Rosary Church

Rosary Church is located in 125 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. It is the oldest church in Kowloon. The church is in classic style; the original floor plan was based on a Roman Basilican model. The church, St. Mary's Canossian College and St. Mary's Canossian School in adjacent belongs to same building cluster.

It is classified as .

History

In 1900, because of the Boxer Rebellion in China, some Indian battalions in the British army were stationed in Kowloon; there were about 200 Catholics in the brigade. At the same time, there was an increase in number of Catholics among the civil population.

A donation was made in 1903 by Dr. Anthony Gomes, a Catholic. so that the church could be built. The foundation stone was laid solemnly by Fr. De Maria, Pro-Vicar Apostlic of Hong Kong on 10 December 1904.

The construction of the church was completed in 1905, for the population of Catholic was increasing even after the British troops had left.

On 23 May 1905, the completed church was consecrated to Our Lady of Pompeii, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary; according to the intention of Dr A S Gomes, the benefactor, in loving memory of his parents and brother.

Clergy

Currently, three full-time priests are serving at this parish, including Rev John B. Tsang , Rev Jose Serafin Anaya, MG., and Rev. Raja Duggimpudi, PIME.

A Permanent Deacon, Rev. Francis Wong also serves in this Church.

Time of services

Sunday Masses

*Anticipated Mass on Saturday evenings
:5.30pm ''in English''
:7.00pm ''in Cantonese''

* Sunday
:7.30 am ''in Cantonese''
:8.45 am ''in English''
:10.00 am ''in Cantonese''
:11.15 am ''in Cantonese''
:12.30 pm ''in English''
:7.00 pm ''in English''

Masses During the week

*Monday to Saturday
:7.30 am ''in Cantonese''
:8.00 am ''in English''

*Monday to Friday
:6.30 pm

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

* Every first Thursday: 7.15 pm - 8.15 pm
* Every first Friday: 9.00 am - 5.45 pm

Reconciliation

On Sunday mornings or by appointment

Staff

Sacristan: Rowland Gutierrez

Secretary: Goretti Tong

Pastoral assistant: Alice Lee

Notable ground staff: SONG Mei-lin , CHAN Ka-Jau

Notable pastoral associations

The following groups are notable pastoral association in the Church:
*Rosary ASA The St John Berchmans Altar Servers Association.
*Bible Reading Association
*Various Choirs
*Catechism groups
*English speaking group
*The Society of St Vincent de Paul
* Youth at Rosary

Red House (Hong Kong)

Red House or Hung Lau is a house in a farm in Pak Kok, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, near the Tun Mun Public Riding School, Butterfly Estate and . The house and the farm was where Dr. Sun Yat-sen planned to overthrow the Qing dynasty.

It named after its appearance, red bricks with plastering in red colour. The two-storey house is of the combination of Chinese and Western architectures.

Adjacent to the house is a garden commemorating Dr. Sun Yat Sen and is one of few places in Hong Kong where the Flag of the Republic of China is flown freely.

History

In 1901，a Hong Kong merchant, who met Dr. Sun Yat-sen and joined Revive China Society in 1895, provided his farm to the Society as the seret base. The farm then provided secrecy and sustainance due to its large size and the location. Here coups in Guangzhou and Wuhang were planned.

Queen's Pier

Queen's Pier, named after Queen Victoria, was a public ceremonial pier in front of in Edinburgh Place, , Hong Kong. Its two generations have served as a ceremonial pier as well as a public pier, and have witnessed the official arrival in Hong Kong of all of since 1925; landed there in 1975, and in 1989.

The pier, built along the newly reclaimed waterfront, was designed in a style, and was opened by Maurine Grantham, wife of Governor Alexander Grantham in June 1954.

On 26 April 2007, the pier was officially closed by the government in order to facilitate land reclamation, soon after was closed. There was fierce opposition by conservationists, who carried over their campaign to preserve the landmark. Police officers evicted some 30 protesters from the site on 1 August 2007; activists filed for a judicial review, and the High Court hearing began on 7 August. On 10 August, the court dismissed the request.

Finally, the Queen's Pier was completely demolished in February 2008. Its base piles were also removed in March 2008. In 2008, since dismantling, the government attempts to create the appearance of public support for reassembling the pier at the new waterfront has been criticised by conservationists.. It was a sheltered pier made of concrete and steel, with round pillars and arches, built on the waterfront at Pedder Street on the site of the present at a cost of 20,000. Intended to open in time for the arrival of , the Prince of Wales, construction delays postponed its completion until October 1925..

The pier was opened by Maurine Grantham, wife of Governor Alexander Grantham on 28 June 1954.

Function

The pier's primary r?le was ceremonial. It was the traditional landing place of successive Governors, who would arrive at Central on board the official Governor's yacht which would dock at Queen's Pier. From the 1960s, Governors would inspect the Guard of honour at Edinburgh Place, followed by the official swearing-in at the City Hall, Charles and Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales, landed there in November 1989.

The pier's secondary r?le was as a public pier, where pleasure craft were allowed to dock. Tour boats offering a view of the Kowloon side of the harbour used the pier for passenger boarding. Up to 1978, it was the winning line for the annual cross-harbour swimming race. As the ceremonies declined, the pier's secondary purpose became the main one: people met and strolled in the area; some fished.

On 26 April 2007, the pier was officially closed in order to facilitate land reclamation in Central.

The Pier's future

From the outset, the fate of the pier has been intimately linked with the which was unveiled in 1989 but not explicitly spelled out as such. However, the scale of reclamations has only been slightly cut back following significant legal battles.

The Government's position

Following the controversy and the demolition of the in early 2007, activists declared Queen's Pier the next battle-ground against the policy of the Government of Hong Kong. The criticism received over its handling of the Star Ferry Pier caused Michael Suen, the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, to propose a piece-by-piece relocation of the pier to a new location on the reclaimed waterfront during a session on 21 March 2007. The Government later unveiled four design options for such relocation. The intended closure of the pier was 26 April 2007.

At the end of January 2007, the government declared it would postpone the demolition of Queen's Pier until a consensus could be reached on the course of action; consultations with the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers, and the Conservancy Association were held.

Donald Tsang said that being overzealous in saving the past may hurt Hong Kong's competitiveness, and called on activists to take a more balanced view toward economic growth and conservation. Soon after Tsang's , on 26 March, the Government pressed ahead with plans to dismantle and move the entire pier, piece by piece, enabling the reclamation to go ahead.

The government stated the in-situ preservation, though apparently viable on paper, would risk irreversible damage to the pier. Furthermore, it argued that important underground facilities such as the Airport Railway Extended Overrun Tunnel would be affected, saying a natural curvature of the track was required. Although Lam's performance in public debates was praised, the Secretary for Development's conflict of interest as the head of the Antiquities Authority was criticised. Lam said the AAB did not have governmental authority, and that it had not suggested keeping the pier in its totality. The paper suggested that reassembling it in the same location could take as long as December 2012, as re-alignment of the proposed Road P2 would be involved.

District councils

The government polled 16 s, fourteen of which voted in support of relocating the pier to the new water-front. However, in July 2008 activists cried foul when eight councils revealed that the preservation of the pier in its existing location was not put forth as one of the options; the Vice-chairmen of two councils which voted to support also objected that their decision may have not been an informed one as not all possible options were on the table. The Chief town planner said that the omitted proposal "was not an efficient option and would create unnecessary construction waste."

After it was revealed in August 2008 that the government was behind the 13 concerted District Councils' motions in 2008 supporting the relocation of the pier to the new waterfront, Albert Ho condemned the government of tampering with s in order to "create public opinion." Convenor of the Urban Design Alliance doubted the openness of consultation, saying that "the government had engineered its results". Dr. Li Pang-kwong, of , said that the problematic framework of the councils has led them to work too closely with government. He said the 'copy and paste' Queen's Pier motions passed by 13 councils to support government decisions was a rubber-stamp, and a clear sign that councils lacked independence.

Conservationists' position

Ron Phillips, original designer of the pier, backed preservation, saying that any loss of the City Hall and the adjacent open space would be something "future generations will come to regret". The proposed 40 metre wide road, planned in the 1980s, was now "obsolete", and would make the waterfront "inaccessible to the public". Albert Lai, Chairman of the Hong Kong People's Council for Sustainable Development, drew attention to the fact that the budgeted spending for infrastructure over the past three years of 90 billion contrasted poorly with HK$90 million spent on acquiring and renovating heritage sites.

Preservation campaign battlefronts

Public and media

In September 2004, legislator Law Chi-kwong took a swim in Victoria Harbour bearing a plaque saying "Goodbye to the Queen", to protest the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation, particularly the loss of Queen's Pier.


Soon after the unsuccessful attempt to save the Star Ferry pier in early 2007, a campaign to preserve the pier ''in situ'' was launched. Ahead of the closure, members of the public, environmentalists, and some lawmakers arrived to tie blue ribbons to indicate their desire to preserve . On 22 April, about 100 protesters once again rallied at the pier, launching farewell voyages in a last-ditch attempt to urge the Government to reconsider: a petition of over 400 signatures from the Arts community was collected.


An occupation of the pier was started by ten activists on the designated closure date. The campaign was boosted by the appearance of Chow Yun-fat early on the morning of 28 April to sign the petition, and to appeal pre-emptively to the police not to hurt protesters. Some activists, like Chu Hoi-dick, have been involved in the Star Ferry pier protest, and took turns to maintain a round-the-clock presence. Leung Chun-yiu, who works a full-time job yet spent 3 nights a week at the site, vowing to block the demolition non-violently, in any way he can.

On 27 July, three students, as part of a group called ' ''Local Action''' started a hunger strike on the pier. Hunger-striker Chan King-fai said: "The government wasn't chosen by us. All we can do is to use our humble and limited voices. In an operation which lasted ten hours during daylight hours on 1 August 2007, 300 Police officers cleared away the 30 or so protesters from the site, amid scuffles. Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor complained that its observers were denied access to the area during the eviction.

In Legco

An application for HK$50 million to fund the dismantling and relocating of the pier was scheduled for debate by the Public Works sub-committee on 9 May 2007, the same day the Antiquities Advisory Board would hold a public hearing to decide on the historical grading of the pier due to the lack of support. Choy So-yuk, from the usually pro-Government , called for the vote to be postponed, and the equally did not back the Government. However, Government ministers declared that it had "no plans to list the pier as a ", and insisted that there was "no direct relationship between the grading and whether we will demolish and relocate the pier". Civic Party legislative councillor Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung said that there was "no sincerity to preserve historic venues". Choy So-yuk, who voted against the appropriation on 9 May, abstained. She revealed that she had been lobbied by Michael Suen and Donald Tsang; party did not allow her to cast an opposing vote.

After the hearing, an activist from 'Local Action' declared the AAB's decision a victory for the people, and warned the government "not to treat the voice of the people lightly", claiming that Secretary for Home Affairs' decision not to declare the structure a monument was unreasonable and illegal. The set the date for the case to be heard on 7 August. Judge Johnson Lam said that the case about the future of Queen's Pier should be heard as there is great public interest in the outcome and thus a one-week respite for the site.

Institute of Planners controversy

The Hong Kong Institute of Planners, the majority of whose members work in government departments, had backed the ''in-situ'' preservation of the pier. There was uproar in May 2008 when it made an apparent U-turn in a position paper submitted to the government backing the relocation to a waterfront location, based on a sparsely attended meeting. It then submitted a revised paper presenting that a majority of its members supported such a move as a conclusion prior to the completion of a survey. A former vice-president of the institute questioned how the institute had become allies of the government.

Popular culture

The pier is featured in following:
* ''My Date with a Vampire''
* ''Life Made Simple''
* ''Glittering Days''
* Sam Hui's song "Goodbye Bell" Music Video

Ohel Leah Synagogue

The Ohel Leah Synagogue and its next-door neighbors, the Jewish Recreation Club and the Jewish Community Center, have formed the center of Jewish social and religious life in Hong Kong for over a century.

Most of Hong Kong’s Jews live only a short distance away from the Synagogue, which sits at the junction of and Castle Road. An exquisite specimen of Colonial architecture, the two-storied, whitewashed, multi-turreted Synagogue nestles somewhat quaintly amid the soaring high-rises of steel and glass perched on the Mid-Levels of Hong Kong Island. The Synagogue was erected in 1901-2, but underwent a US$6 million restoration in 1998 which returned its interiors and exteriors to their original elegance.

The historic Synagogue is graded as .

The name Ohel Leah commemorates Leah Sassoon, the mother of the brothers Jacob, , and Meyer who donated the land for building the Synagogue. The Sassoons were among the earliest Sephardic merchants from India to settle in Hong Kong during the mid to late 19th century.

Ohel Leah is a congregation and received its first officially appointed rabbi in 1961. Three other Jewish congregations have also emerged more recently in Hong Kong: the , which is dominated by Israeli expatriates; the Chabad Lubavitch; and the United Jewish Congregation, which is aligned with the more liberal and movements. Many worshippers, however, hold concurrent memberships in several congregations.

Lui Seng Chun

Lui Seng Chun is a historical 4-story building on 119 Lai Chi Kok Road, Hong Kong. It was built in 1931 by Mr. Lui Leung and the architect of the building was Mr. W. H. Bourne. Lui Seng Chun not only bears witness to the history of a well-known family in Hong Kong, but also illustrates the past community life, economic activities and architecture of the territory. It is one of in the District.

Historical Background

Mr. Lui Leung , the owner of Lui Seng Chun, was born in Taishan County of the Guangdong Province. Upon his arrival in Hong Kong, he became actively engaged in transport and trading businesses. He was one of the founders of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited.

In 1929, Mr. Lui purchased a piece of land at 119 Lai Chi Kok Road from the Government of Hong Kong and appointed W. H. Bourne, a local architect who specialized in designing shophouses to construct Lui Seng Chun. The construction work was completed in around 1931. The ground floor of the building was occupied by a Chinese bone-setting medicine shop named "Lui Seng Chun", while the upper floors became living quarters for the members of Lui's family. The name "Lui Seng Chun" was derived from a pair of rhymed couplets, implying Lui's medicine could bring a patient back to life. The medicine enjoyed a good reputation locally and overseas.

Mr. Lui Leung died in 1944 and the shop was closed down a few years later. The building was subsequently used as accommodation and let out as tailor shops. In 2000, the Lui's family proposed to the Antiquities and Monuments Office to donate the building to the Government of Hong Kong. The transfer of the building was accomplished in October 2003.

Architectural Features

Being a four-storey building, Lui Seng Chun is a typical "Kee-lau" or "Tong-lau" . This type of two-to-four-storey residence integrating Chinese and Western architectural styles was very popular in the early 20th century.

Lui Seng Chun reflects the Neo-Classical style which is characterized by a square-shaped frame and a row of decorative balustrades in front. The deep verandahs help prevent rain from flooding the house, block sunlight and keep the indoor area cool. This together with the stone plaque marked with the name of the medicine shop installed at the top of the building are all typical architectural features of pre-war Chinese tenements. The main facade of the building was lavishly decorated with classical Italianate designs, one of which is the "broken pediment" at the shop. The curved front elevation was designed to make better use of the narrow strip of land restricted by the road junction. In terms of structure, the external walls of the building are made of plastered red brickwork with columns and beams of reinforced concrete. Lui Seng Chun is regarded as the representative of "Kee-lau" of the pre-war period in Hong Kong.

Adaptive Reuse

The Government of Hong Kong has carried out structural survey and basic repair for this long-vacated building. In order to revitalize the heritage asset, it is intended to restore and convert the building into a local hub of cultural and heritage.

The future use of the building could be cultural, educational, community, commercial or a combination of the above provided they are compatible with the historical and cultural character of the building. Possible uses include display centre, small-scale performance venue, conference or lecture venue, reading room, herbalist or medicine shop, Chinese tea house, souvenir shop etc. To retain the original character and allow interpretation of the historic building, sufficient space would be reserved for the provision of the exhibition on the history of Lui Seng Chun, the Lui's family and Mongkok district.

The Government is conducting a study on the adaptive re-use of Lui Seng Chun, with a feasibility study on different possible re-use proposals to be accomplished. Individuals and organizations interested in the future re-use of the building would be invited to submit proposals, with the aim to work out a plan for the proper, sustainable adaptive re-use of the building so that its cultural significance could be displayed.

List of Grade III historic buildings in Hong Kong

Grade III historic buildings are those selected by Hong Kong's Antiquities and Monuments Office as those buildings which are "Buildings of some merit, but not yet qualified for consideration as possible monuments. These are to be recorded and used as a pool for future selection."

Islands District

* Cheung Chau Fong Pin Hospital, Cheung Chau
* Cheung Chau Government Secondary School, No. 5B School Road, Cheung Chau
* Cheung Chau Police Station, No. 4 Police Station Path, Cheung Chau
* Old Tai O Police Station, Shek Tsai Po Street, Tai O, Lantau Island
* Shui Yuet Temple, Kwun Yam Wan, Cheung Chau
* Tin Hau Temple, Fan Lau Miu Wan, Fan Lau, Lantau Island
* Tin Hau Temple, , Cheung Chau

Sham Shui Po District

* Lai Chi Kok Hospital, No. 800 Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok
* Sham Shui Po Police Station, No. 37A Yen Chow Street, Sham Shui Po
* Sham Shui Po Public Dispensary, No. 137 Yee Kuk Street, Sham Shui Po
* Tin Hau Temple, No. 182 Yee Kuk Street, Sham Shui Po

Wan Chai District

* No.64
* Tung Wah Eastern Hospital
* Wan Chai Market
* Wan Chai Police Station
*
* The Church of Christ in China Shing Kwong Church

List of Grade II historic buildings in Hong Kong

Grade II historic buildings are those of special merit in Hong Kong. Efforts are required to preserve the building selectively .

Central and Western District

Eastern District

Islands District

Kowloon City District

* King George V School, Tin Kwong Road, Ho Man Tin
* Kwun Yum Temple, Station Lane, Hung Hom
* St. Teresa's Church, Prince Edward Road, Kowloon City
* Sun Hok Building of Bethel Mission of China, Grampian Road, Kowloon City

Kwun Tong District

* Sam Shan Kwok Wong Temple, near Ping Shek Estate, Kwun Tong Road, Ngau Chi Wan
* Tin Hau Temple, in Ma Wan Tsuen, Lei Yue Mun

Sai Kung District

* Che Kung Temple, at Ho Chung Road
* Tin Hau Temple, in Hang Hau
* Tin Hau Temple, on Leung Shuen Wan Chau

Shatin District

* Che Kung Temple, at Che Kung Miu Road, Tai Wai
* Kowloon Byewash Reservoir Dam, in Kam Shan Country Park
* Kowloon Byewash Reservoir Valve House, in Kam Shan Country Park
* Kowloon Reservoir Valve House, at Golden Hill Road, Kam Shan Country Park
* Shek Lei Pui Reception Reservoir Dam , in Kam Shan Country Park
* Shek Lei Pui Reception Reservoir Dam , in Kam Shan Country Park
* Shek Lei Pui Reservoir Valve House, in Kam Shan Country Park
* Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre, at Tao Fong Shan Road

Sham Shui Po District

* Some buildings/military facilities within the Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks
* Mo Tai Temple, at Hai Tan Street, Sham Shui Po
* No. 117 Nam Cheong Street
* No. 119 Nam Cheong Street
* No. 121 Nam Cheong Street
* No. 123 Nam Cheong Street
* No. 125 Nam Cheong Street
* No. 269 Yu Chau Street
* No. 271 Yu Chau Street
* Sam Tai Tsz Temple and Pak Tai Temple, at Yu Chau Street

* Aberdeen Reservoir Upper Reservoir Bridge carrying outflow main, at Aberdeen Reservoir Road, Aberdeen
* Aberdeen Reservoir Upper Reservoir Valve House, at Aberdeen Reservoir Road, Aberdeen,
* Aberdeen Reservoir Upper Reservoir Dam with bridge carrying outflow main, at Aberdeen Rservoir Road, Aberdeen
* The Old House in Wong Chuk Hang San Wai, Wong Chuk Hang
* Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Filter Beds, at Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Road, Pok Fu Lam
* Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Four Masonry Bridges, at Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Road, Pok Fu Lam
* Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Box Culvert, at Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Road, Pok Fu Lam
* Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Embankment, at Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Road, Pok Fu Lam
* Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Air Vents at the Service Reservoir, at Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Road, Pok Fu Lam
* St. Stephen's College, at Tung Tau Wan Road,
* Stanley Fort Block 17, Stanley
* Stanley Fort Block 38, Stanley
* Stanley Fort Block 51, Stanley
* Stanley Fort Block 09, Stanley, Hong Kong
* The Bethanie, at Pok Fu Lam Road
* Tin Hau Temple, at Aberdeen Main Road, Aberdeen
* Tai Tam Byewash Reservoir Dam, Tai Tam Reservoir, Tai Tam
* Tai Tam Byewash Reservoir Valve House, Tai Tam Reservoir
* Tai Tam Intermediate Reservoir Valve House, Tai Tam Reservoir
* Tai Tam Intermediate Reservoir Dam

Tai Po District

* Chat Sing Temple, at Kwun Hang, Shap Sze Heung
* Hip Tin Temple, in Cheung Shue Tan Tsuen
* Residence of Wong Siu-wai in Pun Chun Yuen, Kam Shan
* Sha Lo Tung Cheung Uk, Sha Lo Tung
* Sha Lo Tung Lo Wai, Sha Lo Tung
* Tai Po Lookout, at Lookout Link
* Tin Hau Temple, in Fong Ma Po, Lam Tsuen
* Tin Hau Temple, in Tai Po Kau Hui
* Tin Hau Temple and Man Tai Temple, in Tsz Tong Tsuen, Tai Hang
* Two Old Houses in Pak Sha O Ha Yeung, Sai Kung
* Mo Tai Temple, in Ting Kok Village
* Old Police Bungalow, at Kwong Fuk Road
* Old Tai Po Police Station, at Wan Tau Kok Lane

Tsuen Wan District

* Dragon Graden, at Castle Peak Road, Tsing Lung Tau,
* Tin Hau Temple, at Wai Tsuen Road, Tsuen Wan

Tuen Mun District

* Shing Miu, in Sam Shing Hui, Ching Shan Wan
* Tin Hau Temple, on Sha Chau
* Ching Chung Koon, at Tsing Chung Koon Road

Wan Chai District

Wong Tai Sin District

* Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, Wong Tai Sin,
* Old Pillbox, Diamond Hill

Yau Tsim Mong District