North Point
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| North Point | |||||||||||||||||||
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| A pedestrian crossing on King's Road and Tin Chong Street junction, North Point | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese: | 北角 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cantonese Jyutping: | bak1 gok3 | ||||||||||||||||||
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North Point is a mixed-use urban area on the north of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, between Causeway Bay and Quarry Bay. Administratively, it belongs to Eastern District. It is indeed the most northerly point on the island, projecting toward Kowloon Bay.[1]
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[edit] History
In 1919, the Hongkong Electric Company started operation of the territory's second power station at North Point[2].
In the early 1940s, the area had a refugee camp housing Nationalist soldiers, and then, during the Japanese Occupation, Canadian POWs. By 1949 when the Communist Party took control of Shanghai, large numbers of businesses moved directly to Eastern District. During the Chinese Civil War, large numbers of rich and middle-class Shanghainese fled to Hong Kong to escape the turmoil. By the 1950s North Point was the premiere place of residence for these emigrants, leading to a massive population boom. The main transformation started around 1947-1948. In 1950 North Point was known as "Little Shanghai" (小上海), since in the minds of many, it has already become the replacement for the surrendered Shanghai in China.[1] The first wave of emigrants introduced Shanghai-style restaurants, beauty parlours and barbershops. That same group also learned Cantonese and intermarried with other dialect groups, becoming part of the Hong Kong identity. Shanghai at the time was also heavily associated with leftist revolutions. Leftist-supported businesses such as the Sunbeam Theatre, showcasing Chinese Opera, are a legacy of their influence. The second group that moved to North Point were the Fujianese, who were mostly displaced by political events in Southeast Asia. Small Indonesian specialist grocery shops selling coffee, coconuts and bumbu are some of the remaining traces of their identity. The area became known as "Little Fujian".[1]
[edit] Culture
Second to Cantonese, Min Nan is the most widely spoken language here. When the Guinness Book of Records was first published in the 1950s, North Point was listed as the most densely populated place on earth. Today North Point comprises a mix of new luxury developments and older Chinese buildings. The area is undergoing something of a rejuvenation due to the rise in demand for office space in the area.
[edit] Places in North Point
- City Garden
- City Garden Hotel
- Provident Centre
- Newton Hotel
- AIA Tower
- Choi Sai Woo Park (on Braemar Hill)
- Chun Yeung Street Market
- Kiu Kwan Mansion
- Sunbeam Theatre
- Harbour Plaza North Point
- Hong Kong Funeral Home
[edit] Features
Many Min Nan associations (閩南同鄉會) are based in North Point to bring people from the same towns or villages together.
The first school in Hong Kong to use Mandarin as the main medium of instruction, Kiangsu and Chekiang Primary School, was founded in North Point by the early Shanghainese immigrants.
Several Min Nan-speaking churches are located in North Point to serve the Min Nan Christians.
[edit] Transport
- North Point is served by the Island Line and the Tseung Kwan O Line of the MTR system. The MTR station is the terminus of Tseung Kwan O Line.
- There is one highway serving North Point: Island Eastern Corridor, which runs along the waterfront of North Point.
- North Point is served by Hong Kong Tramways, of which it is one of the seven terminal points.
- It is also served by the New World First Bus and Citybus. The two companies also provide cross-harbour bus services jointly with the KMB.
- Ferries connect North Point ferry pier to various places in Hong Kong, including Hung Hom, Kowloon City and Kwun Tong.
- During the annual Tin Hau Festival, special ferries will be operated from North Point ferry pier to Joss House Bay.
- It is also served by public light buses.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
