Chan, Danny
Tong Lau (2020)
Location：Sai Yee Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
The name “Tong Lau” (唐樓) literally just means “Chinese building,” but it often refers to the walk-up tenements that dot the older, more interesting bits of the city. It was built in the earlier days of Hong Kong, they’re great if you like big flats with tall ceilings—and not so great if you don’t like walking up to six flights of stairs with your shopping.
Early Tong Laus looked quite a lot more like the shophouses of the rest of Asia, rather than the straightforward walk-ups we think of these days. That’s because shophouses are exactly what they were, of course: the store owner would sleep above his shop and the floors above would be subdivided for extra profit. After the 1960s, many Tong Laus were demolished to give way to the taller apartment and commercial buildings. Comparatively few Tong Lau are found in Hong Kong today but there are still lots of Tong Lau in Mong Kok.
Internet sources: hk-magazine.com/city-living/column/what-tong-lau
Canon EOS 1V HS
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Rollei Retro 80s @ 50
Semi-stand development
R09 One Shot (1+100)
1 hr @ 20˚C
Tong Lau (2020)
Location：Sai Yee Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
The name “Tong Lau” (唐樓) literally just means “Chinese building,” but it often refers to the walk-up tenements that dot the older, more interesting bits of the city. It was built in the earlier days of Hong Kong, they’re great if you like big flats with tall ceilings—and not so great if you don’t like walking up to six flights of stairs with your shopping.
Early Tong Laus looked quite a lot more like the shophouses of the rest of Asia, rather than the straightforward walk-ups we think of these days. That’s because shophouses are exactly what they were, of course: the store owner would sleep above his shop and the floors above would be subdivided for extra profit. After the 1960s, many Tong Laus were demolished to give way to the taller apartment and commercial buildings. Comparatively few Tong Lau are found in Hong Kong today but there are still lots of Tong Lau in Mong Kok.
Internet sources: hk-magazine.com/city-living/column/what-tong-lau
Canon EOS 1V HS
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Rollei Retro 80s @ 50
Semi-stand development
R09 One Shot (1+100)
1 hr @ 20˚C