Tai Ping Shan street, the so-called Mountain of Peace was once the site of the first British garrison, but when the British forces began to relocate the city’s Chinese population to the surrounding areas, the region evolved into an overcrowded slum. Had you visited Tai Ping Shan Street in the 1860s, you would have witnessed a decadent zone seething with opium dens, gambling halls, and brothels. Prostitution, which had always been legal in Hong Kong, would set the tone in the neighbourhood which was the city’s first red-light district. In fact, in the early 20th century, this was the only area for Chinese prostitutes to ply their trade, concentrated in brothels known for their brightly painted doors and curtains. Little attempts were made by the colonial government to clean up the area, resulting in poor living conditions for the population. Later on, with the great influx of immigrants arriving in Hong Kong, Tai Ping Shan also became the site for many family temples. They were scattered around the red-light district and many of them are still present, awakening memories of the city’s past.