During the period of British implemented colonial rule over Hong Kong, in order to defend against the invasion of other countries, fortresses and forts were built on the headlands of Shau Kei Wan in Hong Kong and Lei Yue Mun in Kowloon to enhance the overall coastal defense capability of Hong Kong. Although these military defense facilities are no longer in use, due to their historical value and architectural features, some of them are still preserved for visitors to watch. Now,
HongKongFootprint.com will show you a place which is related to these military defense facilities.
The "Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence" located in Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong, was rebuilt from a former fortress. It is said that the fortress was designed and built by the British Royal Engineers and was an important defense facility at that time. The fortress is equipped with facilities such as soldiers' barracks, underground ammunition depots and coal storage bunkers, etc. In addition, a number of artillery forts were built along the mountains in the area of Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong, and the firing range of each artillery was different, which could completely cover the entire water area opposite to Shau Kei Wan.
During Second World War, Hong Kong strengthened the fortress's defense capabilities and successfully repelled the Japanese invasion many times. Unfortunately, due to the disparity in the strength of the two sides, the fortress was eventually captured. Since then, the fortress has lost its defensive function. In view of the long history of this fortress, it was preserved and transformed into the "Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence".
The "Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defense" is a museum themed on the history of Hong Kong's coastal defense. The exhibitions in the exhibition hall can be roughly divided into two parts: permanent exhibitions and special exhibitions. The permanent exhibition highlights the cultural relics and monuments of Hong Kong over hundreds of years from the Ming Dynasty to the present day. As for thematic exhibitions, other interesting themes are replaced from time to time.
In this museum, in addition to displaying some precious cultural relics related to the history of Hong Kong's coastal defense, some military equipment and facilities of the former fortress are also preserved, including firearms, forts, tanks and other military vehicles, etc., so that visitors can experience the more complete historical relics, rather than simply appreciate the historical relics through the glass cabinets in the exhibition hall.
Another feature of this museum is that there is an open-air plaza on the top floor, which was used for soldiers to gather and disperse in the past. In this open-air plaza, you can overlook the beautiful seascape of Shau Kei Wan in Hong Kong. There is also a small restaurant next to it, allowing visitors to enjoy delicious snacks while enjoying the beautiful scenery around the museum.
In addition, in the outdoor location of the "Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence", there is a heritage trail called "Historic Trail". This section of the heritage trail is built on the mountain, and along the way, you can enjoy different military defense facilities, such as soldiers' barracks, underground ammunition depots, and torpedo launching stations. It is recommended to choose a time when the weather is good to visit and enjoy the beautiful scenery here.
The museum is open from Monday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Also note that it is closed on Thursdays, but if that day is a public holiday, it will remain open as usual. Also, admission to this museum is free. So if you want to enjoy the fun of learning about history in your spare time, but don't want to spend too much, then it is also a good choice to come here for a stroll.
If you want to visit this museum, it is recommended to take the MTR to Shau Kei Wan Station and leave at Exit D1. After that, walk along Tung Hei Road towards the direction of Heng Fa Chuen for about 15 minutes.
Location: Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence
Address: 175 Tung Hei Road, Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong
Credit:
Hong Kong Footprint (HongKongFootprint.com)
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