New Territories-Amah Rock

Mon, 09/22/2014 - 23:44

HKG 1960s Mike's photos

Date picture taken
1965

Comments

By looking at the Lion Rock and the outline of the Kowloon mountains from Shatin, still the Lion's head should be facing the west with very steep roll-off and this picture did the opposite.

OK let's not be bothered about the flip.... the view is quite nice.

By the way the name Amah Rock was a poor translation. The legend was from a story about a young mom ( absolutely not the Amah) with her baby on her back standing on top of this hill, before every sunset, trying to welcome her husband's homecoming and the husband never show up. One day the young mom with a child was so sorrow that the two turned into a stone figure. So rock was called as Longing ( My) Husband Rock and almost seened as a Shrine to some folks.

funny or not so.

Tung

I agree with Tung.  Three Chinese characters are used to call this geological / folklore setting - Mong Fu Shek which translate to Hope (wait for return of) Husband Rock.  When I grew up in Kowloon, we used Amah with the same English pronounciation and pitch to call grandma or elderly female or servant.  I called my mother Mah-mah with a higher pitch on the second mah.

 What we miss today is to be able to look at Amah Rock from this same vantage point..  As Mr. Cussans stated, we could wander all over HK and access the country side still wide open then.  The lack of tall buildings enabled Mr. Cussans to take panoramic photos and this view of Amah Rock is part of the cherished memories.  This reminds me of the steep descend on that hillside towards Shatin.