MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1990
TUNG LUNG CHAU PAMPHLET AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION
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TO ENABLE HOLIDAY MAKERS AND VISITORS TO TUNG LUNG CHAU ΤΟ LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MONUMENTS AND UNEARTHED RELICES ON THE ISLAND, A PAMPHLET HAS BEEN PRODUCED BY THE ANTIQUITIES AND MONUMENTS OFFICE OF THE RECREATION AND CULTURE BRANCH.
ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS AND DIAGRAM, THE BILINGUAL PAMPHLET GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY OF AN OLD FORT SITUATED AT THE NORTHERN CORNER OF THE ISLAND.
THERE WILL ALSO BE AN
INTRODUCTION OF THE STRIKING ROCK CARVING AT THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE ISLAND WHICH IS THE LARGEST ROCK CARVING KNOWN IN THE TERRITORY.
POINT AS
TUNG LUNG CHAU WAS CONSIDERED AN IMPORTANT STRATEGIC LONG AS IN THE SUNG DYNASTY (960-1279 A.D.) BECAUSE JUNKS GOING TO GUANGZHOU USED TO SAIL THROUGH THE NEARBY PASSAGE OF THE FAT TONG MUN CHANNEL INTO THE SHELTERED WATERS OF HONG KONG.
AS THE PROBLEM OF PIRACY WAS VERY SERIOUS IN THE AREA DURING THE QING DYNASTY, A FORT WAS BUILT AT TUNG LUNG CHAU TO GUARD AGAINST PIRATES DURING THE REIGN OF EMPEROR KANG XI (1662-1722 A.D.).
THE FORT WAS ABANDONED IN 1810 A.D. BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY IN KEEPING THE FORT SUPPLIED AND MAINTAINED ON AN ISLAND SO REMOTE FROM ITS HEADQUARTERS.
THE FORT WAS DECLARED AS A MONUMENT ON JULY 25, 1980 BECAUSE OF ITS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE ON THE ADVICE OF THE ANTIQUITIES ADVISORY BOARD. THE RESTORATION WORK WAS COMPLETED IN APRIL 1982.
ADORNING THE NORTHERN COAST OF TUNG LUNG CHAU IS A 180 CM BY 140 CM ROCK CARVING WHOSE HISTORY CAN BE DATED TO THE DISTANT PAST. IT WAS RECORDED IN THE XIN-AN GAZETTEER COMPILED BY WANG CHONG ΧΙ IN 1819.
THE DESIGN OF THE CARVING, WHICH IS BELIEVED TO REPRESENT A DRAGON, CONSISTS OF COMPLICATED AND TORTUOUS LINES.
THE PAMPHLET INTRODUCING THE FORT AND THE ROCK CARVING ON TUNG LUNG CHAU IS NOW AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE AT VARIOUS DISTRICT OFFICES, MUSEUMS OF BOTH THE URBAN COUNCIL AND REGION COUNCIL, AND THE OF THE RECREATION AND CULTURE BRANCH.
OFFICE
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