Hong Kong Snapshot (72) – Kwai Wa Lane, with the wealthiest Chinese of HK 香港隨拍 (72) – 貴華里，與香港華人首富

Although HK is a small city with only 2700 square km, because of history, it is one of the center of the world in the past 200 years and left countless story. Sheung Wan, one of the most developed district of HK, we can find a small lane. In the lane, we can only see back doors, rubbish and smokers. But I have to say, this lane recorded the story of one of the wealthiest Chinese, and the pornography, gambling and drug abuse of HK.

香港雖然是一個細小的地方，只有2700平方公里，不過因為歷史的原因，讓它在近200年一直都是世界的重心之一，留下數不清的故事。上環，香港其中一個最繁榮的地方，有一條小冷巷，裡面什麼都沒有，只有後門、垃圾、及吸煙的人，但這一條小巷，記錄了香港其中一個華人首富，及香港的黃賭賭罪惡故事。

Kwai Wa Lane is located at Sheung Wan. Together with Jervois Street and Bonham Strand, the area was called the “Lower Market”, which was a living place of Chinese provided by the British. Today, the area is the “Dried Seafood and Tonic Food Street” of HK. It is included in the website of HK tourism board. But in the 19th century, we can only see opium dens, casino and brothel in Lower Market.

貴華里位於上環，它曾經與附近的蘇杭街、文咸街等地合稱為下市場，是英國統治香港後撥給華人生活的地方。今天的文咸街是香港著名的海味乾貨集散地，就連香港旅遊發展局都有介紹，不過，在百多年前，這裡是鴉片、賭館及妓院的集中地。

The old opium den (photo from Wikipedia)

In 1842, the British got the HK Island. They got help from some HK Chinese. Someone brought them the path, some people provided food and water to them. Loo Aqui was one of them. At the time, only Guangzhou was opened for trading with British. So all the other coastal area was poor. Pirate was one of their way out. Loo Aqui was a pirate. When the British came, he found it’s a chance for success. He helped the British for the smuggling of opium to China.

1842年英國得到了香港島，過程中其實得到不少香港人的幫助，有人為他們帶路，有人為他們提供食水，當中其中一人就是盧亞貴。當年中國只開於廣州通商，其他沿海一帶生活都很困苦，海盜是他們其中一條出路，盧亞貴就是其中之一。當英國人來時，盧亞貴認為出頭機會到了，便協力幫助英國人走私鴉片，也幫助英國人得到香港。

The opium trade

When British first got HK Island, they found there was nothing on the island, and they had no money to develop it! So they thought of some methods to earn money. The first one is selling lands. Loo Aqui already earned a lot of money during the smuggling, and with the relationship with the British, he successfully bided the land of the Lower Market. The second way for the British to earn money is opium. HK became the entrepot of opium to China and of course, brothels and casino came with opium. Loo Aqui then expanded his business by brothels, casion and opium den in Lower Market and they made him the wealthiest Chinese in HK!

英國人面對香港這個荒涼之地，什麼都沒有，最重要是，沒有錢！所以英國人便想辦法在這個地方賺錢，第一個是賣地，盧亞貴本來在鴉片走私時就賺了些錢，加上與英國人的關係，就得到了在上環一塊叫下市場的地。英國人賺錢的第二步就是毒！他們以鴉片打開中國的大門，當然在香港就要靠鴉片賺錢了。同時，伴隨著毒的，自然有黃及賭，所以，盧亞貴就在下市場大搞黃賭毒生意，成為了香港華人首富！

Jervois Street (photo from ETVonline.hk)

Loo Aqui was really wealthy at that time. Man Mo Temple, the most important temple in HK at that moment, was built by a few wealthy Chinese. Loo Aqui was one of them. Unfortunately, in 1851, a fire destroyed the Lower Market. The Government took back it for re-development. Loo Aqui went bankrupt. And of course, the business of Gambling and opium was still operating in HK. In the late 19th century, almost half of the tax income of HK came from gambling and opium den! Finally, under the pressure of the world and local British, HK Government banned gambling in 1872 and banned opium in 1932.

首富之名不是虛的，當年香港最重要的廟宇文武廟，就是盧亞貴與另外幾位華人富商出資興建，不過，1851年，下市場大火，政府收回土地，盧亞貴就破產了，但是香港的黃賭毒生意仍然興旺，在十九世紀末期，只是賭和毒，就佔了香港政府稅收接近一半！不過，在全球及英國本土的壓力下，香港政府最終在1872年禁賭，及在1932年禁毒。

Old Chinese gambling house (photo from Wikipedia)

Kwai Wa Lane is just named after Loo Aqui. It is initially called Aqui Lane and later changed to Kwai Wa Lane. And now the Lower Market is a lively area with the feature of modern society, as well as the style of old HK local. Only the Kwai Wa Lane is just a dead lane, just like the result of Loo Aqui.

貴華里就是以盧亞貴命名，本來叫亞貴里，後來改為貴華里。今天下市場一帶，都是興旺的華人市區，有著現代社會的特色，也留下香港本土的舊風貌，只餘下貴華里，就像盧亞貴的下場一樣，一片落寞。

Jervois Street and Bonham Strand

The dried food stores

And it is the entrance of Kwai Wa Lane

What do you feel?

I just planned to talk more about the gambling and opium story. But I can’t find some significant casino or opium dens of the period. So I will spend more time talking about the brothels of HK, and tell you some interesting stories.

本來打算多說一點香港的賭及毒史的，無奈當年香港沒有留下一些特別著外的煙館和賭館。不過，說到黃了，嘿嘿，題材就很多了！未來幾篇，讓我來帶大家一走香港的煙花之地，一說各種風流往事！

!steemitworldmap 22.2849315 lat 114.1486596 long d3scr

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Thanks for spending your time to read my articles. I like to share stories of Hong Kong. I wish you may support me and I will keep going!
謝謝你能抽空閱讀這篇文章，我平日喜歡分享香港的故事，希望大家多多支持，我會繼續努力！