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Death and Life — the Weal and Woes of the Chinese in Early Hong Kong

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Death and Life — the Weal and Woes of the Chinese in Early Hong Kong

Understanding the appearance of Central and Sheung Wan in the latter half of the 19th century, exploring themes related to life and death.

Sheung Wan

2 hours

Death, disease, and resilience — walking through Sheung Wan’s 19th-century history

In 1841, the British landed on Hong Kong Island, leading to significant shifts in social status between Chinese and Westerners. Sheung Wan became a designated Chinese residential area, but poor living conditions and a 19th-century plague outbreak in the Tai Ping Shan area made the name “Peaceful Mountain” ironic. This tour explores how 19th-century Hong Kong’s political and social changes impacted the Chinese population in Tai Ping Shan.

Tour overview

Navigate the Tai Ping Shan Street area, searching for stories of death and discussing their influence on Hong Kong’s history and development.
Visit a deceptively typical Chinese temple, and find out how it has solaced many rootless souls for the past 157 years.
Set foot on the epicentre of the devastating plague of 1894, and learn about how the crisis changed the fate of Hong Kong forever.
Hear some of the ghost stories associated with the area, and visit a couple of death-related trades that still linger amid the forces of gentrification that grip Sheung Wan today.

In 1841, the British took Hong Kong Island, and it wasn’t long before Chinese people and Westerners were segregated in many areas of life — a phenomenon that was to develop and persist for decades to come. Sheung Wan, which sits west of modern-day Central, was designated a Chinese area, but atrocious hygiene and crowded living conditions made life unbearable for the Chinese inhabitants there. An influx of migrants from mainland China from the 1850s onwards further exacerbated the situation. Many of these individuals toiled and struggled for years and eventually died alone, in this foreign place, without any family or friends.

The neighbourhood around Tai Ping Shan Street at the heart of this Chinese settlement was ground zero for a horrific outbreak of the bubonic plague in the late 19th century – a deeply poignant irony given the fact that Tai Ping Shan actually means “Peaceful Hill” in Chinese.

Today, Tai Ping Shan Street and its surrounding lanes have transformed into a trendy enclave of cafés, galleries and boutiques, but one only has to look closely to find remnants of Sheung Wan’s macabre past. On this walking tour, we’ll take a trip back in time to see how the Chinese population of the area lived in the second half of the 19th century, and in particular, how the grim spectre of death hung over them, shaping the subsequent political and social developments of Hong Kong. We’ll also visit some local institutions and discuss death rituals in Chinese culture, digging deep into their history and meaning.

Selected highlights

Some of the points of interest include:

Possession Street

In 1841 the Union Jack flag was planted on Possession St, which was named after this historical event

Coffin Shop

The so-called "tomb street" in Sheung Wan

Kwong Fook I Tsz

Founded by local merchants and residents in 1851, this temple houses the ancestral tablets of mainland Chinese who died in Hong Kong

Blake Garden

Blake Garden commemorates the outbreak of the the Bubonic plague, one of the most disastrous calamities that afflicted Hong Kong for three decades

Tung Wah Hospital

The first western hospital to provide Chinese medicine services in China, the bedrock of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs), which is an important part of Hong Kong's societal development

Paper Offering Shop

The colorful and imaginative industry that creates products fulfilling the dead's daily needs in the underworld, such as paper currency, clothes, food, houses, and transports

Possession Street

In 1841 the Union Jack flag was planted on Possession St, which was named after this historical event

Coffin Shop

The so-called "tomb street" in Sheung Wan

Kwong Fook I Tsz

Founded by local merchants and residents in 1851, this temple houses the ancestral tablets of mainland Chinese who died in Hong Kong

Blake Garden

Blake Garden commemorates the outbreak of the the Bubonic plague, one of the most disastrous calamities that afflicted Hong Kong for three decades

Tung Wah Hospital

The first western hospital to provide Chinese medicine services in China, the bedrock of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs), which is an important part of Hong Kong's societal development

Paper Offering Shop

The colorful and imaginative industry that creates products fulfilling the dead's daily needs in the underworld, such as paper currency, clothes, food, houses, and transports

History

Junior Secondary (Secondary 2)
- Identify the characteristics of early Chinese settlements in Hong Kong, interethnic interactions, and the profound social impact of sanitary conditions in the late 19th century.
- Explain the interaction between the lives of Chinese residents, British governance, and early public health situation during the early years of Hong Kong under British rule.
- Explain the rise of local Chinese leaders and community organizations using the example of Tung Wah Hospital.

Tour Information

We reserve the right to make changes to the information, prices and itineraries of the tours as set out in our website and all printed promotional materials. Provided that such changes have been made prior to the confirmation of a booking, such changes shall be binding on the participants.
Any information or advice provided by us on matters including but not limited to walking routes, climate, clothing, travel documents, baggage, special equipment, etc. is given in good faith but without responsibility on the part of us.
All information provided on our website is correct to the best of our knowledge, but we cannot assure that such information would be free from errors or omission and we shall assume no responsibilities for any such errors of omission.
Our website may contain hyperlinks to other websites owned and operated by third parties. We have no control over, or associate with, such sites and we assume no responsibilities for the contents of such sites. The inclusion of such sites on our website does not imply our endorsement of such sites.
We do not warrant that our website would be free from computer viruses and we accept no liabilities or responsibilities for any loss or damage that may arise as a result.

Bad Weather Policy

If Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above, or a Red/Black Rainstorm Warning is issued three hours before the tour starts, the tour will be canceled.
If Typhoon Signal No. 8 or a Red/Black Rainstorm Warning is issued during the tour, the tour will be canceled immediately.
If the tour needs to be canceled due to other adverse weather conditions, we will contact you by phone at least 2.5 hours before the tour. (If there is no response, we will follow up with an SMS or email.)
If the tour is canceled due to adverse weather on the day, we will work with you to reschedule a new date within six months from the original tour date.

Tour Reminder

Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes for the walk. Bring an umbrella, a bottle of water and some snacks just in case.
Each participant may bring their own 3.5mm plug headphone if they have one for the wireless transmitter/receiver system which will be used on the tour. The guide will provide them a new one otherwise, but for hygienic and environmental reasons participants are strongly suggested to bring their own earphones if possible.
There is a possibility that our organization may take photographs or videos during the guided tour, and these captured images or footage may be used for future promotion and publicity. If participants do not agree with this arrangement, please inform the tour guide or organizer during registration and on the day of the event.

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Death and Life — the Weal and Woes of the Chinese in Early Hong Kong

Death, disease, and resilience — walking through Sheung Wan’s 19th-century history

Tour overview

Selected highlights

Possession Street

Coffin Shop

Kwong Fook I Tsz

Blake Garden

Tung Wah Hospital

Paper Offering Shop

Tour Information

Bad Weather Policy

Tour Reminder

Book your experience now