The poultry 'laan' (wholesalers) were just beneath the retaining wall of Forbes Street.
Date picture taken
1960s
Gallery
Shows street(s)
The poultry 'laan' (wholesalers) were just beneath the retaining wall of Forbes Street.
Comments
old days overhead
Looking up when underground. You may see some of these old HK photos that have been displayed overhead on MTR platforms. This one is in Sheung Wan station.
It shows the pig depot on Forbes Street in the 60s. The background is the Sai Wan Estate, first buildings completed 1958.
In fact, livestock were slaughtered (under roof of the abattoir next-door) in front of folks of the two public estates over it, until the late 60s.
So the Smithfield neighbourhood, as an 'Offensive Trades' area, might be much worse than the London namesake, depicted in Dickens' Oliver Twist.
Looking back, such nuisances for the district had in fact existed for decades, possibly from 1920s or earlier. [+] The situation started to ease when these operations were relocated one by one, from the first half of the 1970s.
Some other MTR platforms with interesting old photos may be in Wanchai station. So just look up, next time on the MTR. :D
sources
1. Jan Jan's map of HK, 1958
2. China Mail, 1932-7-20 : a vivid debate on the Sanitary Board was recorded in details - Dr Li Shu-fan, Mr. M.K. Lo, Dr. Pope et al.
[+] as the GRS directory, there had been an application in 1926 from a Mr. Chau for permission to occupy a lot in Forbes Street, for a poultry market