May 22nd, 2009
The Grimy Side of Pokfulam
Pokfulam Road is one of Hong Kong’s posher addresses, sweeping past the leafy hills and stunning ocean views on the west side of Hong Kong Island. But its origins are far more humble: Pokfulam starts as a narrow two-lane street, besieged by the noise and exhaust of buses labouring uphill in first gear, its postwar tenements coated in a thick layer of grime. Despite the picturesque way it snakes up the hill, the bus traffic makes it a particularly unpleasant street, which might explain the number of vacant businesses and derelict buildings along it. The corner building above, with a nice curve typical of 1950s and 60s tong lau, or “Chinese building,” once housed a skin doctor and a bakery, both long gone.
Tags: Exploring the City, Hong Kong, Traffic
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