In the 1970s or before, boundary stones were used to delineate the boundaries of Hong Kong's land. It is a historical mark that witnesses the development of Hong Kong's cities.
The naval boundary stone is also a product of history and has now been replaced by the PLA boundary stone. However, there is no distinction between naval and army boundary stones, which means that the remaining naval boundary stones are the only remaining historical relics.
Recently, some conservation groups discovered that the naval boundary stone near Ruttonjee Hospital had been removed by workers. Although the workers at the scene claimed that they would keep the boundary stone, the group was still worried about the whereabouts of the boundary stone and hoped to keep it on the original site.
The three GI5 naval boundary stones that were removed near Ruttonjee Hospital were all IL86 (IL refers to the inner lot of Inland Lot for marking land rights), namely AD13, AD32 and AD33 (AD is Admiralty Boundary).
According to the Hong Kong track, the date of the naval boundary setting is unknown, but the boundary appeared on the naval boundary map as early as 1906. Compared with the nearby AD7 AD8 set in 1910, the engraving format is also different, so I believe this Bijieshi existed as early as 1906.
Hong Kong Tracks refers to about 23 naval boundary stones found in Hong Kong. Early naval lots were named after Hong Kong government lots, and AL began to be used as lot names after 1950.
Ebee explained that after World War II, the naval boundary stone was gradually replaced by the People’s Liberation Army’s boundary stone (BL), and the naval boundary stone engraved with AD became more rare.
The existence of the naval boundary stone helps to record the history of the past. "In the past, there were 啲咩, and there was a purpose for the 咰咩. You can get back to the data from the boundary stone."
None of the three boundary stones are listed as statutory or tentative monuments
However, when Ebee visited Ruttonjee Hospital again recently, he accidentally discovered that the workers had moved three naval boundary stones due to road works on the site.
Upon questioning, the workers said that they would keep the boundary stones, but they did not disclose the whereabouts of the boundary stones, which made Ebee very worried.
She mentioned that none of the three boundary stones removed this time were included in the list of "Government Heritage Sites as Defined by the Antiquities and Monuments Office", that is, they were not compatible with "Declared Monuments and Provisional Monuments" and "Classified by the Antiquities Advisory Board". "Historic Buildings and Sites" and "Hong Kong Sites of Archaeological Research Value" are defined together as "cultural relic sites." If they are not protected, the boundary stones have a chance to disappear.
Different naval boundary stones appeared near Ruttonjee Hospital.
(Photo provided by Hong Kong Trail)
Ebee believes that the preservation of boundary stones is very important. "In the past, when we talked about conservation, everyone would only focus on the preservation of a large historical building. However, boundary stones, as a historical carrier, also have their own preserved value."
Ebee hopes that after the works involved are completed, the boundary stones can be retained at the original site. Even if they need to be demolished and removed, the authorities should explain their whereabouts to the public and properly preserve them.
Hong Kong 01 is making enquiries with the Lands Department and the Antiquities Office about the incident.
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