1810 Jan 01
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Cheung Po Tsai, Pirate, 1806-1810
Cheung Po Tsai, Pirate, 1806-1810
According to Pun Yu County record in late Ching Dynasty, Cheung Po , was the pirate in Southern China coast.
Cheung Po went out fishing with his father when he was around 15 years old, and was captured by Red Flag pirate leader of South China, Cheng Yat, who was descendant of Cheng Shing Kung, the famous sea explorer of Ming dynasty.
Cheng Yat later died in typhoon. His wife promoted Cheung Po as assistant to control the Red Flag pirates.
For his young age, other pirates started calling him Po Tsai. (literally in English, kid Po)
Cheung Po Tsai active leadership of Red Flag pirates only lasted between 1806 and 1810.
As a result of fear of revenge by another leader, Kwok Por Dai, of Black Flag pirates, and on the advice by wife of Cheng Yat, he surrendered to Ching Government.
He was given a position of military officer in Ching army, got officially married with wife of Cheng Yat. She later started casino business in Macau.
Cheung Po Tsai used Tung Chung of Lantau Island as repair and maintenance base, and once broke through the blockage set up in Chek Lap Kwok by joint force of Ching and Portuguese navies.
Based on report of 2 East India Company sailors kidnapped by Cheung Po Tsai, he had over 500 boats and around 25,000 pirates under his command at his peak.
Cheung Po Tsai Cave on Cheung Chau
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Cheung Chau Fong Bin Hospital, 1872
1872 Jan 01
Cheung Chau Fong Bin Hospital, 1872
According to assessment report in 2009 from Antiquities and Monuments Office of Hong Kong Government :
“Cheung Chau Fong Bin Hospital was set up by Mr. Choi Leung , a merchant on the island.
His aim is to provide shelter to the homeless and sick and those perished in sea during typhoon. It was then expanded in 1915 by Cheung Chau Kai Fong.”
Based on the record from Land Registry of Hong Kong Lands Department, Cheung Chau Kai Fong, represented by Chu Fook, and Lo Chiu, and witnessed by Wong Wai Tsak Tong Manager, Wong Tsuen Ting ,on 5th of December in 1914, executed a deed of exchange of Cheung Chau Lot 340 with a parcel of land of 4,500 s.f.. from Colonial Government. It is Cheung Chau Lot 732 where Fong Bin Hospital now located.
This act caused then Assistant District Officer for New Territories South, Eric Hamilton, to comment on news of death of Chu Fook in report in 1921, of his great amount of work for Cheung Chau community.
It also led to him remark in his report in 1922 on death of Wong Tsuen Ting, Manager of Wong Wai Tsak Tong, of his and his predecessor’s appreciation for Wong’s continuous support and his capability in Cheung Chau community work.
Antiquities and Monuments Office also mentioned “Cheung Chau Fong Bin Hospital was mainly providing Chinese Medicine, and was under major renovation in 1931 and 1951 to cope with demand.
It was changed hand to Cheung Chau Residents Association in 1945, reputable Chinese medication practice was hired, visitors came as far as other outlying islands.”
But ever since 1934 when St John’s Ambulance opened Haw Par Hospital providing western medicine, Fong Bin Hospital was slowly fading away till complete abandon in 1988.
Right now the premises are in ruin, ownership is managed on temporary basis by Assistant District Officer for New Territories South.
Cheung Chau Fong Bin Hospital | Cheung Chau Fong Bin Hospital – Tai Sun Street |
Cheung Chau Fong Bin Hospital Donation plaque |
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Kwok Man School, Cheung Chau
1900 Jan 01
Kwok Man School of Cheung Chau was established around the turn of last century in 1900’s.
There were three different clan’s association schools in the beginning according to plaque set in front of school.
Cheung Chau Wai Chiu Clansman Association, Tung Kwan Clansman Association, and Po An Clansman Association, separately set up schools to take care of education of children from their respective clan on Cheung Chau Island.
For over decades, they were independent schools until wars came.
After wars over, leaders of these clans on Cheung Chau came out to support for a new school.
With the help of Wong Wai Tsak Tong to donate 2 plots of land and finance from leading kaifongs on Cheung Chau Island, the original 3 separate schools now come under one roof, at No.30 Kwok Man Road and with a new name called Kwok Man School.
Curiously, a third plot of land – Cheung Chau Lot 92RP, which may be basketball court of the school, remains in the hand of Wong Wai Tsak Tong according to Land Registry’s record.
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Cheung Chau, Ferry and Pier
1910 Jan 01
Cheung Chau, Ferry and Pier
Walter Schofield, Assistant District Officer for New Territories South (1910′s), wrote the ferry serving Cheung Chau was single-decked, run by Cheung Chau Kai Fong Wui.
Single voyage costed HK$3 cents, for HK$5 cents, Kai Fong Wui would provide a bamboo chair for you at the front of the deck.
Ferry Ordinance was passed in 1917, requiring operator to replace those old launches ferrying between Yaumatei, Kowloon City and Cheung Chau, with 2nd hand Star Ferry boats, to avoid those old launches going turtle during journey, and therefore loss of lives.
In 1928, new operator issued new ferry time schedule causing inconvenience to islander. The crux of the issue was the time table primarily designed to suite the schedule of passenger from Hong Kong Island, not to the fisherman from Cheung Chau.
Cheung Chau pier was constructed with wood before 1920′s.
On 13th of August in 1920, Hong Kong Colonial Government Director of Public Work, A H Hollingsworth gazetted to invite interest party to tender for erection of concrete pier at Cheung Chau.
From then on, wooden pier disappeared from Cheung Chau.
Cheung Chau Old Ferry |
Cheung Chau Old Pier |
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Pirates attack on Cheung Chau Police Station. August 21st, 1912
1912 Aug 21
Hong Kong Colonial Government New Territories South Assistant District Officer, S H Peplow, recorded at mid night of August 21st 1912 , a group of 50 pirates in small boats landed in Cheung Chau near Police Station.
They went in to kill 3 Indian Police on duty, ransacked the station and took away HK$3,000 cash from the safe, together with all guns and ammunition.
The pirates went on to rob all shops and residences in neighbourhood.
One or two pirates died and some are also injured.
The piracy shocked Hong Kong and caused Cheung Chau Police Station to move in 1913-1914 to high ground from the shore, at current location in Police Station Path.
Cheung Chau Police Station
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