Yick Yuen (奕園), Lantau [????- ]

Submitted by David on Tue, 06/22/2021 - 09:02
Current condition
In use

Notes from Facebook:

  • Located at Mui Wo, Pak Ngan Heung, near the waterfall.
  • It still looks the same ((as the 1950s photos)). The swimming pool has been empty for some 20 years though.

Photos that show this Place

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Notes from Austin Coates's 1955 report on the southern New Territories:

In the 1930s a number of Hongkong Chinese started building European houses in the valley, as weekend homes, and during the Japanese occupation several of these families took refuge here. Since the war this development has continued, and in addition Silver Mine Bay has become one of the most popular places in the Colony for swimming, picnics and other holiday excursions, particularly with the Chinese community in Hongkong and Kowloon. No one did more to encourage this than the late Young Tsun Dart, a New Zealand-born Chinese who was for many years Secretary for the Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company. Under his auspices, and with his tactful handling of the older village residents, Silver Mine Bay has been improved out of all recognition in the last 20 years. Young Tsun Dart was an exceptionally far-seeing and public-spirited person who, while intent on promoting his Company's interests, genuinely wanted to see more of Hongkong's urban population having the opportunity to get out of town on a Sunday and go swimming or hiking in such places as Lantao. Seaside House, the first modern restaurant, with a residential hotel above, to be built on Lantao Island, was started by the Ferry Company at his instigation; and there are now two similar places, one a boarding house, the other a restaurant with large changing rooms for swimmers. He was again the moving force behind the small Health Centre, which was presented to the Government by the people of Silver Mine Bay in 1951, built under Government supervision, and now staffed and maintained by the Medical Department. Young Tsun Dart died in 1954, very shortly after his two sons, the elder of whom was killed in an aircrash near Rome, the younger dying in hospital in New Zealand. The ashes of the father and his two sons are interred on the top of the central hill, just above his house.

Hi there,

Walked by earlier today.  All boarded up.  While taking a peep at the cracks I found the mansion is gone.  The pool is drained and covered by a wire nets.  The gateway is still there though.

T