HK鈥檚 new subway stations yield ancient treasures
Print Edition
Hundreds of railway fans rushed into the entrance of Sung Wong Toi Station in Kowloon City District around 5:00am on June 27 to get on the first ride on the opening day of Hong Kong鈥檚 long-waited Tuen Ma Line.
For residents living in the centuries-old area, the newly opened MTR station is an addition to their collective memories imprinted by Hong Kong鈥檚 former Kai Tak Airport and the now-demolished Kowloon Walled City.
Hong Kong鈥檚 public transit railway system, as a sign of speed and modernity, has surfaced with an exhibition of archaeological finds along with Chinese calligraphy in brush and ink.
The exhibition 鈥淭reasures from Sacred Hill鈥 at Sung Wong Toi Station, Hong Kong鈥檚 first exhibition at a subway station, displays numerous relics including ceramic vases, incense burners and even pottery dice excavated during the station鈥檚 construction.
鈥淭he findings are so rare. It鈥檚 the first time there has been such a scale of archaeological items in Hong Kong,鈥 said Ray Ma, archaeology curator at Hong Kong鈥檚 Antiquities and Monument Office, adding that the findings can unveil a picture of Kowloon City and Hong Kong from thousands of years ago.
The exhibition welcomes an average of about 6,000 to 8,000 visitors per day, according to the Antiquities and Monument Office under the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government鈥檚 Development Bureau.
Susanna Siu, executive secretary at the Antiquities and Monument Office, said the exhibition is about 鈥渋ntroducing people to the history at an accessible place in a way that can interest them.鈥
Historical literature says one young emperor in the final years of China鈥檚 Southern Song Dynasty, stayed at the current Kowloon City for a few months while fleeing the Mongol onslaught 鈥 from which the station鈥檚 name 鈥淪ung Wong,鈥 meaning Song emperor in Chinese, is taken.
The archaeological discoveries in Hong Kong are derived from the same origins as those on the Chinese mainland, though it was not at the center of China鈥檚 ancient history, Ma said.
With a significant amount of relics unearthed from China鈥檚 Song and Yuan dynasties, the name of Sung Wong Toi Station is written in running scripts known as 鈥淴ingshu鈥 by MTR鈥檚 retired architect Abe Au Kit Tong to echo the calligraphy style that was popular during the Song dynasty.
鈥淐hinese calligraphy has become a signature for Hong Kong鈥檚 subway platforms,鈥 said Au, 71, who is now teaching Chinese calligraphy in Canada.
His Chinese ink-and-brush writing featuring strong visual effects, along with mosaic tiles in distinctive colors, was applied during the opening of the Hong Kong Island Line in the 1980s to help passengers distinguish between different stations.
Chinese calligraphy, like architecture, is also about drawing lines and achieving balance by the exact ratio of different parts, Au said, while his displayed works at stations are more about finding the rhythm that suits the characteristics of each station.
The new Tuen Ma Line, where Au鈥檚 artworks are showcased, is Hong Kong鈥檚 longest railway line that stretches 56 kilometers with 27 stations.
Putting aside the challenging task of protecting historical sites during construction, building stations is hard in Hong Kong鈥檚 densely populated communities, said Wincy Chow, senior architectural manager of the Tuen Ma Line.
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