Thanks for posting a photo of this place which is rarely visited by any. I wonder if you spotted any structures or ruins that might have been part of the Haw Par Garden. H Lo recently posted photos of three pavilions that are up the hill from the site of the garden. In a drawing showing the Garden in the post-war years (I posted a link in the other thread), there are some little structures around the dam area.
If the eastern part of the valley you are referring to is the ruins of the former squatters area at Lin Fa Kung Shan, then it's been frequented by experienced hikers. I've tried both the southern path from Sir Cecil's Ride and the northern path up to Hung Heung Lo Fung 228m.
The most spectacular views are those giant Indian Rubber Fig.
No, I meant either kicking off from the Serenade going uphill and then head SE or the End of Tai Hang drive into the valley and crossing over the stream where the old footbridge used to be or at the dam and exploring the slopes up there. You can also go to the very end of the valley following ribbons and exit towards the EOD Depot. My missing part is the trail which runs on about 160 to 180m of altitude on the eastern side of the valley. Direction roughly the same as the stream, so NW to SE.
I saw a trail on HK Gov map leading from the pavilion to the stream, probably is the one you meant. No, I haven't explored that but may do so soon, yet as you said there maybe overgrown. Let see.
When I went for the lower two pavilions, I did check the end of the Tai Hang Drive roughly, without noticing any path, not sure if its junction was there. Yet, we came across a ribbon heading towards the direction of the stream, but that was an indistinct path with vines only a metre from the ground, so we decided to leave it for the future, and then moved on to look for the pavilions.
That junction was on the first tier of terraced slope alongside Tai Hang Drive.
I followed a path from tai hang road tiger balm garden along the stream, inside the stream, nice waterfall from down there and reached the dam and crossed to the other side to finally reach tai hang drive. Path is difficult to follow on the east side, lots of overgrown, through old squatters huts all along. More squatter huts on the west side. Curious to know where the old bridge was located. Wasnt looking for it, maybe I missed something.
I just came across of this post today and I would like to share my story with you guys. The ruins of the squatters is the former 'Tai Hang old village'. It was finally demolished in around October 1995, all residents were separately relocated to Kai Yip Estate, Wah Fu Estate, Yiu Tung Estate, etc. Perhaps it is a tactics to prevent any secret society to be established in new settlement.
The bridges that you can found nowadays were the main routes for former villagers to go home and leave for work. Those bridges were concrete made, repaired by Eastern district council in between 1982 to 1984. Together with water supply meter, re-wiring electricity and street light. You may still find those relics along the side of overgrown trail.
The upper bridge near Tai Hang Drive is leading to a pig farm squatter. The owner of pig farm 'Uncle Cheung' was running the farm until mid-1980s. There were two more pig farms in Tai Hang old village opposite to Tiger Balm garden, both of them running to early 1990s. when the government changed the law prohibited pig farm dumping animal waste to open stream and leading to the sea. The stream along Tiger Balm garden was the only sewage for both human and animal waste before 1995. The stream running down to Tai Hang Wun Sha Street and finnaly meet its end at Causeway Bay typhoon shelter.
The steps leading to a platform from today's Serenade bus stop (route 11, 41A and 63) is the former location of Tai Hang old village mutual-aid committees and mailboxes for villagers.
On the upper part of Tai Hang old village near Sir Cecil Trail you will see some ruins of vegetable fields. Vegetables were grown before 1990s., hand harvested and selling at today's Causeway Bay market on Electric road.
I took a few photographs of the ruins in Tai Hang old village during my visit to Hong Kong in December 2021.
View from the platform of the former Tai Hang old village mutual-aid committees, by Louis Wong
Comments
Dam at Haw Par Stream
Hi Irene,
Thanks for posting a photo of this place which is rarely visited by any. I wonder if you spotted any structures or ruins that might have been part of the Haw Par Garden. H Lo recently posted photos of three pavilions that are up the hill from the site of the garden. In a drawing showing the Garden in the post-war years (I posted a link in the other thread), there are some little structures around the dam area.
There are several damns in
There are several damns in this valley, just keep following the stream and the ribbons. Absolutely stunning, god-forgotten discovery.
Hi C! So far I only saw the
Hi C! So far I only saw the dams or ruins of waterworks. There is a path leading from pavilions to the stream but I haven't explored yet.
Hi MikeB, yes absolutely! It
Hi MikeB, yes absolutely! It worths visiting.
Hi Irene, have you explored
Hi Irene, have you explored the Eastern Side of the Valley? There's some old trails on the HK Gov maps but probably all overgrown.
If the eastern part of the
If the eastern part of the valley you are referring to is the ruins of the former squatters area at Lin Fa Kung Shan, then it's been frequented by experienced hikers. I've tried both the southern path from Sir Cecil's Ride and the northern path up to Hung Heung Lo Fung 228m.
The most spectacular views are those giant Indian Rubber Fig.
No, I meant either kicking
No, I meant either kicking off from the Serenade going uphill and then head SE or the End of Tai Hang drive into the valley and crossing over the stream where the old footbridge used to be or at the dam and exploring the slopes up there. You can also go to the very end of the valley following ribbons and exit towards the EOD Depot. My missing part is the trail which runs on about 160 to 180m of altitude on the eastern side of the valley. Direction roughly the same as the stream, so NW to SE.
I saw a trail on HK Gov map
I saw a trail on HK Gov map leading from the pavilion to the stream, probably is the one you meant. No, I haven't explored that but may do so soon, yet as you said there maybe overgrown. Let see.
When I went for the lower two
When I went for the lower two pavilions, I did check the end of the Tai Hang Drive roughly, without noticing any path, not sure if its junction was there. Yet, we came across a ribbon heading towards the direction of the stream, but that was an indistinct path with vines only a metre from the ground, so we decided to leave it for the future, and then moved on to look for the pavilions.
That junction was on the first tier of terraced slope alongside Tai Hang Drive.
Along the stream
I followed a path from tai hang road tiger balm garden along the stream, inside the stream, nice waterfall from down there and reached the dam and crossed to the other side to finally reach tai hang drive. Path is difficult to follow on the east side, lots of overgrown, through old squatters huts all along. More squatter huts on the west side. Curious to know where the old bridge was located. Wasnt looking for it, maybe I missed something.
The bridge can be seen easily
The bridge can be seen easily following the path into the valley on the Gov map:
https://www.map.gov.hk/gm/
Not much remains though.
The bridges
I just came across of this post today and I would like to share my story with you guys. The ruins of the squatters is the former 'Tai Hang old village'. It was finally demolished in around October 1995, all residents were separately relocated to Kai Yip Estate, Wah Fu Estate, Yiu Tung Estate, etc. Perhaps it is a tactics to prevent any secret society to be established in new settlement.
The bridges that you can found nowadays were the main routes for former villagers to go home and leave for work. Those bridges were concrete made, repaired by Eastern district council in between 1982 to 1984. Together with water supply meter, re-wiring electricity and street light. You may still find those relics along the side of overgrown trail.
The upper bridge near Tai Hang Drive is leading to a pig farm squatter. The owner of pig farm 'Uncle Cheung' was running the farm until mid-1980s. There were two more pig farms in Tai Hang old village opposite to Tiger Balm garden, both of them running to early 1990s. when the government changed the law prohibited pig farm dumping animal waste to open stream and leading to the sea. The stream along Tiger Balm garden was the only sewage for both human and animal waste before 1995. The stream running down to Tai Hang Wun Sha Street and finnaly meet its end at Causeway Bay typhoon shelter.
The steps leading to a platform from today's Serenade bus stop (route 11, 41A and 63) is the former location of Tai Hang old village mutual-aid committees and mailboxes for villagers.
On the upper part of Tai Hang old village near Sir Cecil Trail you will see some ruins of vegetable fields. Vegetables were grown before 1990s., hand harvested and selling at today's Causeway Bay market on Electric road.
I took a few photographs of the ruins in Tai Hang old village during my visit to Hong Kong in December 2021.
Some more photos by Louis