Tong Lau - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Tong Lau or Kee-lau (Mandarin Chinese: Qilou) are tenement buildings built in late 19th century to the 1960s in 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...

, Macau

Macau

Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...

, southern China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

and Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. Designed for both residential and commercial uses, they are similar in style and function to the shophouse

Shophouse

A shophouse is a vernacular architectural building type that is commonly seen in areas such as urban Southeast Asia. This hybrid building form characterises the historical centres of most towns and cities in the region.- Design and features :...

s of Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

Overview

Tong Lau is essentially a balcony-type tenement building for residential and commercial use. The ground floor portion is reserved for commercial use, mostly by small businesses like pawnshops and food vendors. The upper floors were residential use and catered to Chinese residents of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

. Most Tong Lau were 2-4 storeys tall and 15 feet (4.5 m) in width.

Early Tong Lau

19th Century Tong Lau encompassed Chinese

Chinese architecture

Chinese architecture refers to a style of architecture that has taken shape in East Asia over many centuries. The structural principles of Chinese architecture have remained largely unchanged, the main changes being only the decorative details...

and Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an architectural features. The Chinese component was based on building design from southern China, mainly in Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

Province. European influences were usually Neoclassical

Neoclassical architecture

Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...

.

The Tong Lau roof used wood and/or Xieding tiles and iron was used for the balconies. The balcony's design was based on the Guangzhou-style. Windows used French styling and were made of wood and glass.

The upper floors were supported by brick pillars and protruded out to the edge of the street.

Inside, the floors were connected by wooden stairs. Most floors ranged from 450-700 square feet with very high ceilings. Top floors were often living quarters for shopkeepers and their family.

Other architectural features of early Tong Laus:

granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...

capped balustrades
decorative urns on the roof
wooden floors and joists
Canton floor tiles

An example of early Tong Lau or Kee-Lau is Lui Seng Chun

Lui Seng Chun

Lui Seng Chun is a Grade I Historic Building located at 119 Lai Chi Kok Road, in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, at the junction with Tong Mi Road. It is a 4-storey tong-lau that was built in 1931 by Mr. Lui Leung. The architect was Mr. W. H. Bourne.-Historical background:Mr...

, a reinforced concrete

Reinforced concrete

Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...

building built in Hong Kong in 1931.

Post War Tong Lau

Tong Lau built 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...

were simpler in design:

Iron balconies were replaced with concrete ones and later sealed with windows. Roofs were often flat with an open terrace and later renovated to allow for additional residential space.

Wooden windows gave way to stainless steel windows. Air conditioning units were added to the windows in the 1970s and 1980s. Often clothes racks were added below the windows and hung above the sidewalk or street below. Signs were hung on the exterior walls and protruded onto the streets below.

Other features of the new Tong Lau included:

mosaic floor tiles
terrazzo
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementitious, chemical or a combination of both...

staircase

The post-war boom and influx of immigrants meant Hong Kong

Hong Kong

ran short of housing. Tong Lau were seen as a solution and many of these buildings were renovated to become rental units.

Rooms on the upper floors were divided into smaller rooms and sublet as units by owners. They would only accommodate bunk beds. The middle of the floor was common space for tenants to eat and stretch. Bathrooms and kitchens were also shared amongst the tenants on each floor. Tenants paid for electricity and water on a monthly basis.

The sublet of floors in the Tong Lau results in changes in housing regulations in Hong Kong (Laws of Hong Kong 123 °F (50.6 °C) chapter "Building (Planning) Regulations", 46).

After the 1960s, many Tong Lau were demolished to give way to taller apartment and commercial buildings. Comparatively few Tong Lau are found in Hong Kong today.

On the 29th January 2010, there is a significant incident of spontaneous whole-building-collapse at no.45J, Ma Tau Wai Road, Ma Tau Wai

Ma Tau Wai

Ma Tau Wai is an area in Kowloon City District, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was originally a walled village between present-day Argyle Street and Prince Edward Road West, east of St Teresa's Hospital....

, when a five-storey Tong Lau of more than 50 years history suddenly collapsed at approximately 1:43pm. There are four people killed, buried under the debris. Such spontaneous, cascading and complete building-collapse in Hong Kong is quite rare since the Second World War and the incident raised concern of the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Public towards the safety of the aging "Tong Lau" population in Hong Kong especially those built with similar specifications about 50 or more years ago.

Tong Lau in Mainland China

Southern China, namely cities in Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

Province, is where the Tong Lau or Qilou originated in the late 19th century. They were built by wealthy Chinese merchants in the cities like Guangzhou

Guangzhou

Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...

.

Qilou styles varied from Chinese to European:

Gothic Style
Nanyang (Southeast Asia) Style
Ancient Roman Gallery Style
Imitation Baroque Style
Modernisme　
Traditional Chinese Architectural Style

Locations in Guangzhou

Guangzhou

with Qilou:

Renmin Zhong Road
Renmin Nan Road
Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street
Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street
Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street , or in short form Shangxiajiu , it is also known as Beijing Lu , is a commercial pedestrian street in Liwan District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China...

, including Dishifu Road
Yide road especially area around the Sacred Heart Stone House Cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral of Guangzhou
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus also known as Sacred Heart Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Guangzhou , South China. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guangzhou .The cathedral is located at 56 Yide Lu , Guangzhou...
Wanfu Road
Taikang Road
Xinhua Bookstore of Science and Technology on Beijing Road
Oi Kwan Hotel on Yanjiangxi Road
186 Wenming Road
139 Dezheng Nan Road

Tong Lau in Macau

Tong Lau are also found in Macau

Macau

Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...

on Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro

Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro

Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro , also commonly known as San Man Lo , is the main avenue in the heart of Macau Peninsula. The 620 metres long avenue was laid out in 1920 and it extends from the Inner to the Outer harbour, passing through the old residential area with its rows of colourful street...

near the Largo do Senado. Tong Lau are better preserved in Macau, where they did not give way to newer buildings. Upper floors no longer house people and often reused for commercial use. Tong Lau here often feature Portuguese

Architecture of Portugal

Architecture of Portugal refers to the architecture practised in the territory of present-day Portugal since before the foundation of the country in the 12th century...

colonial architectural influences.

Tong Lau in Hong Kong

The existence of Tong Laus was a culmination of a series of historic forces from economic development of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

, Second World War as well as the influx of Chinese migrants to Hong Kong.

In 1898, the government introduced a building and public health ordinance which defined all the buildings including Tong Laus. In 1903, the government introduced a maximum height per storey of 9 feet (2.7 m), with a four storey limit. This explains the general appearance of Tong Laus. Yet, the ordinance changed in 1964, so no Tong Lau was built from then on.

Tong Laus are found throughout Hong Kong

Hong Kong

(the grading

Heritage conservation in Hong Kong

This article details the history and status of Heritage conservation in Hong Kong, as well as the role of various stakeholders.An indication of the size of the built heritage in Hong Kong is given by a territory-wide survey conducted by the Antiquities and Monuments Office between 1996 and 2000,...

of the buildings is indicated into brackets):

Central
Central, Hong Kong
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...
- Nos. 172, 174, 176 Queen's Road Central / 123, 125, 127 Wellington Street
  Wellington Street, Hong Kong
  Wellington Street is a street in Central and Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is a straight road running downward and westward from Wyndham Street to Queen's Road Central. The two sides of street is a mosaic of old and new buildings. Varieties of trades can be found on the street level...
- Nos. 17, 19 Shing Wong Street
  Shing Wong Street
  Shing Wong Street is a street on the hill slope of Sheung Wan and Mid-levels, Hong Kong. The street from Gough Street at its lowest to Caine Road highest...
- Nos. 1-12 Wing Lee Street
  Wing Lee Street
  right|250px|thumb|Wing Lee Street.right|250px|thumb|Wing Lee Street.Wing Lee Street is a street in Hong Kong. It is located in Sheung Wan near Shing Wong Street, Bridges Street, Ladder Street and the Former Hollywood Road Police Married Quarters....
Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau is a small island 10 km southwest of Hong Kong Island, is nicknamed as the 'dumbbell island' for its shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in the territory of Hong Kong, with a population of about 23,000 up to 2006...
- Nos. 233, 234, 242 Tai San Back Street
Lantau Island
Lantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
- Nos. 46, 48 Kat Hing Street, Tai O
  Tai O
  Tai O is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong.-Geography:On the main part of Lantau Island, a river splits to the north and west and at this fork lies the island referred to as Tai O. Two pedestrian bridges cross the river...
Mong Kok
Mong Kok
Mong Kok , less often known as Argyle , is an area in the Yau Tsim Mong District on Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong...
- No. 119 Lai Chi Kok Road
  Lai Chi Kok Road
  Lai Chi Kok Road is a road in the western part of New Kowloon, Hong Kong. It links Lai Chi Kok to Mong Kok, via Tai Kok Tsui, Sham Shui Po and Cheung Sha Wan. It starts from the junction with Nathan Road near Pioneer Centre in the south and ends near Mei Foo Sun Chuen...
  
  (Lui Seng Chun
  Lui Seng Chun
  Lui Seng Chun is a Grade I Historic Building located at 119 Lai Chi Kok Road, in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, at the junction with Tong Mi Road. It is a 4-storey tong-lau that was built in 1931 by Mr. Lui Leung. The architect was Mr. W. H. Bourne.-Historical background:Mr...
  
  ) (Grade I)
- No. 729 Nathan Road
- Nos. 1, 3 Playing Field Road
- Nos. 177-179, 190-204, 210-212 Prince Edward Road West
- Nos. 600-606, 612, 614, 620-626 Shanghai Street
  Nos. 600-626 Shanghai Street
  Nos. 600-626 Shanghai Street, or more specifically Nos. 600, 602, 604, 606, 612, 614, 620, 622, 624 and 626, is a group of ten pre-war shophouses in the Mong Kok section of Shanghai Street, in Hong Kong, that have been listed as Grade I historical buildings for their historical...
  
  (Grade I)
North Point
North Point
North Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District of Hong Kong. It is the northernmost point of Hong Kong Island, adjacent to both Causeway Bay and Quarry Bay, and projecting toward Kowloon Bay. Fortress Hill occupies the western end of the North Point area.-History:In 1899, The...
- Nos. 89, 91 Electric Road
  Electric Road
  Electric Road is a road in North Point on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. Its spans from Fortress Hill of North Point and Tin Hau area of Causeway Bay. The road connects east onto Java Road.-History:...
Sai Ying Pun
Sai Ying Pun
Sai Ying Pun is an area in Western District on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is part of Central and Western District in district administration....
- Nos. 145, 147, 149, 151, 153 Third Street
  Third Street (Hong Kong)
  Third Street , is a street in Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood of Hong Kong. It runs one way from Pok Fu Lam Road, then crosses Water Street, then Pok Fu Lam Road again, then western, Centre Streets and terminates at Eastern Street....
Sha Tau Kok
Sha Tau Kok
Sha Tau Kok or Shataukok or Sathewkok is a town in the northeastern corner of Hong Kong. Located on the border with mainland China, there is another town of same Chinese name, Shatoujiao, romanized using Hanyu Pinyin, across the Sham Chun River-defined border in Shenzhen of mainland...
- Nos. 1-22 San Lau Street
Sham Shui Po
Sham Shui Po
Sham Shui Po, or Shamshuipo, is an area of Sham Shui Po District, Hong Kong, situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, north of Tai Kok Tsui, east of Cheung Sha Wan and south of Shek Kip Mei. Sham Shui Po is known for its street market for electronic devices.-History:Sham Shui Po...
- Nos. 187, 189 Apliu Street
  Apliu Street
  Apliu Street is a street in the Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It runs parallel to Cheung Sha Wan Road between Yen Chow Street and Nam Cheong Street. An easy way to reach it is to get off at the MTR Sham Shui Po Station...
- No. 1235 Canton Road
  Canton Road
  Canton Road is a road in Hong Kong, linking the former west reclamation shore in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok on the Kowloon Peninsula. The road runs mostly parallel and west to Nathan Road. It starts from the junction with Salisbury Road in the south and ends in the north at the...
- Nos. 130, 132 Ki Lung Street
  - Nos. 117, 119, 121, 123, 125 Nam Cheong Street (Grade II)
- No. 75 Un Chau Street
- No. 170 Yee Kuk Street
- Nos. 51, 53 Yen Chow Street
  Yen Chow Street
  Yen Chow Street is a main street in Sham Shui Po of New Kowloon in Hong Kong. The street runs from hill side towards the shore. It spans from Castle Peak Road to Sham Mong Road. Its extension Yen Chow Street West spans further to the reclamation shore.-Name:The street was named after Yen Chow,...
- Nos. 269, 271 Yu Chau Street (Grade II)
Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan is an area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, between Central and Sai Ying Pun. Administratively, it is part of the Central and Western District...
- No. 1 Queen's Road West
Wan Chai
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called...
- Nos. 369, 371 Hennessy Road
  Hennessy Road
  Hennessy Road is a thoroughfare on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It connects Yee Wo Street on the east in Causeway Bay, and Queensway on the western end in Wan Chai.The road is named after John Pope Hennessy, the Governor of Hong Kong between 1877 and 1882....
- Nos. 2, 4, 6, 8 Hing Wan Street (Grade II)
- Nos. 60-66 Johnston Road
  Johnston Road
  Johnston Road is a major road in Wan Chai on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. It spans from the junction with Heard Street, Hennessy Road and Stewart Road are at its east towards another junction with Hennessy Road and Queensway at its west near Asian House...
- No. 8 King Sing Street
- Nos. 1-11 Mallory Street and 6-12 Burrows Street (Green House
  Green House (Hong Kong)
  Green House is a block of 10 tenement houses located in 1-11, Mallory Street and 6-12 Burrows Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. It is named from the green colour painted on the external walls of the building. It is one of the few remaining tong-lau of the balcony type in Hong Kong...
  
  ) (Grade II)
- Nos. 186-190 Queen's Road East (Grade II)
- No. 6 Stewart Road
- Nos. 72-74A Stone Nullah Lane
  Stone Nullah Lane
  Stone Nullah Lane is a retailing street in the Wan Chai district of Hong Kong island, Hong Kong. It intersects with Queen's Road East and is best known for its Wan Chai Market.One of the signs has now been defaced to 'Stoned Nuttah Lane'-See also:...
  
  (Blue House
  Blue House (Hong Kong)
  Blue House refers to a 4-storey balcony-type tenement block located at 72-74A Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai. It is named for the brilliant blue colour painted on its external walls. It is one of the few remaining examples of Tong Lau of the balcony type in Hong Kong...
  
  ) (Grade I)
- No. 18 Ship Street
  Ship Street, Hong Kong
  Ship Street is a street in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. It starts from Johnston Road, crosses Queen's Road East and goes uphill southward and reaches Kennedy Road. Part of the street is ladders and much of the century old buildings are abandoned. Locals often refer to these buildings as the "Ghost...
  
  (Grade II)

Yuen Long
Yuen Long
Yuen Long , formerly Un Long, is an area and town located in the northwest of Hong Kong, on the Yuen Long Plain. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin, and to the north Nam Sang Wai.-Name:The Cantonese name Yuen Long 元朗...
- No. 31 Lee Yick Street, Yuen Long Kau Hui
  Yuen Long Kau Hui
  Yuen Long Kau Hui is an area in Yuen Long, Yuen Long District, in the western New Territories of Hong Kong.-Geography:Yuen Long Kau Hui is located in the north-east of the present Yuen Long Town. It is sited south of a small hill and directly north of Yuen Long MTR Station. It comprises several...
- Nos. 33-35 Nam Mun Hau, Yuen Long Kau Hui

Other areas include: Cheung Sha Wan

Cheung Sha Wan

Cheung Sha Wan is an area between Lai Chi Kok and Sham Shui Po in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is mainly residential to the north and south, with an industrial area in between. Administratively it is part of Sham Shui Po District. The Sham Shui Po District includes Mei Foo as well as Lai Chi...

, Hung Hom

Hung Hom

Hung Hom is an area of Kowloon, in Hong Kong, administratively part of the Kowloon City District, with a portion west of the railway in the Yau Tsim Mong District. Hung Hom serves mainly residential purposes though is mixed with some industrial buildings in the north.-Geography:Hung Hom is located...

, Kwun Tong

Kwun Tong

Kwun Tong is an area in Kwun Tong District, situated at the eastern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, and its boundary stretches from Lion Rock in the north to Lei Yue Mun in the south, and from the winding paths of Kowloon Peak in the east to the north coast of the former Kai Tak Airport runway in...

, Shek Kip Mei

Shek Kip Mei

Shek Kip Mei, originally known as Kap Shek Mi, is an area in New Kowloon, the North Eastern Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong.-History:A major fire on 25 December 1953, destroyed the Shek Kip Mei shantytown of immigrants from Mainland China that had fled to Hong Kong, leaving 53,000 people...

, Tai Po

Tai Po

Tai Po is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui and the Tai Wo Town on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River, near the old Tai Po Market Station of the...

, Tsim Sha Tsui

Tsim Sha Tsui

Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...

, 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...

, Yau Ma Tei

Yau Ma Tei

Yau Ma Tei, also known as Waterloo , is an area in the Yau Tsim Mong District in the south of the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong.-Name:Yau Ma Tei is a phonetic transliteration of the name 油麻地 in Cantonese...

Architects

W.H. Bourne a local Hong Kong architect, was one of a few designers of Tong Lau.

External links

Lee Ho Yin, "Pre-war Tong Lau: A Hong Kong Shophouse Typology", Resource Paper for the Antiquities and Monuments Office and Commissioner for Heritage's Office, 19 April 2010
Conserve and Revitalise Hong Kong Heritage
Mallory Street/Burrows Street Project
Heritage enthusiast battles against the wrecker's ball
Tong Laus in Wan Chai
Old Qilou Buildings: Historical Architecture in Guangzhou (Part 1)
Old Qilou Buildings: Historical Architecture in Guangzhou (Part 2)

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Overview

Early Tong Lau

Post War Tong Lau

Tong Lau in Mainland China

Tong Lau in Macau

Tong Lau in Hong Kong

Architects

See also

External links