Chi Sun Correctional Institution (Hong Kong)

China / Hongkong / Xianggangdao / Hong Kong / Chi Ma Wan Road, 303
 correctional institution  Add category
It is the largest drug addiction treatment center in Hong Kong previously.
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Coordinates:   22°14'16"N   113°59'57"E

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  • During 1981 - 1994(?) this place was used as a Refugee Centre where thousands of Vietnamese boat people were living, awaiting for migration to third countries. I was one of them, 1981-1982. This view brings many memories... tan.le@nec.com.au
  • Tan....Not that it makes any difference, but I believe the refugee camp opened around the summer (June-July) of 1982...I was there from 1982-1983.
  • To be exact when it was opened for BOAT PEOPLE (refugee). Here is a little story behind it. I arrived at Hong Kong on July 3 1982 which is 1 day after the formal announcement that BOAT people who arrived after July 2, 1982 will be sent into a closed CAMP. Chimawan was the first CLOSED camp for boat people. Our boat (Identified as L/M1706) originated from Thuan An Hue was 1 of the 2 first arrived at the closed camp along with another one from the North (Hai Phong) identified as L/M 1705. Each of us has a number as an identification, our boat has 36 people, and I was numbered as 33. Even thought our boat arrived after the other one, but we got processed first so #1 to #36 belongs to our boat L/M 1706. (What is L/M I have no idea as I was only 11 years old back then) What happened to people who arrived before July 2, 1982? They got sent to camp in Hong Kong city where they get to work and earn money and travel around, Closed camp = fenced in......the size of the camp according to my recollection is roughly a small street block in size. The first group of people arrived to CHIMAWAN were staying in the LOWER Camp, while the UPPER were for hong Kong prisoners. Eventually the number grows and the government moved Hong kong prisoner into another place and people came in first got moved to the upper CAMP. Distinctive difference between lower and upper cam were the HUT size, it were smaller in UPPER CAMP. White people in lower camp must carry their own bowl, spoon and mug for breakfast , lunch and dinner to collect their portion, people in UPPER camp do not need to have their bowls or spoons. In UPPER CAMP, single males are group together living in a designated HUT while single Females were also living in separate HUT. Family class living in their distinctive HUT. Later on as the volume of people came into the camp growth significantly, many were moved to Heilingchau (a different island) and single white males where also isolated in different camp. when I first arrived, I stayed in LOWER CAMP, then moved to UPPER CAMP, then to HEILINGCHAU, out to ARGYLE CAMP in Kowloon, (Interview process) back to Heilingchau, then back to Argyle Camp (another area) then finally left camp ARGYLE camp in March 1985 going to Canada. hope this help everyone understand about CHIMAWAN.
  • Thank you ijhu for your interesting and illustrative account and some background to Chi Ma Wan.
  • Hey IJHU, I was on LM1705! Our boat arrived on July 2 morning (I think around 6-8 am) and the new policy of locking refugees up took effect at midnight! My old man was the only person that can speak English, so he was like the official spokeperson for the group. We resettled in Perth Australia in June 1984. I thought our family was one of the last people of the "first arrivals" to leave, but looks like you were stuck there even longer. Hope life is great in Canada.
  • Same with me. I was one of the first wave VNese boat people to be at Chimawan camp on the first day. LM1710
  • If you want to see Chimawan refugee life, check out FB name: https://www.facebook.com/groups/donghuongtraicamhongkong/
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This article was last modified 7 years ago