HK ShanghaiStreet CantoneseVerandahTypePrewarShophouses

Tong lau or ke lau are

tenement building A tenement is a type of building shared by multiple dwellings, typically with flats or apartments on each floor and with shared entrance stairway access. They are common on the British Isles, particularly in Scotland. In the medieval Old Town, i ...

s built in late 19th century to the 1960s in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...

Southern China South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...

, and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

. Designed for both residential and commercial uses, they are similar in style and function to the

shophouse A shophouse is a building type serving both as a residence and a commercial business. It is defined in dictionary as a building type found in Southeast Asia that is "a shop opening on to the pavement and also used as the owner's residence", a ...

s with five-foot way ( nan, têng-á-kha) of Southeast Asia. Over the years, tong lau construction has seen influences of

Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

style architecture and later the Bauhaus movement.

Etymology

''Tong lau'' (Cantonese) or ''tang lou'' (Mandarin) means "Chinese building" – ''Tong'' or ''

Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) ...

'' () refers to the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

and is used as a term to mean Chinese, and ''lau'' () is a building with more than one floor. It is a general term for a type of building found in Hong Kong that also developed in

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

and

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

(Guangzhou) from traditional Southern Chinese townhouses.

Architecture

The early buildings were generally long and narrow with width of between 12 and 15 feet determined by the length of the wooden beams. In Hong Kong's building regulations, it refers to a building with any living space intended for more than one tenant. It is essentially a tenement building for residential and commercial use. The ground floor is reserved for commercial use, mostly by small businesses like retail shops and food vendors. The upper floors were residential use and catered to Chinese residents of Hong Kong. Most early ''tong lau'' were 2-4 stories tall due to building regulations that initially limited the height of building to 1.25 times the width of the street with a maximum height of 35 feet. However, due to the influx of migrants from mainland China to Hong Kong in the 1950s, height control of buildings was relaxed in 1955, and some ''tong laus'' that were built after that may have 9 or more floors, and built without lifts. The heyday of ''tong lau'' ended in the 1960s when population pressure resulted in many ''tong laus'' being demolished to make way for high-rise buildings and changes in building ordinance that allow for such high-rise buildings. ''Ke lau'' or ''qilou'' (. meaning "riding building"), is a form of ''tong lau'' with an arcade running alongside the road for pedestrian use. The term was originally "''kelau'' with feet" (), which was first used in

's building regulations in 1912, and referred to the columns forming the colonnade that supported the projecting floors that "ride" above. The ''ke lau'' buildings developed in Guangzhou were influenced by local traditions and the shophouses with five-foot ways of

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

, which were first built following the instructions of

Stamford Raffles Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British statesman who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816, and Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. He is ...

given in his

town plan Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water ...

soon after the founding of the colony in the early 19th century. ''Ke laus'' were built in Southern China (

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020 ...

Guangxi Guangxi (; ; alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam ...

and

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its ...

) starting in the early 20th century. Most of the ''ke laus'' in Guangzhou were built in the 1930s until the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war, and few were built after that period.

History

Early ''tong lau''

Album of Hongkong Canton Macao Amoy Foochow 010

Early Hong Kongese ''tong lau'' mainly consisted of two- or three-story structures built back-to-back in areas such as Tai Ping Shan. 19th century ''tong lau'' synthesized Chinese and European architectural features. While the Chinese component was based on building design from southern China, mainly that of

Province; European influences were usually Neoclassical. The ''tong lau'' roof used wood and/or Xieding tiles and iron was used for the balconies. The balcony's design was based on Cantonese styles. Windows used French styling and were made of wood and glass. The upper floors were supported by brick pillars and protruded out to the edge of the street. Inside, the floors were connected by wooden stairs. Most floors ranged from 450 to 700 square feet with very high ceilings. Top floors were often living quarters for shopkeepers and their family. Other architectural features of early ''tong laus'': *

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...

capped balustrades * decorative urns on the roof * wooden floors and joists * Canton floor tiles HK LSC Lui Seng Chun 2

In 1903, in response to an outbreak of

bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium ('' Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as wel ...

, the Hong Kong government issued a set of new regulations for ''tong lau'' so as to improve the living condition of those in these buildings. New ''tong lau'' buildings needed to have a light well, have larger windows, and the buildings were limited to four floors so their residents can receive sufficient light. The frontage were set at 15 feet, and at the back there needed to have a 6-foot lane to remove back-to-back constructions. Roof tiles were also replaced by flat concrete roofs. In the 1920s,

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low ultimate tensile strength, tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion ...

began to be introduced as the main structural element, which allowed for a

veranda A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure. Although the form ''vera ...

as well as cantilevered or recessed balconies to let in extra light. An example of early ''tong lau'' or ''Kee-lau'' is Lui Seng Chun, a building in reinforced concrete built in Hong Kong in 1931.

Post World War II

Tong Lau built after World War II were simpler in design: Iron balconies were replaced with concrete ones and later sealed with windows. Roofs were often flat with an open terrace and later renovated to allow for additional residential space. Wooden windows gave way to stainless steel windows. Air conditioning units were added to the windows in the 1970s and 1980s. Often clothes racks were added below the windows and hung above the sidewalk or street below. Signs were hung on the exterior walls and protruded onto the streets below. Other features of the new ''tong lau'' included: * mosaic floor tiles *

terrazzo Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other suitable material, poured with a cementitious binder (for chemical bind ...

staircase The postwar boom and influx of immigrants led to a shortage of housing in Hong Kong. Many ''Tong Lau'' were renovated to become rental units. In order to become spacious space, each unit was separated from adjacent units through brick party walls, is between 13 and 16 feet wide (about 4 to 5 m). The ground floor of a ''tong lau'' was used as shop space, but a cockloft was often built on the upper space in front of the partition wall of the kitchen, or utilized as working area. Rooms on the upper floors were divided into smaller rooms and sublet as units by owners; said rooms were only big enough to accommodate bunk beds. The middle of the floor was a common space for tenants to eat and use. Bathrooms and kitchens were also shared among the tenants of each floor. Tenants paid for electricity and water on a monthly basis. The sublet of floors in the ''tong lau'' led to changes in housing regulations in Hong Kong. After the 1960s, many Tong Lau were demolished to give way to taller apartment and commercial buildings, especially new town or private apartment. Fewer Tong Lau are relatively found in Hong Kong today. On 29 January 2010, No. 45J Ma Tau Wai Road, Ma Tau Wai, a five-story-tall tong lau of more than 50 years history, suddenly collapsed at approximately 1:43 pm. Four people were killed. Such spontaneous, cascading and complete building collapse in Hong Kong has been quite rare since the Second World War and the incident raised concern of the

HKSAR Government The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the executive authorities of Hong Kong SAR. It was formed on 1 July 1997 in accordance with the Sino- ...

and the Hong Kong public towards the safety of the aging ''tong lau'' in Hong Kong, especially those built with similar specifications 50 or more years ago.

Location

Mainland China

Streets of Xiamen, Peoples Republic of China, East Asia-2

''Ke lau'' styles varied from Chinese to European: * Gothic Style * Nanyang (Southeast Asia) Style * Ancient Roman Gallery Style * Imitation Baroque Style * Modernisme　 * Traditional Chinese Architectural Style

Guangdong

Southern China, namely cities in

Province, is the birthplace of ''tong lau'' and ''ke lau''. They were built by wealthy Chinese merchants in the cities like

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, sou ...

and, with the aid of

overseas Chinese Overseas Chinese () refers to people of Chinese birth or ethnicity who reside outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese. Terminology () or ''Hoan-kheh'' () in Hokkien, ref ...

, in

emigrant Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

market towns like Chikan, Kaiping. Locations in

with ''Ke lau'': * Renmin Zhong Road (人民中路) * Renmin Nan Road (人民南路) * Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street, including Dishifu Road (上下九步行街) * Yide Road especially area around the Sacred Heart Stone House Cathedral (一德路) * Wanfu Road (萬福路) * Taikang Road (泰康路) * Xinhua Bookstore of Science and Technology on Beijing Road (北京路) * Oi Kwan Hotel on Yanjiangxi Road (沿江西路) * 186 Wenming Road (文明路) * 139 Dezheng Nan Road (德政南路)

Hainan and Guangxi

As both

Hainan Island Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slight ...

and the eastern part of the Guangxi Province lie in the broader

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding a ...

sphere of linguistical and cultural influence and historically were part of

, several cities and towns also have this kind of architecture.

=Beihai

= The city of

Beihai Beihai (; Postal romanization: Pakhoi) is a prefecture-level city in the south of Guangxi, People's Republic of China. Its status as a seaport on the north shore of the Gulf of Tonkin has granted it historical importance as a port of internat ...

lies on the coast in

. The Old Sheng Ping Street () is lined with ''ke lau'' architecture. Life and trade thrived here in the 19th century. Today it's full of restaurants, souvenir shops and adorned with sculptures and boards with information about local culture.

=Haikou

= The historical

Bo'ai Road area The Bo'ai Road area () is a historical neighbourhood in Haikou City, Hainan, China. It is located on the south side of the Haidian River, at the northern part of mainland Haikou. The main hub of the neighbourhood is the north-south Bo'ai Road itse ...

is located in the heart of the

Hainan Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...

capital city of

Haikou Haikou (; ), also spelled as Hoikow is the capital and most populous city of the Chinese province of Hainan. Haikou city is situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River. The northern part of the city is on the ...

. Nearly all the buildings here are of tong lau style. Beginning in 2012, the entire area has been undergoing restoration. It started wit
Zhongshan Road
now completed and converted into a

pedestrian zone Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian-only use and in whi ...

. The restoration is currently expanding outward with the facades being replastered and painted. Lights facing toward the facades to illuminate them at night are now installed on many of the buildings. With road repair ongoing, and new, tourist-related businesses replacing the old shops, the entire area is being developed as a visitor attraction.

=Chengmai

= The southern part of the town of Chengmai, located in Chengmai County, Hainan, has an area adjacent to the

Nandu River The Nandu River () is the longest river in Hainan Province, China. Its tributary is the Xinwu River. The river discharges into the Nandu River estuary at Haikou city, and then into Qiongzhou Strait. The river is 314 km long, with a discharg ...

that consists of numerous, dilapidated tong lau buildings.

=Wenchang

= The tong lau buildings in the city of

Wenchang Wenchang ( postal: Mencheong; ) is a county-level city in the northeast of Hainan province, China. Although called a "city", Wenchang refers to a large land area in Hainan - an area which was once a county. The urban center and the seat of gove ...

's "Wennan Old Street" have been completely restored. Unlike Haikou's Bo'ai Road area, the facades are unpainted and are gray in appearance. The area is located downtown and is a visitor attraction.

Puqian

An area within the town of

Puqian Puqian () is a port town on the eastern shore of Dongzhai Harbor in Wenchang, Hainan province, China. Old street A road running from the port at the west to the southernmost point of the main road is lined with tong lau Tong lau or ke lau a ...

, mostly consisting of a single street, is lined with tong lau buildings. This street is the main route from the port to the

city center A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...

. However, the tong lau buildings here are in serious disrepair. In fact, many of them are structurally unsafe. File:Bo'ai Road area - 02.jpg,

File:Tong lau building in Jinjiang Town - 01.jpg, Tong lau building in Chengmai town File:Wenchang City old area - 06.JPG,

City's "Wennan Old Street" File:Puqian_-_01.JPG, Tong lau buildings in

Macau

''Tong lau'' are also found in

Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro (), also commonly known as San Ma Lo (; "new street"), is the main avenue in the heart of Macau Peninsula. The 620 metres long avenue was laid out in 1920 and it extends from the Inner to the Outer harbour, passing thro ...

near the Largo do Senado. They are better preserved in Macau, where they did not give way to newer buildings. Upper floors no longer house people and often reused for commercial use. ''tong lau'' here often feature Portuguese colonial architectural influences.

Hong Kong

The existence of ''tong laus'' was a culmination of a series of historic forces from economic development of Hong Kong, Second World War as well as the influx of Chinese migrants to Hong Kong. In 1898, the government introduced a building and public health ordinance which defined all the buildings including ''tong laus''. In 1903, the government introduced a four-story limit as well as a maximum height per story of . This explains the general appearance of ''tong laus''. Yet, the ordinance changed in 1962 which became fully operative in 1966, and no ''tong lau'' was built later.Preservation lacks long-term vision. (26 November 2008). ''South China Morning Post''., p.5. ''Tong laus'' are mainly distributed in the following areas in Hong Kong:

Cheung Chau Cheung Chau (lit. "Long Island") is an island southwest of Hong Kong Island. It is nicknamed the 'dumbbell island (啞鈴島)' due to its shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in Hong Kong, and had a population of ...

Kennedy Town Kennedy Town is at the western end of Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It was named after Arthur Edward Kennedy, the 7th Governor of Hong Kong from 1872 to 1877. Administratively, it is part of Central and Western District. Due to i ...

, Shek Tong Tsui,

Sai Ying Pun Sai Ying Pun is an area in Western District, on Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. It is administratively part of the Central and Western District. Etymology In Cantonese, ''Sai'' () means "west" and ''Ying Pun'' () means "camp", especially a ...

Sheung Wan Sheung Wan is an area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, between Central and Sai Ying Pun. Administratively, it is part of the Central and Western District. The name can be variously interpreted as ''Upper Dis ...

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

Wan Chai Wan Chai is situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area n ...

Causeway Bay Causeway Bay is an area and a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern and the Wan Chai districts. It is a major shopping, leisure and cultural centre in Hong Kong, with a number of major shopping centres. Th ...

, Happy Valley, Tai Hang,

North Point North Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District of Hong Kong. Located in the northeastern part of Hong Kong Island, the area is named after a cape between Causeway Bay and Tsat Tsz Mui that projects toward Kowloon Bay. Locat ...

Quarry Bay Quarry Bay is an area beneath Mount Parker in the Eastern District of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. The western portion of the area was also formerly known as Lai Chi (). Traditionally an industrial and residential area, the number of comme ...

, Sai Wan Ho,

Shau Kei Wan Shau Kei Wan or Shaukiwan is a neighborhood in the Eastern District of Hong Kong Island. The area is bordered by Chai Wan to the east, Mount Parker to the south, Sai Wan Ho to the west, and Victoria Harbour to the north. Shau Kei Wan is cons ...

Chai Wan Chai Wan (; ), formerly known as Sai Wan (西灣), lies at the east end of the urban area of Hong Kong Island next to Shau Kei Wan. The area is administratively part of the Eastern District, and is a mosaic of industrial and residential are ...

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...

Tin Wan Tin Wan () is an area at the south of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is at the west of Aberdeen and the east of Kellett Bay and Wah Fu Estate. Housing Tin Wan Estate is a public housing estate (), also named after Tin Wan. Hung Fuk Court ...

Ap Lei Chau Ap Lei Chau or Aberdeen Island is an island of Hong Kong, located off Hong Kong Island next to Aberdeen Harbour and Aberdeen Channel. It has an area of after land reclamation. Administratively it is part of the Southern District. Ap Lei C ...

, Stanley,

Tsim Sha Tsui Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsi ...

Yau Ma Tei Yau Ma Tei is an area in the Yau Tsim Mong District in the south of the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. Name ''Yau Ma Tei'' is a phonetic transliteration of the name (originally written as ) in Cantonese. It can also be spelt as Yaumatei, ...

Mong Kok Mong Kok (also spelled Mongkok, often abbreviated as MK) is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Prince Edward subarea occupies the northern part of Mong Kok. Mong Kok is one of the major shopping areas in Hong Kong. The area is characterised ...

Tai Kok Tsui Tai Kok Tsui is an area west of Mong Kok in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The mixed land use of industrial and residential is present in the old area. The Cosmopolitan Dock and oil depots were previously located there. Blocks of high-rise residential ...

Sham Shui Po Sham Shui Po is an area of Kowloon, Hong Kong, situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, north of Tai Kok Tsui, east of Cheung Sha Wan and south of Shek Kip Mei (). It is located in and is the namesake of the Sham Shui ...

Cheung Sha Wan Cheung Sha Wan is an area between Lai Chi Kok and Sham Shui Po in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is mainly residential to the north and south, with an industrial area in between. Administratively it is part of Sham Shui Po District, which als ...

, Shek Kip Mei,

Hung Hom Hung Hom () is an area in the southeast of Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. Including the area of Whampoa, Tai Wan, Hok Yuen, Lo Lung Hang and No. 12 Hill are administratively part of the Kowloon City District, with a portion west of Hu ...

To Kwa Wan To Kwa Wan () is a bay and an area of the eastern shore of Kowloon peninsula. The area is part of urban Hong Kong, and is situated between Hok Yuen, Hung Hom, Ma Tau Wai and Ma Tau Kok. Administratively, the area belongs to the Kowloon ...

, Ma Tau Wai,

Ho Man Tin Ho Man Tin is a mostly residential area in Kowloon, Hong Kong, part of the Kowloon City District. History Section of lists of villages in the book ' (literally ''The History of Xin'an County'') published in twenty fourth year of Jiaqing er ...

Kowloon City Kowloon City is an area in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is part of Kowloon City District. Compared with the council area of Kowloon City District, the Kowloon City area is History As early as in the Qin dynasty (221 BCE – 206 BCE), ...

Wong Tai Sin Wong Tai Sin or Huang Daxian () is a Chinese Taoist Deity popular in Jinhua, Zhejiang, and Hong Kong with the power of healing. The name, meaning the "Great Immortal Wong (Huang)", is the divine form of Huang Chuping or Wong Cho Ping (; c. 32 ...

, San Po Kong, Lok Fu,

Tsz Wan Shan Tsz Wan Shan () is a residential area in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Located below Temple Hill, it is administratively part of Wong Tai Sin District. (Note that Temple Hill is also called ''Tsz Wan Shan'' , but Tsz Wan Shan usually refers to the ar ...

Ngau Chi Wan Ngau Chi Wan was a bay beneath Hammer Hill in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. It now refers to an area where Choi Hung Estate is situated. Features Amidst in an urban built-up area, the original Ngau Chi Wan Village remains. St. Joseph's Home fo ...

Kwun Tong Kwun Tong is an area in the Kwun Tong District of Hong Kong, situated at the eastern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, and its boundary stretches from Lion Rock in the north to Lei Yue Mun in the south, and from the winding paths of Kowl ...

Ngau Tau Kok Ngau Tau Kok is an area of eastern Kowloon in Hong Kong, in the north of Kwun Tong District east to Kowloon Bay. Largely residential, Ngau Tau Kok has a population in excess of 210,000. Geography In Chinese, Ngau Tau Kok means ''ox horn'' ...

, Cha Kwo Ling,

Kwai Chung Kwai Chung is an urban area within Tsuen Wan New Town in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Together with Tsing Yi Island, it is part of the Kwai Tsing District District of Hong Kong. It is also part of Tsuen Wan New Town. In 2000, it had a p ...

Tsuen Wan Tsuen Wan (formerly also spelled Tsun Wan) is a town built on a bay in the western New Territories of Hong Kong, opposite of Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged from the surrounding villages and fl ...

Tuen Mun Tuen Mun or Castle Peak is an area near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in what is now Hong Kong and can be dated to the Neolithic period. In the more ...

Yuen Long Yuen Long is a town in the western New Territories, Hong Kong. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu (), Tin Shui Wai, Lau Fau Shan and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin (), and to the north N ...

Tai Wai Tai Wai () is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong, located between Sha Tin and the Lion Rock, within the Sha Tin District. With three rapid transit stations, one of which an interchange station serving two lines, five bus termini and ...

, Tai Po,

Luen Wo Hui Luen Wo Hui or Luen Wo Market is a market town east of Fanling in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It is located northeast of Fanling station. Administration For electoral purposes, Luen Wo Hui is part of the Luen Wo Hui constituency of ...

, Sheung Shui, Sha Tau Kok, Sai Kung Town, and

Tai O Tai O is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The village name means ''large inlet'', referring to outlet for the waterways (Tai O Creek and Tai O River) merges as ...

. There are a number of extant tong lau's in Hong Kong:

Hong Kong Island

Kowloon

New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...

References

External links

* {{Cite web , last=Lee Ho Yin , date=19 April 2010 , title=Pre-war tong lau: A Hong Kong Shophouse Typology , url=http://www.heritageworldmedia.com/downloads/pdfs/Hoyin%20Tong%20Lau.pdf , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410051552/http://www.heritageworldmedia.com/downloads/pdfs/Hoyin%20Tong%20Lau.pdf , archive-date=10 April 2016 , website=Heritage World Media
Conserve and Revitalise Hong Kong Heritage

Old Qilou Buildings: Historical Architecture in Guangzhou (Part 1)

Old Qilou Buildings: Historical Architecture in Guangzhou (Part 2)

Tong Lau: A Hong Kong Shophouse Typology

Hong Kong’s Disappearing Tong Lau (2017) by Stefan Irvine

A Nostalgic Photo Trip of Tong Lau in Sheung Wan copyright by Canon (2017)
Architecture in China Architecture in Hong Kong Macau architecture Lingnan architecture Housing in Hong Kong Apartment types House types Cantonese words and phrases