[Explanation] Along the stone path full of red lanterns all the way up, a garden scene like a water village in the south of the Yangtze River comes into view.
As the only garden-style hotel in Hong Kong, Long Wah Hotel in Sha Tin, New Territories was built in 1938.
The two-story building is square and square, so it is also called the "square building" or "red building" by local residents.
Because of the beautiful scenery and the mountains and rivers, there are many literati who have left their footprints here. The famous novelist Jin Yong once lived and wrote here for a long time.
[Concurrent] Zhong Marie, the proprietress of Longhua Hotel
So at that time, many literati and scholars came here for long-term stays and private rooms. Because there were no hotels, they looked at the sea here, and then they wrote here every day.
Jin Yong wrote his first novel here, "Book and Sword Encounter Record".
Then there is Tang Disheng writing Cantonese opera here.
We used to be the only first recording studio in Hong Kong.
At that time, all the TV and movies shot in Hong Kong were in post-production, that is, they were all here when they were recording, including the Red Line Girl who recorded them here.
Back then, we were almost the Peninsula Hotel in Sha Tin District.
[Explanation] In 1950, Longhua Hotel was officially rebuilt as the first Chinese-owned hotel in Hong Kong at that time. It was two times larger than the current two foreign-owned hotels, Peninsula Hotel and Hilton.
Sha Tin had not yet been reclaimed from the sea. In the eyes of the older generation of Hong Kong people, Sha Tin was a popular place for outings. Therefore, this garden restaurant surrounded by mountains and rivers has become a childhood memory of generations of Hong Kong people.
[Concurrent] Zhong Marie, the proprietress of Longhua Hotel
Coming to Sha Tin and Longhua is equivalent to a day's activity. (People) arrived in Sha Tin by train early in the morning.
Then the children are playing here, and the parents are playing cards here. We also have more than 200 mahjong tables in the afternoon. You ask all the collective memories, which are the collective memories of Longhua. Everyone says that I am young. When I came to Longhua with my parents to see peacocks, parrots, and then monkeys, all their memories are these things.
At that time, we had a record of selling more than 6,000 pigeons a day, so it was crowded at that time.
[Explanation] In addition to the beautiful mountains and beautiful waters that fascinated Hong Kong people, what made Longhua famous is the classic scenes shot here by hundreds of old and new Hong Kong movies, as well as the behind-the-scenes footprints left by internationally renowned Kung Fu movie stars.
[Concurrent] Zhong Marie, the proprietress of Longhua Hotel
Bruce Lee’s children, including his wife, like to eat the pineapple sour pork here, because he asked us to use fresh pineapple.
Then Bruce Lee used to come here with his brother often, and then practice martial arts together on the rooftop, and then Bruce Lee and the director at that time, they filmed "Big Brother Tangshan", which is a martial arts film, many times use Longhua as a demo( Samples), martial arts films should design those martial arts kung fu posture, or how to fight.
Many celebrities in the past were here (filming), so over time, Longhua became like a studio in Hong Kong.
So you’ve seen more than one in Hong Kong. I believe that there are more than 100, 200 movies or TV series, all of which were shot in Longhua.
[Explanation] As the wife of the second generation of Longhua at the helm, Mary Zhong has witnessed the heritage and development of the hotel.
After the precipitation of time, Longhua still retains the simplicity and romance of nearly a century ago in many details.
[Concurrent] Zhong Marie, the proprietress of Longhua Hotel
Back then, ours was equivalent to a very advanced "computer", and then we put (write) all the dishes on this brand.
What station are you at and what kind of food are you eating, they "hold the small ticket" from here, we call it "hold the small ticket".
Each piece of it says you, for example, if you are 901 or 902, which stage are you from, and then clamp it with the clamp, then we have a flywheel and a line. This line is directly Hit into the kitchen.
After receiving the order, the person in the kitchen puts each order on the plate.
The chef’s stir-fried dishes will immediately know which counter the dish is delivered to, and then we will watch it fly all day (small ticket).
[Explanation] In recent years, due to the development of Sha Tin District, the area of Longhua has dropped sharply, and it is no longer the old scene, but the hotel's unchanged food and beauty over the years still attracts guests.
Nowadays, whether it is an old photo on the wall, a book that has been piled up over the years, or a time-honored menu, it is slowly telling the story of the vivid and legendary restaurant in the "Shanmao". Piece of history.
Reporter Fan Siyi, Liang Yuan and Luo Siyu reporting from Hong Kong
Editor in charge: [Li Ji]