Friday, November 30, 2012

Redevelopment of Yue Man Square 重建裕民坊

I was living at Ngau Chi Wan in my childhood. My primary school was located at Ngau Tau Kok whereas Kwun Tong was the place I used to spend my after school activities with my classmates. These three places were in the east end of the Kowloon Peninsular. Their development began since the 60s and lasted for more than half a century. Yue Man Square became a landmark in Kwun Tong's urban development. It was densely populated with parks, shops and food facilities etc.

The Bonds and Silver Capital cinemas were my common places for movies. On 21 July 1968, The US Astronaut Armstrong was the first man landed on the moon. I remembered that I was standing by the Yue Man Square Park with the crowd of people watching the direct broadcast of the TV news from a shop. Now Yue Man Square is under redevelopment, most of the buildings vacated by the tenants and shop owners will be demolished soon. I hope this album will keep a record of the old images of Yue Man Square and refresh the reminiscences of my childhood from there.

Photo equipment:
Nikon D300s, Nikon GP-1 GPS
AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

童年時代我居住在牛池灣,我讀書的小學在牛頭角,觀塘是放學後與同學遊玩的地方。這三個地區都位處九龍東部,自六十年代已開始發展,到現在已經歷了半個世紀了。裕民坊是觀塘發展已成為著名的地標。居住人口密集,有公園、商店、食肆臨立,當年的寶聲戲院和銀都戲院是我經常光顧看電影的地方。1968年7月21日美國太空人岩士堂登陸月球。我記得當日電視直播登月新聞,我站在裕民坊公園旁,與群眾觀看商店電視機直播登月的新聞。現在,裕民坊要重建,區內的住宅樓宇和店鋪都相繼搬遷,等候拆卸,希望這輯照片能保留裕民坊拆卸前的一些面貌,也帶給我們渡過童年的回憶。

An arial view from apm (Archive Photo)
在apm 高空俯灠裕民坊 (檔案照片)

All the tenants have moved out except this old pawn shop.
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 @18mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec, ISO 2000
大廈住戶經已搬出,地面祇剩歷史悠久的當鋪仍在營業。

The pawn shop keeper
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 @170mm, f/5.6, 1/40 sec, ISO 2000
當鋪掌櫃

Yue Man Square is due to be demolished, this bus is also temporarily out of service!
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 @55mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO 2000
裕民坊要拆卸,巴士服務也要暫停?

The fast food shop is still in operation
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 @135mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec, ISO 2000
拆卸在即,樓上快餐店仍在營業。

The restaurant is still in operation
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 @65mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec, ISO 2000
仍在營業中的餐廳
These small shops and the bustling pedestrians are limelight of Yue Man Square typical life-style!
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 @48mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec, ISO 2000
地面的小店鋪和熙來攘往的行人,是裕民坊的生活焦點。

Viewing the new buildings through the old community
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 @95mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec, ISO 2000
從舊區遠眺新建的大廈
This tenant seems to insist his stay till the very last moment?
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 @36mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO 2000
似乎仍有一戶人家要堅持要留守到最後一刻?
The new vs the old, for demolished vs the newly erected!
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 @200mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec, ISO 2000
新與舊之分、待拆和新建之別!
A transition from the old to the new
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 @32﹐mm, f/8.0, 1/100 sec, ISO 200
舊與新的交替
The new landmark in Kwun Tong: apm
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 @170mm, f/8.0, 1/320 sec, ISO 2000
觀塘新地標:apm

Click to open more photo 點擊更多照片》

7 comments:

  1. I had been living in Kwun Tong for a year in 1980 and there's a lot of memory when viewing your photos. Thanks!

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  2. Your subject is interesting because I lived in Kwun Tong in the 60's. However, I couldn't recollect my memories from your photos. Yes, it was long long time ago.

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  3. THANKS! Enjoy your trip!!

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  4. Thanks for your pictures.

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  5. I like the pictures. They are simple and nice!

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  6. Nice pictures!Hope you have a wonderful trip!

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  7. 裕民坊,我腳毛剩幾佰斤.在聖約翰小學的年代,每日放學都經過寶聲戲院. 多謝傳送珍貴照片.

    ReplyDelete