the railtrack? It looks similar to the end house and the location may be sort of correct (though this angle makes it difficult to judge).

Actually, I don't know how many older houses still stand. Not that many.

But anyway, many thanks to Fred for sharing, after seeing this I am quite happy that we were pretty close with the marker.

Phil

Hi Phil

Thanks for the info.I will post another photo of The Shatin Roadhouse once I have it scanned.

This photo was posted on the 1960 Tourism Guide " Hong Kong To-day".This photo  is rather small in size and I will see if the scan need to be done on hi-res scan.

Fred 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

I was there today and took a quick panoramic shot. Unfortunately the right hand side (western) end of the row is kind of hidden behind business adverts and the like. The only building which I believe is 50's vintage is the one you can see centre-right below.

Pai Tau Village, Shatin

So I suspect that one is in Fred's snap, but I doubt if the other buildings are that old.

Interestingly, Sai Lam monastery - once a local landmark and destination for local daytrippers - has been resurrected as a private columbarium. I tried to go there once to take photos but was immediately challenged and told (although very politely) to get lost. I'd love to find an older picture of that place, it was supposed to have nice landscaped gardens.

Sorry,everybody.I haven't look the photo very carefully! I find a bus will go to a small bridge. Well! I find two railways and then change to one railway in the top of a small bridge. The top of two railways is PAI TAU VILLAGE. Well! The location is northern side SHATIN STATION. Well! The true location of shatin roadhouse is WO CHE STREET / FUNG WO ESTATE.

(Please zoom in the bus region very high ratio)