Shouson Hill
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Shouson Hill (壽臣山) is a hill on the coast of Deep Water Bay east of Wong Chuk Hang and a residency area locating north of the hill on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It consists of one main road that loops around back to the main road. The main road is called Shouson Hill Road, although several smaller roads break off from it. Some such as Shouson Hill East, and Shouson Hill West.
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[edit] History
The valley north of Shouson Hill was a cultivated area of Hong Kong, a walled village. It is probably where the British taking the name for the colony of Hong Kong. The valley was known as Wong Chuk Hang Valley and once named by British as Staunton's Valley.
The Hill is named after Chow Shouson, a high official in Qing before 1911 Revolution and an active businessman and politician in Hong Kong thereafter. Indeed he was born in the above-mentioned village in 1861.
[edit] World War I and World War II
In the early 20th century, the British military (who occupied the area at the time) used the hill to post a bunker for troops and sentry units. The bunkers are now abandoned and run down, but from where they once stood, Deep Water Bay, Ocean Park, and Aberdeen are clearly visible. Also during the beginning of the 20th century, commoners who owned workshops and such were evacuated into Shouson Hill in the circumstance of an air assault from the Axis Powers. In the end, this idea was a failure because when the Japanese invaded Hong Kong, they infiltrated small communities including: Repulse Bay and Shouson Hill.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Buses
Certain buses run through Shouson Hill that end in Causeway bay (driving over the mountain) and in central Aberdeen. The #5 Public Light Bus comes from Aberdeen to Causeway Bay or vice versa; this bus only runs through the main Shouson Hill Road turning right on to Deep Water Bay Road and conversely. The second bus that travels through Shouson Hill is the #6 bus which takes you from Admiralty to just outside Ocean Park. To ride the buses you need an Octopus® Card or you can pay with coins before you sit down. Towards Aberdeen, the bus costs HK$5.3 and towards Causeway Bay the bus costs HK$7.5.
[edit] Taxis
Taxis are also frequently used by residents of Shouson Hill. They deliver a faster transportation service than the busses, but cost more. They come frequently and are not hard to find throughout the day. Taxi's will take you anywhere in Hong Kong and must always stop for a passenger.
[edit] Shopping
There is limited shopping on Shouson Hill except for Shouson Place which contains a PARKnSHOP grocery store tore and realty. Since Park'n'Shop is a common grocery chain in Hong Kong, the quality is kept up to standard. A few other sections of Shouson Place are up for lease but have not been opened yet. More recently, a new cafe is soon to open above Park'n'Shop within the next month (as of March 2007). At the bottom of the hill lays a well-kept nursery that sells basic plants and flowers for locals.
[edit] Geography
Shouson Hill is broken up into two sections: The West and South Nursery. Shouson Hill slopes downward steeply to Deep Water Bay and gradually towards Aberdeen. Shouson Hill's loose gravel and steep slopes make it prone to landslides during the rainy seasons which, if powerful enough, may damage some apartments as seen in recent years. Although these landslides aren't normally serious, sections of roads are occasionally closed off in the event. Shouson Hill is also home to several species of plants such as: mandarin shrubs, mangrove trees, palm trees, and some coniferous forest trees. Plant life is very abundant on Shouson Hill covering nearly 3/4 of the hill.
Shouson Hill has some good hiking trails, the following websites has detailed info on hiking in Hong Kong :
www.drmartinwilliams.com/hkhiking/hkhiking.aspl
[edit] Biological Life
Both the West Nursery and the South Nursery contain many different organisms. Animals that may be found in either of these nurseries are black kites, snakes, lizards and estuary birds. You may occasionally find dogs roaming around that may look like strays, but most of the time, they are tame animals that have owners and don't attack people.
