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Written by: Zhang Jiamin
2021-04-25 00:00
Last update date: 2021-04-25 00:00
The military equipment left over after the baptism of the war bears witness to the history of Hong Kong, and some of them are hidden away from the city to be discovered.
The "Silver Jubilee Battery" on Mount Felipe on Hong Kong Island was rated as a Grade 3 historic building for its No. 2 battery position and the arrest center on Victoria Road in front of the "White House", and is widely known for its historical use.
The Hong Kong University research team pointed out that the 82-year-old "Silver Jubilee Fort" is composed of multiple groups of military buildings. The unrated parts are in good condition and are even more complete than other similar forts.
They believe that the authorities should not separate the fort and urge the government to not only give it a rating, but also implement a comprehensive conservation plan, including opening it to the public after repairs.
They pointed out that conservation plans should be faithful to history and should not be overly artificial.
The spotlight platform of the Jubilee Fort.
(Photo by Yu Junliang)
Just a 5-minute drive from Kennedy Town, the "Silver Jubilee Fort" is hiding in the former Victoria Road Seizure Center, commonly known as the "White House", behind the Hong Kong campus of the University of Chicago.
"White House" was rated as a Grade 3 historic building by the Antiquities Office in 2010. At that time, the No. 2 battery, one of the battery turrets, was also rated the same. Earlier, the school was found to have removed the low wall of the battery during the restoration period. The public is concerned about the fort.
For the unrated No. 3 gun position, two walls and gun beds are still reserved.
(Photo by Yu Junliang)
The overall fort is not rated: unfortunately forgotten
In fact, the "Silver Jubilee Fort" is composed of multiple sets of buildings, including positions 1 to 3 where cannons are placed, a searchlight platform for defense, an arsenal, etc. However, except for the No. 2 battery, the Office of Historic Sites did not have the rest. Even the information board set up by the University of Chicago did not list all the buildings. Professor Lai Wei Cong of the Department of Real Estate and Construction of the University of Hong Kong regretted this: "There is no such thing on the AAB (AAB) 1444 building list. Fortress, it's a pity that it is forgotten."
He and his research team inspected the battery building complex in 2009 and found that the remaining two gun positions are in good condition. Among them, the gun bed and two external walls are still retained, which can reflect the situation in front of the low wall of the second battery that has not been demolished. .
In addition, you can still see the arsenal connected to the artillery position, the place for soldiers to rest, and even the engine room.
As for the structural integrity of the spotlight platform, the outer wall and upper cover must also be retained.
Some sections of the road were in disrepair, the original stairs collapsed, and it was necessary to swim down the rope.
(Photo by Yu Junliang)
Weeds grow in disorder, the road is in disrepair, and the land adjacent to the mansion has been short-term leased as a private garden
However, due to lack of care, weeds could be seen on the scene, and some parts of the artillery positions were covered, including the positions of the artillery mounts. The sections around the fortresses were also difficult to access due to disrepair. There were thorny thorns along the road, which was dangerous.
One of the defensive spotlight platforms was located at the back of the private mansion. The team stated that the spotlights could still be overlooked from Victoria Road, but then the owner raised the fence and a section of the path leading to the spotlights disappeared. If the public wanted You must climb the railings, which is very dangerous.
In fact, on the day of the interview, some citizens were seen climbing over the railings with bare hands.
According to government information, the land next to the mansion and the land above the spotlight platform is currently used as a private garden in the form of short-term lease.
The Hong Kong University team pointed out that the integrity of the No. 1 position is relatively high.
(Photo by Yu Junliang)
Li Weicong said that the fort was part of the Mount Moring Ridge military facilities and was bombarded during World War II. One of the arsenals was used by the Japanese as a place to imprison British prisoners of war, which has certain historical value.
In addition, it is also one of the few forts that are relatively close to the urban area and are relatively well-preserved, and its building complex is larger than Chung Hom Kok Fort and Aberdeen Fort.
They believe that the government’s split rating of the battery is inappropriate, saying that compared to the "White House", the second battery has a stronger "blood relationship" with the rest of the "Silver Jubilee Battery" and should be rated together.
In fact, although the No. 2 battery has been preserved by the University of Chicago, the team believes that its preservation works are inadequate, including the fact that the information plate does not list the remaining structures belonging to the "Silver Jubilee Fort" and the trees in front of the battery have not been cleared. , Failed to show the situation of the coastal battery at that time.
▼Moxingling Jubilee Fort Buildings▼
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HKU team promotes road maintenance and opening to the public
Lai Weicong suggested that the government should appoint a department to manage the fort, including repairing the former military passage to the fort, repairing structures such as spotlights and arsenals, and consolidating nearby slopes for citizens to visit, and installing QR codes and other facilities on site Explain history.
He pointed out that the lease of the University of Chicago until 2026, the government should include the rest of the conservation battery into the lease, so as to build the "White House" and the battery into a tourist attraction.
He cited the Chung Hom Kok Fort, which is classified as a Grade II historical building, as an example, which has been converted into a park and managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
However, after the reconstruction, tables and chairs were added to the gun positions, and bricks and paint were re-laid.
The top cover of the two nearby unrated platforms for spotlights was also removed, and fences were added.
Lai Weicong pointed out that opening to the outside world is a good thing, but we should also be loyal to history and avoid over-artificialization.
▼Chong Hom Kok Fort, a second-class historical building▼
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