Hongkong Ng Yuen, Shatin History
Not so long ago (okay, I'm lying - it was actually nearly 4 years ago now!) I was having a wander along the Shing Mun River in Shatin when something caught my attention � what looked like the roof of an old colonial-era home. When I crossed over to take a closer look I came across a real gem of a building.
However, after getting back home to have a little dig around for information I really struggled finding anything that was helpful. Thankfully, the building was included in the recent Government evaluation of buildings but even they seemed to struggle with background information and all they said on the heritage valuation paper was, and I quote:
That�s it! All there is...oh yes except that it was recommended to be given a Grade III listing, which as we all know by now means absolutely nothing in terms of protection. It seems the place is really quite an enigma. However, I did track down a bit more info from that great online Chinese resource Uwants and have roughly translated it below:
[Ng Yuen]...built in 1920 by Ng Tsz Mei (1881- 1939) using concrete and granite. [The house is] decorated with doorway columns and has a triangular roof and eaves. It was commandeered by the Japanese during the occupation (1941-45). After the war it was available for rent but has stood empty since the 1970�s.
Now, at the time of the original post, the place was fenced off with signs in Chinese telling people to keep out. I understand that there are plans (by Sun Hung Kai) to develop a hotel next door and turn it into a �theme restaurant� and cultural/historical museum. The proposal has had some flack from various Govt quarters but actually I�m more astonished that a company like SHK would propose its preservation in the first place. I haven't been back recently to see if anything has happened, but I do note that the most recent update of Google's Streetview shows the building to have its roof covered in building mesh.
However, after getting back home to have a little dig around for information I really struggled finding anything that was helpful. Thankfully, the building was included in the recent Government evaluation of buildings but even they seemed to struggle with background information and all they said on the heritage valuation paper was, and I quote:
Situated at 21 Tai Chung Kiu Road, �Ng Yuen� was probably built in the 1920�s.
That�s it! All there is...oh yes except that it was recommended to be given a Grade III listing, which as we all know by now means absolutely nothing in terms of protection. It seems the place is really quite an enigma. However, I did track down a bit more info from that great online Chinese resource Uwants and have roughly translated it below:
[Ng Yuen]...built in 1920 by Ng Tsz Mei (1881- 1939) using concrete and granite. [The house is] decorated with doorway columns and has a triangular roof and eaves. It was commandeered by the Japanese during the occupation (1941-45). After the war it was available for rent but has stood empty since the 1970�s.
Now, at the time of the original post, the place was fenced off with signs in Chinese telling people to keep out. I understand that there are plans (by Sun Hung Kai) to develop a hotel next door and turn it into a �theme restaurant� and cultural/historical museum. The proposal has had some flack from various Govt quarters but actually I�m more astonished that a company like SHK would propose its preservation in the first place. I haven't been back recently to see if anything has happened, but I do note that the most recent update of Google's Streetview shows the building to have its roof covered in building mesh.
I did try to get some photos of the building myself, but the perimeter fence combined with low hanging tree branches means I failed miserably to get a clear shot. As a result, I have had to resort to taking a copy of the AMO photos from the Govt paper (so the copyright is theirs). As you can see it's quite elegant and certainly looks more like a European-style house rather than a typical Chinese one.
Not long after I put this post up originally (Dec 2010), David Bellis from Gwulo.com let me know that the Antiquities and Monument Office had released their Grade 3 proposal document for all to see. You can see the full document here but below is a cut and paste to save you the hassle:
Ann Ng:
Not long after I put this post up originally (Dec 2010), David Bellis from Gwulo.com let me know that the Antiquities and Monument Office had released their Grade 3 proposal document for all to see. You can see the full document here but below is a cut and paste to save you the hassle:
Probably built in the 1920s, Ng Yuen (??) was the private residence of Mr Ng Tze-mei (???) (1881-1939), a prominent figure in Sha Tin. Ng had initially been living in the walled village of Nga Tsin Wai (????) [Phil's note: that's a soon-to- be-redeveloped village in Kowloon City]
From 1928, he started living in Sha Tin presumably because of the good fung-shui setting of Ng Yuen and its immediate environs.
Having completed an earlier education in Queen College (????) in Hong Kong, Ng pursued further studies in architecture. Together with his elder brother Ng Tze-chor (???), he ran a company named Tung Shing Construction Co. (??????) at No. 14 High Street, Western District, in charge of building projects in Hong Kong.
Ng Tze-mei was also a notable philanthropist. He was active in charity, putting tremendous efforts in taking care of people in need. For example, he donated to establish an outpatient clinic in Pai Tau Village (???), Sha Tin, in the benefit of local villagers. He also provided for coffins to be disbursed, free of charge, to the next-of-kin of the deceased of poor families.
Local informants revealed that Ng Yuen had been occupied for use by the Japanese during wartime (1941-1945). After the war, the building reverted to its original function as a private residence until the 1970s, when it was rented out to another family and then became vacant shortly thereafter. It was sold to a private developer in 1994.
It was also nice to note that soon after posting this entry on my old blog, it received a couple of comments from some members of the Ng family. Two of Ng Tze-mei's grandchildren in fact. I've copied and pasted them below for posterity, and many thanks to the members of the Ng family who got in touch.
Ng Tze-Mei is my grandfather, the father of my father. I was born in Ng Yuen. Thank you so much for posting this article and all the information. Though he is my grandfather, I did not know as much about him as you do, as he died way before I was born.Ng Hong-shing:
I was born in NG YUEN. Ng Tze-Mei is my grandfather.