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Three Generations All Living Among Wah Mei Lau Supporting and Caring for Each Other

Three Generations All Living Among Wah Mei Lau Supporting and Caring for Each Other

Mr Wu, Resident of Kwun Tong Garden Estate

The Wu family, consisting of five members, resides in two separate units within Wah Mei Lau, facilitating mutual care and allowing the three generations to frequently come together.

“The phrase encapsulates it all. It is truly comfortable living here!” Mr Wu, who has lived in the Kwun Tong and Choi Hung area since childhood, occasionally passes by Kwun Tong Garden Estate and has heard his father talked about what Kwun Tong was like before its development. However, it wasn’t until around the Millennium year when he married his wife, who had been living in Kwun Tong Garden Estate for many years, that he truly became a part of this community. Although he wasn’t an “original” resident of Kwun Tong Garden Estate, he has developed a deep emotional attachment to the estate just as long-term residents have. Over a decade ago, Mr Wu would often take his young children to the convenience store or tea restaurant downstairs, and have dinner at his mother-in-law’s unit upstairs. Since he started his own household, Kwun Tong Garden Estate has provided him with many cherished memories of multigenerational harmony with his family.

Forging a bond with Kwun Tong: relocated to Garden Estate after marriage

Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, Mr Wu has always felt a special connection to Kwun Tong. When he was a child, his grandfather owned a property on Shui Wo Street. However, due to redevelopment, the family moved to Choi Hung Estate. Despite the passage of time, he still remembers the picturesque views of Kwun Tong his father used to describe vividly: “In the 1960s, he used to drive to Kwun Tong often to enjoy ‘yau choi’ (cooked vegetables with sauce) because back then, Kwun Tong was still undeveloped and considered a rural area where one could savor fresh local vegetables!”

Mr Wu said that when his father drove past the Garden Estate which was under construction, all he could see were vast green fields, and along the road were swimming sheds by the seaside. Only a few scattered factory buildings occupied this newly developed “satellite city”, which was still relatively wild. In his adulthood, he met his wife at night school, and it was during the journey of accompanying her home that he discovered their destination was Kwun Tong Garden Estate to his surprise. At that time, Mrs Wu, who was not married yet, had been living in Wah Mei Lau with her mother since the 1980s. As they get married in the Millennium year, Mr Wu moved into Kwun Tong Garden Estate, where he resided with his mother-in-law.

Living as neighbors with grandmother: simply walk upstairs for delicious meals

The Wu family welcomed two new lives after marriage. The three generations living under one roof has brought them joy, but the reality of living in a 300-square-foot space gradually became uncomfortable. Mr Wu reflects, “We became a cramped household and wished for a larger living space.” At that time, the Hong Kong Housing Society suggested relocating their household to larger units in housing estates such as Health Village or Lai Tak Estate. However, they were reluctant to move, as living in Kwun Tong Garden Estate was very convenient for them.

Their cramped living situation soon changed unexpectedly. In 2006, the Housing Society introduced the Cross Generation Living Scheme, which allows eligible tenants with three or more generations of direct family members to apply for two units within the same housing estate under a single tenancy agreement. The initiative aimed to improve living conditions for tenants and foster intergenerational harmony. Thus, Mr Wu and his wife, alongside with their two sons, moved into another unit in Wah Mei Lau, making them “neighbours upstairs and downstairs” with their mother-in-law. Farewell to the cramped life, their home now had ample space to accommodate children’s toys and daily necessities. Despite “residing separately” under the same roof, the three generations of the family remained closely connected without boundaries.

“Since both my wife and I need to work, our sons were taken care of by their grandmother while attending kindergarten. They would go to their grandmother’s house after school, and as a family, we would have dinner there before returning to our ‘new home’ downstairs,” Mr Wu explained. Even though the children have grown up now, the three generations still frequently gather for meals at their mother-in-law’s place. Having the elderly mother-in-law living upstairs is convenient for mutual support and care. They would visit each other any time, and it’s easier to provide assistance when needed. All family members enjoy their own living space while maintaining harmonious interactions that reflect the vision of the Cross Generation Living Scheme.

Historic housing estates: neighborly support in childcare

As they often visit their mother-in-law, Mr Wu’s youngest son still recalls occasional visits to their neighbor’s grandmother’s house when he was young. “Sometimes, when I returned home from school and my grandmother were out, the neighbor’s grandmother would see me alone in the corridor and invite me into her home, I would work on my homework and patiently wait for my grandmother to return. She would even ask if I was hungry and prepare instant noodles for me!” In the historic housing estates, residents not only leave their doors open for fresh air but also to foster communication among neighbors. Mr Wu chuckled, saying that his sons would often be so satisfied from eating at their neighbors’ homes that they could barely finish their own dinner at home. “The children here are spoiled by the elderly residents, making it feel like a childcare center in Wah Mei Lau.”

Wu was surprised to find that neighborly interaction in Kwun Tong Garden Estate has remained. Reflecting on his own upbringing in the housing estate, he remarked, “The simple act of greeting neighbors and genuinely caring for one another is incredibly heartwarming.”

細遊花園

Kwun Tong Garden Estate
Documentary Project

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