“Shh,” I say, “can you hear that? It’s the sound of stories waiting to be discovered.” Welcome to San Po Kong Public Library. This isn’t just a building filled with books. It’s a portal to different worlds and a treasure trove of knowledge.
San Po Kong itself has quite the story. It began as a new village. This village replaced the old Po Kong Village that was sadly destroyed by the Japanese in 1943. The original village featured terraced houses and a small forest on a hill. During World War II the Japanese partially leveled the hill. This was to extend the runway at Kai Tak Airport. Today the old village hill is the Choi Hung Road Playground. Street names like Po Kong Village Road remind us of the old village.
Did you know that San Po Kong was once part of an airport? In 1916, Ho Kai and Au Tak reclaimed land south of here. They wanted to create a garden estate. This area became the Kai Tak Bund. The Hong Kong Government bought back the land for the Royal Air Force. Later the Kai Tak Aerodrome was built. The airport expanded significantly in the late 1930s. It eventually took up the whole of San Po Kong. During the Japanese occupation, more than 20 villages around San Po Kong were demolished for the airport’s expansion.
Tseuk Luk Street is part of the previous runway. Its name is a pun on the word “landing” in Cantonese. This commemorates the area’s history as an airport. In 1958, the airport moved south to Kowloon Bay. San Po Kong then transformed into an industrial area. Many high-rise buildings went up. The government established the San Po Kong Factory Estate. It was for small manufacturing businesses in the early 1960s.
The San Po Kong Public Library now stands in a place that has been a village, an airport and an industrial hub. It’s quite a transformation. Within these walls you can find stories of all kinds. Explore literature. Discover history. Learn something new. The San Po Kong Public Library offers a quiet space. It is a place where you can escape the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. It is a center for learning and community. The San Po Kong Public Library is a testament to the area’s ever-changing spirit. So come on in and let’s find our next adventure within the pages of a book.