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

「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:

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:

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.