![Tai Tam Reservoir 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Tai_Tam_Reservoir_2.jpg)
The Tai Tam Waterworks Heritage Trail is a
heritage trail
Heritage trails are walking trails and driving routes in urban and rural settings that are identified by signage and guidebooks as relating to cultural heritage. The heritage might be built architecture, or it can be a cultural heritage narrative. ...
in Hong Kong that comprises 22 waterworks structures with historical value near the
Tai Tam group of reservoirs. The Trail is about 5 km long and takes about two hours to complete. The Trail is located along the Tai Tam Reservoir Road with entrance at
Wong Nai Chung Gap
Wong Nai Chung Gap () is a geographic gap in the middle of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The gap is between Mount Nicholson and Jardine's Lookout behind Wong Nai Chung (Happy Valley). Five roads meet at the gap: Wong Nai Chung Gap Road, Tai T ...
near
Hong Kong Parkview
Hong Kong Parkview is the largest private housing estate in Tai Tam, Hong Kong. It is located at 88 Tai Tam Reservoir Road, Hong Kong Island, between Jardine's Lookout and Violet Hill. To its west is the Wong Nai Chung Gap. It is surrounded ...
or at the junction of
Tai Tam Road
Tai Tam Road in Hong Kong links the districts of Chai Wan and Stanley on Hong Kong Island. This road connects Chai Wan Road, the northern end of Shek O Road, Turtle Cove, Tai Tam and Stanley. The Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir's dam constitutes a sec ...
and Tai Tam Reservoir Road. Ten information stations were established en route to introduce the functions and historic values of the structures. Guided tours will be organised for schools and non-profit making organisations.
Entrance (Tai Tam Road):
Entrance (Parkview):
A total of 41 pre-World War II waterworks structures located in six reservoir areas, namely
Pok Fu Lam Reservoir
Pok Fu Lam Reservoir, formerly known as the Pokefulum Reservoir, is the first reservoir in Hong Kong. It is located in a valley in Pok Fu Lam.
History
Before the completion of the reservoir in 1863, the people in the city got their water by ...
, Tai Tam Group of Reservoirs,
Wong Nai Chung Reservoir
Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park is a park and artificial lake in the Wong Nai Chung Gap, Wong Nai Chung, Hong Kong, located near Hong Kong Parkview. It was formerly Wong Nai Chung Reservoir (), a closed reservoir in Hong Kong.
Background
Wong ...
,
Kowloon Reservoir,
Shing Mun (Jubilee) Reservoir and
Aberdeen Reservoir, were
declared as monuments in September 2009, to recognise the heritage value of waterworks facilities built in pre-war era. The Trail was established for the declared monuments in the Tai Tam Group of Reservoirs to help the public appreciate the history of
water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
and the waterworks structures in Hong Kong. Among the six reservoirs,
Wong Nai Chung Reservoir
Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park is a park and artificial lake in the Wong Nai Chung Gap, Wong Nai Chung, Hong Kong, located near Hong Kong Parkview. It was formerly Wong Nai Chung Reservoir (), a closed reservoir in Hong Kong.
Background
Wong ...
has been converted into a boating park since 1986, while the other reservoirs are still operating.
History and significance
The Tai Tam group of reservoirs includes the
Tai Tam Reservoir
The Tai Tam Reservoirs, also known as Tai Tam Reservoir Group, is a group of reservoirs located in the Tai Tam Country Park in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. In 1907, British troops along with Canadian troops invaded the are ...
,
Tai Tam Byewash Reservoir
Tai Tam Byewash Reservoir, part of the Tai Tam Reservoirs, is a reservoir in Tai Tam Country Park, Tai Tam, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong and has a water storage capacity of 22.4 million gallons. The reservoir was completed in 1904.
Tai Tam Bye ...
, the
Tai Tam Intermediate Reservoir
Tai Tam Intermediate Reservoir, part of the Tai Tam Reservoirs, is a reservoir in Tai Tam Country Park, Tai Tam, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong and has a water storage capacity of 19.6 million gallons. The reservoir was completed in 1907.
The re ...
and the Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir. They were built under the Tai Tam Valley Scheme and Tai Tam Tuk Scheme serving an aggregate capacity of 9 million cubic metre to meet the ever-increasing demands of water. Upon completion, pressure of water demands from urbanisation spread, from central and western districts to the eastern side of Hong Kong Island, was gradually released.
The Tai Tam Reservoir is the second oldest and largest reservoir built on Hong Kong Island in the
Tai Tam Country Park
Tai Tam Country Park () is a country park in the Tai Tam area in the south end of Hong Kong Island. At , the park consists of one fifth of Hong Kong Island's land mass. During World War II, the Japanese encountered strong resistance from British ...
in Hong Kong East by the
British colonial
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
government. The project lasted from 1883 till 1888, costing $1,250,000. Its capacity was originally and was expanded several times afterwards to of water.
The Tai Tam Reservoir was important to the early development of Hong Kong. Its water catered for the needs of water, even present day Central, Wanchai,
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is list of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong, an area and Victoria Park, Hong Kong, a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern and the Wan Chai District, Wan Chai ...
,
North Point
North Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern District of Hong Kong. Located in the northeastern part of Hong Kong Island, the area is named after a cape between Tin Hau, Hong Kong, Causeway Bay and Tsat Ts ...
and
Shau Kei Wan
Shau Kei Wan or Shaukiwan is a neighborhood in the Eastern District of Hong Kong Island. The area is bordered by Chai Wan to the east, Mount Parker to the south, Sai Wan Ho to the west, and Victoria Harbour to the north.
Shau Kei Wan is consi ...
. Easing the water demands of central, the reservoir moved the city further to the east. Urban area consequently expanded and spread to the eastern side of the island.
Water resources
Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; slight ...
was still tight in Hong Kong in the early 1900s. Thus, the colonial government conducted The Extension of the Tai Tam Water Supply System. The project was divided into two phases. In Phase I, in 1904 – 1908, the Tai Tam Byewash Reservoir and the Tai Tam Intermediate Reservoir were built with capacity of and respectively. Phase II started in 1913. The Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir was built from 1914 to 1918 with a capacity of . The Tai Tam Water Supply System could basically meet the needs of the
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 ...
at that time. The Tai Tam Group of Reservoirs is a reminiscence of the water supply history of early Hong Kong.
Characteristics
The reservoir structures are regarded as a kind of
Utilitarian
In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals.
Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different charac ...
engineering structures influenced by Italianate Renaissance of
Victorian civil engineering. Therefore, they are considered having heritage value and are kept intact.
With regard to the engineering techniques used, the system used in Tai Tam Reservoir relied much less on gravity flow, which only accounted for about 20% of the total capacity of the ultimate
fresh water
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
supply. It was built using a more advanced engineering techniques than those used in building the Pokfulam one, as the system of
Pokfulam Reservoir relied completely on a simple principle based on
gravity
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
– water running down from a higher place to a lower one.
Historical structures of the trail
The trail is an example of conservation and revitalisation of Hong Kong heritage. There are many waterworks structures with precious historic value in the Tai Tam group of reservoirs along the trail, the following ones have been declared monuments including valve houses, bridges, staff quarters etc. This revitalisation project is different from other past projects in the sense that no extra resources is required to be put onto it.
Photographics for every structures listed below are available on the website of the Conserve and Revitalise Hong Kong Heritage.
/ref> They are collectively called: "22 Historic Structures of Tai Tam Group of Reservoirs".
Guided tour
Guided tour for Tai Tam Waterworks Heritage Trail is introduced by the Commissioner for Heritage's Office in late September 2009 to encourage young people (only 12–18-year-old people can join the tour) to appreciate these centenary monuments and learn more about the history of Hong Kong's water supply.
Most of the facilities in the Tai Tam Waterworks Heritage are intact and still operating now, although some (Tai Tam Tuk Raw water
Raw water is water found in the environment that has not been treated and does not have any of its minerals, ions, particles, bacteria, or parasites removed. Raw water includes rainwater, ground water, water from infiltration wells, and water from ...
Pumping Station
Pumping stations, also called pumphouses in situations such as well drilling, drilled wells and drinking water, are facilities containing pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastru ...
and its Chimney Shaft) are not accessible to the public. However, participants of guided tour are allowed to visit them.
Between 10 October 2009 and 19 December 2009, there will be guided tours at Tai Tam Waterworks Heritage Trail every Saturday morning, starting at 10.30am and 11.30am respectively. The tour is about 5 km long and lasts for about two hours. It will start at Tai Tam Reservoir Road (near Parkview) and end at Tai Tam Tuk Raw Water Pumping Station.
See also
* Heritage conservation in Hong Kong
This article details the history and status of Heritage conservation in Hong Kong, as well as the role of various stakeholders.
An indication of the size of the built heritage in Hong Kong is given by a territory-wide survey conducted by the Antiq ...
** Heritage Trails in Hong Kong
**List of Grade I historic buildings in Hong Kong
Grade I historic buildings in Hong Kong are those selected as those "outstanding merits of which every effort should be made to preserve if possible".
These buildings may be protected under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance; after consulting ...
**List of Grade II historic buildings in Hong Kong
Grade II historic buildings are those of special merit in Hong Kong. Efforts are required to preserve the building selectively.
Note: This list is accurate A territory-wide grade reassessment has been ongoing since. Sefor the latest grading up ...
**List of Grade III historic buildings in Hong Kong
Grade III historic buildings () are those selected by Hong Kong's Antiquities and Monuments Office as those buildings which are "Buildings of some merit, but not yet qualified for consideration as possible monuments. These are to be recorded and u ...
* Tai Tam Country Park
Tai Tam Country Park () is a country park in the Tai Tam area in the south end of Hong Kong Island. At , the park consists of one fifth of Hong Kong Island's land mass. During World War II, the Japanese encountered strong resistance from British ...
* History of Hong Kong
The region of Hong Kong has been inhabited since the Old Stone Age, later becoming part of the Chinese Empire with its loose incorporation into the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC). Starting out as a farming fishing village and salt production site, ...
References
External links
Water for a Barren Rock, Water Supplies Department
Wsd.gov.hk
Hkdailynews.com.hk
{{Heritage conservation in Hong Kong , state=autocollapse
Buildings and structures in Hong Kong
Declared monuments of Hong Kong
Heritage trails