[Updated 08/Jun/2026]
A large and impressive bungalow solidly built of granite in the early 20th century on the peninsula at Nam Tam Wan. The house was south-facing, with a solid verandah at the front and fine sea views, with Lantau to the west and islands to the south, and possibly a verandah with three arches down each side as well.
The house had a pitched tiled roof.
Domestics' accommodation was in a cabin at the rear of the house.
Clearly some villas flew flags in the 1920s showing their nationality, as here and also House 18A, (see 1920s pic).
There was a flurry of building on Cheung Chau in 1908-10 as plots were cheap, and the island offered all the benefits of The Peak at a fraction of the cost — sea breezes, exclusivity, and pleasing views. The beach at Nam Tam Wan and sea bathing were additional benefits.
The 1938 list of European owners of houses on Cheung Chau has Mrs L Franklin as the owner of House 21, whom we now know is Lily Franklin, whose husband Arthur had died in 1933. They were long term residents of the island, possibly from the beginning c1910. They were both prominent members of the Cheung Chau Residents' Association, which Arthur had founded.
Lily was interned in Stanley Camp during the war and died in England in 1980.
From this we learn that not everyone used Cheung Chau for holiday purposes. There were actual residents, and the Franklins, Alabasters and Lossius' were three of them.
Today, another floor has been added to the original bungalow and the building is part of the Salesian Retreat House, connecting with former House #19 higher up the hill. The complex is a Catholic Retreat Centre with 68 suites for physical rest and spiritual renewal.
View south from Nam Tam Wan south, and north at night time.
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