Hong Ning Road Park () is a public park between the districts of

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'' ...

and Sau Mau Ping in Kowloon,

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 city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

. It is divided into two phases linked by a staircase. The park is distinct from the similarly-named Hong Ning Road Recreation Ground, which is located down the hill closer to Kwun Tong Town Centre.

History

The park was first planned by the former

Urban Council The Urban Council (UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the council's executive arm, the Urban Servic ...

as early as 1977. At that time, the site was home to the Hong Ning Road Licensed Area (a squatter area). In 1976 it was reported that there were 1,433 people living in poor conditions here. Most residents were resettled in modern

public housing Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, def ...

. During heavy rainfall on 12 June 2001 and 27 June 2001, boulders fell from the hillslope above Hong Ning Road Park (Phase 2), causing minor damage and resulting in the temporary closure of the park.

Description

Hong Ning Road Park (Phase 1) has numerous sports facilities. It was designed by Liang Peddle Thorp Architects in a contemporary style and built by Kaden Construction Limited at a cost of $62 million between April 1997 to March 1999. More than 60,000 cubic metres of material was excavated in the course of construction. Phase 1 comprises a children's playground, fitness stations, a jogging track, a gateball court, tennis courts, and a building housing the park office, toilets, and changing room. Hong Ning Road Park (Phase 2) is a Chinese-style garden with various pavilions, a fish pond, and a public toilet. The park has a tranquil environment and is linked to Phase 1 via a long staircase. The name is actually a misnomer, as Phase 2 is located on Hip Wo Street and has no frontage on Hong Ning Road.

Redevelopment plan

The government plans to redevelop the existing Tsun Yip Street Playground, in the Kwun Tong Industrial Estate, into a "Kwun Tong Industrial Culture Park". Hence, the government proposes to reprovision the displaced facilities from Tsun Yip Street Playground to the Hong Ning Road Park (Phase 1). Preliminary plans by the

Architectural Services Department The Architectural Services Department is a department of the Government of Hong Kong responsible for the design and construction of many public facilities throughout the territory. It is subordinate to the Works Branch of the Development Bu ...

indicate that the existing gateball court will be replaced with basketball courts, the existing tennis courts will be replaced with a football pitch, and the existing changing room block will be replaced with a bridge structure connecting to a new gateball court on top of the hill.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 22.3200, 114.2241, display=title Kwun Tong Ngau Tau Kok Sau Mau Ping Urban public parks and gardens in Hong Kong