At the east end of the Eight Mountains of Kowloon (九龍群山), dozens granite quarries had been around in the area of today’s Kwun Tong (觀塘) since late 18th century. Mostly operated by skillful Hakka workers from Guangdong, four of the largest quarry settlements, namely Cha Kwo Ling (茶果嶺), Ngau Tau Kok (牛頭角), Sai Tso Wan (晒草灣), and Lei Yue Mun (鯉魚門), were collectively known as the Four Hills of Kowloon (九龍四山). Beside stone quarries, houses were constructed for the miners and their families, and piers were erected along the harbour to export the mined granite to other parts of Hong Kong, China, and even overseas to Japan and Europe. From granite stone in the 19th century to concrete aggregates in the 20th, stone quarrying was once a major industry in East Kowloon. Not until 1967 when the government banned the use of explosives at a time of social unrest that stone quarrying in Hong Kong had officially came to an end. Since then, many former quarries and worker villages have been built over and entirely erased from the urban context. In East Kowloon, not a trace of the historical quarries and worker settlements can be found in today’s Ngau Tau Kok and Sai Tso Wan. Two years from now, Cha Kwo Ling would also get wiped out from the map. With Victoria Harbour’s last stilted houses still standing along the shore, perhaps by reinventing itself as a tourist attraction and seafood designation that Lei Yue Mun may be spared from the fate of brutal demolition a little longer. Sitting across the harbour from Shau Kei Wan (筲箕灣), Lei Yue Mun and Cha Kwo Ling have long been seen as remote and accessible only by boat from Shau Kei Wan. In the latter half of 20th century, roads were finally built to connect Lei Yue Mun with Kwun Tong industrial town. With Lei Yue Mun’s affordable rent, seafood restaurants gradually found their way into Lei Yue Mun, transforming the former quarry settlement into a vibrant tourist destination. The former quarry and ruined structures have since become selfie backdrops for visitors.
Rising 200m above Lei Yue Mun Village, the lush green Devil’s Peak (魔鬼山) offers visitors a pleasant lookout of the surrounding scenery. Long before the arrival of tourists, Devil’s Peak was a crucial military site overlooking Lei Yue Mun Channel and Victoria Harbour. Batteries and redoubts were built between 1900 and 1914 on the peak to guard the eastern gateway of Victoria Harbour. While Devil’s Peak has nothing to do with the Devil, the name does remind visitors that Lei Yue Mun was once home to notorious pirates, prompting the colonial government to name it Devil’s Peak. Today, remnants of the military structures have become popular attractions for tourists and war game players. For anyone willing to climb the stairs up Devil’s Peak would certainly be rewarded with a magnificent view of Victoria Harbour on one side and Junk Bay (將軍澳) on the other. It wasn’t the finest day when we climbed Devil’s Peak. But the hazy sunset over Victoria Harbour was still impressive, forcing us to make a brief stop to take in the scenery. Below the hill, we meandered through the narrow alleys of Sam Ka Tsuen Village (三家村), passed by the pebble beach and small lighthouse where contented sunset watchers were about to leave. Back at Sam Ka Tsuen Typhoon Shelter near the village entrance, neon signs of Gateway Cuisine (南大門), one of the village’s largest seafood restaurant, were lit up to welcome the first customers of a rather peaceful night.
During the pandemic, seafood restaurants at Sam Ka Tsuen Village of Lei Yue Mun suffered a dramatic drop of business. [2020]Dozens of small boats occupied Sam Ka Tsuen Typhoon Shelter. [2020]Adjacent to Sam Ka Tsuen Village, the concrete factory is about to be shut down to make way for new waterfront developments. [2020]At Sam Ka Tsuen Village, fishing by Victoria Harbour is a popular pastime. [2020]In recent decades, most people would associate Lei Yue Mun and Sam Ka Tsuen Village as a seafood destination. [2020]For the younger generation, the pebble beach and lighthouse offer the best selfie spot during sunset. [2020]Even if weather is not perfect, people would still enjoy themselves at the beach. [2017]Due to its low terrain, Lei Yue Mun is prone to flooding during the typhoon season. [2017]When weather is fine, Lei Yue Mun does offer a stretch of waterfront that is less crowded compared to other promenades at city centre. [2020]Across Victoria Harbour lies the easternmost districts of Hong Kong Island, including Shau Kei Wan, Heng Fa Chuen, and Siu Sai Wan. [2020]The former stone quarry and pier area have become a precious piece of outdoor space for all. [2020]People come to the former quarry to take wedding or graduation photos, chat with friends, test out their drones, or just sit down and chill out in the sea breeze. [2020]Behind Lei Yue Mun stands Devil’s Peak. Ruined military structures on Devil’s Peak include Devil’s Peak Redoubt, Gough Battery, Pottinger Battery, etc. [2020]Despite the historical significance, the former military structures on Devil’s Peak are vulnerably exposed to vandalism. [2020]On top of Devil’s Peak stands a redoubt complex. [2020]Visitors love to find a quiet spot at Devil’s Peak Redoubt to chill out. [2020]While Victoria Harbour dominates the scenery west of Devil’s Peak, on the east side lies Junk Bay (將軍澳), another hot spot for new residential developments where decades ago would be considered extremely remote. [2020]Stretches between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, Lei Yue Mun Channel is the eastern gateway of Victoria Harbour and the narrowest gap between the island and peninsula. [2020]Looking west from Devil’s Peak, Victoria Harbour and the distant city centre appears as silhouette in the haze. [2020]Back down to Sam Ka Tsuen, the seafood restaurants are preparing to receive their first customers of the night. [2017]
As the tram turns into Shau Kei Wan Main Street East (筲箕灣東大街), all passengers are getting ready to hop off at Shau Kei Wan Tram Terminus, the easternmost tram stop in Hong Kong. Winding through Shau Kei Wan Main Street East where the original coastline used to be was like walking into an outdoor feast, with restaurants and eateries of all sorts lining on both sides. For some reasons, On Lee Noodle Soup (安利魚蛋粉麵) across the street from Tin Hau Temple (天后廟) is often the busiest. With so many options, it is often hard to pick a restaurant here. On the hill between Tin Hau Temple and Lei Yue Mun Park, thirteen blocks of 60-year social housing estate Ming Wah Dai Ha (明華大廈) awaits for their turn to be demolished and replaced by new highrise apartments. To the north, the foodie paradise Shau Kei Wan Main Street East abruptly ends as it reaches the overpass of Island Eastern Corridor. Beyond the elevated expressway, the view finally opens up to Victoria Harbour, where the reclaimed Aldrich Bay opens to Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter (筲箕灣避風塘), one of the several last remaining typhoon shelters in Hong Kong. Outside the causeway, Victoria Harbour enters a narrow channel to the east, with a width at times no more than 500m. Known as Lei Yue Mun (鯉魚門), the sea channel signifies the eastern end of Victoria Harbour.
Despite fishery is no longer a dominant industry, the typhoon shelter is nonetheless full of boats. Right by the typhoon shelter, a historical temple known as Tam Kung Temple (譚公廟) reminds visitors that Shau Kei Wan was once a prosperous fishing village under the protection of sea deities such as Tam Kung (譚公) and Tin Hau (天后). That was exactly what the British found at Shau Kei Wan in 1841: storm shelter, fishing village, shrines of sea gods, and lots of fishing boats. Continuing east on Tam Kung Temple Road, a dozen or so small shipyards stand in between the sea and the road. These shops now serve mainly yachts for wealthy customers. Next to the row of shipyards, a monumental concrete shuttle lift tower appears out of nowhere against a lush green hill. The once essential fortification hill overlooking the harbour where guns were mounted and soldiers were stationed has been transformed into Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defense (香港海防博物館). Preserving military structures dated back to 1887, the museum is perhaps the most ideal place in the city to learn about the defense of colonial Hong Kong and Victoria Harbour. At both Kowloon and Hong Kong side of Lei Yue Mun Channel, numerous defensive structures were erected at places including Devil’s Peak (魔鬼山) at Lei Yue Mun in Kowloon, the hilltop Lyemun Barracks (now Lei Yue Mun Park) overlooking Shau Kei Wan, and the former hill fortifications at Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defense signified the crucial roles Lei Yue Mun played to protect Victoria Harbour. Out of all the military sites, perhaps the most interesting one is the former Torpedo Station (舊魚雷發射站). It was quite a shock to see an old torpedo on display in a vaulted cave right by the sea.
Aldrich Bay and Shau Kei Wan sit right below Lyemun Barracks on the hill overlooking Lei Yue Mun Channel. Across the channel, Devil’s Peak offers another strategic defensive point at the eastern gateway of Victoria Harbour. [Photo taken by G. Warren Swire in 1927, Courtesy of G. Warren Swire Collections. University of Bristol (www.hpcbristol.net), (CC BY_NC_ND 4.0)]Between 65 – 67 storey high, the five residential towers of Grand Promenade (嘉亨灣) are the tallest structures in Shau Kei Wan. [2017]From a sleepy fishing village to a densely populated neighborhood, Shau Kei Wan has gone through drastic transformations in the past century. [2022]The former Lyemun Barracks (now Lei Yue Mun Park) was once a strategic station to guard the eastern gateway of Victoria Harbour. [2022]After WWII, flocks of refugees from Mainland China came to Hong Kong. A large group settled in slums on the hills of Shau Kei Wan. In the 1950’s, the government decided to erect a range of public housing to resolve the issue, leading to the construction of social housing Ming Wah Dai Ha (明華大廈). Today, the original thirteen blocks of Ming Wah Dai Ha are scheduled for demolition and redevelopment. [2022]The original Ming Wah Dai Ha from the 1960’s was relatively low dense. [2019]Below Ming Wah Dai Ha, the vibrant Kam Wa Street Market is one of the last several remaining street markets in Hong Kong Island. [2019]After a long journey from the west side of the island, the tram enters the terminus of Shau Kei Wan. [2019]From street vendors to noodles and Japanese restaurants, Shau Kei Wan Main Street East (筲箕灣東大街) is one of the famous foodie destinations in Hong Kong Island. [2022]Despite the decline of fishery, Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter is still fully packed with boats of all sorts. [2020]Many neighbourhoods on Hong Kong Island lie in close proximity to the harbourfront. At Shau Kei Wan, the waterfront promenade extends all the way to Sai Wan Ho and Quarry Bay to the west. [2020]Adjacent to the typhoon shelter, Tam Kung Temple stands as a silent reminder of the local history as a fishing village. [2020]Since 1905, Tam Kung Sin Shing Temple (譚公仙聖廟) has been reconstructed a few times. [2020]Today, the temple remains popular for the local neighbourhood. [2020]The numbers of incense and lanterns reveal how popular the temple remains. [2020]A miniature display of dragon boat in the temple. [2020]Near Tam Kung Temple, a row of small shipyards have been around for decades. [2020]Dozen or so of small shipyards at Tam Kung Temple Road. [2020]Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defense (香港海防博物館) is a surprising interest museum that covers the military history of Victoria Harbour during the colonial period. [2020]Below the museum, a trail leads to the waterfront where Victoria Harbour enters the narrow Lei Yue Mun Channel. [2016]Across the channel, Devil’s Peak and the neighborhood of Lei Yue Mun is only a few hundred meters away. [2016]Behind the pleasant harbour scenery, the preserved former Torpedo Station (舊魚雷發射站) is an interesting surprise that we didn’t know of before the museum visit. [2016]From the museum hill, we could have a close encounter with the causeway of Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter. [2016]Looking east to Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter. [2016]The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defense and its hill as seen from the harbour. [2017]Beyond the hill of Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defense lies Heng Fa Villa (杏花園), another modern housing estate right by the eastern exit of Lei Yue Mun Channel. [2020]Overlooking the exit of Lei Yue Mun Channel, Heng Fa Villa enjoys open sea views. Due to its close proximity to the open sea, the estate is prone to weather impacts during the typhoon season. [2020]From Heng Fa Villa, East Kowloon, Lion Rock and Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong’s highest mountain, can be seen in a clear day. [2020]Leaving Victoria Harbour and Lei Yue Mun Channel behind, boats heading east would enter Junk Bay and the open waters of South China Sea beyond. [2021]
From the Sai Wan Swimming Shed in Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan, we have loosely follow Victoria Harbour along the north shore of Hong Kong Island in the last few months. Next we will cross the harbour to the Kowloon side.
Blue Lapis Road 