Another part of old HK stands on the verge of extinction. The tong lau corner tenements are disappearing, and the land-strapped community shows little inspiration to protect them. Photographer Roy Liu visited some of the buildings and recorded signs of the passing of an era.

The old corner tong lau is fading away, and as each old building falls to "progress", a touch of the classical elegance of old Hong Kong goes with it.

There has been much discussion about the future of the remaining pre-war, verandah style tong lau, since the Antiquities Advisory Board meeting in August that voted down pleas to halt demolition of the iconic Tung Tak Pawn Shop building in Wan Chai.

There was nothing very special about tong lau, built between the late 18th century and the 1960s. They were merely tenements, with commercial space on the ground floor, for food vendors, sellers of cheap clothing and pawn shops. They did however lend much character to city streets with their wide verandahs and high ceilings.

There are more than 10 pre-war verandah type tong lau located at street corners, scattered all over the city, according to the Antiquities and Monuments Office. Only a few, however, possess the character of the Tung Tak building, with its rounded faade fronting an intersection.

Photographer Roy Liu visited most of those old verandah style buildings but found most in poor states of preservation. He found tumbledown staircase and broken railings. Some buildings have been left derelict, or have been vacated in preparation for demolition and redevelopment. Some continue to operate as originally designed - housing business operations or residences.

Some are still stuffed with all types of retail tenants, everything from ladies lingerie to cafs. Original colors have been painted over and the art deco faades are barely recognizable any more. Names of shops fade away on the columns or on the faades. The elegance and distinctive character of the buildings that once was, now resides only in the imagination of the beholder.

Some tong lau are used for residential buildings and serve as a microcosm of Hong Kong's long-haul land scarcity, inadequate housing and widening wealth gap. Many of the old corner tong lau are difficult to distinguish from neighboring buildings, shabby in their appearance, worn-out gates, sometimes left unlocked. Inside, many of the apartments have been subdivided into the tiny cubicles - called "subdivided units", that have earned Hong Kong dubious recognition worldwide.

A few doors of those apartments opening into subdivided units remain as they were in the 1930s and 40s. They have the same old wooden design and antique door locks. Even the floor tiles and stair railings on the staircases of the buildings reveal the same old charm.

Looking through the tiny windows on the doors reveals the warrens of cramped, subdivided units where families try to subsist. The old-time interiors have been torn out. Many of the tenants said they had not lived there long.

A few buildings have been revitalized by the government, or are slated for redevelopment. Most of those that remain are not yet graded as to their historic value, or have been designated or recommended as only grade-three historic sites, leaving the future entirely to their owners.

agnes@chinadailyhk.com

Tak Sun Pawn Shop building at No 178 Shanghai Street, Yau Ma Tei. The sign atop the building reflects how times have changed over nearly three quarters of a century since it was built. roy liu / China Daily

The building at 207 Des Voeux Road West, Sai Ying Pun, remains in poor repair, with tumbledown staircase and worn-out wooden railings.

The newspaper vendor at the ground floor at 190 Prince Edward Road West, Mong Kok, has been there for 30 years. Progress makes her decide to move on. The government is revitalizing the old building.

Tung Tak Pawn Shop in Wan Chai, where much of the original character of the building has vanished, with the antique columns plastered over with signage.

The building at 303 Castle Peak Road, Cheung Sha Wan, is among the few in the city that still possess the charm of the rounded faade fronting an intersection. The building is now stuffed with subdivided units and a Chinese barbecue restaurant on the ground floor.

The staircase, with a painting still hanging on the wall, is located at 6 Stewart Road, Wan Chai.

The floor tiles and railings on the staircase of the tong lau at 1 and 3 Playing Field Road, Mong Kok, retain just a little of the building's old charm.

The building at 177 and 179 Prince Edward Road West, Mong Kok, is crammed with retail sellers. The other half of the structure is being redeveloped, to make way for a new hotel.

The lovely balconies of the tong lau in Sai Ying Pun. The first two floors are now subdivided residential units, and the third floor is vacant. A fashion shop occupies the ground floor.

(HK Edition 10/12/2015 page10)