Peter Bok ● Photo Journal 卜利泉 ( 光●影●情●事 ): Reminiscing Lei Yue Mun 情繫鯉魚門

Lei Yue Mun (Lyemun), the main door of the east entrance to the Victoria Harbor of Hong Kong, has a natural military fortification. In the Second World War, the peaks on both sides of Lei Yue Mun had the military forts built to defend the eastern approaches to Victoria Harbor. On Hong Kong island, the fort built at Ah Kung Ngam now becomes the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defense. At Lei Yue Mun in Kowloon, the fort was built at the Devil Hill which was already abandoned.

Li Yue Mun lighthouse was built in 1950 to provide marine direction in the area. Lei Yue Mun village is comprised of Ma Wan Village, Sam Ka Village and Lingnam New Village. The old quarry no longer existed. Nowadays, Lei Yue Mun is a world-known place of attraction for tourists and seafood.

Hoi Bun School was established in 1946 in Lei Yue Mun. As the number of children entering into primary education decreased drastically, the Hong Kong Education Department ordered the close-down of primary one in 2005. The school was eventually closed on the 31st August 2008 with a 62-year school history. Now the school building is used as the Jockey Club Lei Yue Mun Plus, a center for creative art, funded by the Kowloon Federation of Associations (Community Services) Foundation. While visiting the Plus, I have seen many exhibits, paintings and writings about the history of the school and Lei Yue Mun. One of the foreign poets has written a poem about Lei Yue Mun depicting the natural beauty of Lei Yue Mun and its historical encounter during the wartime. I am very impressed by this poem:

Lyemun by Ken Ibsen 1996

The short and narrow tideway's deep,

Of which the rocky shores are steep.

Relieving threats of reefs or bores,

The pilots man the harbour's doors.

The violent currents and the gales

Untie the zigzag flapping sails.

In honeycombs, a rocky store,

Embedded deep are tales of yore.

Collapsed the west Jin Drinker's Line

Before the Devil's Peak's decline.

Retreating home, a Royal fort,

The loyal gunners fought back short.

To celebrate the Christmas night,

Takashi made, at candle light,

Sir Young a prisoner of war,

Whose term in month was forty-four.

The last unclaimed meandering sands

Are only touched by Nature's hands.

May all that rove this handsome strand

Salute this peaceful promised land!

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Photo equipment:
Nikon D300s, Nikon GP-1 GPS
AF-DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6
Nikon Coolpix AW100
iPhone 5

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鯉魚門是進入香港水域維多利亞港的東面大門。具有天然的軍事要塞。第二次世界大戰期間，兩岸山頭均設有炮台，守衞香港東面的入口。香港島方面，炮台設在阿公岩，現時成為香港海防博物館。九龍鯉魚門，炮台設在魔鬼山頭，現已荒廢。

鯉魚門燈塔約建於1950年，為該區水域提供導航指示。鯉魚門村由馬環村、三家村及嶺南新村所組成。昔日鯉魚門的石礦場已不復見，區內設有海鮮酒家和食肆，現成為世界聞名的海鮮旅遊勝地。

鯉魚門的海濱學校，創校於1946年，近年由於適䶖入學兒童減少，教育署於2005年下剎校令，停辦小學一年級，2008年8月31日學校停辦，結束62年的辦學歷史，現改為賽馬會鯉魚門創意館，獲九龍社團聯會社會服務基金的資助。我訪鯉魚門期間，創意館展示學校和鯉魚門的歷史。也有文人為鯉魚門作畫題詩。其中一位外國文人寫了一首「鯉魚門」的英文詩，道出鯉魚門的天然美景和戰時的遭遇。我十分感興趣，以下是中文譯文：

《鯉魚門》

狹短深潮道，石岸峽陡高，海門礁流險，領航勤引路。

流湍逆風勁，纜脫醉帆聲，蜂房濤石建，洞深藏汗青。

醉灣棄敗陣，魔山夜撤軍，據守皇家堡，抗敵成忠魂。

酒井燭賀壽，聖誕夜稱首，敗寇楊慕琦，三年八月囚。

風浪為天手，獨撲淺灘頭，掔秀君臨海，福地感恩遊。

Relieving threats of reefs or bores, the pilots man the harbor's doors.(from archive, date unknown)
Nikon Coolpix AW100
海門礁流險，領航勤引路。（檔案照片，日期不詳）

Hoi Bun School at Lei Yue Mun (from archive, date unknown)
Nikon Coolpix AW100
鯉魚門海濱學校（檔案照片，日期不詳）

Archive photo of Lei Yue Mun (from archive, date unknown)
Nikon Coolpix AW100
鯉魚門舊照（檔案照片，日期不詳）

A boat passed by this peaceful harbor and Hong Kong island has many high rises erected!
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 @32mm, f/9.0, 1/1600 sec, ISO 1250
我靠著海濱，一艘小船駛過，是一個寧靜的景象，香港島沿岸已見高廈臨立。

The Hoi Bun School became a centre of creative art. The window has many sections of glasses. I can see Lei Yue Mun harbor through the window.
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 @40mm, f/9.0, 1/125 sec, ISO 500
走進鯉魚門海濱學校，現已改為創意中心。玻璃窗有多面玻璃，成幾何形狀。透過窗框，可見鯉魚門海港。

Lei Yue Mun lighthouse remains the same after half a century.
Nikon D300s, 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 @18mm, f/9.0, 1/320 sec, ISO 500
鯉魚門燈塔建在岩石山，經過半世紀的歲月洗禮，外貌仍舊不變，同一模樣。