Diamond Hill

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Sign at a roundabout near Chi Lin Nunnery in Diamond Hill.

Diamond Hill (traditional Chinese: 鑽石山) is a hill in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The name also refers to the area on or adjacent to the hill. It is surrounded by Ngau Chi Wan, San Po Kong, Wong Tai Sin and Tsz Wan Shan. Its northeast is limited by the ridge. It is principally a residential district.

1 The name
2 History
3 Residential developments
4 Location
5 Attractions
6 Trivia
7 References
8 See also

[edit] The name

Contrary to its name Diamond, the hill does not nor has ever had a diamond (鑽石) mine at all. There are a number or popular myths as to the name's origin, but the most commonly accepted derivation is a mistranslation from Chinese where "鑽" is used as a verb, as in to mine or quarry, and not as an adjective describing the type of gemstone.

[edit] History

The village settlements in the area, Sheung Yuen Leng (上元嶺) and Ha Yuen Leng (下元嶺), predated British colonization, and may have been established as early as the early eighteenth century.

There were squatter dwellings (shanties) up and down the hill that were demolished after years effort by the Hong Kong Government. The squatter population peaked at around 50,000 people^[1]. Parts of the squatter settlement were demolished over the years, including for expansion of the Kai Tak Airport during the Japanese occupation, construction of the Mass Transit Railway, Lung Cheung Road, and the Tate's Cairn Tunnel. Due to the dramatic shortage of public housing available for resettlement, the final sections were only demolished in 2001.

[edit] Residential developments

In 1976, the Government released a zoning plan for 265 hectares, in which they projected to house some 219,000 in subsidised public housing by 1996^[2]. In 1984 plans for Home Ownership Scheme flats to house 15,600 people and Public Housing for a further 24,500 for the area were unveiled on a site of 81 hectares. At the time of the announcement, the squatter population was estimated at 35,000^[3].

[edit] Location

Diamond Hill Urn Cemetery is high in the hill. Diamond Hill MTR Station is located near Plaza Hollywood, a nearby shopping centre was so named to associate it with the former movie studio nearby, where many films were produced after World War II.

[edit] Attractions

The Buddhist Chi Lin Nunnery (志蓮淨苑) and Nam Lian Garden (南蓮園池) were built according to the style of the Tang Dynasty and are tourist attractions.

[edit] Trivia

Many location shots were taken within the squatter settlement, which came to visually represent poverty in Hong Kong films.
It was the setting for the films "Diamond Hill (發光石頭)" by the director Cheang Pou-soi, and "Hollywood Hong Kong (香港有個荷里活)" by director Fruit Chan.
Tate's Cairn Tunnel has its Kowloon entrance in Diamond Hill.