Along the Slope

Sai Ying Pun, ‘Sai’ meaning 'west' in Chinese, is located in the west of Sheung Wan, east of Shek Tong Tsui, north of Bonham Road and south of Victoria Harbor on Hong Kong Island. It was built on top of steep mountain slopes made of granite and flat reclamation areas extending along the north coast. The streets are divided horizontally, the First, Second, Third and High street; then vertically, the Eastern and Western street, forming a rectangle which resembles the shape of the Chinese word ‘目’.

The unique geographical composition of Sai Ying Pun makes it the perfect place for stairs and slopes. The up-and-down curves are complicated and indirect, and, because of the same reason, this area is often used to film racing scenes in local movies. It also has its charm when the old style five story houses create a big contrast with the skyscrapers that are seen in the background.

As it is multi-layered, according to the hill's shape, it is not difficult to find classical masonry stone retaining walls, which not only alleviates hazards from landslides but also provides a growing site for rare stone wall trees.  

  In Sai Ying Pun, where roads are narrow, greenery is often not taken into consideration and, under this circumstance, stone wall trees, usually banyans, take up no additional ground space and sprout between the open joints of the constructed walls. It has high ecological values, including shielding the pathways from heat in summer time, providing habitats for birds and insects, ensuring the wall integrity by absorbing excess water and improving the air quality by filtering dust and particulates.

 

When walking up the steep slopes or long stairs of Sai Ying Pun, you'd want to take a break to catch your breathe, but try to think of the strong survival will of the stone wall trees and you will definitely have the motivation to move on.

Written by Romina