Tai Hom Village () was the largest squatter village in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Its demolition was completed in 2001, though a few historically significant structures were preserved. The name is still used to designate its former site in Wong Tai Sin District, which is awaiting redevelopment.
Origin and history The first villager on record was Chu Yan Fung (朱仁鳳), a Hakka person who began to live in the village around 1740.沈婆等：《大磡之路》，香港：錄影力量，2002。 According to Siu Kwok Kin (蕭國健), a history professor in Chu Hai College of Higher Education, the pedigree book of the Zhu family recorded their immigration into the village in 1740; Tai Hom was the nickname of the village at that time – the district being officially named Fei Ngo Shan (飛蛾山).導播：雍進；監製：戴熾賢：《鑽石山下》，香港：電視廣播有限公司，2001。 Chu Yan Fung purchased the land from the Qing government, and settled there. The district was famous for granite, a favourable building material at the time.
In 1936, the Hong Kong government attempted to reclaim the land rights to the district. The village became government land, except for 20% of privately owned land. In 1956, many immigrants from mainland China entered the village. Some of these were wealthy people from Shanghai. The area was popular among the upper-middle class until the 1960s.
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in the 1940s, Tai Hom Village was demolished for the expansion of Kai Tak Airport, including the temple of the Chu family. The village was restored after the surrender of the Japanese, but the Chu family did not entirely restore their home. Only Chu Sam Tak (朱三德) remained in the village after the demolition, and the temple of the Chu family was not restored.
After the 1960s, due to government policy,〈大磡村的昨日、今日、明日？〉 ，中大學生報出版委員會，2001年5月。 an increase in population and the decline of the film industry,吳昊：《回到舊香港》，香港：博益出版集團有限公司，1991。 the village became home for more low-income people.
The modern Tai Hom Squatter Village was not located on the original site. It was located in Nga Yiu Tau Chuen (瓦窯頭村), part of which was the site of Kai Tak Airport during Japanese sovereignty.
Living conditions of the village during its existence
Hygiene According to the report by the Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council (NAAC) et al. in 1984鄰舍輔導會大磡村社區發展計劃負責人：《鑽石山大磡村社區需要調查》，香港：鄰舍輔導會，1984。 and 1985鄰舍輔導會、黃大仙白普理中心等編：《黃大仙寮屋區社區健康調查》，香港：該中心，1985。 the hygienic condition of Tai Hom Village was unfavourable. Major problems included accumulation of untreated garbage, stuffed drainage which caused floods, rat infestation, air pollution and aggregation of flies and mosquitoes.
In 2001, the villagers complained about the hygienic condition in Tuesday's Stores (星期二檔案), a TV news programme produced by the Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB). The programme particularly showed cockroaches and insects at a restaurant to pinpoint the undesirable circumstance.
Lam Kee-to, Jason further described the problem of rats in Hong Kong 101: 101 Reasons to Love and Hate Hong Kong.李照興、曾凡、贊年等：《香港101：愛恨香港的101個理由》，香港：Feel Company Ltd.，2000。 By his description, there were an excessive number of cats in the village, and the reason was rat infestation – cats accumulated to prey on the rats.
Amenities Amenities covered include public toilets, recreational facilities, transportation, electricity and water supplies, education, fire prevention system and social order.
Public toilets According to a report from the Student Press, the Students' Union of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Tai Hom Village had no public toilet before 1999. The Tai Hom Village Kai-Fong Welfare Association had lodged requests for public toilets; it was evident in the bulletin of the association in 1961, 1973 and 1984 that multiple requisitions were presented.
Recreational facilities In 1984, the report by NAAC also pointed out the lack of recreational facilities and community activities. According to government documents, there was a lounge near Tai Hom Village (Tai Hom Village South Temporary Sitting-out Area),"PUBLIC HEALTH AND MUNICIPAL SERVICES ORDINANCE – SCHEDULE 4". Legislative Council. Retrieved 17 October 2009. but no other government recreational facilities has been discovered in our research so far.
NAAC did make suggestions to the government, including redeveloping the burnt area (due to fire hazard) into a recreational area. Whether the government responded to them remains unknown in our research.
Roads, road lamps and transportation NAAC's report in 1984 pinpointed the problem of roads. At that time, they were rugged and scattered with rubbish, making them unfavourable for traffic. Road lamps were worn out and too few in number. Also, according to The Road to Tai Hom, there was no public transport until Leung King Chong, a villager, applied to provide public transport service.
Electricity supply NAAC's report in 1984 pinpointed the problem of worn-out cables. Moreover, it specified the problem of stealing electricity, which Ms Elaine Chung, former deputy director (Strategy) of the Housing Department, also mentioned upon her retirement from the department, saying that the problem of electricity stealing slackened the setup of Tai Hom Village electricity supply."Deputy Director Elaine Chung Bids Farewell". Hong Kong Housing Authority. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
Water supply There were no independent water supplies at least before 1961. There were public pipes but not enough. The Tai Hom Village Kai-Fong Welfare Association lodged a request for independent water supply in 1984. In 1985, reports showed that wells were still one of the water supplies of the citizens.
Education According to The Road to Tai Hom, religious organisations established schools in Tai Hom Village; villagers were most properly educated; the Kai-Fong Welfare Association even established concessionary education (義學) in 1961.
Fire In the late 1970s, a fire patrol team was established. The fire patrol team was formed by villagers. In the beginning, they were in charge of both fire extinguishment and fire prevention, but government fire stations later became in charge of putting out fire. The fire patrol team would hold meetings to exchange approaches of fire prevention, and publish fire prevention guidelines for villagers. In 1983, the government responded to the team's request of setting up 20 fire hoses.
However, fire remained one of the most concerned hazards in Tai Hom Village. In a report in 1985, 80% of the surveyed showed anxiety at fire hazards. Before the final demolition of Tai Hom Village, 2 fires happened in one week.
Social order Before 1961, the residents of Tai Hom Village self-governed the social order of their living area. Formed by villagers, Geng Nian Tuan (更練團) was claimed to deter crime and lower the number of late-night pedestrians in one of the bulletins of Kai-Fong Welfare Association. In 1973, the police took over Geng Nian Tuan, proclaiming that official power was better than civilian governance. However, the villagers still participated in the maintenance of social order. Kai-Fung Service Group (街坊服務團) was formed to assist the police and provide community services.
Economics Before 1940, Tai Hom Village was a small village with one church, two schools, two temples () and one hospital (). Farms were everywhere. In 1940, Zhao Shushen ()'s〈電影夢工場〉，陳天權，2008年8月6日。 Daguan Motion Pictures () entered the village, leading to the immigration of a lot of celebrities and high-income citizens. They built houses in Tai Hom Village to enjoy proximity to their places of work.
The film industry thrived in Tai Hom Village especially after Japanese rule over Hong Kong. Daguan Motion Pictures was altered into Hong Kong Pianchang (香港片廠), in 1954 Zhuanshi Pianchang (鑽石片場), in 1960 Jiancheng Zhipianchang (堅城製片廠). TV broadcast companies also rented the venues of the film companies. A lot of celebrities lived there including Chinese Opera actress Hong Xian-nu (紅線女), director Li Han-hsiang, artists Hui Goon Man and his brothers (許冠文兄弟),〈留住香港荷李活藝人「發迹地」 倡建創意電影工業園〉 ，《明報》，2008年4月16日。 Bao Fang (鮑方), Roy Chiao, Nancy Sit, Andy Lau.
The film industry also stimulated the growth of other industries. There were shops for theatre props; Wing Lai,-yuen (詠黎園); a restaurant famous for its noodles also thrived in the village. The restaurant was established by Yang Dian-hu (楊殿湖), and was a favourite leisure place for filmmakers at that time. According to Chan Tin Keung (陳天權), Hong Kong columnist and playwright, the restaurant might be named by Li Han-hsiang: Wing (詠) meaning singing, Lai (黎) meaning grass, trees and flowers, the whole name celebrating the pastoral around the restaurant. According to the official website of the restaurant, its ancestors were the royal chef in the Qing dynasty.The Official site of Winglaiyuen (詠黎園). Retrieved on 18 October 2009.
Other industries also thrived; factories were established in the village.
In 1949, immigrants from mainland flooded into Hong Kong, and Tai Hom Village became home for higher-income immigrants (lower-income immigrants lived in Shek Kip Mei or Kowloon Tsai. They build stone houses for accommodation. Due to its propriety, the village was dubbed as "Small Kowloon Tong"(小九龍塘).
However, after 1960, the rapid increase in population crammed the village. Due to the government policy, the village gradually became home for more low-income people. The film companies in the village were demolished in the 1980s. The economy began to deteriorate.
Restaurants and stores still remained in existence before the final demolition, most of them on Sun Hing Road (新興路).
Demolition of the village On 25 August 1998, the Housing Department announced the demolition of Tai Hom Village, which was proposed to take place from 14 November 2000 to the end of December 2000 and divided into eight phases. Then, the vacant land would be used for Public Development, such as construction of a new "Environmental Public Housing Estate" to supply living areas for some 10,000 people. Reallocation of residents of the village was arranged by the government. Public housing renting quota was pre-assigned to 880 households for moving into Tsz Ching Estate in Tsz Wan Shan which was under construction at that time; 790 households were reallocated to Kwai Shing East Estate, Shek Lei Estate and Po Tin Estate; and the remaining residents chose to apply to join the subsidised Home Ownership Scheme.
Table 1: Policy Adopted by the Government for Reallocation of the Squatter Village Residents
Type of Housing Qualification(s) Public Housing (1) For residents who: were living in Squatter Village registered in 1982; and registered in the Squatter Village census in year 1984–85 (2) For residents who had registered on the public housing waiting list, and passed the means and asset tests Interim Housing (1) For means-tested waiting list applicants registered in 1998(2) For residents who had registered in 1998 but had not passed the means and asset tests (*They could only live in interim housing for one year) Temporary Shelter For residents who: did not register in 1998; and were living in Squatter Village not registered in 1982 RemarksResidents who registered in 1998 could apply to join the Home Ownership Scheme (Green Form) or receive subsidies for private housing.
There had been a lot of protests from the locals since the announcement of demolition of Tai Hom Village. The squatter residents requested "reallocation within the same district" and "relaxation of squatter census" from the government; however, the Housing Department refused their appeal and maintained its existing policy. The government took action on 13, 16 and 20 February and 2 March 2001, driving away the residents and dismantling the squatter village. In face of intense opposition from the residents, the Housing Department took such hard-line approaches as breaking doors or walls and cutting electricity to force people to leave.
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