SPD 3159 / SPD3159 Hong Kong Key Heritage: ＳＰＤ

2010年10月22日星期五

C@The Hong Kong Observatory

What I want to introduce today is Hong Kong Observatory .Hong Kong Observatory known as the Royal Observatory Hong Kong before 1997, is a department of the Hong Kong Government. The Observatory forecasts weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards.

The Observatory was established in 1883 by the 9th Governor of Hong Kong George Bowen. Early operations included meteorological and magnetic observations.The Hong Kong Observatory was built in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Peninsula in 1883. Observatory Road in Tsim Sha Tsui is so named based on this landmark. The Observatory is now surrounded by skyscrapers as a result of rapid urbanisation. However, it remains unrelocated.

Hong Kong Observatory (134A Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui)

Hong Kong Observatory (134A Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui)

1883 Building
This building, built in 1883, is a rectangular two-storey plastered brick structure; it is characterised by arched windows and long verandas. It now houses the office of the directorate and to serve as a centre of administration of the Observatory.

The Friends of the Observatory, an interest group set up in 1996 to help the Observatory to promote Hong Kong Observatory and its services to the public, provide science extension activities in relation to the works of the Observatory and foster communication between the Observatory and the public, now has more than 7,000 individual and family members in total.
Voluntary docents from this interest group lead a "HKO Guided Tour" to let the public who applied for visit in advance to visit the headquarter of the Observatory, and learn about the history, environment and meteorological science applied by the Observatory.

Address: 134A Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Observatory
www.weather.gov.hk/contente.htm
www.heritage.gov.hk/en/index.htm

2010年10月15日星期五

RA@ Woodside

Do you remember what I’m talking about last blog? It’s talking about “Blue-House” previously. Do you want to know more about heritage which is related to different types of house in Hong Kong? There are several special houses in Hong Kong, we will introduce these special one: Woodside.

Woodside (林邊屋又稱「紅磚屋」) is a huge colonial-style mansion. It’s situated in the lower portion of the Mt Parker Road trail in the Quarry Bay Extension of the Tai Tam Country Park. It’s classified as Grade II historic building now.

This elegant colonial house in Tai Tam Country Park (Quarry Bay extension) was originally called Woodside. Because of its red brick and granite structure, it is often known as the Brick House or Red House.

Woodside was built as the residence of the manager and engineer of Taikoo Sugar Factory. After closure of the factory, the residence was reverted to the Government in 1976.

Woodside was built in the early twentieth century. Originally, it stood as two individual buildings, named Woodside 1 and Woodside 2. The two houses were flanked with a garden, and featured Chinese tiled roofs.

During the Pacific War, Woodside was used by the Japanese. Their occupation of the house resulted in extensive damage and, after the war; Swire renovated the house between 1947 and 1951. The roofs were removed and the two separate buildings were connected.

Today, as a century of change, Woodside greets visitors with its old charm – with the original wooden stairs, floorboards, doors and balconies. Between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s, staff quarters of the Taikoo Sugar factory and Taikoo Shipyard spread around Quarry Bay and Shau Kei Wan.

Nowadays, only Woodside remains. This charming old brick house is the only remaining colonial-style residence in the area.

According to the news, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has been received in 2002, it will rebuild this building to a nature education center in coming two or three years. This project is expected to be completed in 2012 as possible.