Masonry wall trees refer to trees grown from openings in masonry stone
retaining wall
Retaining walls are relatively rigid walls used for supporting soil laterally so that it can be retained at different levels on the two sides.
Retaining walls are structures designed to restrain soil to a slope that it would not naturally keep to ...
s. In alleviating hazards from
landslide
Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...
s, many slopes adjacent to main roads and developments on
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...
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 city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
needed to be secured. Between the 19th century and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the
Hong Kong Government
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, ...
and other contractors constructed masonry stone walls to prevent these hazards. Not until the last two decades have slopes been stabilised through cementing. In early constructed walls, opened joints between stones allowed strong species like
banyans to sprout. Traffic and human activities carry on despite the growth of these plants, which further stabilise the retaining walls they are growing on. As time goes by, sprouts mature into fully developed stone wall trees.
Distribution
As of today, 1275 stone wall trees are situated on 504 masonry stone retaining walls, with 110 walls in the
Central and Western District
The Central and Western District () located on northwestern part of Hong Kong Island is one of the districts of Hong Kong, 18 administrative districts of Hong Kong. It had a population of 243,266 in 2016. The district has the most educated re ...
, where most walls remain, with many others in
Wan Chai District. A majority of these trees have lived for over a century.
According to the
Conservancy Association, some notable trees are located at:
http://www.conservancy.org.hk
Hong Kong Island
The largest tree is an over-a-century-old Chinese banyan (''Ficus microcarpa''), located in Forbes Street, near Forbes Street Playground. Another tree on Bonham Road near Centre Street had a height of around 20 metres, and was the tallest in the city, however it fell on 22 July 2015 in a storm.
Central and Western District
=Kennedy Town
=
* Forbes Street
=Mid-Levels
=
* Hollywood Road (Former police quarters)
* Bonham Road near Centre Street(All trees are now removed by the government in view of Typhoon Soudelor
Typhoon Soudelor, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Hanna, was the third most intense tropical cyclone worldwide in 2015 after Hurricane Patricia and Cyclone Pam as well as the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2015 Pacific typhoon season. Sou ...
, which actually didn't have any impact to Hong Hong according to its route)
*Rose Lane
*Intersection of Bonham Road and High Street
*Hospital Road
Hospital Road () is a street in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong.
Features
* King George V Memorial Park
* Prince Philip Dental Hospital
* Tsan Yuk Hospital
Intersections
* Bonham Road
* Pound Lane
* Second Street
* Eastern Street
See also
* List ...
near Bonham Road
*Opposite of 84 Robinson Road Robinson Road may refer to
*Robinson Road, Hong Kong
*Robinson Road (Mississippi), a historical road in the US state of Mississippi
*Robinson Road, Singapore
*Former name of Nathan Road
Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kon ...
*St. Stephen's Lane
* King George V Memorial Park
Wan Chai District
*Stubbs Road
Stubbs Road is a road located in Mid-Levels East, Central, Hong Kong, which connects Happy Valley to The Peak area on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, through an area near the Wong Nai Chung Gap. It runs uphill from Queen's Road East and goes thr ...
near Kennedy Road
* Ship Street (near Nam Koo Terrace
Nam Koo Terrace is a Grade I Historic Building located at No. 55 Ship Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, popularly known as "The Wan Chai Haunted House". The building is currently owned by Hopewell Holdings, a large property development company ba ...
)
Kowloon
Yau Tsim Mong District
*Adjacent to aviary pond in Kowloon Park
Sham Shui Po District
Lung Chu Street Nullah
In Lung Chu Street Nullah, there are about 20 wall trees. More than 12 wall trees exist at the site and most of them are Chinese banyan and common red-stem fig. All of them are mature trees with a height between 3 and 11 metres high. The special one is those common red-stem fig. It is a unique phenomenon for those particular wall trees since the majority of wall trees in Hong Kong are Chinese banyan. It is the only site in Hong Kong, which have a dozen common red-stem fig trees in one location, which its buttress root adapted to the condition of the masonry walls. The nullah, therefore, is a scene with special scientific value for further study.
Comparing the trees planted in the park next to the nullah, the trees in the nullah are rich in biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
. Various kinds of birds could be found on those trees along the nullah, for example, yellow wagtail and white wagtail etc.
Besides, the trees around nullah formed a green canopy and functioned as a green lung for the community. For all those years, the trees benefited the community, for example, by minimizing the heat island effect.
Lai Chi Kok Hospital HACare Home
There is also a Chinese banyan growing on the masonry wall next to Lai Chi Kok hospital, HACare Home.
Ecological value
In the beginning, greenery of the site was not taken into consideration during road constructions. Roads built at that time were often narrow and had no space for adding canopy by simply planting trees. Trees naturally emerged from the walls taking up no additional space at ground level, and shield the pathways from heat during the summer.
Tall wall trees, especially banyans, also improve air quality by filtering particulates and blocking heat emitted from automobiles and building-wide air conditioning systems, that would otherwise be trapped between skyscrapers, generating air pollution
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...
.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
is maintained through these trees by providing habitats for birds
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
and various insects.
The integrity of the retaining wall may be enhanced or compromised, depending on the size of the tree that develops, the disposition of its roots and to what extent the roots have been able to penetrate through the wall.
Cultural value
Stone wall trees in Hong Kong have become a part of the landscape in communities, as most of them have existed since before World War II. The artistic shapes and endurance of these trees won appreciation from nearby residents, which transform into an indispensable part of the collective memories of the community.
Some senior residents believe that the trees can improve '' Feng Shui'' and bring positive prospects towards the neighbourhood.
Wall trees also create a beneficial environment that enables higher property prices around the trees compared to other premises in the area.
Additional conservations
* Ding Tomb among the Ming Dynasty Tombs
The Ming tombs are a collection of mausoleums built by the emperors of the Ming dynasty of China. The first Ming emperor's tomb is located near his capital Nanjing. However, the majority of the Ming tombs are located in a cluster near Beijing an ...
, Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
*Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
walls in Yuexiu Park
Yuexiu Hill, also known as Yut Sau Shan , Yut Sau Hill or Mount Yuexiu, is located in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou. It once formed the northern end of the old walled city, though most of the walls have been dismantled and the city has now expanded f ...
, Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
See also
* Conservancy Association
References
The Conservancy Association
External links
{{Commons category, Stone wall trees in Hong Kong
* https://web.archive.org/web/20051210053828/http://www.conservancy.org.hk/preleases/walltree/20050710C.htm
Nature conservation in Hong Kong
Flora of Hong Kong
Natural history of Hong Kong
Types of wall