RA@ Hong Kong Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

The Hong Kong Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (traditional Chinese: 聖母無原罪主教座堂) is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong. It is the seat of the Diocesan bishop, currently John Tong Hon. The Cathedral is one of the two cathedrals in the city of Hong Kong, the other being the Anglican St. John's Cathedral.

It is located at 16 Caine Road, Central. It is open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm daily. It is graded as Grade I Historic Building.

The first Roman Catholic cathedral of Hong Kong was built in 1843 on Wellington Street and destroyed in a fire in 1859. The cathedral was rebuilt, but subsequently a different site was selected just above Caine Road by the Glenealy Ravine, where it is still located today. The Cathedral was designed by Crawley and Company of London. Construction of the new building started in 1883. Services first began in July 1886 under the auspices of the Apostolic Vicar Dominic Pozzoni and the first Mass was celebrated on 7 December 1888.



(The narthex in the Cathedral)



It was a Cathedral from the time it was built, as the seat of the apostolic vicariate that preceded the establishment of the diocese in 1946; however, it was not consecrated as a cathedral until 1938.

The Cathedral’s original timber roof was replaced with a concrete roof in 1952; the main altar was also reconstructed in the early 1980s.

                                                         (The nave of the Cathedral)

The Cathedral underwent renovation in 2002, and the renovation project was recognized by an Honorable Mention in the 2003 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

The Cathedral measures 272 feet (83 m) long and 132 ft (40 m) wide, with 38 columns. It is an imposing Gothic Revival style built in a Greek cruciform shape with a tower at the intersection of the nave and transepts. It is constructed predominantly of bricks and stone over a granite platform and is supported by external buttresses.

                                                        (The exterior of the Cathedral)

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Catholic_Cathedral_of_the_Immaculate_Conception
http://cathedral.catholic.org.hk/index.php?id=2
http://www.catholic.org.hk/v2/b5/index.html

C @ Old Stanley Police Station

Do you know where is it? Can you imagine the supermarket is inside a declared monument?
This is Wellcome Supermarket inside the old Stanley Police Station.

The Government Property Agent leased the declared monument to Dairy Farm for housing its Wellcome Supermarket.

Given that the supermarket was a fait accompli, CA undertook to engage the developer in finding a more sustainable solution as to minimize the possible damage to the building. This has been reflected in the design, signage and billboards in the supermarket.

The Old Stanley Police Station was built in 1859 and is oldest surviving police station building in the territory. During the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese Gendarmerie used the station as a local headquarters and a mortuary was built onto the building. After the war, the building reverted to its original use as police station until 1974. Since then it has been used as a sub-office of the Southern District Office, a restaurant and now a supermarket.

Sources:
http://www.heritage.gov.hk/en/buildings/monuments_25.htm
http://www.conservancy.org.hk/heritage/FSPS_E.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Stanley_Police_Station

K@Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb in Sham Shui Po

The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum is composed of an ancient brick tomb and of an exhibition hall adjacent to it. It is located in Sham Shui Po.

The tomb and gallery came under the management of the former Urban Council in 1969. The museum later became a branch of the Hong Kong Museum of History in 1975. As such, it is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. A newly built exhibition hall opened in 1988, when the tomb was declared a gazetted monument. The hall was refurbished in 2005.[3][5] Details on the discovery and characteristics of the tomb, as well as bronze and pottery artifacts found in the tomb are on permanent display in the exhibition hall.

A 3D digital animation in the exhibition hall provides a detailed view of the interior of the tomb. Moreover, a 1:1 replica of the inside of the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb is displayed at the Hong Kong Museum of History.

There is an Exhibition Hall located next to the tomb. The first section is about food and drink in Han as it seems because most of what was found in the Han tomb is related to food. The display of this section begins with the old Chinese adage, 'food is the first necessity of the people'. There is a map depicting food distribution, a pictogram of rice distribution and a table of the major food groups. There are also three replicas of figurines. Two of the figurines are cooks, and another one is a farmer.

The second section is about the excavation of the Han tomb. The excavation process, the inside of the tomb and the archaeologists at work are shown with several photographs.The tomb's structure and layout are shown with the models and plans. This display also how the professionals dated the tomb by using the inscriptions on the bricks.

The third part of the gallery shows the artifacts found in the tomb. As the only Eastern Han Dynasty brick tomb ever found in Hong Kong, the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb has invaluable historic value containing 58 items found on site. Objects include cooking utensils, food containers, storage jars and models (a house, a granary, a well and a stove) made of pottery (50), as well as bowls, basins, mirrors, and bells made of bronze (8). No human skeletal remains were found.

Granary model found at the tomb

 

Ding found at the tomb 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lei_Cheng_Uk_Han_Tomb_Museum

H@Museum of Tea Ware

Hello, i'm going to introduce 'Museum of Tea Ware' to all of you, this site bring to Hong Kong a multi-cultural vision of the arts and culture of the world through an international programme of exhibitions.

About the Museum

Specializing in the collection, study and display of tea ware, the branch museum at Flagstaff House features at its core the generous donations of Dr K.S. Lo (1910-1995) , which include many fine examples of the famous Yixing teapots.

Built in the 1840s, Flagstaff House originally served as the office and residence of the Commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong. It was converted to the Museum of Tea Ware in 1984, with a new wing, The K.S. Lo Gallery, added in 1995. Alongside its exhibitions, the Museum holds regular demonstrations, tea gatherings and lecture programmes to promote ceramic art and Chinese tea drinking culture.

There are several type of collections: Chinese Antiquities, Chinese Fine Art, Historical Pictures, Hong Kong Art,  K.S. Lo Collection of Tea Ware and Seals and Xubaizhai Collection of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy.

Also, they have some permanent exhibitions in the museum, which are Chinese Tea Drinking and Chinese Ceramics and Seals Donated by the K.S. Lo Foundation.

This exhibition introduces the history of Chinese tea drinking and features various kinds of tea ware, from the Tang dynasty (618 – 907) to the 20th century. An education corner on “Essential tea vessels”, with hand-on facilities for the people with visual impairment, is set up to give visitors a more comprehensive background on tea utensils and to encourage a culture of tea drinking.

Education Corner

How to get there?
10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, Hong Kong (inside Hong Kong Park)
Tel: (852) 2869 0690 / (852) 2869 6690 (The K.S. Lo Gallery)
Fax: (852) 2810 0021
Free admission

Opening Hours:
10:00 am - 5:00 pm daily
Closed on Tuesdays and the following public holidays:
Christmas Day and Boxing Day
New Year's Day and the first three days of the Chinese New Year





Source:
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Arts/english/tea/tea01.html

RA@ Western Market

Western Market is also a former name for Plaza Miserere.

(Sheung Wan old market façade)

Western Market (環街市; currently, 西港城) is one of the oldest structures in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The current structure was the North Block of the original Western Market. It is the oldest surviving market building in the city. The former South Block was replaced by the Sheung Wan Complex in 1981.

(Western Market, Connaught Road Central façade)

Western Market is located at 323 Des Voeux Road Central. The market occupies a whole city block and is surrounded by the following streets: Des Voeux Road Central (South), Morrison Street (East), Connaught Road Central (North) and On Tai Street (West).

(The south side of the Western Market)

Sheung Wan Complex, now called the Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building, the site of the former South Block, is located at 345 Queen's Road Central. It is surrounded by: Queen's Road Central (South), Morrison Street (East) and Bonham Strand (North).

The Western Market came into business in September 1844. Western Market later consisted of two separate blocks: South Block (demolished) and North Block (the current "Western Market").

(One of the current tenants on the 1st floor is Mr Chan who is a cloth dealer)

The South Block at Queen's Road Central was built in 1858 and demolished in 1980. It was replaced by the Sheung Wan Complex in 1981.

The North Block, smaller and more compact in design, was preserved and renovated by Land Development Corporation. This Edwardian-style building was built in 1906[3] as an extension of the then existing Western Market. It was the former site of Harbour Office that had been moved to a reclamation area in Central District for a larger space to cope with its increasing workload. The old building of Harbour Office was pulled down to build the North Block of Western Market.

(Western Market Enterance)

It operated as a food market until 1988. In 1990, it was declared a historical monument and the renovated market building re-opened as "the Western Market" in 1991. Further refurbishment work was conducted in 2003.

The four-storey building is in Edwardian style that was popular in England from 1901 to 1918. The brickwork on the 4 corner towers is "bandaged", giving a polychromatic effect.

(Stairs inside the building)

A current tenant includes Bavarian-style bakery, Chinese dessert shop and several curio shops.
On the first floor there is a wide range of cloth and textile for sale. The top floor is a restaurant with dancing and live music. On the flyover next to Western Market are a few old pictures with explanations from times long gone?

Resources:http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E6%B3%95%E5%AE%9A%E5%8F%A4%E8%B9%9F
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Market
http://www.amo.gov.hk/en/trails_sheungwan1.php?tid=34
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Monument/en/monuments_42.php

  

ERI@THE CLOCK TOWER IN TSIM SHA TSUI

Description	Kowloon Clock Tower June 18 2007.jpg English: Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower, Kowloon, Hong Kong Suomi: Kowloon-Canton rautatieyhtiön entisen aseman kellotorni Kowloonissa, Hongkongissa Chinese: 前九廣鐵路鐘樓 Deutsch: Glockenturm der Ehemaligen Kowloon-Canton Eisenbahn, Kowloon, Hong Kong Français : Tour d'horloge d'ancien Kowloon-Canton chemin de fer, Kowloon, Hong Kong Русский: Часовая башня бывший Kowloon - Кантон Железной дороги, Kowloon, Гонконг Nederlands: Voormalig kloktoren van de Kowloon-Canton spoorlijn, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Date	18 June 2007(2007-06-18)
Author	Lauri Silvennoinen

The Clock Tower, officially named Former Kowloon - Canton Railway Clock Tower, is located on the southern shore of Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. It is the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon Station on the Kowloon-Canton Railway.

It heighs 44 metres, and is topped by a 7-metre lightning rod. The interior of Clock Tower is open to visitors. The bell was produced in the UK and arrived in HK in 1920. It began operation in the Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower in 1921 as part of the Tsim Sha Tsui railway terminus. It chimed round the clock at 15-minute intervals.

In 1975, the bell ceased operation when the railway terminus was relocated to Hung Hom. It has been moved several times since then and had been on public display at railway stations in Hung Hom and Sha Tin until 1995, when it was moved to the Railway House in Fo Tan. Because the bell enhanced the historical significance of the clock tower, it is returned to the tower and it listed as a declared monument in Hong Kong since 1990.

                                         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:KCR_1914.jpeg

                                           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kcr_tst.jpg

                                    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:KCR_locomotive_77509.jpg



The Kowloon-Canton Railway  refers to a railway network in Hong Kong which is now combined with the MTR railway system, comprising rapid transit services, a light rail system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to the rest of China. 



The British Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway between was opened on 1 October 1910. The complete railway between Kowloon in Hong Kong, then a British crown colony, and the Chinese city of Canton was opened on 5 October 1911. Trains were steam-hauled. From the one line railroad, the KCR network was expanded to 3 railway lines and a light railway system, with 32 railway stations and 68 light rail stations.




SOURCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_Tower,_Hong_Kong 
http://zh-hk.hongkong.wikia.com/wiki/%E5%B0%96%E6%B2%99%E5%92%80%E9%90%98%E6%A8%93
http://www.amo.gov.hk/en/monuments_43.php 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon-Canton_Railway 
http://www.heritage.gov.hk/en/online/press2010/20100917a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon-Canton_Railway

C @ King Yin Lei

The 1937-built King Yin Lei is a rare surviving example of Chinese Renaissance style that reflected the design and construction excellence in both Chinese and Western architecture of Hong Kong. The "East-meets-West" construction methods have made the building a rarity in Hong Kong and an outstanding piece of art.The building was sold in 1978 to the Yow family - Mr. Yow Qhei-man and his son Mr. Yow Mok-shing, who gave the name "King Yin Lei" to the building which meant "house of virtuous views".

The building is important in signifying the historical development of Hong Kong. As one of the luxurious historic houses located along the hillside of Hong Kong Island, the building reflects the rising status and growing wealth of the Chinese community in Hong Kong. It also represents an earlier phase of Hong Kong history when the upper-class residential area took shape in the Mid-Levels.

The mansion, built in 1937, sits on a 50 650 square feet site. The three-storey building is a “red bricks and green tiles" mansion of Chinese Renaissance or Chinese Neo Classical Style, which reinterprets traditional Chinese architectural form in the light of western design techniques. A private garden festooned with bonsai plants, various pavilions and terraces encircles the mansion. It has been a scenic spot for mainland and overseas tourists.

The social value of the building also lies in the role it played in the film heritage and entertainment industry of Hong Kong. The mansion has been featured in films of international renown such as "Soldier of Fortune" (1955), "Love is a Many-Splendoured Thing" (1955) .

The building was sold to its current owner in August 2007, and works to remove the roof tiles, stone features and window frames were noticed on site in early September 2007. Restoration works are being carried out and expected to be completed in 2010.


Address: 45 Stubbs Road, Mid-Levels

Sources:
http://gwulo.com/king-yin-lei
www.conservancy.org.hk/heritage/KYL_E.htm
www.heritage.gov.hk/en/doc/KingYinLeiInfo.pdf

               

K@Old Wan Chai Post Office

The Old Wan Chai Post Office is the oldest surviving post office building in Hong Kong. It is situated at No. 221 Queen's Road East, at the junction with Wan Chai Gap Road.

The building was erected between 1912 and 1913, and opened on 1 March 1915 as the Wan Chai Post Office. It is not known whether the building was originally built and designed for such purpose. The post office ceased to operate in 1992, after having served the Wan Chai community continuously for 77 years.

The Old Wan Chai Post Office is a L-shaped building. It is a simple pitched-roof structure with attractive gable ends and mouldings.

The building is now operated by the Environmental Protection Department as an Environmental Resource Centre.

There are a Touch-screen environmental information system, a reference library, display boards in the Resource Center. There is also an Environmental Garden. Its wall is made of recycled bricks which were recovered during the refurbishment of the historic building.

Opening Hours:

    * Mondays to Saturdays: 10:00am – 5:00pm.

    * Wednesdays: 10:00am – 1:00pm.

    * Sundays: 1:00pm – 5:00pm.

    * Closed on Public Holidays

The Old Wan Chai Post Office became a declared monument on 18 May 1990. It is the only building declared as a monument in the Wan Chai area.

Sources:
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Wan_Chai_Post_Office

H@ Sung Wong Toi

Sung Wong Toi is an important historic relic in Kowloon, Hong Kong. While its remaining portion is currently located in the Sung Wong Toi Garden in Ma Tau Wai, it was originally a 45 m tall boulder standing on the top of Sacred Hill (聖山) in Ma Tau Chung above Kowloon Bay.

The name Sung Wong Toi literally means Terrace of the Sung kings. The stone is believed to have been a memorial to the last two boy emperors of the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhao ShiZhao Bing, who temporarily lived in Hong Kong from 1277 to 1279. and

While it’s true this park is dedicated solely to a rock, there’s much more history behind it than meets the eye. The Chinese characters Sung Wong Toi were inscribed into a large boulder near Kowloon Bay in 1279 as a memorial to the last two boy emperors of the Song Dynasty. Excavation damaged the rock during the Japanese occupation, but luckily the inscription remains intact. A portion was shaped into a rectangular block and is now the park’s centrepiece.

How to get there: Take bus no. 5 or 1A from Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Bus Terminus and get off at Prince Edward Rd East. Go back to Ma Tou Wai Rd and you will see the park after a few minutes’ walk.

Resource
http://www.timeout.com.hk/around-town/features/37271/hong-kongs-best-parks.html#panel-3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sung_Wong_Toi