Still Open
Jojo Choi, June Ng and Dorothy So hunt down some traditional gems around town that haven’t yet been lost in the mists of time. Photos by Keith Chan.
In a fast-changing city like Hong Kong, we tend to think much more about the future than we do about the past. But a number of longstanding businesses are working extra hard to keep the spirit of old Hong Kong alive. Here are some of our favorites.
Fan Ling Theatre
Opened in 1959, the Fan Ling Theatre is the last remaining village-house style cinema in Hong Kong. While it now screens the latest commercial films from home and abroad (currently playing are “Turning Point” and “Up”) and features hip art graffiti on the wall, the theatre still offers cinemagoers a trip back to the past.
Take the ticketing counter, where paper and pen are still used to mark your seats on the floor plan. Or the folding chairs, which have been there from the 60s. Or the uber-traditional tiled roof. All of this is juxtaposed nicely with a Dolby surround sound system and a state-of-the-art projector.
How did the theatre survive? According to Wan Ching-ming, the film booker and theatre manager, both the cinema and the land it sits on belong to one owner, meaning no killer rent fees need to be paid. The theatre originally showed Hong Kong movies, but business began to sag as local cinema’s popularity began to wane in the 90s. When times got really tough, the theatre turned to screening porn. It was only six years ago that mainstream films began being screened, and business gradually saw a turnaround. It’s now a popular destination among families in the neighborhood, being the only cinema near Tai Po, Fanling and Sheung Shui. Renovation was due to occur earlier this year, but was stalled because of the economic crisis; so get there fast while all the old flavor remains intact.
1 Luen Fat St., Fanling, 2675-6065.
Duen Kee Chinese Restaurant
Few people expect to find fresh mountain water in Hong Kong, but that’s one of the rarities you’ll encounter at Duen Kee Chinese Restaurant. A popular destination for over 40 years, it offers tea brewed with water piped in straight from Tai Mo Shan.
The teahouse largely operates according to old school procedures—meaning you have to do everything yourself. This includes brewing your own tea. According to floor manager Ah Chun, special quality tea leaves are used in combination with the fresh water. Meanwhile, specialty dishes include charcoal grilled goose cooked in a vintage oven, retro dim sum such as quail egg siu mai and chicken big bun, and hard-boiled organic vegetables fresh from the village.
You’ll see a lot of older customers bringing along caged birds for yum cha in the mornings, while hikers tend to frequent the place on weekends. Many customers also travel from as far as Tsuen Wan. Finally, there are some who visit the place solely because it was the location for the shooting of the Anthony Wong horror classic “The Untold Story.”
57-58, Cheun Lung Village, Route Twisk, Tsuen Wan, 2490- 5246.
Wo Hing Preserved Meat Dealers
Open since the early 1950s, Sheung Wan’s Wo Hing Meat Dealers is one of the few places in Hong Kong that still makes its own preserved meat products. The shop’s proprietors insist on making its famous Chinese sausages in their own factory instead of importing from China, because they believe that personal touch is what keeps generations of customers loyal to them.