Cathay Pacific returns to Kai Tak

On Sunday 30th March 2025 Cathay Pacific did something special to mark the debut of the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament at the new 50,000 seat Kai Tak Stadium – sending a Airbus A350-1000 past the former site of Kai Tak Airport.


Cathay Pacific photo

Descending to an altitude of 300 meters over Victoria Harbour.


Cathay Pacific photo

Flight CX8100 (named to honor Kai Tak’s 100th anniversary) took off from Hong Kong International Airport at around 4pm, flying past Central, Wan Chai, Kai Tak and North Point; before returning along Victoria Harbour.


Cathay Pacific photo

Preparations for the flypast commenced weeks before the event, with days of flight simulator training required for the pilots involved.

Along with the Cathay Pacific media team who wanted to make the most of the public attention.

To capture CX8100’s fly-past, Publicis Groupe Hong Kong recruited photographers whose images of Cathay Pacific’s remarkable landings at Kai Tak are still famous today. Their photographs and live-streamed footage of CX8100’s descent continue to be shared around the world and across Cathay’s social channels.

“Creating a live performance of an aircraft flying past Kai Tak seemed like an audacious feat. But together with the team at Cathay, we worked hard to plan an experience that everyone at this year’s Hong Kong Sevens final will remember. Hopefully for years to come,” says Christopher Lee, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong.

So why didn’t they fly the checkerboard?

You might be asking – why didn’t they fly the old “checkerboard approach” towards Kai Tak itself?

Final approach to Kai Tak, viewed from the lower slopes of 'Checkerboard Hill'

Well, the checkerboard atop the hill is still there.

Sporting ground at Kowloon Tsai Park

But the approach is very different, with Mong Kok full of tall buildings.

Tangle of new and old buildings in Hong Kong

As is the streets of Kowloon City.

New public housing tower takes shape above the streets of Kowloon City

New apartment towers popping up all around the former airport.

Kowloon City viewed from across the Kai Tak airport site

Including some lined right up with the approach to runway 13.

2010 view of the approach to runway 13 at Kai Tak

And that was just the situation in 2010, just over 10 years after Kai Tak Airport closed – the area today is even more built up.

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Reclaiming land for the Kai Tak Airport runway

My father grew up in the shadows of Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport, and one of his childhood memories was the procession of trucks used to transport the thousands of tonnes of rock required to extend the runway out into Victoria Harbour.

Final approach to Kai Tak, viewed from the lower slopes of 'Checkerboard Hill'

The early years

The story of Kai Tak started in 1912 when two businessmen, Ho Kai and Au Tak, formed the Kai Tak Investment Company to reclaim land in Kowloon for development. Unfortunately for them their company failed, but the government acquired the land for use as an airfield, with the first aircraft landing in 1925. In 1935 the first control tower and a hangar were built, with commercial flights commencing the next year.

The airport was then extended during the Second World War by the occupying Japanese, building two concrete runways – 13/31 and 07/25. Damaged by bombing, the end of hostilities saw the airport reopened, and by 1957 runway 13/31 had been extended to 1,664 metres (5,459 ft), while runway 7/25 remained 1,450 metres (4,760 ft).


1952 GovHK map via Gwulo.com

Land reclamation time

Planning to expand Kai Tak airport further commenced in 1952, with the decision made to relocate the airport facilities south and build a new 2,194 meter long runway on land reclaimed from Kowloon Bay.


Photo via Industrial History of Hong Kong Group

Thousands of tonnes of rock were needed to build the new runway.


Dragages Hong Kong photo

With one source being Sung Wong Toi – a hill located just north of the new runway.

The hill being razed to the ground, truckload by truckload.


Photo via Hong Kong Memory

And the other sources of fill were two hills further to the west – Kowloon Tsai Hill (九龍仔山) and Fung Mun Au (風門坳).


Photo via Hong Kong Memory

Located beneath the flight path of the new runway, Kowloon Tsai Hill was cut back to what is now known as ‘Checkerboard Hill’.

Sporting ground at Kowloon Tsai Park

While Fung Mun Au (風門坳) was razed to the ground, with Kowloon Tsai Park built on the resulting flat land.

Looking down on Kowloon Tsai Park from the checkerboard

But how to move all that rock?

With the busy streets of Kowloon City located between the quarry sites and the new runway, a dedicated transport route was needed between the two.

Neon signs above the streets of Kowloon City

And so public roads were taken over so a temporary haul road could be provided.

Excavation of the Kowloon Hills and Sung Wong Toi started on 26 December 1955, but full production was not achieved until 9 March 1956 when a dedicated fenced road corridor was completed through Kowloon. The corridor required the construction of two vehicular bridges and nine pedestrian footbridges allowing the movement of 2,000 trucks a day of granite from the hill removal. The granite boulders were either split to create pitch blocks, or broken up for inclusion in the runway foundation. By the end of March 1956, over 34,000 m3 of material was being placed each day.

The haul road commenced at Inverness Road in the west, and ran along Nga Tsin Wai Road.


Photo via Hong Kong Memory

The first footbridge being located at the Grampian Road intersection to allow pedestrians to cross the fenced off corridor.


Photo via Hong Kong Memory

Public road vehicles had to Hau Wong Road outside the Kowloon City Market to cross, where the haul road pass overhead on a bridge.


Photo via Hong Kong Memory

The haul road continued along Nga Tsin Wai Road, then turned into South Wall Road, continuing south to Prince Edward Road East, which it crossed over by bridge.


Photo via Hong Kong Memory

The haul road was around 800 metres long.


Google Maps

Truckload by truckload, the future runway was reclaimed from the sea.


Dragages Hong Kong photo

By the end of March 1957, over 50% of the reclamation was completed.


Dragages Hong Kong photo

With reclamation completed by the end of 1957.


Photo via Hong Kong Memory

The runway pavement was completed by July 1958, and it was opened to aircraft in September 1958.

Later years

In 1962 a modern passenger terminal building was completed, jetbridges were added in 1970, and and in 1974 the runway was extended to 3,390 meters to cater to the new generation of long haul jet aircraft. Further expansion of the passenger terminal, cargo terminals and aircraft parking areas continued throughout the 1980s.

However the constrained site saw the Hong Kong Government decided to build a new airport – with Chek Lap Kok taking over from Kai Tak on July 1998.

Overview of Hong Kong International Airport

Further reading

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Retired Hong Kong buses in South Korea

I’ve written about Hong Kong buses overseas a few times before, and this week we look at another country they’ve ended up – South Korea.

KMB bus S3M74 (DR4807)

MCW Metrobus S3M74 entered service with Kowloon Motor Bus in 1987 with registration DR4807, and was retired in 2004. It was later shipped to South Korea, and in 2009 was in use as a mobile restaurant in Incheon. During 2011 it was used for a British-themed promotion in Busan for a short period. By 2013 it was being prepared for use as a cafe at the ‘Samtan Art Mine’. It was then removed in 2022, and refurbished for sale.


Photo via China Motor Bus Memorial Page

KMB bus S3M147 (EE8847)

MCW Metrobus S3M147 entered service with Kowloon Motor Bus in 1989 with registration EE8847, and was retired in 2005. It was later shipped to South Korea for use as a cafe in Incheon, being damaged in 2007 when a small plane crashed into the bus. By 2010 it had been repaired and was open again as the “Munye2gu Village Bus” in Gunsan.


Photo via China Motor Bus Memorial Page

KMB bus S3BL1 (DJ9765)

Leyland Olympian bus S3BL1 entered service with Kowloon Motor Bus in 1986 with registration DJ9765, and was retired in 2003. It was then shipped to South Korea with bus S3BL1 and used as a mobile cafe, by 2009 it had been relocated to Busan, and by 2013 it had been moved to “Provence Village” in Paju as a British-themed cafe. It was then moved to the Gusan Motor Campground in Uljin County, but was destroyed by fire in February 2021.


Photo via China Motor Bus Memorial Page

KMB bus S3N174 (DW7114)

Dennis Dragon bus S3N174 entered service with Kowloon Motor Bus in 1988 with registration DW7114, and was retired in 2003. It was then shipped to South Korea with bus S3BL1 and used as a mobile cafe. By 2009 it had been relocated Busan, but by 2015 the bus had been abandoned. In 2017 it had been relocated to the Heyri Cultural and Art Village, in Paju. In 2021 it was moved to Gusan Motor Campground in Uljin County, and converted into a a holiday rental cabin.


Photo via China Motor Bus Memorial Page

KCRC buses #222, #223 and #224

Leyland Olympian buses #222, #223 and #224 entered service in 1990 with the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation for East Rail line feeder bus service, and remain in service until 2009. They were then sent for scrap, until 2011 when they were sold to a restaurant owner and exported to South Korea. Bus #224 was later painted in special colours to promote the 2012 London Olympics, but the buses saw no further use, still stored in 2017.


Photo via China Motor Bus Memorial Page

Sources

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Subway Culture Park in Beijing

The China Railway Museum spread across two sites in Beijing is the best known railway museum in China, but there is a smaller one hiding on the south-west suburbs of Beijing – the ‘Subway Culture Park’.

It features a retired Beijing Subway BD1 train on display – carriages T1326 and T1321.

The carriages are locked up so you can’t headed inside.

But you can get up close to the coupler.

And there is also a section of concrete lined subway tunnel on display.

Chinese language Wikipedia detailing the history of the park.

On November 5, 2010, the Metro Cultural Park was opened to the public free of charge. The Metro Cultural Park is bounded by the Beijing Fifth Ring Road to the south, the Xihongmen planned South Ring Road to the north, Xinghua North Road to the east, and Guogongzhuang Road to the west.

It covers an area of ​​19 hectares and displays the Beijing Subway through pictures, display walls, carriages and other exhibits. development path. There is a map square in the Subway Cultural Park, which displays the Beijing subway vision plan to 2015.

A large number of Beijing’s native tree species and other flowers and trees are planted in the park; such as ginkgo biloba, Chinese red pine, oriental plane, cherry blossom and staghorn sumac trees.

The park is located south of Xihong Men Station on the Beijing Metro Daxing Line (an extension of Line 4) – but at 20 kilometres from central Beijing and the sparse collection of items on display, I can’t see much reason for a foreign railfan to visit the park.

Further reading

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A history of MTR Ho Tung Lau Depot

The main maintenance depot for the MTR East Rail line located at Ho Tung Lau, north of Sha Tin, has a long history dating back almost 60 years. So let’s take a look around the depot today, as well as back in time to see how it came to be.

Train depot under apartment towers

A look around Ho Tung Lau Depot

The main entrance to Ho Tung Lau Depot is from Au Pui Wan Street, on the west side of Fo Tan station, but you can’t see much from there.

Road entrance to Ho Tung Lau depot

But from the platforms at Fo Tan station you can peer into the darkness towards the train wash and workshop sheds.

Britannia train wash at MTR Ho Tung Lau Depot

But there is a better view from Racecourse station on the eastern side of the depot.

Waiting passengers at Racecourse station

Which faces the stabling sidings.

SP1900 train stabled at Ho Tung Lau Depot

But the best view is from the southern end of the depot, where a footbridge links Fo Tan station to the Shing Mun River.

Footbridge that overlooks the Ho Tung Lau Depot trackwork sidings

Where you can see locomotives stabled in the ‘perway’ yard.

Locomotive 59 at Ho Tung Lau Depot

Some early history

The name Ho Tung Lau (Chinese: 何東樓) was first given to a mansion built on reclaimed land beside the Kowloon Canton Railway on the shore of Sha Tin Hoi in 1923 by Ho Sai Wing, adopted son of Hong Kong businessman Robert Hotung.

Between 1938 and 1949 the mansion was leased to the Fo Shan Wah Ying College (Chinese: 佛山華英中學), who were later known as Wah Kiu College (Chinese: 華橋工商學院), who later become part of the Chinese University Of Hong Kong.

The mansion then acquired in 1949 by the Royal Air Force, who established Arcullis Camp on the site, to accompany the nearby airbase at Sha Tin Hoi named Sha Tin Airfield in 1949. The base remained in operation until it was damaged by Typhoon Wanda in 1962, with the RAF deciding to relocate to Shek Kong.

With the Ho Tung Lau site now empty the government reclaimed the area for development, with KCR staff quarters and a new locomotive maintenance centre built on the site between 1965 and 1968 – replacing steam-era facilities located at Hung Hom, and making way for the new Kowloon station.


KCRC photo

Ho Tung Lau mansion was eventually demolished in the late 1970s, as further land was reclaimed to facilitate the maintenance centre’s expansion as part of the electrification of the Kowloon Canton Railway between 1979 and 1983.


toyota88 via Uwants.com

Including new electric running sheds located east of the existing diesel locomotive depot, in what became known as the ‘North Depot’.


toyota88 via Uwants.com

And airspace developments

In conjunction with the Hong Kong government’s decision to develop the airspace above the depot in 1979, a larger workshop area known as the ‘South Depot’ was built at Ho Tung Lau. Construction commenced in 1980 and was completed in 1982, with the podium and access roads handed over to winning developer Cheung Kong Holdings in 1982.

The first residents of the resulting ‘Jubilee Garden‘ (Chinese: 銀禧花園) housing estate took residence in 1985, with the eight 38 storey high-rise residential blocks (Blocks 1 to 8) and a single six storey tall duplex residential building (Jubilee Court) completed in 1986, with a total of 2,260 units.

The next development atop the depot commenced in 1990 with the airspace development of the North Depot, which was rebuilt between 1993 and 1996.


toyota88 via Uwants.com

On top Sun Hung Kai Properties developed the ‘Royal Ascot‘ (Chinese: 駿景園) housing estate rising 32 to 47 storeys high – phase one (Blocks 1 to 7, without Block 4) occupied in 1995, followed by phase two (Blocks 8 to 11) occupied in 1996, with a total of 2,504 units.

The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation also decided to build a new headquarters building at Ho Tung Lau, with construction of the eight storey tall KCRC House (Chinese: 九广铁路公司大楼) commenced in 1992 and completed in 1994 atop the tracks opposite Fo Tan Station.

And the final development atop the depot commenced in 1996, when the airspace atop the engineering vehicle yard was sold to Sun Hung Kai Properties for “Royal Ascot Phase 3”. This project fell through in 1998, with the site laying empty until 2002 when the project was re-tendered, the new winner being Sino Land. Demolition of the depot beneath commenced in 2003.

The resulting development named ‘The Palazzo‘ (Chinese: 御龍山) was completed in 2009 – with ten towers rising 57 to 65 storeys high, providing a total of 1,375 residential units.

Further reading

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