Diamond Hill
Encyclopedia
Diamond Hill is a hill in Kowloon
, Hong Kong
. The name also refers to the area on or adjacent to the hill. It is surrounded by Ngau Chi Wan
, San Po Kong
, Wong Tai Sin
and Tsz Wan Shan
. Its northeast is limited by the ridge. It is principally a residential district.
name for this area was a simple mistranslation, for in Cantonese, the word "鑽石" can mean either "diamonds" or "to drill for rocks". In this case, the area was known as a stone quarry
for many years before urban development took place.
There are other theories as to why the area became known as "Diamond Hill", such as the crystals contained within the rocks mined from the area have a diamond-like luminance, or that the hill resembles the shape of a diamond.
, and may have been established as early as the early eighteenth century.
There were squatter dwellings (shanties
) up and down the hill that were demolished after years effort by the Hong Kong Government. The squatter population peaked at around 50,000 people. Parts of the squatter settlement were demolished over the years, including for expansion of the Kai Tak Airport
during the Japanese occupation
, construction of the Mass Transit Railway
, Lung Cheung Road
, and the Tate's Cairn Tunnel
. Due to the dramatic shortage of public housing available for resettlement, the final sections were only demolished in 2001.
by 1996. In 1984 plans for Home Ownership Scheme
flats to house 15,600 people and Public Housing
for a further 24,500 for the area were unveiled on a site of 81 hectares. At the time of the announcement, the squatter population was estimated at 35,000.
located at 3, Lung Poon Street, near the Diamond Hill Station. Galaxia comprises 5 blocks (A-E). There are 46 floors in Block A and E and 47 floors in Block B, C and D, making a total of 1,684 units. Galaxia is connected to the Plaza Hollywood
shopping centre.
It was constructed in 1998, developed by Wheelock Properties (Hong Kong) Limited, The Wharf (Holdings)
Limited, New Asia Realty And Trust Company, Limited and Harriman Realty. In 2008, ISS Eastpoint took the place of Harriman Realty in the Galaxia consortium.
, a nearby shopping centre was so named to associate it with the former movie studio
nearby, where many films were produced after World War II
.
and Nan Lian Garden
(南蓮園池) were built according to the style of the Tang Dynasty
and are tourist attractions.
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The name also refers to the area on or adjacent to the hill. It is surrounded by Ngau Chi Wan
Ngau Chi Wan
Ngau Chi Wan was a bay beneath Hammer Hill in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. Its geographical coordinates are 22° 20' 0" North, 114° 12' 0" East. It now refers to an area north of Choi Hung Estate....
, San Po Kong
San Po Kong
San Po Kong is an area in New Kowloon in Hong Kong. South of Wong Tai Sin and Diamond Hill, and north of the former Kai Tak International Airport, the area is bounded by Choi Hung Road and Prince Edward Road. San Po Kong is largely industrial and partly residential. Administratively, it belongs...
, Wong Tai Sin
Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong
Wong Tai Sin is an area in Wong Tai Sin District, New Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area was named after the Wong Tai Sin Temple.Wong Tai Sin is surrounded by northeast Tsz Wan Shan, east Diamond Hill, south San Po Kong, south west Tung Tau and west Wang Tai Hom...
and Tsz Wan Shan
Tsz Wan Shan
Tsz Wan Shan is a residential area in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. Located at the foot of Temple Hill, it is administratively part of Wong Tai Sin District....
. Its northeast is limited by the ridge. It is principally a residential district.
Etymology
Contrary to its name, the area does not contain any diamond deposits. There are a number of theories as to why the misnomer came about, but the most accepted version states that the EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
name for this area was a simple mistranslation, for in Cantonese, the word "鑽石" can mean either "diamonds" or "to drill for rocks". In this case, the area was known as a stone quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
for many years before urban development took place.
There are other theories as to why the area became known as "Diamond Hill", such as the crystals contained within the rocks mined from the area have a diamond-like luminance, or that the hill resembles the shape of a diamond.
History
The village settlements in the area, Sheung Yuen Leng (上元嶺) and Ha Yuen Leng (下元嶺), predated British colonizationColonial Hong Kong
In the 19th century the British, Dutch, French, Indians and Americans saw Imperial China as the world's largest untapped market. In 1840 the British Empire launched their first and one of the most aggressive expeditionary forces to claim the territory that would later be known as Hong Kong.In a few...
, and may have been established as early as the early eighteenth century.
There were squatter dwellings (shanties
Shanty
Shanty may refer to:* Ice shanty, a portable shed placed on a frozen lake* Sea shanty, shipboard working songs* Shanty Hogan , Major League Baseball catcher* Shanty town, unit of irregular, low-cost dwellings...
) up and down the hill that were demolished after years effort by the Hong Kong Government. The squatter population peaked at around 50,000 people. Parts of the squatter settlement were demolished over the years, including for expansion of the Kai Tak Airport
Kai Tak Airport
Kai Tak Airport was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. It was officially known as the Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, when it was closed and replaced by the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, 30 km to the west...
during the Japanese occupation
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the territory of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting by British and Canadian defenders against overwhelming Japanese Imperial forces. The occupation lasted...
, construction of the Mass Transit Railway
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
, Lung Cheung Road
Lung Cheung Road
Lung Cheung Road is part of Route 7 in Hong Kong, linking Kwun Tong Road at Ngau Chi Wan and Ching Cheung Road near Tai Wo Ping. It is a dual 3-lane carriageway for its entire length....
, and the Tate's Cairn Tunnel
Tate's Cairn Tunnel
Tate's Cairn Tunnel is a four-lane tunnel in Hong Kong. Constructed as part of Route 2, it links Diamond Hill, Eastern Kowloon and Siu Lek Yuen, Sha Tin in the New Territories. It was opened on 26th June 1991....
. Due to the dramatic shortage of public housing available for resettlement, the final sections were only demolished in 2001.
Residential developments
In 1976, the Government released a zoning plan for 265 hectares, in which they projected to house some 219,000 in subsidised public housingPublic housing in Hong Kong
Public housing in Hong Kong is a set of mass housing programmes through which the Government of Hong Kong provides affordable housing for lower-income residents. It is a major component of housing in Hong Kong, with nearly half of the population now residing in some form of public housing...
by 1996. In 1984 plans for Home Ownership Scheme
Home Ownership Scheme
The Home Ownership Scheme is a subsidized-sale programme of public housing in Hong Kong managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority...
flats to house 15,600 people and Public Housing
Public housing in Hong Kong
Public housing in Hong Kong is a set of mass housing programmes through which the Government of Hong Kong provides affordable housing for lower-income residents. It is a major component of housing in Hong Kong, with nearly half of the population now residing in some form of public housing...
for a further 24,500 for the area were unveiled on a site of 81 hectares. At the time of the announcement, the squatter population was estimated at 35,000.
Galaxia
Galaxia (星河明居) is a private housing estatePrivate housing estate
A private housing estate is a term in Hong Kong that refers to a housing estate developed by a private developer, as opposed to a public housing estate built by the Hong Kong Housing Authority or the Hong Kong Housing Society. It usually is characterised with a cluster of high-rise buildings,...
located at 3, Lung Poon Street, near the Diamond Hill Station. Galaxia comprises 5 blocks (A-E). There are 46 floors in Block A and E and 47 floors in Block B, C and D, making a total of 1,684 units. Galaxia is connected to the Plaza Hollywood
Plaza Hollywood
Plaza Hollywood is one of the largest shopping centres in the Diamond Hill area, New Kowloon, Hong Kong. Featuring four floors surrounding a central atrium, its main advertising scheme involves everything similar to Hollywood. It was developed by the Wharf Holdings.-Facilities:The main...
shopping centre.
It was constructed in 1998, developed by Wheelock Properties (Hong Kong) Limited, The Wharf (Holdings)
The Wharf (Holdings)
The Wharf Limited , or Wharf in short, is a company founded in 1886 in Hong Kong. As its name suggests, the company's original business was in running wharfage and dockside warehousing, and it was originally known as The Hongkong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Company, Limited...
Limited, New Asia Realty And Trust Company, Limited and Harriman Realty. In 2008, ISS Eastpoint took the place of Harriman Realty in the Galaxia consortium.
Location
Diamond Hill Urn Cemetery is high in the hill. Diamond Hill MTR Station is located near Plaza HollywoodPlaza Hollywood
Plaza Hollywood is one of the largest shopping centres in the Diamond Hill area, New Kowloon, Hong Kong. Featuring four floors surrounding a central atrium, its main advertising scheme involves everything similar to Hollywood. It was developed by the Wharf Holdings.-Facilities:The main...
, a nearby shopping centre was so named to associate it with the former movie studio
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
nearby, where many films were produced after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Attractions
The Buddhist Chi Lin NunneryChi Lin Nunnery
Chi Lin Nunnery is a large Buddhist temple complex located in Diamond Hill, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Covering a space of more than 33,000 square meters, the temple complex includes a nunnery, temple halls, Chinese gardens, visitor's hostels and a vegetarian restaurant. The temple hall have statues of...
and Nan Lian Garden
Nan Lian Garden
The Nan Lian Garden is a Chinese Classical Garden in Diamond Hill, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The garden has an area of 3.5 hectares. It garden is designed in the Tang Dynasty-style with hills, water features, trees, rocks and wooden structures....
(南蓮園池) were built according to the style of the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
and are tourist attractions.
In popular culture
- Diamond Hill - Memories of growing up in a Hong Kong squatter village, written by Feng Chi-sun and published by Blacksmith Books in November, 2009, presents the early days of a life shaped by a now-extinct community.
- Many location shots were taken within the squatter settlement, which came to visually represent poverty in Hong Kong films.
- Diamond Hill was the setting for the films Diamond Hill (發光石頭) by the director Cheang Pou-soiCheang Pou-SoiSoi Cheang Pou-Soi is a Hong Kong film director, assistant director, screenwriter, script supervisor, and actor.-Filmography as director:* Accident * Shamo * Dog Bite Dog * Home Sweet Home...
, and Hollywood Hong Kong (香港有個荷里活) by director Fruit ChanFruit ChanFruit Chan Gor is an independent Hong Kong Second Wave screenwriter, filmmaker and producer, who is best known for his style of film reflecting the everyday life of Hong Kong people. He is well known for using amateur actors in his films...
. - In the film A Better Tomorrow II, Ken Gor is referred to as "The King of Diamond Hill" before turning his back on a life of crime.