Two Historic Sites in Hong Kong Declared Monuments by Antiquities Authority

2026-01-30 11:00 Last Updated At：11:30

Two historic buildings declared as monuments

The Government today (January 30) gazetted a notice announcing that the Antiquities Authority (i.e. the Secretary for Development) has declared the Main Building of Old Tsan Yuk Maternity Hospital in Sai Ying Pun and Kwong Fook Tsz in Sheung Wan as monuments under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance.

Click to Gallery

The Kwong Fook Tsz in Sheung Wan, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Main Building of Old Tsan Yuk Maternity Hospital in Sai Ying Pun, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

More Images

The Kwong Fook Tsz in Sheung Wan, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Main Building of Old Tsan Yuk Maternity Hospital in Sai Ying Pun, Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Located on Western Street in Sai Ying Pun, Old Tsan Yuk Maternity Hospital was established by the Chinese Public Dispensaries Committee (CPDC) and opened in 1922 to provide maternity services for Chinese women in Hong Kong and train Chinese midwives using modern methods. After the hospital was relocated to new premises on Hospital Road in Sai Ying Pun in 1955, the main building at the original site has been used as a community centre since 1961 and continues to play a significant role in public healthcare and community services to this day. The main building is an iconic red-brick building constructed on a coursed rubble plinth, featuring a granite portico at the main entrance and a spiral staircase in the interior. Being one of the few surviving buildings related to the CPDC, the Main Building of Old Tsan Yuk Maternity Hospital exemplifies the co-operation between Chinese community leaders and Western medical professionals in the early development of maternal health services in Hong Kong.

Kwong Fook Tsz, also known as Pak Shing Temple, is located on Tai Ping Shan Street in Sheung Wan. It was built in 1895 with funds raised by Chinese elites. The temple houses soul tablets of Chinese workers who died in Hong Kong in the earlier years and enshrines deities including Ksitigarbha, Chai Kung, Shui Ching Pak and Tai Shui. In its early years, the temple also provided refuge and medical services for the sick, destitute and elderly, later contributing to the establishment of Tung Wah Hospital. Kwong Fook Tsz adopts the three-hall-one-bay layout with a two-courtyard design, which is rare among Hong Kong temples. The Shiwan ceramics on the ridge of the entrance hall are the most prominent external architectural feature. The temple demonstrates the inseparable ties and cohesion among the Chinese community during the early period of Hong Kong and is of great historical significance.

Information on the two monuments is available on the website of the Antiquities and Monuments Office (www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/index.html).

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Challenge Unites Cultures in Dubai with Record Participation and Cultural Festivities

Global first Hong Kong dragon boat races of 2026 successfully held in Dubai, along with presentation of culture and tourism experiences

Presented by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai (Dubai ETO), the fourth edition of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Challenge was successfully held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 24 and 25 (Dubai Time), marking the world's first Hong Kong dragon boat races of 2026 to kickstart races in various places.

Held at the Dubai Creek, the two-day event was joined by over 1,500 competitors of different nationalities and backgrounds. With the support of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Dubai, this year's races saw a record high 62 teams, with participation from all the seven emirates of the UAE for the first time. The Dubai ETO and the Consulate General also formed joint teams comprising members from the Hong Kong and Chinese communities living in the UAE to participate in the races.

Speaking at the award presentation ceremony, the Director-General of the Dubai ETO, Mr Simon Chan, highlighted that dragon boat is more than a competition. With its deep roots in fine traditional Chinese culture, it symbolises strength, resilience, friendship, and unity. He noted that the successful hosting of a large-scale dragon boat event in the international metropolis of Dubai, where the joy of this sport is shared with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, fully reflects the increasingly close people ties, cultural exchanges and friendly interactions between Hong Kong and the UAE.

Beyond the thrilling races which attracted large crowds of spectators, this year's programme also offered new cultural and tourism elements for visitors' experience, including lion dance, cultural performances and authentic Hong Kong flavours – from Hong Kong style milk tea and pineapple buns with butter to curry fish balls and dim sum – offering a true taste of Hong Kong in Dubai, which were equally popular with long lines queueing up. The Dubai ETO and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) also set up promotional booths at the venue to provide information about Hong Kong and promote its various tourist attractions to athletes and guests.

Mr Chan and the Consul-General of the People's Republic of China in Dubai, Ms Ou Boqian, jointly presented awards to winners of different categories of races, and congratulated the best performing team who will be invited to participate in the international dragon boat races to be held in Hong Kong by HKTB later this year .

"This year's event not only strengthens the bond between Hong Kong and various sectors of the UAE, but also provides the exciting opportunity for our friends in the UAE to visit Hong Kong, so as to discover and experience the extraordinary charm of Asia's world city for themselves," said Mr Chan.

Dubai ETO will continue to organise various events in the member states of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, with the aim of promoting exchanges and collaborations in areas such as trade and business, culture, tourism and education.

Two Historic Sites in Hong Kong Declared Monuments by Antiquities Authority

HK