The Stone House is the last structure remaining from the former Tai Hom squatter village

Tai Hom Village

Tai Hom Village was the largest squatter village in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Its demolition was completed in 2001, with a few structures of historical value being preserved...

. The building is located at No. 4 Tai Koon Yuen (大觀園), Diamond Hill

Diamond Hill

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.-Etymology:Contrary to its name,...

, in the Wong Tai Sin District

Wong Tai Sin District

Wong Tai Sin District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong, and is the only landlocked district of the city. It is located in Kowloon and has a population of 444,630...

 of Kowloon

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...

. In 2002, Hong Kong's Antiquities Advisory Board

Antiquities Advisory Board

The Antiquities Advisory Board is a statutory body of the Government of Hong Kong created in 1976 to evaluate old buildings in Hong Kong, and to recommend those with historical or architectural merit for listing as monuments. It is under the responsibility of the Home Affairs Bureau, directly...

 recognized Stone House as a Grade III historic building.

History

The Stone House was built in the 1940s. It was built of granite from the Diamond Hill Stone Quarry, and was a typical structure within the area. The construction of the Stone House was based on one of China's four great classical novels, Dream of the Red Chamber

Dream of the Red Chamber

Dream of the Red Chamber , composed by Cao Xueqin, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was composed in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. It is considered to be a masterpiece of Chinese vernacular literature and is generally acknowledged to be a pinnacle of...

. In 1947, land was bought by Yang Shou-ren (楊守仁), who named it Tai Koon Yuen; several film studios were subsequently set up in the area. Several businessmen then set up two–storied stone houses, providing residence for artists and film makers . The Stone House was owned by Wu Jun-zhao (吳君肇), ex-manager of the former Shanghai Bank of Communications, who rented it to the actor Roy Chiao

Roy Chiao

Roy Chiao was a Chinese actor most famous for playing the minor villain Lao Che in the 1984 movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Other English speaking film appearances of his included roles in the 1988 Jean-Claude Van Damme film Bloodsport, the 1973 Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon and the...

 between the 1950s and 1960s. The house at 5 Tai Koon Yuen, now demolished, was once the accommodation of film director Li Han-hsiang.

Redevelopment

On September 6, Oriental Daily, the best-selling Chinese-language daily in Hong Kong published a story explaining that the government proposed to downgrade the building to "no grade" classification. The newspaper article suggested that the proposed new classification may be aimed at easing construction of the Sha Tin to Central Link

Sha Tin to Central Link

Shatin to Central Link is a proposed railway line in Hong Kong which will run from Tai Wai Station in Tai Wai to Hung Hom. The original proposal had this line running to Central, but this will now be an extension of the East Rail Line....

.