Public Square Street

Public Square Street (Chinese: 眾坊街; Cantonese Yale: jung3 fong1 gaai1; formerly 公眾四方街) is a street in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Public Square Street
Public Square Street, at its intersection with Nathan Road, looking west.
Traditional Chinese眾坊街
Simplified Chinese众坊街
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese公眾四方街
Simplified Chinese公众四方街
Corner of Public Square Street and Nathan Road, here in the section between Cliff Road and Nathan Road. The tall white building is Kowloon Government Offices (九龍政府合署).
Tin Hau Temple Complex along Public Square Street.
Mido Cafe (美都餐室) at the corner of Public Square Street and Temple Street. Looking north into Temple Street.
Henry G. Leong Yaumatei Community Centre (梁顯利油麻地社區中心) at the corner of Public Square Street and Shanghai Street.
Yau Ma Tei Police Station at the corner of Public Square Street and Canton Road.

Location

The street runs in an east-west alignment from Cliff Road to Ching Ping Street (澄平街), meeting Nathan Road, Temple Street, Shanghai Street, Reclamation Street and Canton Road in its course.

History

The street was built in 1887. Its original name in Chinese was 公眾四方街 (Kung Chong Sze Fong Kai in Cantonese), a mistranslation that resulted from the word square being misinterpreted as a geometric shape. The more accurate translation of 眾坊街 (Chung Fong Kai in Cantonese language) was adopted in 1976.[1]

A large-scale reclamation was carried out in Yau Ma Tei between 1900 and 1904, between today's Reclamation Street and Ferry Street.[2] Public Square Street was extended to Ferry Street accordingly.

The end of the street, near present-day Ferry Street, the Yau Ma Tei Ferry Pier was one of main pier for ferry transport across Victoria Harbour between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The ferry pier was completed in 1923.[2] The pier was later relocated to Ferry Point near Kwun Chung.

The Tin Hau Temple Complex, a school and a community office were built in Public Square Street at the end of the 19th century by the leaders of the Yau Ma Ti Kaifong. In 1966, they all were still standing in a form similar to their original one.[3]

Features

The public square in the street's name refers to Yung Shue Tau (榕樹頭), a gathering place in front of the Tin Hau Temple in Yau Ma Tei. Apart from the landmarks of Yung Shue Tau and Tin Hau Temple, there are also the night market of Temple Street, historical Yau Ma Tei Police Station, and Broadway Cinematheque. Jade Market is just a few walks away. On the other side of Nathan Road, the end near Cliff Road has steps leading to the hill of King's Park.

Landmarks and adjoining roads, from East to West:

See also

References
  1. "List of Street Names approved during the quarter ending 30th September, 1976". Administration Select Committee, Urban Council. 11 October 1976. p. 2.
  2. Cheng, Po-hung; Toong, Po-ming (2003). "Yau Ma Tei in the 20th Century". A century of Kowloon Roads and Streets. Hong Kong: Joint Publishing. p. 40. ISBN 9620422007.
  3. Hayes, James (1966). "Old British Kowloon" (PDF). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch. 6: 130.
  4. "Three historic items declared as monuments". Antiquities and Monuments Office. 22 May 2020.
  5. Antiquities Advisory Board. List of the 1,444 Historic Buildings with Assessment Results
  6. Wordie, Jason (2007). Streets: Exploring Kowloon. Hong Kong University Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-9622098138.
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