Top Five Things to Do in Lam Tin
到訪藍田必做的五件事
到訪藍田必做的五件事
L位ocated in the southeastern part of Kowloon, Lam Tin is one of the most historic residential areas in the Kwun Tong district. It was initially a hill in the district called "Ham Tin", but later, according to Treaties of Geography - Book of Han, Lam Tin is a mountain where beautiful jadeite was found. Thus, the hill was officially renamed Lam Tin and is now referred to as the entire district. Both Lam Tin Village and Cha Kwo Ling Village are one of the earliest housing estates in Hong Kong. The district has gradually developed over time and shows an unique blend of old and new.
處九龍東南部的藍田，是觀塘區最具歷史的住宅地區之一，區內一個山丘本名為「鹹田」，後來根據《漢書‧地理志》一句「藍田，山出美玉，有虎候山祠，秦孝公置也。」正式改名藍田，後泛指整區。區內藍田村及茶果嶺村是香港早期房屋，隨時代變遷逐漸發展，擁有新舊交融的獨特風景。
Take a Leisurely Walk休閒郊遊勝地
Lam Tin is surrounded by mountains where Lam Tin Park, a large leisure park, is built in front of the mountains. The park is situated on the site which was redeveloped after the May 29 1982 landslide disaster, as a result of torrential rain which caused mass casualties. It consists of an open plaza, a children's playground, a picnic area and a fitness trail. Not only does the park have multiple facilities, it offers a nice walk around the area too. Stairs in the park can be climbed to a mountain top and when you reach the peak, there is an observation deck where a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour shines gloriously in front of you. The steps are easy to conquer and is a suitable walking trail for all ages. The park is also connected to other trails like Black Hill from the steps next to the Di Mu Niang Niang Temple. Though the uphill walk is more challenging, the view from the mountain is more open and impressive.
藍田區以山嶺地帶為主，區內藍田公園就是依山而建的大型休憩公園，設有露天廣場、兒童遊樂場、野餐區及健身徑等等，集多類型設施於一身，同時也是郊遊遠足好地方。沿公園內樓梯級逐步登山，可上到山頂的觀景台，能飽覽維多利亞港景色，而且全程皆是容易上落的石階路徑，適合不同人士使用。公園連接其他郊遊徑，經地母元君廟旁梯級，可以步行上五桂山，山勢較起伏，而山上景致則更開揚壯麗。藍田公園原址，是發生於1982年5月29日的「五二九雨災」的災後重建地，當日因連場暴雨令全港多區發生山泥傾瀉，造成多人死亡及受傷。
Enjoy Local Delicacies嘗盡香港地道小吃
Situated near the Lam Tin MTR station, FOODIN (also known as Kai Tin Market) has a history dating back almost 30 years. It is a popular hotspot in the neighbourhood and was re-opened after renovations last year with new British-inspired interiors. Decorated in classic British elements—red brick walls, black and white tiles, red telephone booths and oil lamps—the market houses about 90 shops selling a wide variety of fresh and dried foods. Outside the market, there is also a food street where shoppers can enjoy international delicacies and local delights, such as Hong Kong-style dumplings, Taiwanese baby oysters, tofu-based snacks and for the daring, pork intestines soup noodles. The food street opens until midnight so it's a great place to pop in for a late night meal.
鄰近藍田地鐵站的啟田街市有接近30年歷史，是區內主要菜市場，街市於去年翻新後重新開幕，並改名「啟田市場」，一改傳統街市設計，以英倫風為主題。設計師將英國經典街頭元素，如紅磚牆、黑白格地板、紅色電話亭及油燈等放進項目內，猶如走進了英式小鎮。市場內設有近90間商舖，新鮮食材與乾貨海味應有盡有，外圍特設小食街，匯聚環球美食和香港地道小吃，如港式燒賣、台灣小食蚵仔大腸麵線、豆腐製品等，小食街營業至深夜。
Value for Money Shopping廉價購物之選
Like FOODIN, Sceneway Plaza is also a popular shopping destination in Lam Tin. Since the shopping mall connects to the Lam Tin Public Transport Interchange and government departments, the traffic to and from the mall can be quite congested. The five-storey Sceneway Plaza is more than 100,000 square feet and houses more than 100 shops offering affordable shopping for residents nearby. There are a wide variety of famous chain stores, local stores, eateries including snack stores, hardware stores, clinics and fashion boutiques. Sceneway Plaza gives shoppers a warm and nostalgic feeling of Hong Kong's old-style authentic shopping malls.
與啟田市場一樣，匯景廣場也是藍田區內富特色的購物地點，因連接藍田公共交通交匯處及政府部門，人流極之頻繁。共五層的匯景廣場總面積超過十萬平方呎，業權經多次分拆後現有商戶過百間，涵蓋著名連鎖商店及民生小店，店舖類型極之多元化，由一般小食店到五金店、醫務所及時裝店等一應俱全，貨品價錢比一般大型店舖便宜。廣場給顧客一種香港舊商場的溫馨與懷舊體驗。
Witness the Changes of Hong Kong見證香港變遷
With a history of more than 100 years, Cha Kwo Ling Village in Lam Tin was a squatter area and once home to over 20,000 residents. It was named Cha Kwo Ling because of the large number of tea trees planted on the mountain. Since the residents of Cha Kwo Ling have already moved out, a large number of vacant houses, empty shops and restaurants remain with only a few cafes still open today. With this, the look and feel of the village remains in its past and attracts many photography enthusiasts. However, the government has announced that many old villages have already been included in a redevelopment plan and those vacant houses will eventually be knocked down. Those who would like to understand the history of Hong Kong should visit the villages before they're gone.藍田區內的茶果嶺村是一個已有百多年歷史的寮屋區，因山上種有大量茶果樹而命名，曾經居住超過2萬人，但隨著區內變遷，大部分居民已搬走，餘下大量空置鐵皮房屋，過去村內開了不少商舖和餐廳，現在大都人去樓空，僅有幾間冰室仍然營業，周遭像停留於過去時空的風景，吸引不少攝影愛好者。然而，政府已宣布把多條古村納入重建範圍，茶果嶺村將迎來拆卸重建的命運，想了解香港歷史的朋友要趁早到訪。
Visit Old Temples歷史建築廟宇
The famous Tin Hau Temple is another attraction worth visiting in Cha Kwo Ling. It was built in the Dao Guang Period of the Qing Dynasty by the Kwun Tong residents living in the area at the time, and has been rebuilt since then. It is one of the few temples in Hong Kong that is completely constructed of granite and was classified as a Grade 3 historic building in 2010. Fun fact, there is a pair of very special boulders outside the temple and because they resemble the male reproductive organ, they were worshipped by a lot of women. According to a story on the notice board in Cha Kwo Ling, a civil servant who was married for a long time but had no children went to the Tin Hau Temple with his wife to worship the stone. It was said that his wife gave birth the following year. The news was circulated and attracted many infertile couples to the Tin Hau Temple to worship the stones.
茶果嶺村附近另一值得前往的地方，就是區內著名的天后廟，這座廟宇據知早於清朝道光年間建成，由當時的觀塘居民合資興建，經多次重修後搬遷至茶果嶺，是香港少數完全使用花崗岩建構的廟宇，於2010年被評定為三級歷史建築。天后廟外有一對很特別的天然巨石，因看起來像一對睪丸，故相傳有求子之效。據茶果嶺村內告示牌所述，過去有民政官久婚而未有兒女，每年都與妻子到天后廟求神，兩人在某一次參拜後嘗試觸摸求子石，結果妻子真的在翌年成功誕下一子。