Tsuei explained that, back in the olden days, Ming Wah Dai Ha was a large-scale construction project that garnered wide attention as the largest public housing estate on Hong Kong Island, and its completion was eagerly anticipated by the public in general. “Ming Wah Dai Ha featured a particularly spacious corridor design, with impluvium (air wells) installed at either end of the corridor and the flats facing the hills. It’s a decent living space.” Another modern design incorporated was the private bathroom and kitchen in each flat. “A flush toilet was installed in every unit, it’s all very hygienic. We bought them especially from the UK. They were black and durable.” According to historical records, Hong Kong suffered from a severe freshwater shortage in the late 1950s and the viability of seawater flushing was being explored. Ming Wah Dai Ha, which was completed in the early 1960s, was one of the first residential buildings to implement a seawater flushing system. “Introducing seawater flushing means building pipes and pumps. We built them along A Kung Ngam Road from Ming Wah Dai Ha all the way to the waterfront. It was a long way; we’re talking about one to two miles, at a time when there weren’t any shops on the road yet.” 

Ming Wah Dai Ha comprised 13 blocks, and was completed in phases starting from 1962. A plaque unveiling ceremony was officiated by the then Governor of Hong Kong, Sir David Trench. Tsuei recalled that he spent almost 10 years working on the Ming Wah Dai Ha project before he was transferred to the Mei Sun Lau project in Sai Wan (the first project of the Housing Society’s Urban Improvement Scheme). Later, he joined the Housing Society and had since worked on public housing estate projects all over Hong Kong.