With a subsidy provided by the Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau, the public can now admire the 126-year-old Lo Pan Temple again upon the completion of its restoration works.
The Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, officiated at the completion ceremony today (April 20). Also present were representatives from the construction industry.
At the ceremony, Mrs Lam said that the Commissioner for Heritage's Office launched the Financial Assistance for Maintenance Scheme in August 2008, which provides financial assistance to owners of privately owned graded historic buildings to carry out minor maintenance works, enabling appropriate preservation of historic buildings and better appreciation of the heritage value of these buildings by the public. Up to present, the maintenance scheme has received 13 applications. Nine of them have been approved, with the grants totalling around $7.2 million.
"Lo Pan Temple was the first successful application under the Financial Assistance for Maintenance Scheme and also one of the first projects with the restoration works completed. Through the restoration works at Lo Pan Temple, we wish to enhance public understanding of conservation of historic buildings," Mrs Lam said.
Located at 15 Ching Lin Terrace, Kennedy Town, Lo Pan Temple received a grant of $711,000 for the restoration of its roof tiles, purlins and walls. Upon completion of the restoration works, Lo Pan Temple is open to the public free of charge between 9.30am and 5pm daily.
Lo Pan Temple is the only temple in Hong Kong dedicated to the worship of Lo Pan, the patron saint of Chinese builders and carpenters. According to the carvings inside the temple, it was constructed in 1884 by the Contractors' Guild with donations from people of the related trades. The temple is a two-hall structure, richly decorated with mural paintings as well as Shiwan ceramic figurines and mouldings. It was accorded Grade 1 status by the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) in 1994 and the same grading was re-confirmed by the AAB in December 2009.
Ends/Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:05
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