2. Montane Mansion

In the 70’s, Hong Kong was on the brink of overpopulation. There were too many people and not enough housing. To alleviate that problem, the city developed large housing facilities in Quarry Bay. One of these estates is the Montane Mansion.

These are the iconic images people think of when they think about Hong Kong. The terms “matchbox units,” “concrete jungle,” and “density” comes to mind.

Walk inside to see units stacked upon units stacked upon other units.

Photography Tips:

There’s a lot to take in, so wide angle lenses are a must! For those with camera phones, I suggest buying one of those clip-on wide angle lens converters that you can find in many places nowadays. There’s a lot to explore in the area. I suggest going in the late afternoon for day shots, have dinner in the area, and then come back for night shots. Don’t forget a tripod!

Location

1028 King’s Rd, Quarry Bay



Due to recent changes, please note that prior notice needs to be given to Montane Mansion to photograph/take videos there.

3. Oi Man Estate, Kowloon City

Opened in 1975, Oi Man estate is the largest public housing estate in Kowloon City. It was such a big step forward in terms of modern housing planning that both Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher paid a visit in the 70’s.



Back in the 70’s, building restaurants, banks, supermarkets, etc. around residential housing was an innovative concept and the designers of Oi Man were one of the first subscribers to that philosophy.

Inside is where the magic takes place. The Twin Towers designs are square shaped buildings that are 23 floors high.

The hollowed out atrium offers an incredible vertical perspective. I felt a little dizzy when I looked down from one of the higher floors.

The symmetry of it all was absolutely dazzling. Does this shot remind anyone else of the building from the movie Dredd? Minus all the crime and chaos, of course.

This was a shot taken on the ground floor from the center of the atrium. Where else can you take a breathtaking shot like this?

Photography Tips:

Bring a tripod. It is going to be dark so set a longer exposure if possible. A slightly wider angle lens with a fast aperture is ideal for capturing as much light and field of view as you can. For camera phones try to find something to help steady your hand.

Location

Hau Man St, No. 12 Hill

4. Lai Tak Tsuen

When talking about Oi Man estate, I asked “where else can you take a photo like this?” Well, you could argue – Lai Tak Tsuen. And you would be right.



Lai Tak Tsuen is another award winning public housing estate in Hong Kong that was built in the 1970s. Except, instead of a square shaped design, Lai Tak Tsuen is built in the shape of a circle. With the square already taken, the designers probably thought, why not the circle?

The shots from the inside is extraordinary – giving the audience a slightly haunting impression of entering into another dimension. I just can’t believe this is taken from a public housing estate.

Photography tips

See tips from Oi Man Estate.

Location

Lai Tak Tsuen Rd, Tai Hang

5. Nam Shan Estate

Unlike other estates mentioned in this blog, Nam Shan estate is the result of a tragedy. There was a terrible fire in the 70’s that displaced a large amount of people in Kowloon. Afterwards, the government initiated the development of this estate to ensure that people have a new and safe place to stay.

This estate, like the other mentioned before, were designed to be self sufficient. From wet markets and restaurants to playground… and this is where the photos get interesting.

Located on the roof of the wet market is an old-school playground. In it, you’ll find a play structure frozen in time. Lines are drawn on the ground for games forgotten long ago. It’s quite rare to find these 1970s type of playgrounds in Hong Kong.

Set against the backdrop of rustic apartments units, the image of the playground is quaint and reminds us of a simpler time.

Photography Tips:

The ideal focal length for this is around 50mm, which has a good balance of width and compression. There is plenty of room to move back to get the apartment shot. Choose weekdays if you want some peace and quiet. There might be kids or other photographers there on the weekends. Camera phone users shouldn’t have any problems. Go during the day for best lighting. Puddles from the rain also affords the interesting opportunity for reflection shots as well.

Location

Nam Shan Chuen Rd, Shek Kip Mei

Thanks for reading. Stayed tuned for other Hong Kong related articles posted every week!

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