TNAG-0978-FCO40-1197-Legislation-for-preservation-of-ancient-buildings-and-monume-1981 — Page 37

G.S. 84

For discussion

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HKK 29744l

XCR(80) 48 32

on 26th February 1980MED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 Copy No

O 5 MAR 1980

MEMORANDUM-FORȚEZ

INDEX

CUTIVE COUNCIL

PA

Action Taken

Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance

(Chapter 53)^EB

PROPOSED DECLARATION OF TUNG LUNG FORT

AS A MONUMENT

•PAD 27.2

Introduction

Under section 3 of the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance, the Authority may, after consultation with the Antiquities Advisory Board and with the approval of the Governor, declare any place, building, site or structure which the Authority considers to be of public interest by reason of its historical, archaeological or palaeontological significance to be a monument.

2

The Antiquities Advisory Board has advised and the Secretary for the New Territories has proposed that the Tung Lung Fort (on Tung Lung Island which is situated east of Hong Kong Island) should be declared a monument by reason of its historical significance.

Information about the Fort

3

High up on the north-eastern promontory of Tung Lung Island there is a rectangular stone enclosure of approximately 25 metres by 35 metres with walls 3 metres high. Its commanding location overlooking the Fat Tong Mun strait clearly indicates that this structure was used as a fort to control this narrow sea passage. The location and layout of the fort are shown on the plan at Annex.

4

The Gazetteer of the San On district indicates that the fort was built in the Khang Hsi reign of the Ching dynasty to control shipping and also to take action against the numerous pirates infesting these waters at that time. However due to its inaccessibility it was abandoned in 1810 and the garrison moved to Kowloon. The fort has since gradually fallen into a state of ruin.

5

Recent clearance and excavation has indicated that the fort has a buttress along a portion of its eastern wall and it is thought this may have been used to mount cannon on the wall. Also, the southern wall has been found to be 8 metres wide with foundations of two structures clearly visible on top of it.

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