Funny street names become tourism resources (Dr. Deng Shuming) – EJ Tech

This articleauthorDeng ShumingVisiting professor of Computer Science Department, Faculty of Engineering, Geography Department, Faculty of Social Sciences and School of Architecture, University of Hong Kong, and writes columns for Hong Kong Economic Journal“Kami Shingo”.

Causeway Bay Hill Road is not in Hong Kong Island but in Shatin Tai Wai? Chai Wan Kok Street is located in Tsuen Wan? Hong Kong has been a port for more than 100 years, and many street names actually have interesting stories behind them.

For example, Rednaxela Terrace in Mid-Levels Central was originally named Alexander Terrace because the Chinese officials in the colony at that time did not know that English was read from left to right and thought it was read from right to left like Chinese. As a result, Alexander was mistakenly spelled backwards as Rednaxela.

The High Street on the steep hillside near Sai Ying Pun was originally called Fourth Street. The three streets below it were named First Street, Second Street and Third Street. However, the word “four” sounds like “death”, which is not auspicious, so the residents petitioned the government and successfully changed the name of the street to “good luck” High Street.

In the early days, the Chinese had limited English proficiency, so they often mistaken Feng Jing for Ma Liang. For example, the Chinese and English names of Fir Street and Pine Street, both in Tai Kok Tsui, were mistakenly swapped. As for Sycamore Street, also in Tai Kok Tsui, the Chinese name is a direct Cantonese reading of the English name, which sounds like a grammatical English. At the same time, Sycamore means “fig” in English, but fig means infertility, and the ominous meaning of the literal meaning may also be the reason for avoiding it.

Lascar Street, adjacent to Hollywood Road, was originally called Upper Lascar Row and Lok Ku Road. “Lascar” refers to Indian and South Asian sailors serving in British merchant ships. The area is located on the seaside of Sheung Wan and was once a settlement of sailors, hence the name. However, the Chinese at that time mistakenly believed that sailors were Muslim Moors, so the Chinese name of this street was translated into “Lascar Street”.

These street names reflect Hong Kong’s old history and culture. We should preserve them as much as possible. This will not only increase the younger generation’s understanding of local history, but also increase the fun of tourism.

To add character to the districts, the government carried out a series of beautification works in Central, Tai Wai and Tsuen Wan last year, including replacing characteristic street signs, railings, manhole covers and lamp posts. For example, the Central Outer Pier is decorated with different color themes and patterns based on the cultural background of each island.

Similarly, when the government updates road signs in various districts, it may add geocodes and QR codes to the signs, and attach a story map related to the street name, using text and pictures to introduce the history and legends (such as famous ghost stories on the high street) and comparison photos of the old and new street scenes. This not only responds to the concept of “Hong Kong is full of tourism”, but also helps tourists understand the stories behind the streets and demonstrates the wisdom and connotation of Hong Kong.

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