角館

小川原湖公園千本桜

芦野公園駅

弘前公園

2025年4月18日から27日まで、東北日本へ、仙台から、福島、岩手、秋田、青森まで、お花見に行きました。今回は桜が満開で、運が良かったです。

白石川堤一目千本桜

日中線しだれ桜並木

北上展勝地さくら

大潟村 桜・菜の花ロード

Part II

嵐山

嵐山（あらしやま）は、京都市西部にある標高382メートル (m)の山。また、大堰川（おおいがわ）を挟んで西側の松尾山・嵐山・烏ヶ岳の嵐山三山と、東側の小倉山・亀山、さらにはその麓を含んだ地域を一般的に嵐山と称し、山麓は多数の寺社が立地する観光名所でもある。 近くには嵯峨嵐山駅があり、この辺り一体が嵯峨野と呼ばれる事も多い。 また、近くのトロッコ嵐山駅からは嵯峨野トロッコが出ており、保津峡などを眺めながら、乗る事ができる。(From Wikipedia)

向日神社

向日神社（むこうじんじゃ）は、京都府向日市向日町北山にある神社。向日明神とも呼ばれる。式内社（名神大社・小社）で、旧社格は府社。

伏見十石舟

伏見十石舟（ふしみじっこくぶね）は、特定非営利活動法人（NPO法人）の伏見観光協会が運航する遊覧船である。京都府京都市伏見区の濠川（宇治川派流）に架かる弁天橋（月桂冠大倉記念館裏）のたもとから発着する。「十石舟」のほか、比較的船体が大きい「三十石船」も随時運航されている。(From Wikipedia)

竹中稲荷神社

竹中稲荷社に掲示されている駒札案内板によると、竹中稲荷社は平安時代の天長年間（827～834）には社殿が存在した記録のある歴史ある神社で、現在は吉田神社の末社となっています。

哲学の道

哲学の道はもともと、1890年（明治23年）に琵琶湖疏水が完成した際に、管理用道路として設置された道である。当初、芝生が植えられている程度の道であったが、ここを歩いて通行する人々が増えていった。明治の頃、文人が多く住むようになり「文人の道」と称されていた。その後、京都大学の哲学者・西田幾多郎や田辺元らが好んで散策し、思案を巡らしたことから「哲学の小径」といわれたり[5]、「散策の道」「思索の道」「疏水の小径」などと呼ばれた。1972年（昭和47年）、地元住民が保存運動を進めるに際し、相談した結果「哲学の道」と決まりその名前で親しまれるようになった。これにちなみ、1981年（昭和56年）に道の中ほどの法然院近くに、西田が詠んだ歌「人は人 吾はわれ也 とにかくに 吾行く道を 吾は行くなり」の石碑が建てられた。(From Wikipedia)

南禅寺

南禅寺（なんぜんじ）は、京都市左京区南禅寺福地町にある臨済宗南禅寺派の大本山の寺院。山号は瑞龍山。本尊は釈迦如来。開山は無関普門（大明国師）。開基は亀山法皇。正式には太平興国南禅禅寺（たいへいこうこくなんぜんぜんじ）と号する。日本最初の勅願禅寺であり、京都五山および鎌倉五山の上に置かれる別格扱いの寺院で、日本の全ての禅寺の中で最も高い格式を持つ。

Part I

A visit to Kyoto and surrounding areas was done in end of March to early April. This year Sakura Blossom was slower than expected due to prolong cold weather in early March and the temperature was rising in a much slower pace than expected.

Visitors were crowded in Kyoto during that time.

京都

醍醐寺

醍醐寺（だいごじ）は、京都市伏見区醍醐東大路町にある真言宗醍醐派の総本山となる寺院。山号は醍醐山（深雪山とも）。本尊は薬師如来。上醍醐の准胝堂（じゅんていどう）は、西国三十三所第11番札所で本尊は准胝観世音菩薩。京都市街の南東に広がる醍醐山（笠取山）に200万坪以上の広大な境内を持ち、国宝や重要文化財を含む約15万点の寺宝を所蔵している[1]。豊臣秀吉による「醍醐の花見」が行われた地としても知られている。「古都京都の文化財」として世界遺産に登録されている。(From Wikipedia)

木曽川堤

木曽川（きそがわ）は、長野県から岐阜県・愛知県・三重県を経て伊勢湾に注ぐ木曽川水系の本流で一級河川、いわゆる木曽三川の一つ。(From Wikipedia)

立本寺

立本寺（りゅうほんじ）は、京都府京都市上京区にある、日蓮宗の本山（由緒寺院）。山号は具足山。塔頭が4か院ある（正行院、教法院、光源院、大輪院）。(From Wikipedia)

本満寺

本満寺（ほんまんじ）は、京都市上京区にある日蓮宗の本山（由緒寺院）の寺院。山号は広布山（広宣流布山）。本尊は十界曼荼羅。塔頭が四院ある。(From Wikipedia)

下北山

下北山村（しもきたやまむら）は、奈良県の南部に位置する村。吉野郡に属する。世界遺産の「紀伊山地の霊場と参詣道」に含まれる大峯奥駈道が縦走し、村内の大部分が吉野熊野国立公園に指定されている。(From Wikipedia)

まるでウユニ塩湖のような映える写真が撮れるとひそかな人気を集めているのが、ミイケ塩湖です。三池炭鉱跡の塩山が、気象条件が整うと鏡映しのような幻想的な風景になります。もともと湖はなく雨が降った後に水がたまり鏡映しの現象が起こるので、前夜に雨が降り、翌朝晴れた時にしか見ることができません。インスタ映え写真が撮れるか撮れないかは、運まかせとなってしまいます。どうしても撮りたい場合は、旅行中の天気予報をしっかりチェックしておく必要があります。

「篠栗九大の森」は、九州大学福岡演習林の西端にあり、篠栗町と九州大学が共同で整備・管理を行っています。約17haの「森」には、スダジイ、アラカシ、タブノキ、クスノキ、ヤマモモなど約50種の常緑広葉樹とコナラ、ネジキハゼノキなど約40種の落葉広葉樹が生育しています。中心にある蒲田池の周り約2kmの遊歩道には、町の森林の間伐材を使用した東屋やベンチがあり、自然を感じながら散策することができます。

From Wikipedia:

福岡県（ふくおかけん）は、日本の九州地方に位置する県。県庁所在地は福岡市。

九州地方北部に位置し、九州地方の県では最も人口が多い。県庁所在地の福岡市は、九州地方最大の人口を擁する都市であり、西日本においても大阪市に次ぐ人口を擁する都市である[2]。 福岡市と北九州市の2つの政令指定都市を抱え、いわゆる三大都市圏以外では人口密度が1,000人/km2を超える唯一の県である。 全国では人口は北海道に次ぐ9位、面積は千葉県に次ぐ29位。

この写真はニコンFM2とFujichromeRDPIIIで撮りました。

金鱗湖（きんりんこ）は、大分県由布市（旧湯布院町）の由布院温泉にある池である。大分川の源流のひとつであり、この池に朝霧がかかる風景は由布院温泉を代表する景観となっている。

面積は0.8ヘクタール、周囲約400メートル、水深は約2メートル。

池底から温泉と清水が湧き出ているとともに、5つの河川が流入しており、その中には約30℃の温泉水が流れる河川もある。その温度差のために秋から冬にかけての早朝には池面から霧が立ち上る幻想的な光景が見られる。また、その霧が、由布院盆地名物の朝霧の源であるとも言われる。この景色はお盆に霧が乗ってるように見えることから「霧盆」と呼ばれ、湯布院を代表する風物となっている。

この池は、由布岳の麓にあることからかつては「岳下（たけもと）の池」、「岳ん下ん池」と呼ばれていたが、1884年（明治17年）に儒学者の毛利空桑が、魚の鱗が夕日に照らされて金色に輝くのを見て「金鱗湖」と名付けたと伝えられており、湖岸の1/4には「亀の井別荘」が接する。また、由布院盆地は古くは大きな湖であり、金鱗湖はその名残であるとの言い伝えがある。かつては数倍の広さがあったが、数度の地震による山崩れで埋没したために、現在のように狭く浅くなったとも言われる。

阿蘇山（あそさん、あそざん）は、日本の九州中央部、熊本県阿蘇地方に位置する火山。カルデラを伴う大型の複成火山であり、活火山である。

阿蘇火山は、カルデラと中央火口丘で構成され、高岳、中岳、根子岳、烏帽子岳、杵島岳が阿蘇五岳と呼ばれている。

最高点は高岳の標高1592m。カルデラは南北25km、東西18kmに及び（屈斜路湖に次いで日本では第2位）面積380km2と広大である。

2007年、日本の地質百選に「阿蘇」として選定された。2009年（平成21年）10月には、カルデラ内外の地域で、巨大噴火の歴史と生きた火口を体感できる「阿蘇ジオパーク」として日本ジオパーク、世界ジオパークに認定されている。「日本百名山」の一座としても取り上げられている。また、阿蘇くじゅう国立公園にも含まれる。

鍋ヶ滝（なべがたき）は、熊本県阿蘇郡小国町にある滝。

裏見の滝の代表例として知られる。滝の規模の割に、滝裏の空間が広い。 決して規模の大きな滝とは言えないが、優美なその姿にアクセスの良さが相俟って、好被写体として人気がある。

From Wikipedia:

大坑西邨（英語：Tai Hang Sai Estate），為大坑西新邨的正式名稱，位於香港九龍深水埗區九龍塘石硤尾邨與大坑東邨之間的租住屋邨，邨內共有8座樓宇，由周啟謙建築師樓設計，除了民泰樓於1981年入伙外，其餘7座均於1965年落成。大坑西邨與一般香港公共屋邨有別，屬於「私人屋邨」，並非由香港房屋委員會或者香港房屋協會興建及管理，而是由香港平民屋宇有限公司興建及管理。

歷史

1952年，九龍仔木屋區發生大火，燒燬大坑西邨現址一個名為「光民村」的寮屋區。香港政府其後在現時南山邨的南面部份及大坑西新邨的位置興建光民村平房區。1961年，光民村第三至五區清拆，政府以特惠地價批出土地予香港平民屋宇有限公司興建大坑西邨，用以安置當年受到大坑西徙置區清拆計劃影響的租戶，地契寫明須最少提供1600個單位，廉價出租給低收入人士。其口號為「興強順利，康樂安泰」，故此屋邨各座樓宇以此命名。

1965年，7座樓宇落成，單位面積由261至523平方呎，分別為民興樓、民強樓、民順樓、民利樓、民康樓、民樂樓及民安樓，而由於香港平民屋宇有限公司6名董事均有太平紳士名銜，故此大坑西邨便俗稱為「紳士樓」。

1977年，民泰樓興建工程開展後不久巧遇香港地鐵動工。為了興建地鐵，地鐵公司收回該座位置的地下使用權以興建石硤尾站，直至地鐵竣工後，香港平民屋宇有限公司才能夠繼續興建民泰樓，因而民泰樓的工程押後至1980年落成，並於1981年入伙。根據民泰樓切面圖顯示，民泰樓下方為石硤尾站，而石硤尾站亦為民泰樓提供支承。

重建

2014年6月，香港平民屋宇有限公司董事之一、恒基地產主席李兆基表示考慮捐出地皮，將其重建為提供5,000伙的青年居屋單位。2015年2月9日，逾30名大坑西新邨居民與立法會議員梁美芬等人與香港平民屋宇有限公司董事李兆基的代表、恒基兆業地產有限公司執行董事孫國林會面逾句鐘。梁美芬於會面後聲稱孫國林表示，大坑西新邨重建後的5,000伙不會全部闢作青年居所，呼籲居民毋須過分擔心安置問題。另有居民爆料指，平民屋宇有限公司正展開游說遷出工作，約見長者提出四項建議，包括市價7折購買李兆基與碧桂園主席合組基金於內地興建的長者屋單位，又或以5萬元作搬遷補償等。

2017年2月，大坑西新邨重建計劃有新發展。平民屋宇有限公司決定將第一期重建計劃新建的其中一幢樓宇，由原本出售轉為出租，以安置受影響居民，希望可減低重建計劃阻力。該公司表示，自城市規劃委員會2016年6月批准落實大坑西新邨重建規劃建議後，經過多月研究和留意到居民訴求，將第一階段重建計劃中兩幢樓宇的其中一幢，由資助出售房屋改為出租，提供560個單位供受影響居民租住；另一幢樓宇則按原有計劃出售，共有729伙，居民可優先購買。連同民泰樓263個出租單位，未來將提供823個出租單位，而民泰樓會先翻新，希望新安排滿足到居民原邨安置要求，居民亦可選擇交回單位，換取現金補償。至於第二階段重建計劃，該公司與居民達成共識及因應社會需要後，才會落實細節。

到2019年2月，重建計劃仍沒有進展，居民批評平民屋宇有限公司一直未有與他們商討重建及安置的計劃，而且安置單位內破舊不堪，要求政府介入。

在2020年11月的施政報告中，政府公佈平民屋宇有限公司與市區重建局合作，推展重建大坑西邨計劃。

2021年3月8日，市區重建局公佈與香港平民屋宇有限公司簽署合作備忘錄，預計年中將與居民交代重建方案。初步計劃重建後的屋邨提供逾3,300伙單位，較現時增加逾一倍。重置現有住戶約1,300個單位，其餘2,000個單位作「首置」用途。

From Wikipedia:

大館（英語：Tai Kwun），即舊中區警署（前稱中央警署；英語：Central Police Station，縮寫：CPS），位於香港中環荷李活道，曾經是香港警察總部及中區警署。中區警署現時已經遷至上環中港道中區警區總部毗連，原址連同前域多利監獄、前中央裁判司署的建築群現在是香港法定古蹟。2018年5月29日起正式對外開放，免費入場參觀。

舊中區警署建於1864年，是三層高古典式建築。1905年，加建一層。1919年，另一座四層高的大樓落成。1925年，另一所兩層高的軍械倉庫於西北端建成。

2005年12月20日，警隊舉行告別儀式，正式將中區警署交回政府。原址毗鄰而同樣擁有悠久歷史的前香港中央裁判司署及域多利監獄，擬發展為一個歷史文化旅遊區。香港行政長官曾蔭權於2007年10月10日發表施政報告，宣佈原則上接受香港賽馬會提出的活化計劃，項目耗資18億元。

2011年4月，香港賽馬會表示，已經完成中區警署的考古勘察工作，並且發現了一些相信是19世紀末至20世紀初的古物，包括陶製菸斗、銅幣、瓷碗碎片、疑似隧道建築以及地基遺骸。稍後會把詳細報告送交古物古蹟辦事處。長春社公共事務經理李少文要求暫時停工，若是發現重要遺址，應該全數原地保留，如遺址與保育方案存在衝突，設計更應更改，甚至推倒重來。香港賽馬會表示，在通過各項法定審批後，有關的維護及保養古蹟工程，將於年底展開。工程期間將會持續進行考古勘察，例如尋獲古物，香港賽馬會將確保進行適當鑑證以及向外公布。

From Wikipedia:

Tai O is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The village name means large inlet, referring to outlet for the waterways (Tai O Creek and Tai O River) merges as it moves through Tai O.

On the southwest part of Lantau Island, Tai O River splits to the north (as Tai O Creek) and west and at this fork lies the island referred to as Tai O. Two pedestrian bridges cross the river on its northern and western forks. The village is located mostly on the banks of the river. The western and northern parts of the island facing the South China Sea are uninhabited.

Nearby archaeological sites date back to the Stone Age, but permanent, and verifiable, human settlement here is only three centuries old. Stories that would be impossible to substantiate have Tai O as the base of many smuggling and piracy operations, the inlets of the river providing excellent protection from the weather and a hiding place. In early 16th century, Tai O was once occupied shortly by Portuguese during the Battle of Tamão, the remains is known as Fan Kwai Tong (番鬼塘, “Foreign devil pond”) today. At nearby Fan Lau, a fort was built in 1729 to protect shipping on the Pearl River. Smuggling of guns, tobacco, drugs and people remains a documented illegal activity both into and out of mainland China.

When the British came to Hong Kong, Tai O was known as a Tanka village. During and after the Chinese Civil War, Tai O became a primary entrypoint for illegal immigration for those escaping from the People’s Republic of China. Some of these immigrants, mostly Cantonese, stayed in Tai O, and Tai O attracted people from other Hong Kong ethnic groups, including Hoklo (Hokkien) and Hakka.

Tai O has a history of salt production. In 1940, it was recorded that the Tai O salt marshes were covering 70 acres (280,000 m2) and that the production has amounted to 25,000 piculs (1,512 metric tons) in 1938.

Currently the fishing lifestyle is dying out. While many residents continue to fish, it barely provides a subsistence income. There is a public school on the island and most young people move away when they come of age. In 2000, a large fire broke out destroying many residences. The village is now mostly squatters huts and dilapidated stilt houses.

Also known as the “Venice of Hong Kong”, Tai O is a tourist spot for both foreigners and residents of other parts of Hong Kong, despite damage by a fire in July 2000. The pang uks, a kind of stilt house, built right over the waterway are still quite scenic. A cable ferry tended by local women used to be quite popular with visitors, but it was replaced with a steel pedestrian bridge in October 1996.[6]

The traditional salted fish and shrimp paste are sold at storefronts in Tai O. For a small fee, some residents will take tourists out on their boats along the river and for short jaunts into the sea. Many tourists come to Tai O specifically to take these trips to see Chinese white dolphins, also known as “Pink Dolphins”. It is also a good place to see the sunset.

Old Tai O Police Station, a Grade II historic building, has been turned into a boutique hotel called Tai O Heritage Hotel by Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation. The hotel has nine rooms and a restaurant. The hotel has been open and operational since 2012.

Tai O Rural Committee Historic and Cultural Showroom, located within the centuries-old fishing village of Tai O, exhibits relics of the local community’s past, including fishing tools and dismantled old structures. The showroom was founded by the Tai O Rural Committee and all the items in its collection were donated by local residents.

The photos were taken on Nov 7-8, 2021, using Nikon F6 and Fujichrome RDPIII.

I immediately posted a message on Facebook Nikon Cool Scan Users Group and got a reply there to contact Gleb Shtengel. I got his reply and then I ordered a replacement flap door from him. The response was very quick and the shipment arrived very quickly.

Then I started following the instructions here and replacing the broken flap door.

Bravo!

I hope this scanner can still work for another 20 years!

From Wikipedia:

城門水塘（英語：Shing Mun Reservoir）是香港新界西南部的一個水塘，位於荃灣區城門谷一帶（城門郊野公園），為第一個把所儲存的水由新界區輸往港島區使用的水塘。為區別下城門水塘，城門水塘又稱為上城門水塘。亦因如此，廣義上，城門水塘是指上城門水塘及下城門水塘；而狹義上，城門水塘則是上城門水塘的真正名稱。由於興建時是正值英國國王佐治五世登基25年（1935年），上城門水塘亦名為銀禧水塘。由於整個城門水塘群剛好處於新界東與西的分界線上，上城門水塘被劃屬界線以西（屬荃灣區），下水塘則劃入界線以東（屬沙田區），所以，從廣義而言，城門水塘地既處新界西，亦處新界東。而貫穿兩地者便是1990年通車、同樣以該地地名「城門」命名的城門隧道，其共兩組隧道之間均以高架橋連接，並正正在下城門水塘和城門峽上方跨過。

歷史

城門水塘為城門谷計劃一部份。計劃始於1923年，惟1939年完成第三期的部份後，日本入侵香港而擱置。

1923年展開第一期工程，目的為改引城門河水至九龍接收水塘，再經過濾分配至市區。於城門谷上游建臨時土壩、臨時水道至城門峽，及由城門峽建兩條輸水隧道及引水道至同期興建的九龍接收水塘。第一期工程還包括九龍副水塘、石梨貝濾水廠、石梨貝配水庫、琵琶山配水庫、動植物公園配水庫、首條維港下的海底水管等等，當時耗資413萬7千港元。

1933年展開第二期工程，狹義上城門水塘由時年開始建築。於城門峽築280呎高主壩、菠蘿凹築82呎高的菠蘿壩及30呎的草壩。由於進度理想，1935年9月2日主壩建到160呎左右，水塘就開始使用，當時港督修頓進行了啟用儀式。1937年1月30日水塘正式竣工落成，儲水量達30億加侖，為當時英國本土及屬土中最大的儲水庫。由於興建時（1935年）正值英國國王佐治五世登基25週年，所以水塘又被名為銀禧水塘（Jubilee Reservoir）以作紀念。第二期工程還包括石梨貝濾水廠加裝濾水器、第二條維港海底輸水管等等。城門水塘的食水成為第一個把所儲存的水由新界區輸往港島區使用的水塘。

興建主壩時，由於工程浩大。香港政府聘請英國工程顧問阿歷山大·賓尼及迪勤公司（Sir Alexander Binnie Son & Deacon）的技術人員及曾興建星洲山頂水塘的南洋工人一起參與興建，技術人員加工人人數多達約2,500人。由於工程複雜，加上當時未完全掌握使用新型「11炸藥」的技術，發生多宗引致傷亡的意外事件。在工程初期，由於環境及氣候因素，有不少工人感染瘧疾。幸得到香港大學醫學院協助防治，感染人數才顯著下降。

城門水塘於建造前有8條主要村落，稱「城門八村」，分別為城門老圍、白石窩、碑頭肚、石頭見、芙蓉山、南房肚、大碑瀝和張屋。在興建主壩前，1928年開始，被安排搬遷到新界的錦田、大埔及粉嶺等不同的地方。

第三期工程包括延長引水道以收集大帽山南麓的山水及第三條海底輸水管等等。全部工程1939年完工，全三期計劃耗資950多萬港元。

位於針山以南的下城門水塘（Lower Shing Mun Reservoir）始建於1961年，於1965年開始供水，容水量429.9萬立方米，約為城門水塘三分之一，是船灣淡水湖供水計劃一部份，兩個水塘儲水量共1,758萬立方米。

城門水塘為醉酒灣防線的一部份，其中的城門棱堡更是利用城門水塘第三期工程作為掩飾秘密建造。在1941年12月香港保衛戰期間，成為駐港英軍與入侵香港的大日本帝國陸軍在新界區的主要戰場之一，目前在水塘附近的孖指徑仍有多個戰時遺址。

I went there on Oct 18 after heavy rainfall in Oct. The reservoir is full and the water is overflowing. Water is also covering the lower part of the trees. I brought along my Hasselblad XPan II with Kodak TMax 100. I used ND 3 stops and 6 stops for some photos.

I went there again on Oct 26 and take some sunset photos.

From Wikipedia:

南山邨（英語：Nam Shan Estate）是香港的一個公共屋邨，位於石硤尾和又一村之間，又稱大坑東，在香港城市大學、石硤尾公園、大坑東邨及大坑西邨附近。屋邨建於1975年，佔地逾5.25公頃，由8幢大廈組成的佈局非常特別，亦成為不少攝影人仕的好去處。

南山邨在大約1949年至1953年時屬石硤尾的木屋區，附近為光民村及九龍仔村，東鄰為大坑東徙置區及朱牯仔山。1975年開始興建，大部份樓宇採用前屋宇建設委員會標準規格設計，1977年開始入伙，現時由香港房屋委員會負責屋邨管理。由越秀亞通停車場有限公司負責停車場管理。

街市上方的平台空地，設兩則舊式兒童遊樂場，而該空地有三面被大廈圍繞，形成非常特別的景觀，成為近年的熱門拍攝熱點。而邨內的休憩空間有一棵巨樹。從居民口中所知，這棵大樹已屹立該處60多年，但因山竹颱風吹襲倒冧。

大生圍本為一整塊相連的漁塘群濕地，約於十多二十年前，政府為改善新界北的防洪設施， 以解決困擾該區多年的水浸問題，遂從 漁塘中挖出筆直的錦田河道，河的一邊是南生圍，另一邊就是大生圍，者皆可由錦田河道兩旁的路駕駛前往，感受愈來愈珍貴的傳統漁塘風情。由於環境優美，因此是個 郊遊 及 攝影的好去處 。

On Sep 9, 2021, I went there with Nikon F6, AIS24/2 and Fujichrome RDPIII.

From Wikipedia:

Central Market was a fresh food market in Central, Hong Kong. Located between Jubilee Street, Queen Victoria Street, Queen’s Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central, it was the first wet market in Hong Kong. By its side is the first public female toilet and first above-ground toilets in Hong Kong. It is one of two existing Bauhaus market buildings in Hong Kong, the other one being Wan Chai Market.

The building underwent a major works project to rehabilitate the structure and regenerate the market. Led by the Urban Renewal Authority, the project is intended to retain the original characteristics of the building. The newly-renovated building was opened to the public on Monday 23rd August 2021, and contains a mix of small shops, eateries, and public areas. Some of the original market stalls have been retained and refurbished, as have the impressive staircases at either end of the building, which is now managed by Chinachem.

History

The precursor of the market was Canton Bazaar, which was established in 1842 on Queen’s Road Central between Cochrane Street and Graham Street. In 1843, it was also known as the Middle Bazaar. The Chinese population were later forced to relocate from Central to the Tai Ping Shan area due to a series of fires. The market was then replaced by residential houses for Europeans. The bazaar was moved to Queensway, where the present-day High Court stands. It housed Chinese furniture dealers, joiners, cabinet makers and curio shops. Due to its proximity of Naval Yard and the construction of cantonment, the bazaar, shops and civil tenement had to be moved. In the 1850s, it was moved to its current location on Des Voeux Road (then known as The Praya). Its name also changed to Central Market (中環街市).

The market was rebuilt in 1858, then completely replaced with a Western marble structure in 1895. The rebuilt market was a three-storey Victorian-style structure with a tower in the middle.

The market was demolished again in 1937, this time replaced with a Bauhaus structure. Construction was completed in 1938, and cost HK$900,000. The market re-opened on 1 May 1939.

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong between 1941 and 1945, the Chinese name of the market was changed from 中環街市 (chung wan kai shi) to 中央市場 (chung yeung shi cheung). The Chinese name displayed at the Des Voeux Road Central entrance was not restored until 1993. Central Market was the biggest meat market in Southeast Asia and the then-Governor of Hong Kong David Trench made a visit to the market in 1967. The importance of the market attracted another Governor Alexander Grantham to pay another visit.

In 1994, the western part of its second floor was converted into the Central Escalator Link Alley Shopping Arcade, an access way between the Central Elevated Walkway and Central–Mid-Levels escalators. It was managed by the Urban Council until its dissolution in 1999. The market was then closed in March 2003.

Structure

The market is housed in a 4-storey reinforced concrete structure, and contains 200 booths inside. The market is spacious with a central court, high ceiling and window walls for natural light and ventilation. There are two entrances of the market. The Des Voeux Road Central entrance is on the ground floor while the Queen’s Road Central entrance bridges the first floor. In the early days, the root floor were offices and quarters of hygiene inspectors and other staff.

Current status

The building is largely abandoned with few stores along a renovated pedestrian corridor inside, Central Escalator Link Alley Shopping Arcade (中環購物廊). The corridor is linked by two footbridges to Hang Seng Bank Headquarters Building and Central Elevated Walkway, and another footbridge to the Central–Mid-Levels escalator. Shops in the arcade include tailors, cleanser, collectors and other trades. On Sunday, one side of the corridor is a popular gathering place among Filipino domestic workers.

Prior to the redevelopment, the building was temporarily redecorated on the theme of Central Oasis.

The building is currently undergoing significant works for preservation and revitalization, including major rehabilitation to the ageing building structure. This is being overseen by the Urban Renewals Authority. The pedestrian corridor continued to provide access through the site during the majority of the redevelopment works.

The Central Market is due to reopen in the third quarter of 2021, operated by the Chinachem Group on a ten-year lease.

I visited there on Sep 2, 2021 with Leica MP and T Max 400. The film was shot at EI400 and processed in T Max Developer 1:4 at 24C for 5’30”. The film was scanned by Nikon LS9000ED.

From Wikipedia:

Waterfall Bay 瀑布灣 is a bay in Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Located on the East Lamma Channel off the coast of Wah Fu Estate and Cyberport at Telegraph Bay, it is named after the waterfall that flows into it. The fresh water from this waterfall is said to have given the city its name – the translation of Hong Kong’s name in Cantonese 香港 means “fragrant harbour”. An eponymous park is now situated around the area.

Waterfall Bay is located in the Pok Fu Lam area, with the waterfall itself encompassed by Wah Fu Estate and the residential complex of Bel-Air on the Peak in Cyberport. Geographically, the bay forms part of the East Lamma Channel. The park surrounding the bay can be accessed by a road by the same name (Waterfall Bay Road), which is connected to Wah Fu Road. A trail at Waterfall Bay Park leads from a series of stairs down to a rocky/sandy area where the falls can be viewed from below.

History

Pre-1841 British colonization

It is not known when Waterfall Bay was first discovered. The first English-language mention of Hong Kong or the waterfall was in Dr. Clark Abel’s “Narrative of a Journey to China,” which recounted his 1816 travels with William Amherst on Amherst’s failed mission to China. Lord Amherst used the bay as the rendezvous point for his ships before proceeding north. The visit produced the first engravings of the falls.

Fishermen working in the southern part of Hong Kong Island referred to Aberdeen Harbour as “Hong Kong”, which translates to “fragrant harbour”. This name is attributed to the fresh water that flowed into Waterfall Bay from its namesake natural feature. The waterfall became well-known among British and European sailors, who would refill their fresh water supplies directly from the falls on their journey towards other ports in Asia, such as Galle, Ceylon and Malacca. This brought about the city’s reputation for its abundant supply of drinking water, one of the few places on the coast of China to have such a resource. As a result, the name derived from the waterfall was later utilized to refer to the entire island and Victoria Harbour.

Post-1841

Construction of the nearby Pok Fu Lam Reservoir—the first key water storage facility in the colony—was finished in 1863. In order to accomplish this, the streams flowing from the mountains that are the source of the waterfall were dammed. This greatly reduced the flow intensity of the waterfall.

Second World War

Due to the bay’s strategic location overlooking the Lamma Channel, it was utilized by the British during the Second World War to defend the colony from the Japanese. A pillbox and searchlight—known as a Lyon Light—was constructed; the former served as a bunker for Allied soldiers during the Battle of Hong Kong. Now in ruins, they can still be accessed at low tide.

I went there on Aug 23, 2021 with my Hasselblad 905SWC and Ilford Delta 100 All photos are taken with ND 6 Stops filter for long exposure.

流浮山（英語：Lau Fau Shan）位於香港，靠近后海灣，以盛產海鮮聞名，但後來主要代表其西面數條鄉村較旺盛的地方。

漁業
流浮山以其出產的海鮮聞名，尤其是蠔。因為該處位於后海灣畔，臨近珠江口，有淡水流入，所以適合養蠔。只可惜1970年代流浮山屢受共產黨武裝炮艇侵擾及擄人，加上珠江三角洲水質污染日趨嚴重，鄉村人口遞減和隨著天水圍新市鎮不斷發展，流浮山的漁業，尤其是蠔產量已大不如前，及至1980年代蠔業始起死回生。然而該處仍有不少海鮮酒家，每逢假日均有不少旅行團專程前往品嚐。

地理
流浮山南面可經流浮山道前往天水圍、廈村、洪水橋及屏山等地。沿后海灣岸邊的深灣路，向東北面可前往尖鼻咀，向西南面可前往沙江天后廟、上下白泥，再連接稔灣路、龍鼓灘路可到屯門區，但因為新界由西北堆填區設在大水坑河一帶，香港政府於1991年按道路工程使用及補償條例刊憲，永久封閉稔灣路其中一段（新界西堆填區的入口設有大閘阻隔），因此市民無法利用稔灣路往來屯門至元朗。由於位於新界西面的岸邊，不少人會前往該處望觀賞日落。

景點
流浮山尚有一座已棄用的前流浮山警署。該建築物位於流浮山山東街1號，於1962年啟用，但於2002年流浮山警署與天水圍警署合併後停用。警署範圍內有停車位，建築物外牆以藍白色為主調，天台設有作反偷渡之用的瞭望台，署內設有報案室、會議室及羈留室等。元朗區議會計劃在不久的將來開發警署為旅遊點，以吸引遊客前往流浮山。但到2018年發展局公布活化成香港導盲犬學苑，由香港導盲犬協會有限公司營運，會設展覽和導賞介紹警署歷史、建築特色及流浮山的蠔業與漁業發展。

現時有不少攝影發燒友於黃昏前往該處和有最美日落之稱的下白泥拍日落。

I went there on July 15, 2021 with my Nikon F6 and Fujichrome RDPIII. For more photos, please visit my gallery.

Pak Nai (Chinese: 白泥) is a wetland area, partly mud-bank, surrounded by mountain ranges, in the Yuen Long District of Hong Kong facing Deep Bay (aka. Shenzhen Bay). Pak Nai makes up the coastline as Sheung Pak Nai (上白泥) and Ha Pak Nai (下白泥) geographically.

Pak Nai is famous for its ecosystem which comes with rich biodiversity, with rare species found offshore. In recent years, the public has paid concern to a controversial development proposal, which eventually was dropped under objections.

Besides its rich ecosystem, Pak Nai is known for its sunset views and historically-significant sites dating back to a couple thousand years ago.

Ha Pak Nai’s 6-kilometer-long (3.7 mi) shoreline is where mangroves, wetland and mud-bank are found. The mangroves in Ha Pak Nai habour various species and is highly conserved by environmentalists. The rich biodiversity of this area has prompted the government to designate it a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Ha Pak Nai used to be an oyster bed, thus, there is still remains of oyster shells all over the mud flat.

Some species of crabs such as Perisesarma bidens, Ilyoplax tansuiensis, Uca arcuata and Sesarma sinensis are commonly found in the offshore mud flat.

Among all crabs found in the Ha Pak Nai area, the horseshoe crab is one of the most highly conserved species. Horseshoe crabs originate from 450 million years ago and are called “living fossils”. Because of the copper in their blood, which can be extracted to be applied in detecting bacteria, horseshoe crabs are highly valued in medicine.

Ha Pak Nai (“Ha” means “lower”) is known as one of the best places for viewing sunset in Hong Kong, making it a beloved place of many photographers, tourists and dating couples. The best sunset-viewing spots are the shores along Ha Pak Nai and the junction of Deep Bay Road and Nim Wan Road. Nim Wan Road is a popular 5 km cycling route for locals.

I went there on July 12, 2021 with my Nikon F6, AIS24/2, AIS35/1.4, AFD80-200/2.8 and AIS500/8Reflex. The film used was Fujichrome RDPIII.

城門谷公園位於荃灣城門道，毗鄰象山邨及石圍角邨。公園前身為房屋署轄下的象鼻山臨時房屋區及臨時遊樂場。臨時房屋區及遊樂場清拆後，交由前區域市政局發展為城門谷公園及城門谷運動場，並分別於一九九七年十二月十五日和一九九八年八月一日啟用。

城門谷公園佔地10.73公頃，園內動態及靜態康樂設施兼備，為市民提供一個運動消閒的好去處。城門谷公園分為北園和南園。北園的主要設施包括網球場、長者健體園地及兒童遊樂場。南園則有7人硬地足球場兼手球場、籃球場兼排球場、長者健體園地、卵石路步行徑及兒童遊樂場，並建有依地勢分作4層而總面積達3,500平方米的人工水景。

I went there on Jun 11 with Nikon F6 and AIS 500/8 Reflex with Fujichrome RDPIII.

可惜去的日子是5月20日，荷花還未盛放，而且中午時份頂光拍攝效果並不理想；如再過兩星期左右荷花應該會再盛開一點。

From Wikipedia:

流水響水塘（英語：Lau Shui Heung Reservoir），又作流水嚮水塘，位於香港新界北區東部的八仙嶺郊野公園之內，龍山東北一帶，處於粉嶺平原的東北端，建於1968年，屬船灣淡水湖工程計劃的一部分，負責將八仙嶺西北部的水源收集，經輸水隧道供應至船灣淡水湖，同時流水響水塘亦是灌溉水塘，用作灌溉附近農田。水塘面積約3.5公頃，容量約17萬立方米，混凝土主壩高24米、長54.9米；副壩高7.3米、長39米，水庫規模較小。

流水響水塘所在地流水響，早於清朝嘉慶二十四年（1819年）編的《新安縣志》已有記載：「流水響潭發源處有數石井，天造地設，深約尋丈，春夏溺如飛瀑，秋冬則淙淙細響」。該處為軍地河的主要源頭，河水先流入軍地再出梧桐河。

漁農自然護理署在附近設有涼亭、露營場地、燒烤場、野餐場地和洗手間等設施，是新界北的郊遊熱門之地。流水響內有一條郊遊徑，起點和終點均在流水響水塘附近，全長約4.4公里，走畢全程約需兩小時。

整個水塘被綠樹成蔭的河谷環抱，四周是成齡的林地，一排排生長在水塘邊的白千層樹，滿眼都是綠意，非常詩情畫意。

塘畔後排栽種了白千層，前排則種了落羽松。落羽松會隨著四季變化，轉換成橙、黃、褐等不同顏色，10 至 12 月時更會結毬果和開花。1 月尾的落羽松將會完全變紅，不用到大棠也能看到楓香樹般的紅葉！郊遊徑沿路亦有不少白花魚藤，在林間攀附生長。

水塘相當深，所以水塘的顏色碧綠，素有香港天空之鏡的美譽；塘底覆蓋著大小不一的沙石，為不同的魚類提供了多樣化的生境。水塘內可找到多個魚類品種，包括香港少見的弓背青將、月鱧等。

2003年，漁農自然護理署在流水響水塘附近發現一個蜻蜓新品種——灰白色腹部的赤斑蟌。

2018年4月底，行山人士發現流水響水塘近日嚴重乾涸，塘底驚見龜裂，可以行落水塘步行至對岸。水務署指過去的冬天雨量少，令該水塘的存水量因附近村民灌溉而耗盡。可是附近同是灌溉水塘、大小相約的鶴藪水塘卻沒有出現乾涸，懷疑附近龍山隧道工程抽乾了地下水所致。直至同年6月初，因受熱帶氣旋「艾雲尼」相關外圍雨帶影響下，過去3日已落下近100毫米雨量，是較過去兩個月總雨量多逾10毫米，同時新界北過去24小時亦錄得超過200毫米雨量，足以令容量達17萬立方米的流水響水塘注滿水，回復「天空之鏡」的稱號。

These photos were taken on Jan 16, 2021. I arrived at 6:30am and just managed to find the last parking spot in front of the main gate. There were crowded of people already there waiting for the sunrise. Camera used is Hasselblad XPan II with 30/5.6, 45/4 and 90/4. Film is Fujichrome RDPIII rated at EI100.

Lee Tung Avenue, Wanchai invited Victor Wong, an award-winning visual effects director, to create ‘Butterflies of Hope’, an AI-powered illuminating interactive art piece featuring butterflies.

During noon time, around 12 – 2pm, the sun will cast the colorful shadow of the butterflies on the ground.

The photos were taken by Leica MP with Zeiss ZM21/2.8 and Kodak Gold 200.

There are always debates on whether stop bath is critical in black and white processing. Let me share my personal comment below.

The function of stop bath is:

• stop the developer action immediately so there will be a very accurate development time for the film.
• it prevents the carryover of developer to the next processing step – usually fixer for B&W negative processing, to preserve the life span of fixer.

In order to achieve these functions, stop bath uses either method below to stop the developer action:

• chemically stop the action of the developer.
• Or most commonly, provides an acidic environment to the film so the action of developer, which usually only works in alkaline environment, will be halted.

Therefore, most common stop bath are acidic solution such as acetic acid or citrus acid, and sometimes we can use diluted vinegar as stop bath as well. Some commercially available stop bath have indicator in it so you can keep using it until it changes color when it expires.

One Drawback of using Stop Bath

As far as I know, there is one drawback of using stop bath. Some developers contain sodium carbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate as pH buffer and therefore, carbonate will be soaked in the film emulsion after the developer has been drained out from the processing tank. When the acidic stop bath pours in, the carbonate will react with acid to form carbon dioxide gas which will expand in the film emulsion and damage it. This may cause tiny “pin hole” visible on the emulsion. If you have experienced such problem before, you better not to use stop bath then.

Below are 2 images from 2 film strips, one has undergone stop bath and the other has just plain water wash instead of stop bath.

• Nikon F6 + AIS35/1.4
• Sekonic L858D spot mode metering, shot at 1/500, f/11-16
• Ilford HP5 Plus processed in TMax Developer at 24C for 6 min (continuous agitation for the first 30 sec, agitation 5 times every 30 sec)
• Then stop bath or water wash, then fixer for 6 minutes for both.
• Nikon LS9000ED + Vuescan scanning to DNG format
• ACDSee Photo Studio 2020 to adjust the exposure only with reference to the white wall at the lower middle, to about 195-210 code value, for both images

Conclusion

You may need to use a stop bath if:

• You want repeatable and accurate results for every film processing.
• You want to preserve and maximise the life span of fixer to lower your cost.

If you are just like me, processing a few rolls of film per year and in fact, all processing solutions are only used one time, then stop bath may not be necessary for you.

Please note that I did the test using TMax developer but the result may be different if other developers, or other processing technique were used. Other developers may behave differently when diluted in the water bath which may cause some further development of your film.