Lei Yue Mun – Viewing Deck 2 1970s
360-degree panoramic artwork created by LittleJade
Historical Hotspots:
Universe Restaurant
Universe Restaurant was one of the tens of seafood restaurants in Lei Yue Mun Praya Road Central. It was established by the Law family in 1970. The Law family engaged in the quarry industry in the late 1940s and moved into the catering industry after their quarry closed in 1968.
The history of the Lei Yue Mun seafood industry can be traced back to the 1960s. As the quarry industry gradually declined, residents began to explore new business opportunities. Located at the eastern entrance of Victoria Harbour, the village benefited from the regular presence of seafood boats passing by. The residents established cooperative relationships with the owners of these seafood boats to get fresh seafood. Some residents also started running seafood restaurants at that time.
The seafood industry in Lei Yue Mun began to flourish in the 1970s with 17 seafood restaurants and 20 seafood stalls. Some of the residents engaging in the seafood trade said that their parents used to work in the quarry industry but then switched to the seafood industry while learning on the job. By continually honing their skills, they attracted more and more visitors to Lei Yue Mun. Today, Lei Yue Mun has become a paradise for seafood lovers.
Photo courtesy of Gateway Cuisine
A Local Pier
The pier was constructed in 1976 by the Lei Yue Mun Kai-fong Welfare Association as a public pier for the residents. At that time, the pier was made of wooden boards. It allowed residents to transport daily necessities and goods conveniently by sea transportation. As the number of tourists increased, the pier was expanded and renovated to today’s ‘Y-shaped’ appearance. Tourists could travel to Lei Yue Mun by small ferries and get off at the pier.
In the 1970s, many seafood stalls and restaurants in Lei Yue Mun constructed their own piers. The piers were convenient not only for tourists to reach Lei Yue Mun but also for seafood boats to be moored. Customers could board the boats to choose fresh seafood by themselves, experiencing the local culture.
Photo courtesy of Jockey Club Lei Yue Mun Plus
Praya Road Central
Praya Road Central is also known as Seafood Street. Since the 1970s, most shops on both sides of the street have been seafood stalls and seafood restaurants. Customers could choose seasonal seafood at the stalls and have it prepared by the seafood restaurants into delicious seafood dishes.
Lei Yue Mun Seafood Street has been attracting tourists worldwide since the 1970s and has been filmed and interviewed by television stations on many occasions. To accommodate customers worldwide, seafood restaurants have their multilingual names printed on signboards and business cards and provide menus in foreign languages such as Japanese and English.
Photos courtesy of Special Collections, The University of Hong Kong Libraries
Animation:
The division of labour in Lei Yue Mun’s seafood industry is one of its characteristics, with the ratio of seafood stalls and restaurants on the seafood street close to fifty-fifty. While the seafood stalls offer seasonal fresh seafood, the seafood restaurants specialise in seafood cooking, and both work together to make Lei Yue Mun a paradise for seafood lovers.