Route 5 - Tai Hang Road (Tiger Balm Garden) - Tai Hang Road (Hong Kong Adventist Hospital)

Question 1

Route 5 - Points to mention
(Tai Hang Road (Tiger Balm Garden) - Tai Hang Road (Hong Kong Adventist Hospital)

2 bulletpoints - 7 minutes

Answer 1

1. Tiger Balm Garden (left)
2. Hong Kong Stadium (right)

Question 2

Tiger Balm Garden/Haw Par Mansion

Answer 2

1. Overview:
* Haw Par Mansion together with its private garden was built in 1935 by Aw Boon Haw, a Burmanese-Chinese Tycoon, who was known as “The King of Tiger Balm”.
* Originally the complex contained a 4-story mansion with a 2,000 sq. meter garden, costing HK$16 million—a massive fortune at the time.
* How did Aw Boon Haw become so wealthy? He inherited the family business and hired doctors and pharmacists to help manufacture medicine, including Tiger Balm, Eight Trigram Pills, and Pain Relief Powder.
* Haw Par Mansion was the Aw’s family mansion and was restricted to private use, while Tiger Balm Garden was open to the public for enjoyment.

2. Architecture:
* Haw Par Mansion was built in the Chinese Renaissance style with a blend of Western and Chinese construction methods and architectural theory.
* The plan is, however, more Western being roughly symmetrical with the adoption of porches, bay windows and fireplaces.
* Internally, there are beautiful painted glass windows from Italy, carvings and mouldings, gilded with gold and murals showing Indian and Burmese influence.
* Over the years there has not been a great deal of change to the Mansion which retains its authentic appearance as envisaged by Aw Boon Haw.

3. Key Attractions:
* Tiger Pagoda – A seven-story hexagonal tower, once the only Chinese-style tower on Hong Kong Island.
* Other tourist attractions included artificial Chinese landscaping dotted with sculptures, like Eighteen Levels of Hell – A series of statues and murals depicting moral lessons from Chinese folklore.
* Cultural Displays – Figures from Journey to the West, Yang Guifei, Lin Zexu, and other historical tales.
* The Tiger Balm garden was a go-to spot for many a Hongkonger on their day off. Public leisure facilities for the Chinese community were thin on the ground in old Hong Kong, and Tiger Balm Garden was a rare exception.

4. Demolition & Preservation:
* In 1998, the entire Garden complex was sold for HK$100 million to Cheung Kong Holdings.
* The garden was later demolished in 2004 for a private residential complex.
* Haw Par Mansion (formerly Tiger Balm Villa) was preserved and later revitalized into a music academy in 2019.
* Since June 9, 2023, the Tiger Balm Villa has reopened for public guided tours, showcasing its original architecture.
Admission is free, and citizens can book guided tours through the Antiquities Office website.

Question 3

Hong Kong Stadium

Answer 3

1. Introduction: Hong Kong Stadium, with its distinctive silver-white dome-like structure, is Hong Kong’s largest outdoor multi-purpose sports venue, accommodating up to 40,000 spectators. It plays a crucial role in the city’s tourism and sports industries.

2. History:
* Originally a burial ground for more than 600 victims of the 1918 Happy Valley Racecourse fire.
* Opened as Government Stadium in 1952 with a seating capacity of 28,000.
* Reconstructed and reopened in March 1994, expanding to its current capacity of 40,000.

3. Sporting Events & Significance:
Hosts major sporting events, particularly football and rugby.
* Golden Age of Hong Kong Football (1960s-1970s):
* During major Hong Kong First Division League matches, HK Stadium would be packed to capacity. When the “red flag” (sold out) was raised, fans would even climb nearby hillsides to watch matches.
* In 1996, a record 31,000 fans attended a match between South China and Instant-Dict.
* Today, the most anticipated event is probably the Hong Kong Sevens international rugby tournament. The competition usually runs for three days, attracting rugby teams from around the world to compete at Hong Kong Stadium, with rugby fans traveling specifically to Hong Kong to watch the matches.
* The government had hoped that the stadium could be used as a music concert venue in order to bring in more rental income. But nearby citizens complained endlessly about ‘noise levels’, leading to restrictions on noise levels that effectively rendered the stadium unsuitable for concerts.

4. Future:
* The Kai Tak Sports Park, set to open this year, will become Hong Kong’s largest sports venue, featuring a 50,000-seat main stadium, a 10,000-seat indoor sports center, and a 5,000-seat public sports ground.
* As the new sports park becomes the primary venue for major events, the future role of the existing Hong Kong Stadium is under consideration. At the 2013 policy address, the then Chief Excecutive announced that the Hong Kong Stadium will be turned into a 10,000 capacity district sports arena.