The Clifts, along with other European missionaries, owned a bungalow on Cheung Chau*, bought sometime before 1915, to which they retreated in the hot summer months. Favoured locations were the tops of the rises on the island, which nicely caught the cool sea breezes and afforded pleasing views. It was a cheaper alternative to the coolness of The Peaks and like the Peaks it had its own 'Peak' area**.
After they finally moved to Hong Kong in 1930 the bungalow was an invaluable retreat for their day of rest each week. They found from experience that only by being physically absent from the Medical Centre could they guarantee a break from the constant demands of a needy population. And as Sundays were busy with their Mission Church, they settled on Thursdays as their rest day and duly took the ferry each week for the hour-and-a-half trip to the island and their bungalow there.
The Clifts' garden offered fragrance and a cool retreat. Dr Clift enjoyed gardening and had a great interest in the cultivation of tropical and rare plants. So bougainvillea, night-flowering cerias, masses of double spider lilies, zinnias and orchids were all to be found.**
This would appear to be Nam Tam Wan, looking NE towards Lamma Island and Hong Kong Island beyond. In 1919 the Government passed legislation to effectively make the southern half of the island a European reservation for missionaries and the like.
* Cheung Chau, not Cheung Chau Island, as Cheung Chau means Long Island.
** Jill Doggett: The Yip Family of Amah Rock
Comments
Similar View
For comparison, a similar view previously posted.
Similar View
Thank you. Most interesting to read Tung Lin's post which says, 'There were missionaries, mostly in transit or in vacations, lived in some of the houses in the picture.'
It would be interesting to see what it looks like now. I'm hoping someone has a pic.
Edit: Pleased to find this pic on Gwulo for the view today. Glad to see it's not totally overbuilt. A lot more woodland in evidence. I guess back in the 30s a lack of woodland would be due to depradations for cooking and heating.
Annals of an Isle in the Pacific (1915) by Winifred Clift
The Clifts went to Hong Kong after they married in 1901 and at some point, purchased themselves a bungalow on Cheung Chau as a summer retreat. Just as their earlier book Far Far East was a journal of their time in Nanning, Kwangsi (sic), so in 'Annals' we have a snapshot of the lovely holidays they spent on Cheung Chau, from letters typed by Winifred Clift back to family, friends and supporters in England.
Like many in Hong Kong (and mainland China) they faced the question ‘Where to go in the hottest months?’ The coolness of The Peak was only for those with plenty of dollars. Happily the island of Cheung Chau was available and in the course of time every bit of high ground was built on with a holiday bungalow, and enjoyed the cool sea breezes and pleasing vistas at a much cheaper rate. But from early on it was found wise to build solid fort-like buildings with a sturdy veranda because of the typhoon season.
Moreover the island had plenty of fresh water, a daily launch to Hong Kong, and a police station for protection from pirates, who still occasionally operated in the region. ‘Was it any wonder that one house after another sprang up’ to complement those of the 4000-5000 Chinese who lived there, on this 'favoured little isle in the Pacific.'
Furthermore Cheung Chau was blessed with that latest invention, electricity. The first electric street lights came to Hong Kong in 1890 and Cheung Chau by this time had its own power-house and street lighting in the village.
In 1938 the Clifts very kindly made their bungalow available to their protegee Mildred Dibden, when she was needing larger premises for her growing numbers of rescued babies. As her baby numbers grew (32 in 1938) she moved to this bungalow , before moving on (with 49 babies) to open The Fanling Babies' Home in the New Territories in 1940.
Jill Doggett records that there were no roads suitable for vehicles on the island at this time, just tracks and a largely seagoing population.
'The Peak' Cheung Chau
Jill Doggett in her Yip Family book says that Cheung Chau had its own 'Peak' area in the 30s in the southern part of the island. Does this still exist today?
Re: Peak Area on Cheung Chau
Yes it does. The “Peak” area is on the southern part of the island. There is a Peak Road that leads to the older missionary houses.