Column "Old Hongkong" by "Colonial" from 1933 to 1935.
2: 17 June 1933: 15.
The kick-off with this Historical Club has evidently been a success, and it looks as if there are going to be quite a number of members in time. I am indebted to the following correspondents for an early response, and incidentally, they are enrolled as the first honorary members.
Bindihi: Congratulations upon the formation of the Historical Club of Hongkong, though I think the world "Hongkongiana" would be more suitable and convenient as a name. Perhaps, however, a nickname will evolve. The Club undoubtedly will fill a long felt want. I remember a few years ago there were a number of old hands who knew a lot about early Hongkong. I tried to induce one of them to write his reminiscences, but although he promised to do so he never could concentrate sufficiently on the task, and he died before he could begin. Even in my time here about eighteen years, the Colony has changed greatly. I can remember when Kowloon was truly rural, and I recall wandering around Pedder's Hill when there was a boarding house on top and the old Sassoon fort below. I believe it was used as a magistracy for a time. Afterwards it became a godown for the Electric Company (opposite the Old China Mail office in Wyndham Street). Now it is gone and there is a row of shop buildings there. Much of history of this sort can be recaptured and set down, and I hope the old timers will come forward.
J. B.: Permit me to congratulate "Colonial" on his hardihood. When it comes to holding offices he is a veritable Mussolini - the whole cheese. I am afraid, however, that he has taken in hand a good deal more than he wots of. Would it not have been better after all to have formed a proper association at the meetings of which historical papers could have been read? These could then have been printed and bound in volume form leaving a permanent and accurate record of the history of the Colony. It may be, however, that those best able to contribute to such a record are past being enthusiastic and would prefer to contribute in scraps their knowledge of the place. In any event, I wish you the best of luck and I hope to add my quota either by question or data when opportunity offers.
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From the City Hall to the fountain opposite the building is a natural step. The fountain is no more, and the Government is not going to re-erect it elsewhere. There is nowhere else where it could be placed: an in any case, the recurrent dearth of water in the Colony precludes the use of the structure as a fountain. For this reason it had ceased to spout for a number of years; so it was of no use except as a rather doubtful ornament. Yet it has a great historical interest, and at one time was looked upon with much pride by the citizens of Hongkong. That was in the days when the small community took pride in its City Hall, centre of the civic activities of a growing world port, and its Theatre Royal, then considered, rightly, entirely up-to-date and even ornate. With the rapid growth of the city, the change of outlook, and the advance of architectural ambition, the civic pride became dulled, and almost disappeared. The fountain remained in the way of traffic, dirty, the resort of ragged loungers, and "dead". But it was a link with the rapidly disappearing past of Hongkong which it is a pity of lose.
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The donor of this fountain was Mr. John Dent, a merchant, head of the now defunct firm bearing his name. He gave the fountain to the "people of Hongkong", in perpetuity, so that you and I were part owners thereof. Not that we ever bothered about our ownership! The centre was ornamental in its way, with draped female figures, in a graceful attitude, supporting the basin. The few steps leading up to it were guarded at the four corners by couchant lions, who appeared to be facing to the principal points of the compass. An inscription on a table notified all who took the trouble to read it that the fountain had been presented to the public of this Colony by Mr. John Dent, in 1864.
It will probably be recalled that on the occasion of the visit by H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester in 1929 there was talk of this old fountain being made to fount just for the period that he would be in its vicinity, but there was an outcry against the idea (apparently an official plan) owing to the serious drought from which the Colony was then suffering, and the idea was abandoned.
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What memories did the old fountain retain for residents? How many fair ladies and gallant men must have paused there, returning from opera or ball, perhaps admiring the play of moonlight on its delicate spray. How many revellers, in the early hours of the morning after the night before of some annual national celebration may have found the waters delightfully refreshing or the steps a convenient place to rest a while! It is well to remember that on that spot, where in the months to come will appear in the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation's new head office, once stood the Colony's own fountain.
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With the demolition work on the City Hall site it has also been found necessary to cut down the two trees that stood there. These were fine specimens of the red-flowered silk-cotton trees, the Gossampinus malabarica of the botanists. They were about as tall as the building itself, and evidently very old trees, probably planted about the time the fountain gave its sylvan tone to that spot. It is a pity to see the old trees gradually disappearing from the heart of the city. One recalls the several banyans that once flourished near the bottom of Wyndham Street, the old "Flower Street" which retained that name up to a few years ago; and there was also the big ban yan at the junction of Queen's Road and Ice House Street, at the bottom end of Battery Path, that was felled about eight years back, so as to give room for the growing motor traffic of the city to speed safely on its way.
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I take the following from the current number of The Critic:
Apart from our local archaeologists, few residents may be aware that two pagodas still exist in the New Territories. They are small and insignificant structures, compared with the lofty towers one sees dotted all over the landscape of China proper, yet on account of their rarity they deserve to be better known. The first, a tiny affair of only two storeys, is situated at Pokfulam opposite the Dairy Farm's premises and stands among the styles and vegetable gardens close to the reservoir. It is obviously of ancient lineage and is in a bad state of repair, though its history is shrouded in mystery. As far as is known, the district around Pokfulam has always been inhabited by fisher-folk and there are no records of important personages, such as usually erect pagodas to perpetuate their names, having lived in the vicinity. The other pagoda, which is far more picturesque and boasts four storeys, lies close to a little village between Un-Loong and Fanling, not far from Lok-Ma Chau. It may be seen from the roadside, although it is partly hidden by trees, and access to it is difficult and entails crossing the muddy ricefields. As far as is known, it was built by a magistrate several hundred years ago and was once used as a beacon tower to warn the inhabitants of neighbouring villages of the approach of marauding bandits. Both these pagodas deserve to be classified as ancient monuments and we think that some effort should be made to preserve them. There is, unfortunately, no archaeological society in the Colony to save historic buildings from decay, but there must be several residents who are keen on preserving the architectural as well as the natural beauties of the New Territories and we suggest that they should make some effort to restore these pagodas or at least to save them from the fate of other pagodas in the Colony, which were long ago destroyed by villagers who used the bricks for building pig-styes and other farm buildings.
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