Route 4 - Causeway Road - Tung Lo Wan Road - Tai Hang Road & Tiger Balm Gardens

Question 1

Route 4 (Causeway Road - Tung Lo Wan Road - Tai Hang Road)

3 Bulletpoints - 4-7 minutes

Answer 1

1. Tai Hang - Living Environment of Upper and Middle Classes.
2. Tai Hang - Fire Dragon Dance (front)
3. Lai Tak Tsuen (left)

Question 2

Tai Hang - Middle and Upper Classes Living Environment
0. Transition (2)
1. Significance (1)
2. Gentrification (1)
3. Housing (1)
4. Quiet Ambiance (2)
5. Community & Lifestyle (2)
6. Accessibility (2)

Answer 2

0. Transition: (2)
- After leaving the bustling Causeway Bay, we’ll head slightly uphill to Tai Hang.
- Although it’s just next door, Tai Hang has a completely different atmosphere, full of old-world charm and deep-rooted traditions.

• 1. Significance (1)
• Tai Hang is a unique neighborhood near Causeway Bay, known for its quiet charm, mix of heritage and modern architecture, and central yet peaceful location.

2. Gentrification (1)
- Once a working-class area, Tai Hang has been gentrified into a desirable address for middle and upper-class residents, seen as a status symbol of urban style.

3. Housing (1)
- The neighborhood includes historic houses, old villas, and luxury apartments, reflecting both its past and present upscale growth.

4. Quiet Ambiance (2)
- Unlike the busy nearby districts, Tai Hang offers a relaxed vibe.
- It’s close to Victoria Park and hiking trails up Jardine’s Lookout.

5. Community & Lifestyle (2)
- Tai Hang is known for its creative lifestyle scene, with indie cafés, boutique restaurants, and local design shops.
- It draws a hip, cultured crowd who enjoy its laid-back atmosphere.

6. Accessibility (2)
- Tai Hang is easily accessible, just a short walk from the MTR and served by trams and buses.
- Despite its location, it maintains a village-like charm in the heart of the city.

Question 3

Tai Hang - Fire Dragon Dance
1. Origin and Legend (9)
2. Key Features of the Dragon (9)
3. Manpower and Coordination (2)
4. Ceremony Highlights (2)
5. Final Ritual (1)
6. Significance (3)

3:50

Answer 3

1. Origins & Legend (9)
- Tai Hang began as a Hakka fishing and farming village near the original Causeway Bay shoreline.
- In 1880, just before the Mid-Autumn Festival, a typhoon struck the village, followed by a devastating plague.
- While the villagers were rebuilding, a python slithered into the village and began eating their livestock.
- Some believed the python was the son of the Dragon King, sent to test them.
- A fortune-teller claimed that to end the misfortune, they must perform a fire dance for three days and nights during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
- The villagers made a dragon from straw, covered it with incense sticks, and set it ablaze.
- With drumming and firecrackers, they danced through the village for three full days.
- Miraculously, the plague vanished.
- Since then, the Fire Dragon Dance has been performed annually to ward off evil and bring peace to Tai Hang.

2. Key Features of the Fire Dragon (9)
- The fire dragon is 67 meters long, about the length of five and a half double-decker buses.
- It has a head, tail, and 31 body segments, with the head weighing 48 kilograms.
- The head and tail are crafted from rattan, making them lightweight yet durable.
- The body is made from bamboo poles and thick pearl grass, bound with wire for movement.
- Its eyes are made from flashlights, creating a glowing look at night.
- Iron wire is used for the teeth, while the tongue is red-painted steel wire.
- The dragon’s whiskers are made from 70 cm-long air roots, giving it a lifelike flair.
- Two pomelo fruits, painted and mounted, act as dragon pearls, guiding the dance.
- A total of over 12,000 incense sticks, each 45 cm long, are lit and attached, giving it its famous “glowing fire” effect.

3. Manpower and Coordination (2)
- Each body segment requires 8 to 10 people to carry it in shifts.
- In total, more than 300 volunteers work together to build, rehearse, and perform the dance.

4. Ceremony Highlights (2)
- The procession takes place on the 14th, 15th, and 16th nights of the eighth lunar month—during Mid-Autumn Festival.
- It features firecrackers, drums, and a truly magical spectacle of flame-lit movement.

5. Final Ritual (1)
- On the last night, the dragon is led in a counterclockwise circle before symbolically returning to the sea, representing the Dragon’s Ascension to Heaven and the community’s purification.

6. Significance (3)
- The fire dragon is a powerful symbol of Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage, combining craftsmanship, teamwork, and spiritual tradition.
- It was officially listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.
- It remains one of the most iconic and breathtaking cultural events in Hong Kong today.

Question 4

Lai Tak Tsuen
0. Transition (1)
1. Significance (3)
2. Architecture & Design (2)
4. Facilities (8)

2:10 minutes

Answer 4

0. Transition: (1) **
* As we ascend Tai Hang Road, look to your left and you’ll see one of Hong Kong’s most architecturally distinctive public housing estates—Lai Tak Tsuen**.

1. Significance: (3)
* Lai Tak Tsuen is a public housing estate in Hong Kong.
* It was completed in 1975, making it one of the earliest public housing developments in the city.
* The estate is managed by the Hong Kong Housing Society, the second largest housing provider after the Housing Authority.

2. Architecture & Design: (2)
* The estate is known for its unconventional design, with four out of eight blocks built in a cylindrical shape to maximize Victoria Harbour views for more units.
* It was considered an award-winning design during the 1970s and remains a unique architectural landmark today.

3. Facilities: (8)
* The estate offers practical facilities including car parks, market stalls, and shops for everyday needs.
* It also has a kindergarten, a children’s, youth , andelderly center, and a public library.
* Recreational spaces include a basketball court and children’s playground.
* Two tennis courts were originally built on the rooftop in 1979, later transformed into a green rooftop space open for residents’ leisure and gatherings.