Precious historic buildings not only have unique architectural features, but also have close links to the history of our society. Recently, we declared the Signal Tower at Blackhead Point in Tsim Sha Tsui, the Race Course Fire Memorial at So Kon Po and the façade of the Old Mental Hospital in Sai Ying Pun as monuments to enhance their conservation. I would like to share with you here how precious these three declared monuments are.

The Signal Tower in Signal Hill Garden at Blackhead Point in Tsim Sha Tsui was built in 1907 by the Hong Kong Observatory to house a time ball that was previously located at the nearby Round House of the Former Marine Police Headquarters for signalling the accurate time to mariners and the public. Later, with the widespread use of radio broadcasts and telephone communication, the time ball completed its historic mission in mid-1933. The Signal Tower has now become a unique landmark in Signal Hill Garden. Although a storey was added in 1927, the appearance of the tower is largely intact. It was built with a heavy classical baroque design incorporating popular Edwardian decorative features of the time, which combined red brickwork with contrasting lighter colour stone architectural features. You may also note the decorative voussoirs at the tower’s entrance and large windows.

The Race Course Fire Memorial was erected in 1922 to pay respect to those who died in the fire that broke out on February 26 in 1918 (the second day of the annual Derby Day races) at the Racecourse in Happy Valley. More than 600 people died in the fire, which remains one of the worst tragedies in Hong Kong’s history. The memorial, situated on the hillside above the present Hong Kong Stadium at So Kon Po, is the only memorial in Hong Kong dedicated to the victims of this disastrous fire. If you look closely at the Memorial, you will not only see pavilions, glazed tiles and ceramic ornaments commonly found in Chinese architecture, but also classical Italianate granite niches, containing marble memorial plaques. The memorial is an exquisite work combining both Chinese and Western architectural elements, demonstrating that Hong Kong is a place where East meets West.

The third declared monument is the façade of the Old Mental Hospital at 2 High Street, a noted landmark in Western District that is rumoured to be a “haunted house”. The ghost stories circulating of course cannot be traced, but the building itself does have a long history that testifies to the development of mental care services in Hong Kong. Completed in 1892, the building was originally built as the Medical Staff Quarters of the Government Civil Hospital, and was converted into wards for mentally ill female patients in 1939. As it provided additional wards for the Mental Hospital at 45 Eastern Street until 1961, the building was also known as the “Mental Hospital”. After the opening of the Castle Peak Hospital in 1961, the Old Mental Hospital operated as an out-patient clinic for the mentally ill until 1971. Afterwards, the building was left vacant. In 1998, it was redeveloped into the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, with its precious granite façade preserved intact. The façade is L-shaped and has wide verandas. Heavy early-baroque features, including the wide arched verandas and the rusticated granite blocks below, were exquisitely built to the finest detail. The building has been featured in a number of local films due to its unique appearance and thus carries additional social significance.

To allow the public to learn more about conservation of Hong Kong's built heritage, King Yin Lei, another declared monument, will hold a new round of public open days from November 2015 to January 2016. For details, please visit www.heritage.gov.hk. You are all welcome to visit the above declared monuments, which are an important part of our history.