我住石硤尾 Our Home, Shek Kip Mei 1954–2006

石硤尾屋邨興建於1954年初，是香港政府興建的首個公營大型屋邨，以安置在1953年底該區大火引致無家可歸的災民。石硤尾徙置區的興建、發展、轉化和拆卸，見證了過去50年來香港的社會變遷。本攝影集以照片、文字、和複製歷史檔案的出版形式，用影像、社會、人文和歷史的情懷，展示行將消失的石硤尾徙置區的生活面貌，作為戰後香港發展歷史一個非常重要和珍貴的個案。

緣起

得知有五十年歷史、香港最早期的公營房屋石硤尾邨即將清拆，心想：「又拆！」香港很多有價值的建築物，都由於某些原因而給拆掉；而記錄一些即將消失的物事，正是我的興趣。

二零零五年一個夏天的中午，溫暖的陽光帶領好奇的我進入政府檔案館。好不容易，才從一個個相似的編碼中，找到石硤尾邨的檔案。職員要求我戴上一對白色手套，使我想到要為病人動手術的醫生。跟著他引領我進入一個約二百平方呎的房間，只見一個中年人在翻著微黃的紙張，發出彷彿遠古傳來的聲音。一室陽光陪著我等待職員送來檔案。等著等著，太陽也有點不耐煩了，手套內的指尖微微冒汗。這時門再度打開，職員送上兩個文件匣，一個的殘紅封面上印著黑色「機密」二字，另一個是米黃色的。解開墨綠色的絲帶，讀著一頁頁發黃的文件：1954年港督葛量洪給英國政府有關石硤尾大火的報告、一封石硤尾居民給港督的請願信、一個徙置居民的統計表⋯⋯閱讀這些文件的時候，就像憑弔著石硤尾過往的五十年，也驅使我下決心去記錄面臨清拆的石硤尾居民的面貌。

Shek Kip Mei Estate was one of Hong Kong’s first public housing projects, built to provide immediate relief to the 53,000 migrants and refugees who lost their squatter-homes to a fire on Christmas Day, 1953. Its small family units had no running water, electricity, or private toilets. But for many of its first residents, its sturdy walls offered a welcome improvement to the quality of life.

In its 52 years of existence, the estate bore witness to the changing times: the post-war population boom, the growing economy, innovations in public architecture. It saw film shoots, protests, crime; it also fostered thriving community networks, local businesses, schools, and welfare organisations.

When Shek Kip Mei Estate was slated for demolition in 2006, photojournalist Vincent Yu set out to document the crumbling building and its last remaining residents. Through texts, historical documents, and stark photographic portraits, Yu records the lives of some 200 elderly residents and the spaces they’ve called home for many decades.