rotten row #2

The original ‘rotten row’, located along the path that represented the shortest way into Luen Wo Hui from our village, has probably been demolished, although I can’t confirm this because the path is now blocked. However, there is a more extensive row of squatter houses on a path that leads to nowhere other than the houses and is probably traversed only by the residents (apart from me). The location is indicated by a red circle on this map, which I used to illustrate my previous post:

At least one of the shacks along this path remains occupied, albeit not for much longer, but I’d noticed a few days ago that the others have been abandoned, and I’ve just been back to take a few photos. This is a view of the start of the path from the south:

…while this photo shows the only houses on the left-hand side of the path:

The white signs on the side of the first house read ‘Do not poison and damage the plants around here. Thanks!!!’. Strange, I remember thinking, but I’ve not seen the type of creeper adorning this house anywhere else. The remainder of the left-hand side was devoted to growing vegetables, although that activity has now ceased.

This is a view down the first side alley on the right:

There appears to have once been a gate across the entrance. Perhaps I should have ventured down for a closer look.

This is what the next house along looks like now:

The cryptic red writing on the right records that the occupants have now been rehoused. I wonder why they didn’t take the electronic keyboard.

And this is what the house looks like now inside:

It does appear that the occupants left in a hurry. I can only guess at the function of the small room with the white external walls. And notice the stairs: this house actually has two storeys.

The next house also has two storeys:

…and a chaotic internal layout:

This is a side alley between the previous house and the last two houses in the row:

Notice the Chinese flags.

I’m not sure why I didn’t photograph the outside of the last two houses in the row, but here is a view of the inside of the next house:

It appears to have been well furnished, but it begs the question: why did the occupants not take the furniture when they left? And this is what the interior of the final house in the row looks like now:

Judging by the writing on the wall right of the door—and the windows on each side—this was once the external door, and what you see in front of it was added on by subsequent occupants after the previous ones had been rehoused. And they left their washing machine behind! The Chinese writing reads ‘riches or poverty depends on heaven’ (left) and ‘all you need is peace’ (right). The characters above the door read ‘happiness’.

Finally, this is a view of the path looking back the way I’ve just come:

All these structures will be demolished in the near future.