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Written by: Zhang Jiamin
2021-01-20 13:27
Last update date: 2021-01-20 13:27
The exposure of the ancient Roman-style building cistern in Bishop Hill, Sham Shui Po, brought the Water Supplies Department to an immediate halt. The incident aroused the concern of people from all walks of life about the preservation of underground facilities with historical value.
The Secretary for Development, Wong Wai-lun, said today (20th) that the feasibility of limited opening to the public will be explored. The Antiquities Office will submit the results of the study on the value of cultural relics to the Antiquities Advisory Board for deliberation in the first quarter of this year.
In addition, the government also disclosed information on four underground facilities built before the war. Among them, the Yabinli fresh water service reservoir has the longest history, with a history of 133 years.
The Yau Ma Tei service reservoir was decommissioned before the war. The Development Bureau stated that the service reservoir still exists, but its current status has yet to be verified.
▼Sham Shui Po Bishop Hill Romanesque cistern exposed ▼
Regarding the conservation plan of the Bishop Mountain Service Reservoir, the Secretary for Development, Wong Wai Lun, responded to a written question from legislators, stating that the government is open to conservation plans. Before deciding on a long-term conservation plan, it will explore the limited opening to the public if safety conditions permit The feasibility.
On January 5, the Water Supplies Department launched a temporary reinforcement and reorganization project on the Bishop Mountain Service Reservoir. It is expected to take 3 months to reorganize and protect the broken building components that were demolished earlier for future restoration.
After the completion of the project, the Development Bureau will study the conservation and revitalization plan of waterworks facilities.
The Antiquities Office has also launched a study on the value of cultural relics. Upon completion, the Antiquities Office will submit the research results to an independent historical building review team. It is expected that the results will be submitted to the Antiquity Council for review and grading in the first quarter of this year.
According to the authorities, the Office of Antiquities and Monuments is conducting research on underground facilities related to water supplies with the Water Supplies Department.
According to current information, at least four other existing underground facilities were built before the war, including the Yau Ma Tei Service Reservoir, the Yabinley Fresh Water Service Reservoir, the Gough Hill Fresh Water Service Reservoir, and the Peak Fresh Water Service Reservoir.
Among them, the Yau Ma Tei Service Reservoir was shut down before the war. The Water Supplies Department has no relevant plans and operating records.
According to the authorities, the distribution reservoir still exists, but its current status has yet to be verified.
According to the annual report of the Works Bureau in 1894, the Yau Ma Tei service reservoir was completed at that time, that is, the service reservoir has a history of at least 127 years.
The remaining three service reservoirs are still in operation. Among them, the Yabinli Fresh Water Service Reservoir has the longest history. It is expected to be completed between 1888 and 1889. It has a history of about 133 years and its area is also the largest at about 37,000 square feet.
The Peak Fresh Water Service Reservoir was completed in 1897, with an area of approximately 3,875 square feet; the Gefu Mountain Fresh Water Service Reservoir was completed in 1903, with an area of 2,152 square feet.
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Bishop Mountain Service Reservoir Ancient Advisory Council Historic Site Office