Hong Kong Photo Gallery - Tai Hang Part 2

Laid out in a grid format, Tai Hang's streets are narrow and quiet, with shops on the ground floor and residences above, typical of older districts. While there are a lot of car repair shops, gentrification has brought in nicer-looking cafes and shops in recent years, with a number of redeveloped highrises piercing the skies, replacing the shorter tenement buildings.
Despite its proximity to the busy Causeway Bay district, Tai Hang is set back from the tram line and is a quiet oasis in the middle of the city.
Let's have a look at the contrast between the older and shorter tenement buildings with the new highrise residentials.

Lin Fa Temple is believed to date from the 1860s and patrons come here to worship Kwun Yam, the Goddess of Mercy. This temple is unique in its octagonal shape with no courtyard to the main hall, and side doors whereas worshippers typically enter through the middle in other traditional temples.

Located in the former Hung Shing Yi Hok, originally built in 1909 as a school for poor children and subsequently rebuilt after World War II, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Heritage Centre is a small museum dedicated to the fire dragon dance that is still performed in this district.
The dance was first performed during the mid-autumn festival in 1880 and repeated annually to pray for safety and peace. The story goes that a python was menacing the neighbourhood's livestock before the festival. It was hunted down and killed by villagers but a plague came after, killing many residents and prompting fears it was revenge from the python.
A village elder claimed he received instructions from a dear that performing a fire dragon dance and setting off firecrackers can end the plague, which magically did happen, and the tradition continued.
The fire dragon has a 67m-long body with 31 sections made from rattan frames, ropes and pearl straws. The head weighs over 45kg and requires 8-10 people to carry.


Laid out in a grid format, Tai Hang's streets are narrow and quiet, with shops on the ground floor and residences above, typical of older districts. While there are a lot of car repair shops, gentrification has brought in nicer-looking cafes and shops in recent years, with a number of redeveloped highrises piercing the skies, replacing the shorter tenement buildings. Despite its proximity to the busy Causeway Bay district, Tai Hang is set back from the tram line and is a quiet oasis in the middle of the city. Let's have a look at the contrast between the older and shorter tenement buildings with the new highrise residentials. Lin Fa Temple is believed to date from the 1860s and patrons come here to worship Kwun Yam, the Goddess of Mercy. This temple is unique in its octagonal shape with no courtyard to the main hall, and side doors whereas worshippers typically enter through the middle in other traditional temples. Located in the former Hung Shing Yi Hok, originally built in 1909 as a school for poor children and subsequently rebuilt after World War II, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Heritage Centre is a small museum dedicated to the fire dragon dance that is still performed in this district. The dance was first performed during the mid-autumn festival in 1880 and repeated annually to pray for safety and peace. The story goes that a python was menacing the neighbourhood's livestock before the festival. It was hunted down and killed by villagers but a plague came after, killing many residents and prompting fears it was revenge from the python. A village elder claimed he received instructions from a dear that performing a fire dragon dance and setting off firecrackers can end the plague, which magically did happen, and the tradition continued. The fire dragon has a 67m-long body with 31 sections made from rattan frames, ropes and pearl straws. The head weighs over 45kg and requires 8-10 people to carry.

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