After the fire and our temporary stay along Argyle Street, our family was finally assigned a place in the new Chuk Yuen Resettlement Area, mid level of the Lion Rock. This marked the beginning of a new chapter — a fresh start, though life remained simple and tough.
We were placed in Section 1, House No. 101, on a small plot of about 200 square feet. To many people today, that might sound tiny, but to us back then, it meant stability and hope.
My father, together with a worker from the resettlement office, built our house from scratch.
The lower half of the walls were made of bricks, sturdy enough to hold everything together. The upper half was patched with woods, planks and metal sheets. The roof was covered with corrugated asbestos panels, which sheltered us from the burning sun and heavy rains.
Note:
Canada has strict regulations on the use of asbestos. The "Prohibition of Asbestos and Products Containing Asbestos Regulations" (SOR/2018-196) bans the import, sale, and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products, with limited exceptions for specific uses where no asbestos-free alternative is available. Provinces like Ontario have additional, more detailed rules for workplace safety during construction or repair projects involving asbestos.
Piece by piece, wall by wall, they created our home with their own hands.
It wasn’t fancy, but it was ours.
Moving Again — Section 6 Near Wong Tai Sin Temple
We did not stay in Section 1 for long. Soon, our family was reassigned to Section 6, the area closest to the foot of the mountain and very near the famous Wong Tai Sin Temple. Even today, the temple remains one of Hong Kong’s busiest and most well-known places of worship, drawing visitors from all over the city.
Back then, the neighbourhood was lively with worshippers, incense, and traditional rituals. For a young child, it was a fascinating place full of colour and culture.
Our Final Home in Section 3 — A Concrete House at Last
Eventually, we were relocated once more — this time to Section 3, where the resettlement office provided us with a concrete link house. Compared with the earlier shelters built from bricks, metal sheets, and wood, this new home felt solid, safe, and modern.
We were thrilled.
It finally had electricity and running water — luxuries for us at that time.
Before that, life in Chuk Yuen was extremely basic. We cooked with firewood in the early days, later switching to kerosine stoves. At night, we lit the house with kerosine lamps. Even though things were simple and rough, those were happy years — full of warmth, family, and the spirit of Lion Rock.
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