Sun Hing Restaurant - 新興食家
What better way to start our journey than to visit what’s widely regarded as the best restaurant in Kennedy Town. Sun Hing Restaurant has been serving traditional dim sum dishes with high quality for more than 30 years, and for a surprisingly reasonable price. Starting business at 3 am every day, the restaurant is usually crowded with hungry customers who fell in love with their delicately made dishes, such as their signature salted egg custard buns and their delicious curry beef stomach. All of their dim sum are generously portioned and freshly served, making this the perfect meal to start off what’s about to be a rather tiring day of hiking.
The Stonewall Trees - 科士街石牆樹群
Our first real stop of the day will be the majestic stonewall trees on Forbes Street. Just five minutes away from Sun Hing restaurant, Forbes Street offers what’s regarded to be one of the most impressive tree panoramas in the world. The stonewall trees were originally planted in the early 19th century to solidify the steep slopes surrounding Kennedy Town and prevent landslides from seriously damaging the town itself. However, nowadays it has also gathered the attention of tourists and locals for photo taking due to its picturesque look. Planted on the slopes are Chinese Banyan trees, known for their roots’ ability to penetrate hard rocks to reach the rich soil within, they form what can be seen in the photos shown. The stonewall trees are not only mesmerizing to look at, they also show how the british government tackled one of the main problems Hong Kong faced---landslides, and how relationships between the British and the locals started to improve.
Tung Wah Smallpox Hospital Memorial Arch - 東華痘局紀念公園
If we take a closer look into Hong Kong history, there were more dangerous diseases that have been invading the city over centuries. The story of the Tung Wah Smallpox Hospital in Kennedy Town, which is also our third stop today, is exactly the one that shows how resilient Hong Kong is to withstand a much fiercer epidemic compared to the Coronavirus now -that is, the smallpox epidemic in the 1930s. This hospital was originally built in 1892 as a government-managed epidemic prevention clinic, but due to the increase in smallpox cases in 1907, the government decided to hand it over to Tung Wah Hospital as a Smallpox Prevention and Control Bureau which mainly uses Chinese Medicine to treat patients and vaccination. The smallpox incident reached its peak in 1938 where an average of 40 cases was recorded daily and the only measure to prevent the pandemic was to shut down the connection between Hong Kong and the important surrounding ports. The hospital was eventually demolished after the Second World War and the Memorial Arch here in this photo below becomes a visible reminder of the history of epidemics in Hong Kong.
Sai Wan Swimming Shed - 西環鐘聲泳棚
The Sai Wan swimming shed has a history of more than 100 years in Hong Kong. Following the end of World War II, people started to seek pleasure through leisure activities, and swimming was one of the activities at that time. As Hong Kong had not developed well in the 1950s, and transportation was not inconvenient, it was difficult for people to swim in beaches far away from the city such as Repulse Bay. Therefore, more swimming sheds were gradually built in various towns in Hong Kong, including Kennedy Town, Lai Chi Kok Bay in Kowloon etc. At that time, the swimming shed was built out of bamboo and wood, and the fee was two cents per swim, which showed that Hong Kong society was not rich. However, due to the increasing number of public swimming pools, the swimming sheds gradually declined, and only the Sai Wan swimming shed was left in the city. The swimming shed witnessed the change in Hong Kong, from the colonial period to the handover of Hong Kong. Standing here, you can imagine the lively times of Hong Kong back in the 1950s and watch the beautiful sunset. Many people come here to take wedding photos in memory. I believe that the scenery of the swimming shed will definitely surprise you and give visitors a relaxing time.
Mount Davis Jubilee Battery - 摩星嶺銀禧炮台
As you walk down you can see the Jubilee battery which is also part of the Mount Davis Fort, it is a great spot of attacking the enemy warship. However, because the enemy wasn’t attacking from the west and instead attacked from the east, the government abandoned it after the Battle of Hong Kong. They built a pavilion in memory of the war, and because of the gorgeous sun set and vast sea view visitors can witness there. (recently the government rented those heritage and land to the university of Chicago campus. It become even more suitable visiting. )
Mount Davis Fort - 摩星嶺炮臺
Next we will come to the Mount Davis fort which is combined with a barracks, Command headquarters, numerous lookout points and five forts which are each 9.2 inches thick. It defended the west of Victoria bay and Sulphur Channel which were important shipping routes. In the 1940s, Mount Davis fort had protected Hong Kong from continuous Japanese attacks in The Battle of Hong Kong.
Mt. Davis Service Reservoir Temporary Garden - 摩星嶺配水庫臨時花園
After working off those dim sum calories along this trail, it's time for you to reward yourself. To end this one-day walking tour, you must not miss the stunning sunset view in Mt. Davis Service Reservoir Temporary Garden. The garden is located on top of Mt. Davis Fresh Water Service Reservoir, covering a land area of 1.34 hectares. It is a famous tourist attraction, blessed with the view of a vast endless sea and a big lawn which is often described as 'Secret Garden’. Enjoying these wide-open views with the greetings from the cool seaside breeze is really just the cherry on top. Grab a warm blanket with yummy treats to enjoy some picnic time with friends and family, the beautiful scenery surely leaves you with a remarkable and memorable hiking experience.
