Hong Kong Heritage

Who am I?

• Central Market

• The Pokfulam Farm

• The Bethanie

• Cattle Depot Artist Village

Answer explanation

The Bethanie

Address: No. 139 Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong

The Bethanie was completed in 1875 by the French Society of Foreign Missions as their first sanatorium in East Asia where sick missionaries could recover from tropical diseases before returning to their work. From 1875 onwards, the Bethanie received some 6,000 missionaries and served as an important base for the missionary work of the French Catholic church in East Asia until it closed in 1974.

The premises were later taken over by the Hong Kong Government and leased to The University of Hong Kong from 1978 to 1997. In 2002, the Government decided to lease the Bethanie to The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts to house its School of Film and Television. The restoration and conversion works were completed in 2006, and the Bethanie has served as the second campus of the Academy since then.

The Bethanie was declared a monument in 2013.

Who am I?

• The Pokfulam Farm

• The Bethanie

• Central Market

• Former Central Police Station Compound

Answer explanation

The Pokfulam Farm

Address: 141A Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong

The Pokfulam Farm Revitalization Project falls into the Batch IV Revitalisation Scheme of Development Bureau. It was co-designed and co-operated by Caritas Hong Kong and Pokfulam Village Cultural Landscape Conservation Group, with the vision of setting the stage for creating and demonstrating the distinctive value of the Pokfulam cultural landscape which embodies a unique history of agriculture industry.

The Pokfulam Farm, formerly the Old Dairy Farm Senior Staff Quarters known as Braemar, has been classified as Grade I historic building. Being the entrance to Pokfulam, the Farm envisions a platform for the public to comprehend the history of the region. By adopting of a community perspective, the Farm plans exhibition, docent tours and workshops to depict the history of the Old Dairy Farm and its connection with the surrounding settlement culture. Advocating lifestyle diversity and appreciation for the nature, the Farm also promotes and supports sustainable development of the entire community.

Who are I?

• Former Central Police Station Compound

• Central Market

• Tai O Heritage Hotel

• The Bethanie

Answer explanation

Central Market

Address: No. 80 Des Voeux Road Central, Central

The Central Market is a rare example of pre-war market buildings, displaying the influences of Streamline Moderne and the International Modern Style, and thus has definite built heritage value. The demolition and reconstruction of the original facade facing Des Voeux Road Central in the 1990s due to the construction of a footbridge linking the market and the Central to Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system was the major alteration to the market building over the years. The market has undergone adaptive re-use after its closure in 2003. It was re-opened in August 2021 as a hub of retail shops, food outlets and community space for a variety of art exhibitions, performances, and cultural activities. The major architectural features, including the building form, structural grid with concrete beams and columns, central courtyard, grand staircases, terrazzo finishes and signage, and typical examples of the original poultry, fish, meat, vegetable and fruit stalls, are retained.

Who am I?

• Tai O Heritage Hotel

• Hong Kong Film Archive

• Former Central Police Station Compound

• Blue House

Answer explanation

Former Central Police Station Compound

Address: No. 80 Des Voeux Road Central, Central

One of the few surviving 19th-century police stations in Hong Kong, the former Central Police Station Compound was the headquarters for law enforcement until the Second World War. A few years after the war, it became the Regional Headquarters for Hong Kong Island, while remaining as the police station for Central district. It was decommissioned and released for adaptive reuse in December 2004. The former Central Police Station Compound, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison Compound have been revitalised as ‘Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts’ and opened to the public in 2018.

The former Central Police Station Compound, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison Compound form a group of historic buildings, representing law and order in Hong Kong.

The former Central Police Station Compound was declared a monument in 1995.

Who am I?

• Western Market

• PMQ

• Tai Kwun

• Tai O Heritage Hotel

Answer explanation

Tai O Heritage Hotel

Address: Shek Tsai Po Street, Tai O, Lantau Island

It all traces back to 1902, when a permanent marine police station was built on the small hill next to Tai O Ferry Pier, to reinforce the police forces on Lantau Island. As one of the earliest police depot on the outlying islands of Hong Kong, the Old Tai O Police Station was established to combat pirates prevalent in the neighbouring waters. Due to the declining crime rates, the police station ceased to operate and functioned as a patrol post from 1996 to 2002.

Its restoration came in 2009, when Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation was selected to undertake its revitalisation under Batch I of the Development Bureau’s Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme. This involved its conversion into a nine-room boutique hotel, the Tai O Heritage Hotel. In 2009, it was graded as a Grade II historic building by the Antiquities Advisory Board, and in 2013 conferred the prestigious UNESCO Award of Merit for Cultural Heritage Conservation.