1881 Heritage1881 Heritage was the former Marine Police Headquarters constructed in 1884, comprises a main building, a stable block and signal tower (commonly known as Round House). The compound has been occupied by the Marine Police since its establishment until 1996, except for the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945) when it was used as a base by the Japanese navy. The main building was originally a two-storey structure to which was added an extra storey in the 1920s. The south-east and south-west wings of the main building served as married quarters. During the Japanese Occupation Period, extensive underground tunnels were constructed beneath the lawn but after World War II, in view of public safety, these tunnels were blocked and the lawn was re-turfed. The Signal Tower is the most unique building within the compound and was constructed to provide time signals to ships in the harbour. Its use diminished in 1907 when the time ball apparatus was removed to Signal Hill. Being one of the oldest surviving government buildings in Hong Kong, the former Marine Police Headquarters Compound was declared a monument in 1994.
Antiquities and Monuments OfficeThis is the oldest surviving school building constructed for foreign residents living in Hong Kong. In 1900, Mr. Ho Tung (later Sir Robert) donated $15,000 to the Government to erect a school in Kowloon. The building was officially opened on 19 April 1902. It is a typical Victorian structure, but was modified to adapt to local climatic conditions by adding wide verandas, high ceilings and pitched roofs. After proper restoration, it houses the Antiquities and Monuments Office.
Court of Final Appeal (Old Supreme Court)The Old Supreme Court was built on reclaimed land using hundreds of Chinese fir-tree piles as foundations. The building was opened on 15 January 1912 by the Governor, Sir Frederick Lugard. The two-storey granite building is neo-classical in style supported by tall Ionic columns. The most outstanding feature of the building is the pediment in the centre portion which is surmounted by a blind-folded statue of Justice, represented by the Greek goddess Themis. It housed the Legislative Council Chambers from 1985 to 2011 and has been accommodating the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal since 2015 after renovation.
Duddell Street Steps and Gas LampsThe stone steps at Duddell Street, Central were built between 1875 and 1889. Four gas lamps surmounting the balustrades at the top and foot of the steps are the only surviving working gas street lamps in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong and China Gas Company which was originally founded to provide street lighting in Hong Kong continues to operate the lamps as objects of historical interest.
Former Central MagistracyThe construction of the Central Magistracy commenced in 1913 and was completed in 1914. The site was originally occupied by the first Hong Kong Magistracy which was probably erected in 1847 but was later demolished to make way for the present building. The provision of an extensive basement in the new magistracy caused much difficulty and delay in the construction work. The building has a majestic appearance with imposing pillars of the facade and other features in the Greek-revival style. The massive retaining walls were constructed with granite blocks. The Central Magistracy was closed in 1979 and had been used by different associations affiliated to the Police.
Former French Mission BuildingThe building on Battery Path, Central, was built in 1917 on the foundation of a previous structure. A chapel is incorporated in the north-west corner with its cupola projecting above the roof. The three-storey building is constructed in granite and red bricks in neo-classical style. It was occupied successively by the Education Department, the Victoria District Court, the Supreme Court, the Information Services Department, and the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock TowerThe Hong Kong Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway was opened for traffic on 1 October 1910. The construction of a terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui started in 1913 and the clock tower was completed in 1915 to form part of the complex. The main terminus building was demolished in 1978 leaving only the clock tower which has become a landmark of Hong Kong. The clock tower is 44m high surmounted by a 7m lightning rod.
Government HouseGovernment House was formerly the office and residence of previous Governors of Hong Kong. Construction works started in 1851 and took four years to complete. At that time it enjoyed a fine harbour view. It was originally built in the Georgian style and bore rich colonial characteristics. It underwent a number of large-scale renovations, with the latest undertaken in 1942, during the Japanese Occupation, by a Japanese engineer, Siechi Fujimura, who designed to construct a dominant central tower to link the two original buildings; the roofs were also modified to add in more Japanese flavour, thus diminishing the strong European style of the mansion. It was then used as the military headquarters for the Japanese until 1945. Government House is now the residence and office for the Chief Executive.
HK Museum of Medical SciencesAt the end of the 19th century, bacteriological studies in Hong Kong were still underdeveloped. It was not until 1905 that a permanent Bacteriological Institute was constructed at Caine Lane. This elegant red-brick building was renamed the Pathological Institute after World War II and was later occupied by the Department of Health as a medical store. It has been recently converted to the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences managed by the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences Society.
Hong Kong ObservatoryThe Hong Kong Observatory was established in 1883 and was built on a small hill in Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon. Built in the colonial style, it is a rectangular two-storey plastered brick structure characterised by arched windows and long verandas. The technical and operational units of the Observatory have been moved to new premises nearby, leaving the old building to continue to house the office of the directorate and to serve as a centre of administration.
Man Mo TempleBuilt in 1847, it was dedicated to Man Cheong (the God of Literature) and Kwan Yu (the God of War).
Museum of Tea WareFlagstaff House in Hong Kong Park Central is the oldest existing Western building in Hong Kong. Built in 1846 for Major General George Charles D'Aguilar, it was formerly known as Headquarters House. The building was renamed Flagstaff House around 1932 and remained the office and residence of the Commander of British Forces until 1978. It now houses the Museum of Tea Ware displaying Chinese teaware and related material of different periods.
Tai Kwun (Old Central Police Station)The oldest structure within the compound is a barrack block built in 1864. It is a three-storey building constructed adjacent to Victoria Prison. A storey was later added to the block in 1905. In 1919, Headquarters Block facing Hollywood Road was constructed. Subsequently in 1925, the two-storey Stable Block was constructed at the north-west end of the parade ground and later used as an armoury.The Police Station together with the former Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison form a group of historical architecture representing law and order in Hong Kong.
Old Wan Chai Post OfficeThe Old Wan Chai Post Office is the oldest surviving post office building in Hong Kong. This L-shaped building situated at the junction of Wan Chai Gap Road and Queen's Road East, was erected between 1912 and 1913, and opened on 1 March 1915 as the Wan Chai Post Office. It is a simple pitched-roof structure with attractive gable ends and mouldings. The building is now operated by the Environmental Protection Department as a resource centre.
Signal Tower at Blackhead PointThe Signal Tower in the Signal Hill Garden at Blackhead Point was built in 1907 by the Hong Kong Observatory to house a time-ball apparatus that was previously located in the nearby Round House of the Former Marine Police Headquarters. The Signal Tower was one of the two buildings constructed in Hong Kong for the purpose of signalling accurate time to the mariners and the public.
St. John's CathedralSt. John's Cathedral is the oldest surviving Western ecclesiastical building in Hong Kong. The foundation stone was laid by the Governor, Sir John Davis on 11 March 1847 and the construction was completed in 1849. The Cathedral underwent extension in 1873. During the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945), it was converted into a club house for the Japanese and thus suffered damage.
St. Joseph's CollegeThe North Block and West Block of St. Joseph's College at 7 Kennedy Road, Hong Kong were declared historical monuments on 18 August 2000. St. Joseph's College is a Roman Catholic missionary school and its forerunner, St. Saviour's College, was opened at Wellington Street in 1864 by the Roman Catholic Church. In 1875, six La Salle Brothers took over the school and renamed it as St. Joseph's College. In 1918, the college moved to the present site at 7 Kennedy Road, which had been previously occupied by the Club Germania. The Classroom Block, i.e. the present North Block, was opened in 1920 while the Science Block or the Chapel Block, i.e. the present West Block was opened in 1925. The North Block and West Block are currently the only existing pre-War buildings of the college. The former is a four-storey building flanked by two clock towers at both ends and has verandahs on one side whereas the latter is also a four-storey structure with a turret on top.
The CenotaphLocated in Central, the Cenotaph is an almost exact replica of the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. It was unveiled in 1923 to commemorate the dead of the First World War, and was simply inscribed with the words “The Glorious Dead.” The dates 1939-45 were later added to honour victims of the Second World War. In the 1970s, the Chinese inscription meaning “May their martyred souls be immortal, and their noble spirits endure” was inscribed as a belated recognition for lives lost during the Japanese invasion in the Second World War.
The Main Building, the Helena MayThe Helena May was built in 1914 and officially opened on 12 September 1916. It was originally used as a hostel for single working women of European origin. However, since 1985 women of all nationalities have been accepted as residents. Apart from quarters, the Main Building also comprises a library, a reading room and some classrooms. After several renovations, the Main Building was upgraded to provide 28 bedrooms. During the Japanese occupation period, all the furniture in the Main Building and the books in the library were lost. After World War II, the building was reopened in 1946 to provide accommodation for working women.
Victoria Prison CompoundBuilt in 1841, Victoria Prison is understood to be the first western building constructed of durable material in Hong Kong. Most of the buildings within the compound were damaged by bombing during the Second World War. The Prison was reopened in 1946 after repairs.
Western MarketWestern Market consisted originally of two separate blocks. The South Block at Queen's Road Central was built in 1858 and demolished in 1980. The remaining North Block, smaller and more compact in design, was built in 1906. It is in Edwardian style highlighted with "bandaged" brickwork on the four corner towers. When the former Urban Council's market facilities came into operation in 1989, the market building became vacant and was later converted into a traditional trade, arts and crafts centre in 1991. Refurbishment taken place again in 2003. URA appointed Telford Recreation Club Limited as the Manager of Western Market. Adopting the concept of adaptive-reuse, the building now accommodates a theme restaurant and boutique shops that turning the building and the vicinity into a place for lifestyle shopping and leisure activities.
