THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1985
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RESTORED LANTAU FORT OPEN TO PUBLIC
***
A FORT WHICH IS BELIEVED TO HAVE A HISTORY OF 250 YEARS, HAS RECENTLY BEEN RESTORED, AND IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLUC DAILY BETWEEN 9 AM AND 4 PM, EXCEPT TUESDAYS.
KNOWN AS FAN LAU FORT, IT IS LOCATED ON A SMALL PROMONTORY ABOUT 600 METRES ABOVE SEA-LEVEL, AT THE SOUTH-WESTERN TIP OF LANTAU ISLAND OVERLOOKING THE BUSY LANTAU CHANNEL - AN IMPORTANT PASSAGE TO THE PEARL RIVER ESTUARY AND GUANGZHOU,
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE ANTIQUITIES AND MONUMENT OFFICE SAID TODAY: +IT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THIS STRATEGIC POSITION THAT THE FORT WAS BUILT BY THE IMPERIAL QING GOVERNMENT, AS PART OF THE COASTAL DEFENCE SYSTEM TO SUPPRESS PIRATES AND TO CONTROL THE INCREASING TRADE WITH THE WEST.+
THE RECTANGULAR SHAPED FORT, MEASURING 21 METRES X 46 METRES, HAD 20 ROOMS, AND WELL-BUILT WALLS OF SEMI-DRESSED STONE. IT WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN ARMED WITH EIGHT CANNONS.
RECORDS SHOW THAT THE FORT HAD BEEN IN A STATE OF RUIN SINCE 1840, WITH ONLY THE EXTERIOR WALLS REMAINING.
THESE WALLS HAVE NOW BEEN RESTORED AND STABILISED.
+VISITORS CAN NOW SAFELY ENJOY THIS INTERESTING HISTORICAL FEATURE WITHIN THE SCENIC SOUTH LANTAU COUNTRY PARK, THE SPOKESMAN SAID,
THE RESTORATION PROGRAMME, CARRIED OUT BY THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY A DONATION FROM THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB.
THE FORT WAS GAZETTED AS A MONUMENT IN NOVEMBER 1981.
TAI PO LAUNCHES TREE PLANTING DAY *****
SOME 120 COMMUNITY-SPIRITED STUDENTS IN TAI PO TOOK PART IN CEREMONY MARKING THE TAI PO TREE PLANTING DAY AT THE JUNCTION OF TING KOK ROAD AND TUNG TSZ ROAD TODAY (THURSDAY).
ORGANISED BY THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE TAI PO TREE PLANTING DAY WAS AIMED AT AROUSING INTEREST ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BEAUTIFYING THE EVIRONMENT.
ALSO TAKING PART IN THE TREE-PLANTING CEREMONY WERE THE CHAIRMAN OF TAI PO DISTRICT BOARD, MR STEPHEN WONG; THE DISTRICT OFFICER OF TAI PO, MR THOMAS CHAN; THE CHAIRMAN OF TAI PO RURAL COMMITTEE, MR HO YUNG-SANG; AND THE LEISURE MANAGER AND HYGIENE SUPERINTENDENT OF TAI PO DISTRICT, MESSRS LEE SZE-HUNG AND CHAN CHAI-CKI.
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