Tai Po Sports Ground

The Tai Po Sports Ground opened in 1992 and has kept its name since, but the 2007 renovation gave it a new look, erasing the older feel with fresh corporate boxes and a re-laid grass pitch.

What you notice first is the roof. It is a long, flat sheet of yellow and white stripes that stretches over the main stand, catching the sun and throwing it back onto the concrete. Below that roof the seats are arranged in strict rows, and the colours are sharp: blocks of yellow chairs sit alongside red ones, separated by metal railings that run the length of the terrace. A yellow bin stands on the walkway, a small detail that mirrors the roof’s colour scheme.

The ground itself is a simple rectangle of natural grass, bordered by a red running track that curves around the perimeter. Tall floodlights rise on slender steel masts behind the far end, pointing towards the dark green hills that form the backdrop. On a clear day, like the one in the photographs, the sky is a flat blue, and the stadium looks like a stage waiting for actors.

The capacity is listed as 3,000, though some sources argue for 3,200. The difference is academic; the place is not built for noise. It is a local facility, operated by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and it serves the Tai Po Football Club in the Hong Kong Premier League. The record attendance of 2,520 came on a winter evening in 2008, when South China visited. That crowd filled the stands, but even then the sound would have been swallowed by the open air. Today, runners use the track, but the football pitch remains the centre of gravity, held in place by the orange and yellow lines of the roof above.