1872 Jan 01
Cheung Chau Fong Bin Hospital, 1872
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.
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| Cheung Chau Fong Bin Hospital | Cheung Chau Fong Bin Hospital – Tai Sun Street |
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| Cheung Chau Fong Bin Hospital Donation plaque |
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Wong Wai Tsak Tong, Cheung Chau
1905 Jan 01
Wong Wai Tsak Tong, Cheung Chau
Wong Wai Tsak Tong was land owner of 90% of private land on Cheung Chau.
According to Wong Wai Tsak Tong’s clan book, the Tong originated from Po Tin area of Fujian (Fookin) province around Southern Sung Dynasty, (A.D.1127-1279), then moved to Guandong (Canton) from Fujian and settled down in the province.
Further to Land Claim in 1899, the Hong Kong Colonial Government registered Wong Wai Tsak Tong in 1905, in the form of Block Crown Lease as owner of 90% of private land on Cheung Chau.
Wong Wai Tsak Tong then issued 5-year lease for land to individual owners, and also collected payment of Crown Rent and paid to Hong Kong Colonial Government.
This practice went on till 1995 when a legislation, Block Crown Lease (Cheung Chau) Ordinance, passed to terminate Wong Wai Tsak Tong as the Taxlord for Hong Kong Colonial Government on Cheung Chau.
In the press release from Hong Kong SAR Government dated 25th of May in 2011, in response to query from Mr. Tsim Pui-Chung , Legislative Councillor of Legislative Council, Mrs Lam Cheng Yuet-Ngor, Chief Secretary of Hong Kong SAR Government, clearly stated that “a sum of HK$20.0 millions have been made to Wong Wai Tsak Tong in 2004 as compensation, which is not calculated on basis on size of land. There were no legal process involved in recovering Cheung Chau land from Wong Wai Tsak Tong.”
She also said “Block Crown Lease (Cheung Chau) Ordinance, passed in July in 1995 has terminated Wong Wai Tsak Tong status on Cheung Chau legally, and all sub-lessee from Wong Wai Tsak Tong will become lessee of Hong Kong SAR Government.”
Wong Wai Tsak Tong, however, remains as the biggest land owner and landlords on Cheung Chau, according to Land Registry of Hong Kong SAR Government.
 Wong Wai Tsak Tong Clan’s Book |
Cheung Chau Map, 1874 Wong Wai Tsak Tong Clan’s Book |
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Cheung Chau Block Crown Lease, 1905
1905 Mar 18
Cheung Chau Block Crown Lease, 1905
Block Crown Lease is basically a Land Lease covering many land lots.
In the past, many big families in New Territories have built up a large land bank in certain village or district over a long period of time. Hong Kong Colonial Government issued a single land lease covering many land lots belonging to same family for easy management accordingly.
Wong Wai Tsak Tong is a typical example, after land claim for Cheung Chau in 1899, Hong Kong Colonial Government issued a Block Crown Lease on 18th of March in 1905 to register Wong Wai Tsak Tong for 90% of private land on Cheung Chau.
In 1995, a legislation named Block Crown Lease (Cheung Chau) Ordinance, passed to terminate Wong Wai Tsak Tong’s Taxlord status for Cheung Chau, all sub-lessees of Wong Wai Tsak Tong, lease renewed or not, who were registered in Land Registry before commencement of this legislation, would become Hong Kong Government lessee.
A chapter was closed for Wong Wai Tsak Tong and Hong Kong Colonial Government.
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Cheung Chau Peak European Reserve, 1920
1920 Jan 01
Around 1920’s, European started constructing weekend bungalows on Cheung Chau Peak area facing Hong Kong Island, but not on the other side of Cheung Chau due to malaria, according to then Assistant District Officer, Eric Hamilton, in his report.
Another Assistant District Officer of 1950’s, Paul Tsui, commented that he did not understand why the biggest landlords on the island, Wong Wai Tsak Tong, did not claim the area on the peak in Cheung Chau.
Before Second World War, nobody, except European, is allowed to own property or live on the Peak area of Cheung Chau.
This policy, however, was dropped not long after Second World War, along with cancellation of European Reserve on the peak on Hong Kong Island and in Tai Po.
Cheung Chau Peak
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For further information, please click : Cheung Chau Ferry Schedule
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Cheung Chau Residents Association,1941
1941 Jan 01
Cheung Chau Residents Association is a relic from Second World War set up by Japanese army in the name of Greater East Asia Prosperity Circle.
Then Colonial Government in 1950′s stopped recognising this organisation due to big chaos in election of its official, according to Austin Coates, Assistant District Officer of New Territories South at the time.
Rivalry within Cheung Chau Residents Association caused the administration unable to transfer fund raised by leasing from Wong Wai Tsak Tong property for its operation, to proposed Cheung Chau Rural Committee, recorded by James Hayes, Assistant District Officer of New Territories South in 1960.
Worse still, James Hayes remarked, Cheung Chau Residents Association remained in control of management for Fong Pin Hospital, and transferred the dragon boat shed next to Pak Tei Temple to Dragon Boat Association.
Cheung Chau Residents Association
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