Batgung

To get the most benefit from tags it is best to re-use existing tags whenever possible.

The trick is to let batgung.com show you tags that already exist, and choose from that list. eg if you are adding a new shop house place, then in the "tags:" field just type shop and pause for a few seconds. You'll see a list of matching tags will appear, including the correct tag Shop Houses. Click that to select it and carry on with creating the place.

When I type in the full tag instead of choosing it from a list, there is a good chance I'll get it wrong - either a misspelling or I don't remember the tag correctly.

eg since the original post was written, there are now three tags in batgung.com that relate to shop houses:

1. Shop Houses
2. Shop House
3. Hong Kong Shop Houses

The problem is that means there are now three separate maps of places, one for each term. It's better if everyone uses the same tag, Shop Houses, so that all the shop house places show up on the same map.

Why does this happen? If you type a new tag, the software automatically creates a new tag for you. So common mistakes like missing the 's' in #2 above causes new tags to be created.

Choosing tags from the list works better in most cases.

MrB

PS I've cleaned up the tags #2 and #3 so everything is now back to the single tag Shop Houses.

Sometimes, you'll want to add more information about a place, and so tag it with something different from the main tag. eg the person adding the tag Hong Kong Shop Houses might be planning to use another tag Kowloon Shop Houses, so they could differentiate between the two. Of course we can already see that from the map, so let's think of another example.

Say another reader is interested in whether the shop house is likely to be demolished, and thinks that if it is empty there is a higher chance of it being knocked down. So they tag could their places with Inhabited Shop Houses or Empty Shop Houses.

But that causes another problem. Places tagged Inhabited Shop Houses won't show up on the main map, which only shows places tagged Shop Houses. The trick is to add both tags, so that the place shows up in a search for Inhabited Shop Houses, and also appears on the map of places tagged Shop Houses. To do this you'd enter both tags when you create the place, separated by a comma. So

Inhabited Shop Houses, Shop Houses

or

Empty Shop Houses, Shop Houses

In most cases it is good to keep the tags as short as possible, so a better choice could be:

Inhabited, Shop Houses

or

Empty, Shop Houses

Hi there,

You are right.   It's there.  I think another option is to see if the Google Ads could be put into a frame of its own.

Thanks,

T

Is it my imagination, or do an unusually large number of the remaining shop houses hold pawn shops? And if yes, does anyone know why?

I suspect that the pawn shops are just well established. It wouldn't surprise me to find that they have been in the same location for a long time (i.e. since shophouses were a bit more common) and as a result have managed to help protect the buildings from redevelopment.

Hi there,

I have already marked a few of those on the map two days ago.  All are welcomed to add comments and/or photos.

Best Regards,

T

I'll go back and complete my, err, three entries. T might have his work a bit more cut out for him :).

Cheers

 Phil

Reader IDJ has sent in this photo:

He writes:

I took this in the late 1960s from the Rumsey Street car park. The road is Connaught Road Central and the Wing On department store was out of shot to the left. On the roof levels of these buildings can be seen the squatter huts and illegal extensions that were common on top of most buildings of this type in that period. A transition can be seen in the buildings in the image whereby the deep set first floor balconies either still remain areas for hanging out washing/sitting out and others glassed in for more living or working spaces. Some have started to have air conditioners fitted. Many were used as small factories.

When they were common these overhung buildings were useful when it rained, but were slow for pedestrians to negotiate as the pillars were obstructions as were the inevitable goods cascading onto the pavements from the shop fronts. But they were much slower times all round though.

I’ve always been wary of these buildings where the pavement pillars have been removed as I don’t suppose the owners or residents have bothered to have structural surveys done to determine whether the unsupported overhung floors remain structurally safe. There have been several collapses of overhead canopies onto pavements over the years.

My late mother-in-laws flat in an old block in the back streets of Causeway Bay has been completely revamped in recent years to become a shop with large areas of the external walls knock out to make picture windows for display purposes despite being on the first floor.

Great photo! The buildings are showing their age - none of the floors seem horizontal, nor the pillars vertical.