Causeway Bay
銅鑼灣
要睇返舊時海灣規模，睇下銅鑼灣道就知。成個布袋噉。
初時講銅鑼灣主要係講今日天后一帶，即係灣嘅東面，因為嗰邊有天后廟，係靠海為生嘅水上人、潮州人、福建人集中嘅地方。因為未填海前銅鑼灣西面地方好似一隻角咁，被稱為東角。香港早期嘅繁榮市區係五環三角，但東角唔係市區東邊嘅盡頭，最東邊嘅盡頭係北角，而響西環嘅West Point，即係西角，北角（North point）都係因為好似隻角咁而命名。渣甸洋行首先響呢度大興土木，起港口倉庫。香港政府亦沿住海岸綫，起咗條筲箕灣道去筲箕灣，其中部份就係今日銅鑼灣道同英皇道嘅前身。
The typhoon shelter of Causeway Bay and the Tin Hau Temple reveal that the area was once a fishing village. Before urban development and massive land reclamation, Causeway Bay was a heavily silted bay. Its former shape can be found on maps by tracing Tung Lo Wan Road, which goes along the former bay. In the early stage of development a causeway was built, which is the present-day Causeway Road. In the 1950s, the coastline was further pushed forward when the remains of the bay was reclaimed for the Victoria Park, when the statue of Queen Victoria was brought back from Japan. The statue had been taken away during the Second World War from Statue Square at Chater Road,Central. Kellett Island off the coast of Causeway Bay has disappeared and connected as a result of the land reclamation.
現時銅鑼灣是購物娛樂的好地方，但以前這個地方是什麼面貌的呢？我們走到位於大坑區的法定古蹟──蓮花宮一看究竟。
蓮花宮位於蓮花街，廟門左右小窗的對聯「開窗臨海面，閉月到籠州；遠看山色秀，近聽水聲清」記述了蓮花宮昔日背山面海的情況。銅鑼灣以前是木屋區，蓮花宮旁邊就是木屋群，在 80 年代隨著社區發展，木屋區已逐步清拆，相繼改為公園或公共屋邨。
廟宇主祀拜祭觀音菩薩，每逢觀音誕及觀音借庫便香火鼎盛。於一年一度的大坑舞火龍，大坑坊眾福利會和嘉賓都會先去蓮花宮參拜觀音，可見蓮花宮的重要性。
大家有空不妨到這座由建築特色的廟宇走走！
資料來源：華人廟宇委員會、《商城故事——銅鑼灣百年變遷》
Today's "Walk Around Hong Kong" went to Causeway Bay!
Causeway Bay is definitely one of the best districts for shopping and entertainment in Hong Kong. Is anyone curious about how did it look in the past? We went to Lin Fa Kung (meaning the temple of lotus literally) which was protected as Declared Monument in Tai Hang.
Lin Fa Kung is situated in Lan Fa Street. The couplets besides the two little windows on each side wrote "One will face the sea when looking outside the window. The view of Lung Chau (the old name of Causeway Bay) is stunning. The beautiful scenery of mountains in faraway can be seen and the flow of stream can be clearly heard." This depicts that there were mountains behind Lin Fa Kung and it faced the sea. In the old days, Causeway Bay was a squatter area and the blockhouses were right beside the temple. Yet, the houses were demolished gradually in the 80s. They were transformed into parks or public estates.
The temple is for the worship of Bodhisattva. It will be so crowded in every Guanyin Festival and the Open of Guanyin’s Treasury. In the annual Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, Tai Hang Residents' Welfare Association and guests will visit the temple to worship Bodhisattva before the event started. This reveals the importance of the temple.
You are welcome to pay a visit to this temple with unique architectural features!
Source: Chinese Temples Committee, 《商城故事——銅鑼灣百年變遷》