March Newsletter
This month includes a mixture of walks and lectures. Jason's Lecture Series 2 for the West Island Community Evening School will commence on Tuesday March 15th and run for three consecutive Tuesdays. This series will provide an informative insight into Hong Kong's transition period from British to Chinese rule; the context of Hong Kong's involvement in the Pacific War, with particular reference to broader events in China; and cover Hong Kong's administration under the Japanese, with specific focus on how daily life was lived as the occupation years progressed.
Forthcoming walk highlights:
- Stanley offers much more than market shopping and waterfront restaurants. One of Hong Kong Island's oldest village settlements, extensive connections remain to its fishing and sea-faring past. Various religious groups were established there, and enduring physical links to the Pacific War era remain to be explored. At Stanley Military Cemetery, you will learn of the significance of this historically-important graveyard, and something of everyday life in wartime Stanley Internment Camp.
- Sham Shui Po is one of the older, more "authentic" residential districts in Kowloon and an exploration of its market streets is perennially fascinating. During this afternoon exploration we will visit a number of produce stalls and learn how thousands of Hong Kong people, every day of the year, transform various fresh and dry ingredients into tasty, economical family meals. The walk will finish at the cooked-food stalls on the top floor of Pei Ho Street Market where we will enjoy a cup of tea - or something more substantial.
- The famous "Bun Festival" Island of Cheung Chau has more history than one would think is possible for a relatively small coastal island settlement. Missionaries used Cheung Chau as a leave centre from the early twentieth century, and links still persist in the number of religious organizations with retreats on the island. Pleasant coastal paths, and sea views, with an absence of cars make Cheung Chau a delight for walkers.
March Walks:
Please visit our Event Calendar for more. 
West Island School Lecture Series:
- Lecture 1: Hong Kong in the run up to the 1997 handover - Tuesday March 15th 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
- Lecture 2: Hong Kong and the 2nd World War - Up to the Surrender to the Japanese - Tuesday March 22nd 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
- Lecture 3: Hong Kong and the 2nd World War - The Japanese Occupation -Tuesday March 29th 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Recent Walks:
The Hong Kong Club - Kennedy Town - 19th February
Kennedy Town, at the western end of Hong Kong Island, is very often overlooked for urban explorations.
Members of The Hong Kong Club spent the morning discovering the built evidence of former times that still remains, tucked away amongst new development. An exploration of the last remaining stretch of rocky shoreline on the northern coast of Hong Kong Island was a pleasant surprise for the group.
YWCA - Kowloon - 16th February
A very fresh, crisp wind did not deter YWCA members from an exploration of Tsim Sha Tsui.
Extensive redevelopment has erased many aspects from the past, but as in other parts of urban Hong Kong a surprising amount remains.
A visit to the world-famous Chungking Mansions, one of Hong Kong's leading trading hubs, and a back-packer haven for decades, was a revelation to many and offered additional insights into this endlessly-fascinating corner of Kowloon.
Battlefields - 13th February
On Sunday 13th February a hardy group ventured out in the bleak, wet weather to explore Hong Kong's battlefield and wartime sights.
This excursion was certainly not for the faint hearted, with the drizzling rain providing a sombre air which fitted the overall mood, and a rewarding, thought-provoking experience was had by all.