View source for Pok Fu Lam

{{Short description|Residential area on Hong Kong Island}}
{{Use Hong Kong English|date=August 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}

{{More citations needed|date=August 2011}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic               = Lamma Island and Pok Fu Lam 1.jpg
| piccap            = Overlooking Pok Fu Lam and [[Lamma Island]] from [[High West]]
| picsize           = 250px
|c={{linktext|薄|扶|林}}
|j=Bok6fu4lam4|y=Bohkfùhlàhm|ci={{IPA|yue|pɔ̀ːk̚.fȕː.lɐ̏m|}}|showflag=y
|p=Bófúlín
|l="Thin Shielding Forest"}}
[[File:The Two Old Chowsheds of Dairy Farm, Hong Kong.JPG|thumb|right|Old cowsheds of the dairy farm]]

'''Pok Fu Lam''' ({{lang-zh|t=薄扶林|links=no|labels=no}}) or '''Pokfulam''' is a residential area on [[Hong Kong Island]], at the western end of the [[Southern District, Hong Kong|Southern District]]. It is a valley between [[Victoria Peak]] and [[Mount Kellett]], around [[Telegraph Bay]].

Pok Fu Lam can claim several ''firsts'' in the history of [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]]: <!--it was reputed to be the spot where [[Europe]]ans first discovered Hong Kong Island; *Source?* -->It was the place where Hong Kong's floral emblem, ''[[Bauhinia blakeana]]'', was first discovered; the site for Hong Kong's first [[Reservoirs of Hong Kong|reservoir]], [[Pok Fu Lam Reservoir]] (1883, now part of [[Pok Fu Lam Country Park|a country park]]), and the site for Hong Kong's first dairy farm by five investors, including [[Patrick Manson|Sir Patrick Manson]] in 1885. The farm supplied not only milk, but cattle to Hong Kong, and later became [[Dairy Farm International Holdings|Dairy Farm]]. However, it no longer exists in Pok Fu Lam.

Pok Fu Lam is connected to [[Lung Fu Shan]], [[Sai Ying Pun]] and [[Aberdeen, Hong Kong|Aberdeen]] by the [[Pok Fu Lam Road]]. It's also indirectly connected to the [[Mid-Levels]]. Pok Fu Lam also overlooks [[Lamma Island]]. Pok Fu Lam is connected to [[Kennedy Town]] via [[Smithfield, Hong Kong|Smithfield]] and [[Shek Tong Tsui]] via Hill Road.
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==Sights==
[[File:HK Béthanie Front.JPG|thumb|right|Béthanie in Pok Fu Lam]]
[[File:University Hall (University of Hong Kong) exterior.JPG|thumb|University Hall]]
While the farm no longer exists, its remains and other colonial era institutions continue to exist serving, in some cases, other purposes. The former dairy farm can still be seen in the grassy slopes of the hills, but mainly in the two milking sheds that remain. They are between the new Vocational Training Center and the much older [[Béthanie (Hong Kong)|Béthanie]]. Béthanie and the cow sheds are presently administered by [[Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts|the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts]], but were previously controlled by the University of Hong Kong which used Béthanie as headquarters for the [[Hong Kong University Press|HKU Press]]. The APA uses Béthanie and the cow sheds for various educational purposes, but also lends the chapel in Béthanie to [[St John's Cathedral (Hong Kong)|St. John's Cathedral (Anglican)]] as the locale for Emmanuel Church - Pokfulam, a daughter (subordinate) church serving the west of Hong Kong Island.

Béthanie was built as a sanatorium between 1873 and 1875 for the French Catholic missionaries in China, better known as [[Paris Foreign Missions Society|Missions Etrangères de Paris]] or MEP. Recently restored with loving care, Béthanie is now used by the Academy for the Performing Arts for educational purposes. Béthanie includes a small chapel. In its present restored configuration, this chapel seats about 100 and is used each Sunday by Emmanuel Church - Pokfulam, a daughter church of St. John's Cathedral. The Béthanie chapel is a beautiful Neo Gothic structure. Some of the original statuary and stained glass windows have been recovered and re-installed.<ref>[http://www.emmanuel.org.hk/bethanie-restoration/ Emmanuel Church, Pofulam - restoration of Béthanie]</ref>

Across the Pokfulam Road, is University Hall. U-Hall, as it is abbreviated, is a residential unit for undergraduates of the [[University of Hong Kong]]. Originally, U-Hall was the residence of a merchant, but eventually, it came under the control of the same French Catholic missionaries who built Béthanie. It was extended greatly and printed religious literature in its basement in many languages for nearly 100 years. In the 1950s, when [[christianity in China|missionary work in China]] died, the building was given to the [[Government of Hong Kong|HK government]] which gave it to the University of Hong Kong as a student residential unit. It is smaller now than it used to be, but still houses 100 or so undergraduates. There was a chapel in the building: it now serves as the dining hall for the students. University Hall is much in demand as a location for movies, wedding photos, advertisements, and other purposes.

==Village==
[[Image:Pok Fu Lam Village.JPG|thumb|right|Pok Fu Lam Village]]

At the centre of Pok Fu Lam is an indigenous village, the '''Pok Fu Lam Village''' ({{lang-zh|t=薄扶林村|labels=no}}), the only one of its kind remaining on Hong Kong Island. Often mistaken as a [[shanty town]] by the residents of the surrounding apartments, the conservation value of the village has been acknowledged by its inclusion on the 2014 World Monuments Watch by the [[World Monuments Fund]].<ref>[https://www.wmf.org/project/pokfulam-village Pokfulam Village] [[World Monuments Fund]]</ref>

===History===
[[Image: Lee-ling Fairy Tower.JPG|thumb|upright|Lee Ling Fairy Tower]]
Pok Fu Lam Village is a historic village, which has existed since the beginning of the 17th century. Local residents in the past have repeatedly asked the government to give indigenous inhabitants of Pok Fu Lam the same recognition as residents of the [[New Territories]]. These claims have been rejected by the government which also threatened demolition of the village.

In the [[Kangxi Emperor|Kangxi period]] (late 17th century) of the [[Qing dynasty]], approximately 2,000 people seeking asylum from [[Revolt of the Three Feudatories|turmoils in mainland China]] reached this village. The early villagers, mostly with the surnames of Chen, Huang, and Luo, were farmers. The "[[Xin'an County|Xinan County]] Journal" of 1819 mentioned that Pok Fu Lam Village was one of three villages on Hong Kong Island (the other ones were at [[Stanley, Hong Kong|Stanley]] and [[Wong Chuk Hang San Wai|Wong Chuk Hang]]). It was described as "built alongside the hill and the creek, its structures are quite elegant".

At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Pok Fu Lam was 833. The number of males was 580.<ref>{{Cite journal| last = Hase| first = Patrick |author-link=Patrick Hase| title = Traditional Life in the New Territories: The Evidence of the 1911 and 1921 Censuses| journal =Journal of the [[Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch]]| volume = 36| page = 82| year = 1996| url = https://hkjo.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/ecc123316b3526a31a101b3c4cf08a12.pdf| issn = 1991-7295}}</ref>

After the [[World War II|Second World War]], the massive refugee influx seeking asylum from mainland China reached Hong Kong, resulting in the village population increasing from 20-odd households to more than 100 households. The original vegetable gardens were replaced by houses. It was not until the 1980s, when the Hong Kong economy experienced rapid growth, that the village population began to decrease, but many villagers remain in the village today.

===Fire Dragon Festival===
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2024}}
The villagers have their own festivals: the [[Pok Fu Lam Fire Dragon Dance|annual Fire Dragon Dance]], the oldest of its kind in Hong Kong, is held during the [[Mid-Autumn Festival]], and is organised entirely by the villagers, who strive to preserve the unique festival for the generations to come. Ng Kong-kin, master craftsman of the 73.3 metre long dragon, has been making these creatures for more than four decades, and continues to volunteer his time building the enormous beast every year; his brother Ng Kong-nan, supervises the training of the dancers and preparation for the annual celebrations. All villagers participate in the burning of incense and each household is blessed by the dragons as they dance through the village, making the festival a fundamental part of the village life. Many other less well known festivals include Bou Chun Tin, which commemorates [[Nüwa]] repairing the Wall of Heaven; Fa San Fuk, a ritual carried out on [[Chinese New Year|Lunar New Year]]'s Eve for good fortune throughout the year; and Jip Nin Gang, when villagers calculate the best time in Chinese ''[[feng shui]]'' to welcome the new year, and prepare celebratory procedures for the particular moment.

===Buildings===
The forest village is divided into three parts: Middle is "Wai Chai", Northern portion is "the vegetable garden", the village tail is "Long Tzutu". There are few types of village house. Some are made of stone and hay with Chinese tiled pitched roof. Some Chinese tiled pitched roof had been replaced with galvanised steel roof. Some village houses are made of brick with concrete flat roof or galvanised steel roofs. In addition the village has a characteristic tower, named {{ill|Li Ling Divine Pagoda|zh|李靈仙姐塔}} or Li Ling Fairy Tower ({{lang-zh|t=李靈仙姐塔|labels=no}}), which is approximately 5 meters high. The existing pagoda was rebuilt in 1916. The first pagoda was built of stone as advised by the elder villagers.

==Housing estates==
[[File:Chi Fu Fa Yuen.jpg|thumb|Chi Fu Fa Yuen, next to Pok Fu Lam Village]]
Pok Fu Lam is notable for its quiet, green living environment (by Hong Kong standard), attracting a significant number of [[expatriate]]s, many of whom work at the nearby [[University of Hong Kong]].
Several [[private housing estate]]s are located in Pok Fu Lam.
* Chi Fu Fa Yuen ({{lang-zh|t=置富花園|labels=no}}) was developed in the mid-seventies by [[Hongkong Land]]. It comprises 20 towers of 28-storey high-rise buildings with a total of 4,258 residential units and 7 towers of 5-storey villa type low-rise buildings with 70 household units.<ref name="Community">Chan, Chi-kau, Johnnie Casire, [http://hub.hku.hk/bitstream/10722/29067/1/FullText.pdf "Community development and management of private sector housing estates in Hong Kong"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024133703/http://hub.hku.hk/bitstream/10722/29067/1/FullText.pdf |date=2013-10-24 }}, [[University of Hong Kong]], August 1995</ref>
* Pokfulam Gardens
* [[Baguio Villa]]

==Education==
Educational institutions in Pok Fu Lam include:
* [[German Swiss International School]] maintains a campus adjacent to Pok Fu Lam Village.<ref>"[https://mygsis.gsis.edu.hk/aboutus/campuses/ Campuses] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618153023/https://mygsis.gsis.edu.hk/aboutus/campuses/ |date=18 June 2016 }}." [[German Swiss International School]]. Retrieved on February 10, 2017.</ref>
* [[Kellett School]] has a preparatory campus by the intersection between Pok Fu Lam Road and Shek Pai Wan Road.<ref>"[http://www.kellettschool.com/366/our-school/our-campuses Our Campuses] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609220610/http://www.kellettschool.com/366/our-school/our-campuses |date=9 June 2017 }}." [[Kellett School]]. Retrieved on June 11th, 2017.</ref>
* [[Ebenezer School & Home for the Visually Impaired]] is located along Pok Fu Lam Road.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ebenezer School & Home for the Visually Impaired · 131 Pok Fu Lam Rd, High West, Hong Kong |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ebenezer+School+&+Home+for+the+Visually+Impaired/@22.2669061,114.1316411,19z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x3403ffed80d18a9d:0xc6797c58a1acb14d!8m2!3d22.2669059!4d114.1321573!16s/g/155qnhv4?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTExMy4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw== |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Ebenezer School & Home for the Visually Impaired · 131 Pok Fu Lam Rd, High West, Hong Kong |language=en}}</ref>
* [[West Island School]], a secondary school part of the [[English Schools Foundation]] is located along Victoria Road.<ref>{{Cite web |title={{!}} Home |url=https://www.wis.edu.hk/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=West Island School - ESF |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Kennedy School, a primary school part of the English Schools Foundation is located along Sha Wan Drive.<ref>{{Cite web |title={{!}} Home |url=https://www.kennedy.edu.hk/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Kennedy School - ESF |language=en-US}}</ref>

Pok Fu Lam is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 18. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Hong Kong Southern District Government
Primary School.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/school-lists/2023dpnet-18b.pdf|title=POA School Net 18|publisher=[[Education Bureau]]|accessdate=2022-09-12}}</ref>

; Former schools
* Pokfulam Government Primary School<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.school.net.hk/schools/primary/info/510572.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980131064706/http://www.school.net.hk/schools/primary/info/510572.html|title=薄扶林官立小學 POKFULAM GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOL|publisher=School.net.hk|archive-date=1998-01-31|accessdate=2022-09-11|quote=香港薄扶林道１６２號 162 POKFULAM ROAD POKFULAM HK }}</ref> Now the German Swiss School Pok Fu Lam Campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gsis.edu.hk/contactus/|title=Contact Us|publisher=[[German Swiss International School]]|accessdate=2022-09-11|quote=Pok Fu Lam Campus[...]162 Pok Fu Lam Road Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong}}</ref>

==Hospital==
* [[Queen Mary Hospital (Hong Kong)|Queen Mary Hospital]]

==See also==
*[[Cyberport]]
*[[Sandy Bay, Hong Kong|Sandy Bay]]
*[[Pok Fu Lam Fire Dragon Dance]]
*[[List of places in Hong Kong]]

==References==
{{reflist|40em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web|url=https://hk.appledaily.com/feature/20210314/FPJQGOXOABEOTARB6QPFY64Y6Q/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210313190722/https://hk.appledaily.com/feature/20210314/FPJQGOXOABEOTARB6QPFY64Y6Q/|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 March 2021|title=Pokfulam Village: Centuries-old hidden gem on Hong Kong island|newspaper=[[Apple Daily]]|date=2021-03-14}} - [https://hk.appledaily.com/lifestyle/20201113/JDHC55ENMFETJGWOTRQK5X65YY/ Chinese version] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622001627/https://hk.appledaily.com/lifestyle/20201113/JDHC55ENMFETJGWOTRQK5X65YY/ |date=22 June 2021 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Pok Fu Lam}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140728151930/http://www.timeout.com.hk/around-town/features/8974/bethanie-house.html Article about the Bethanie]
* [http://www.pokfulamvillage.org Pokfulam Village] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418180634/http://www.pokfulamvillage.org/ |date=18 April 2010 }} Website on the village, including festivals.
{{Coord|22.260017|114.137703|format=dms|display=title}}

{{Southern District, Hong Kong}}
{{Hong Kong Urban Areas}}
{{Reclaimed land in Hong Kong}}

[[Category:Pok Fu Lam| ]]
[[Category:Southern District, Hong Kong]]