The Banyan Trees of Hong Kong (Kennedy Town and Sai Ying Pun)

Hong Kong (unlike Singapore) does not have an intensive tree-planting programme. But who needs one when you have birds to lend a helping hand? The urban banyans one comes across in Hong Kong are often accidents of nature, evidence of the opportunistic adaptative intelligence of the Ficus microcarpa, which, left to its own devices, has created pockets of urban forest, gifting Hong Kong city dwellers its shade and the drama of its root structures. 

The trees mentioned in my photo essay are on Forbes Street in Kennedy Town, but there is another group of equally stunning stone wall banyans at King George V Memorial Park in Sai Ying Pun.

My conjecture is that these trees were likely seeded around the late 1930s and were left undisturbed during WWII. Dotted along the stone parapets of the park, they have since flourished and become stalwarts, watching over the basketball and soccer players, the joggers and walkers, and the children let loose from their cramped domestic spaces. The park was cut out from a steep slope and is terraced to give it structural stability. If you do get a chance to visit it, look for the stairs that lead down to the lower levels of the park. This is where you can take a good look at the various ways that the banyan roots have covered the supporting stone walls. 

Walking around Hong Kong Island, it is always worth keeping an eye open for banyans. You will spot them on Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan, as well as on Queen’s Road East in Wan Chai. They are also dotted around the Mid-levels (which is mostly residential). There is an old one in Admiralty above the mall, Pacific Place.

This particular tree was conserved at great cost to the developer of the site, but it is a real beauty and it is heartwarming to know that even in money-grubbing Hong Kong old trees are still cherished. 

The story of Hong Kong’s urban banyans is one of survival against the odds, of remarkable creative resilience. They remind me of the Hong Kong people and, as I have written elsewhere (see further reading below), if there is to be a tree to represent Hong Kong, it really shouldn’t be the officially designated bauhinia but the tough, seemingly indestructible Chinese banyan!

How to reach Forbes Street

Nearest MTR: Island Line, Kennedy Town station, Exit C

How to reach King George V Memorial Park

Nearest MTR: Island Line, Sai Ying Pun station, Exit B2.

If you make it to Sai Ying Pun, make sure to walk down Centre Street from Bonham Road (Sai Ying Pun station, Exit C) to Des Voeux Road West. It will give you a sense of how steep Hong Kong Island can be and make you marvel at how roads and buildings have been built on these inclines. 

Sai Ying Pun is also good territory for hunting for shop cats! So, you might want to wander around and see if you can spot any cute felines about.

Where to eat close to Forbes Street, Kennedy Town

Kennedy Town isn't exactly a gourmet's paradise. There will be a number of solid but unexciting eateries along Forbes Street, Cadogan Street, and Davis Street. The only exception would be Kyo Japanese on 38 Davis Street. But I would recommend this place only for lunch, when prices are more reasonable. Even then, it will not be cheap. The sushi is excellent, however, and you will feel as if you have left Hong Kong and ended up in Japan.

Where to eat close to King George V Memorial Park

High Street has a high number of restaurants, though like Kennedy Town, these are neighbourhood eateries and few are truly outstanding. I would recommend Off Town Kitchen (try their beef cheek spaetzel). Pizzeria Italia is an established HK pizzeria and I think their thin-crust pies are pretty good. Ying Kee Noodles specialises in springy egg noodles with tender beef brisket or char siu. You can also pair the noodles with large, fried wantons, which is rather unusual for Hong Kong (wantons are usually boiled). There is MSG in their soup base, but this is a great family-owned eatery that deserves support. Sai Ying Pun is also home to a lot of trendy cafes so you might want to wander around First, Second, and Third streets, as well as Eastern Street to see if any catch your eye. If the weather is fine, you could pop into the excellent Miam Bakery on Third Street to grab a croissant or cinnamon bun and then head to the King George V Memorial Park to snack and people watch.

Further Reading:

I've also written an essay about Hong Kong's stone wall banyans, which was published in the Willowherb Review.