Current condition
In use
Date completed
(Day & Month are approximate.)
wuhu children playground which still exists today was used mainly as a playground for students in neighbouring schools in the beginning. Sometimes they were also used for Cantonese opera performances in the past. More recently it was remodelled as a soccer field. Now it is a basketball court.
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1950s wuhu playground.
https://new.gwulo.com/media/42365
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Photos that show this Place
1951
1951
1959
Comments
more information
The basketball court currently occupying the Wuhu playground used to be a large area of land. It was a standard small football field with goals. Later, due to the construction of Ping Chi Street (in the late 1960s), the area of the field was reduced. On the occasion of the birthdays of gods, a large stage was built to hold Cantonese opera performances. Famous stars performed, such as Xinma Shizeng (新馬師曾), Fang Yanfen (芳艷芬), Liang Cibo (靚次伯), Liang Xingbo(粱醒波), Phoenix Girl (鳳凰女) and so on. There is also an all-night troupe performance to greet the neighbors for free, and the performers are the apprentices of the big stars.
https://www.uwants.com/viewthread.php?tid=8226898&page=9
1960s and 1970s
The playground during the "ghost festival" in the 1965. Probably a Cantonese opera stage was erected there to celebrate the occasion. The traffic light is on Chatham road. The street around the corner is wuhu street. The date of the photo should be before 1976 because the pedestrian bridge is absent in the photo.
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The bridge was built around 1976 as reported in the news. It was planned to open in 1978.
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Following air view of that junction in 1975 before the bridge was built
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1981 air view the bridge is visible in the black circle
https://new.gwulo.com/media/43033
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history
A news report indicates the playground was constructed in 1937. In that year, the Hung Hom Three District Kai Fong Association ( 紅磡三約街坊福利會) rented the piece of land south of the Saint hill from government. "Kai Fong" means neighborhood. They removed part of the hill to make way for the playground.
https://new.gwulo.com/media/43041
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1949 air view shows that the playground was essentially empty with nothing to play with. Only in 1951, they put in swings etc.
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On 1951-8-13, they put in swings, seesaws etc and the playground was officially opened.
https://new.gwulo.com/media/43042
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Around 1968, the government decided to take back the land for the constructions of two basketball courts and Ping Chi Street.
https://new.gwulo.com/media/43043
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A 1969 air view shows how it looked like in early 1969.
https://new.gwulo.com/media/43044
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On 1969-3-18 the playground was converted into a soccer field.
https://new.gwulo.com/media/43046
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Following an air view in late 1969 showing the soccer field.
https://new.gwulo.com/media/43045
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Around 1980, the playground again turned into a basketball court to become the Wuhu street temporary playground we know today. Air view in 1980 shows the latest transformation
https://new.gwulo.com/media/43047
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The above picture shows the pedestrian bridge was eating up one of the corners of the playground. The bridge was only going to be completed in 1980 march according to the following report with picture showing the progress in 1979-11-18.
https://new.gwulo.com/media/43051
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1951 3 27 kun yam birthday
Upper picture shows wuhu children playground with a big stage for cantonese opera performance to celebrate the 1951 Kun Yam birthday. Picture taken at the Chatham-Wuhu junction looking east along wuhu street.
Lower picture shows a crowd in front of the Kun Yam temple at the station lane-kun yam st junction.
https://new.gwulo.com/media/43058