《芒角村之河溪小路考》
愚者‧I‧以便以謝
零八年四月四日初稿
序
本考源於旺角史考。余出生於廣華醫院，幼年居山東街，新填地街一帶。雖弱冠之時徒至青衣，然仍求學於窩打老道，閒時游樂於旺角。及至大學，日常生活仍以旺角為主。置家以後，幾經遷徙，今暫居山東街。人生數十年不離此區，意欲為旺角立志述史。
然幾經考究，參考文獻書籍，香港史專家如蕭國健老師等早已有詳備考證，無得以己之無知為區立志。是以暫且擱置。
及一日，翻查地圖，見一小溪於故芒角村以東。今小溪不復再，幾番求教此溪位置不果，又擱於高閣。又一日，得見一書，內文有述旺角區內曾有小溪之事，甚喜，終成此文，以為旺角史之補參，欲以報此地孕育之恩。
旺角簡史
旺角之名為現代美化轉生而成。故此事實有一海角稱芒角咀者，以芒草茂盛而得名。芒角咀並大角咀形如牛首雙角，是為當時一帶田耕漁捕之村落集中地。芒角海濱有一小村名芒角村，早見於清《新安縣志》，其史早見於舊考，故不在此詳述，請另參考。
後因新界租借之事，彌敦道之開建擴闊，芒角一帶之菜田花園漸成街道樓宇，故有西洋菜街、通菜街、花園街等地，其史亦有舊考，此文亦按而不詳。
及至戰後，旺角開拓發展更見益長，漸成一小都會，為九龍尖沙咀以外集民居商業之一中心。因芒角之名讀音不好，又芒、旺二字音若，故政府改稱此地為旺角，取興旺之意。(按此法為香港發展史上常有之例，如老虎山岩易為樂富，或陰澳作欣澳等。)惟英譯名不改，作Mong Kok稱。
芒角村堪查
芒角村之名如前述早見新清之縣志，是以芒角咀一帶早已有聚居。
英殖民政府在接手九龍以後，大力拓展，時十九世紀晚年，政府見漁船欠避風港著手於當時芒角村對開海面開闢避風塘。一份1893年有關避風塘的建議文件中附有芒角村之土地堪察地圖，相信為政府第一份為芒角咀一帶的詳細堪察地圖。(1)
圖上除芒角村之詳細堪察以外，鄰近地區亦有覆蓋。在芒角村以東有一河溪及小路可見，上有「往九龍塘」之注(To Kowloon Tong)。此河溪實為當時芒角村一帶農耕灌溉，生活食水之主要供應。
然今日之旺角並無小溪河流，此河溪之位置當為何地？是以余力尋書本典籍，欲一尋此河溪所在。
地圖考
自1893年之考察圖，河溪之處盡為田野，河溪自北南走，至芒角村南出海，旁有道路，與村之海濱約成平行之形，其相距為300至400尺，即約100米左右。(1)
另參考舊地圖如1887年九龍地圖，1903年8吋比例圖組，1924年圖組，河溪之位置大約在今水渠道以南，彌敦道以東。然因1887年之圖為小比例圖，難於確定；1902及24年圖中芒角村已被開發，而河溪位置亦各有所異。余以為當時芒角一帶漸次發展，然仍有農田花園，河溪水道貫穿農田，時有變遷，故未夠一言敝之。
街道考
按手中資料，故芒角村以西洋菜、通菜等菜田為主，花園為副。其灌溉則賴自九龍塘南奔之河溪引水。1901年自九龍塘引水之明渠落成，以補當時芒角村之水供應。(4)
另今之西洋菜街、通菜街之地於二十年代填平建屋，中間街道以西洋菜，通菜為名，以東花園名為花園街。此時芒角村已成現代房屋，惟自明渠南入芒角之小溪未填為土。(4)
此溪於旺角發展初期仍為明河，水源當為北面近界限街之明渠。時移世易，農田不再，小溪灌溉之用途不復再。然因經濟發展，不少人在此以替人洗衣為業，服務鄰里，溪旁小徑亦漸俗稱曰洗衣街。(4)
時至三十年代初，政府整治河溪，斷絕小溪水源，並於小溪原址設地下水道。小溪自此成下水道，上蓋街道仍慣稱名為洗衣街。
而小溪之水源，旺角北面自九龍塘之水渠當中一段上蓋道路，即今水渠道。而水渠道於今花墟附近，仍有明渠，旁有花墟徑，為界限街至太子一界疏導雨水之重要渠道。(4)
合考
按上文所述，芒角村地圖(1)所見之河溪道路雖在比對舊海濱與今洗衣街之間的距離上略有出入。然自十九世紀英殖民政府接管九龍，海濱一直填海外移，合考文字紀錄，地圖比對，有以下結論：
一、芒角村以東之小溪道路應連接北面今水渠道、花墟徑河道。
二、雖小溪道路與洗衣街略有出入，但因缺1893年至1902年間之地圖資料可考，海濱之遷不能確定。愚見以為大膽作一假設1893年所見往九龍塘之小溪道路實為今洗衣街一帶，小溪為舊灌溉用途，旁為阡陌道路，及至二三十年代婦女洗衣為業之河溪亦不為過。當然如能有資料補充參考以確定對否更為美。
三、洗衣街於旺角區發展上不可或缺之要素。自芒角村農田灌溉，婦女洗衣為業，及至今日之經濟發展，洗衣街確實見證著旺角自農村發展至大都會的歷史。
跋
因資料所缺，未能實證今洗衣街與1893年堪察圖之溪同。然此考述說了旺角之發展，雖不完滿，亦不失考證之意義。願他日能有更多資料以茲佐證。
參考
(1)政府檔案處，《SURVEY OF MONG KOK TSUI VILLAGE, 1893》，編號HKRS207-12-38
(2)哈爾‧恩普森著，1992，初版，政府新聞處，《香港地圖繪製史》
(3)鄭寶鴻，佟寶銘著，2000，初版，三聯書店(香港 )，《九龍街道百年》，ISBN 962-03-1793-3
(4)爾東著，2004，初版，明報出版社，《趣談九龍街道》，ISBN 962-8871-46-3
Introduction
From the very beginning, I was writing a history story of Mong Kok. I was born in Kong Wah Hospital, and lived on Shantong Street and Reclamation Road. My family moved to Tsing Yi when I was about 11 years old, but by the mean time, I studied on Waterloo Road and spent my after-school life in Mong Kok. Even when I studied in the university, I was still active in Mong Kok. After years, I got married and moved from place to place. And now I am back on Shantong Street again. This triggered me to write something of my lovely place, Mong Kok.
However, after reading books and papers, especially Hong Kong historian Prof. Siu's work, the history of Mong Kok seems so complete. I just left the idea behind as there seems not much to say.
After a year, I accidentally read an old map. There is a little stream running to the sea east to Mong Kok Village. I just wonder where the stream was. Without any further discovery, it was once again left behind.
Thanks to God that I read another book one day telling about stream running through Mong Kok Village. This article is written to be a supplementary of the study of Mong Kok, as a tribe to my lovely home.
A Brief History of Mong Kok
旺角 in Chinese is a decorated name of the place 芒角. There was a spur with grass (芒角) on the coast, together with another spur named Tai Kok Tsui (大角咀), a small village named Mong Kok Village (芒角村) was there in the bay area. This can be proved by documentation since Tsing dynasty. And there are a lot of papers about that.
After New Territory was "leased" to Great Britain. The main road in Kowloon was expanded and widened, and renamed as Nathan Road. Mong Kok
Village and nearby area was quickly developed into a modernized urban area. However, from the name of streets, you can still sense the history of the vegetable fields like Sai Yeung Choi Street, Tung Choi Street, Fa Yuen Street etc.
The development became even quicker after WWII. It soon became another residential and commercial area on the Kowloon Penisula. As the origin name "芒" sounds like "亡" (death), the government changed the name in Chinese to 旺角 for good fortune, but kept using the old English name as Mong Kok. (There are a lot of places in Hong Kong were changed for good fortune, just like Yam O was renamed as Sunny Bay.)
Searching for Mong Kok Village
The place "Mong Kok Village" was seen in Tsing's province history.
The British colonial government developed the Kowloon penisula quickly after the Anglo-Chinese Wars. In late 19th century, a wind shelter was decided to be built near to Mong Kok Village for fishing boats. A survey plan of Mong Kok Village and Mong Kok Tsui (芒角咀) can be found in the proposal of the wind shelter in 1893.(1)
The survey plan covers also nearby places. A little stream and footpath could be found east of Mong Kok Village, with an annotation "To Kowloon Tong". This stream was once the main water supply of living and farming of the village.
However, where is the stream now? I just traced some books and archived documents.
Search in Maps
From the survey plan of 1893, the stream run through fields from north to south and entered the sea at the south end of the village. The running direction was parallel to the village, and about 300 to 400ft, or 100m far from the village.
Comparing with Kowloon map in 1887 and maps from 1903 and 1924, the stream should be close to the area south to Nullah Road and east to Nathan Road. However, as the map in 1887 is a small-scale map, it is difficult to conclude. Also, Mong Kok Village was already developed in 1902 and 1924, the location of stream changed from time to time. By that time, vegetable fields could still be found, the stream might run through these fields and channel changed frequently.
Search in Street Names
From the data collected, there were a lot of vegetables and flowers planted there. The major water supply was the stream running from Kowloon Tong. In 1901, an open nullah was built from Kowloon Tong to Mong Kok to provide fresh water.
Area around Sai Yeung Choi and Tung Choi Street were developed as residential area in 1920s, and the streets were named by the vegetable found here. By the mean time, Mong Kok Village was already well developed as a new residential area. But the stream was still there.
The stream was there with water from the nullah from Boundary Street. However, as croplands were developed into residential buildings, the stream was once become a place for clothes washing. Some people washed clothes here as a kind of paid service, the stream and the path along with soon became the famous Sai Yee Street (洗衣街, Wash Clothe Street).
In 1930s, the government developed the area of Sai Yee Street and put the stream underground. The road built on it continued to use the old name.
The upstream of Sai Yee Street was also developed as covered road named Nullah Road. Beside Nullah Road, it is the famous Flower Market. You can still found an open nullah there beside Flower Market Path, which is one of the important rain water runway of the area.
Final Summary
As discussed above, by comparing survey plan of Mong Kok Village and old maps from different years, there are some slight difference between the location of the stream in 1893 survey plan and Sai Yee Street. Here I propose,
1. The stream and little road east to Mong Kok Village is now Nullah Road and Flower Market Path.
2. Although there is a difference between the locations of the stream found in 1893 survey plan and Sai Yee Street now and not sufficient information between 1893 and 1902, I still strongly suggested that they are the same. For sure, it would be nice if new evidence could be provided to support or reject this assumption.
3. No matter how, Sai Yee Street seems to play a very important role in the development of Mong Kok, from a stream to support local farming to the clothes-washing industry. Mong Kok grows with the Street.
Due to insufficient data, my suggestion of origin of Sai Yee Street cannot be proved yet. But I hope this article can be an incomplete reference for the study of Mong Kok development history.
Written by
The Stupid
4-Apr-2008 (translated on 15-Jan-2009)
Reference
(1)政府檔案處，《SURVEY OF MONG KOK TSUI VILLAGE, 1893》，編號HKRS207-12-38
(2)哈爾‧恩普森著，1992，初版，政府新聞處，《香港地圖繪製史》
(3)鄭寶鴻，佟寶銘著，2000，初版，三聯書店(香港 )，《九龍街道百年》，ISBN 962-03-1793-3
(4)爾東著，2004，初版，明報出版社，《趣談九龍街道》，ISBN 962-8871-46-3
