Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence

 

Facts of the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence

Chinese Name: 香港海防博物馆 Pronunciation: xiāng gǎng hǎi fáng bó wù guǎn

Building Time: 1887

Best Visiting Time: All year round

Admission Ticket Fare: 10 HKD

Suggested Visiting Hours: 1-2 Hours

Building Area: About 34,200 square meters

Address: Tung Hei Road, Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong

Opening Hours: 10:00-17:00 (Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence closes on each Thursday)

Building Function: It was originally built by the British army to defend against French and Russian threats.

 

Overview of the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence

The Museum of Hong Kong Coastal Defence exhibits more than 400 selected collections from the Hong Kong Museum of History. There are also more than 20 precious cultural relics borrowed from mainland and local cultural and museum units, all of which are related to the history of Hong Kong’s coastal defense. Among them, the British 10-inch breech-loading gun in the 1880s weighed 32,513 kilograms, 8.7 meters in length, and could fire 226 kilograms of shells. It was installed in the Belcher Fort in the West End in the 1880s and was abandoned in the 1930s. All the facilities of the fort were dismantled, and only this gun was placed in the original position until it was moved to the museum for display in 1997.
 

The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence is located on Tung Hei Road, Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong. The museum covers an area of approximately 34,200 square meters. It is one of the branches of the Hong Kong Museum of History, which was built from the century-old Lei Yue Mun Fort.
 

The Lei Yue Mun area controls the eastern entrance of Victoria Harbor and is at the forefront. The British army built a barracks in the West Bay area on the south bank of the waterway as early as 1844. In 1885, in order to defend against France and Russia, the British army decided to build a Lei Yue Mun Fort on the headland south of the Lei Yue Mun Channel. All work was completed in 1887.
 

Lei Yue Mun Fort was decided in 1993 to be converted into a museum with the theme of Hong Kong’s coastal defense history. The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence was officially opened to the public on July 25th, 2000, opening a new page in the history of Lei Yue Mun Fort.

 

History of the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence

The Lei Yue Mun Fort was built in 1887. It is mainly composed of a fortress, soldier barracks, ammunition depot, artillery shell assembly room and coal bunker.
 

In the 1930s, with the improvements in weapon technology and the completion of other new forts, the importance of the Lei Yue Mun Fort in Hong Kong's coastal defense gradually diminished.
 

On December 8th, 1941, Japan began to attack Hong Kong, and the fortress was occupied by Japan on December 19th.
 

Until 1987, the military facilities there were officially suspended because of the construction of the third phase of the Island Eastern Corridor in August, 1986.
 

In 1993, considering the historical value and architectural characteristics of the Lei Yue Mun Fort, the former Urban Council decided to restore it and transform it into a museum with the theme of Hong Kong’s coastal defense history.
 

The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence was officially opened to the public on July 25, 2000, and the opening ceremony was officially held on August 31st of the same year.

 

Highlights at the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence

The museum consists of three main parts, namely the reception area, the fortress, and the historic trail.
 

 Reception Area

This area is the main entrance of the museum, with parking, reception lobby, elevator and lecture hall.
 

 Fortress

The fortress is the main building of the museum and covered by a special tent after restoration.
 

The fortress is divided into upper and lower floors. On the lower floor, there is a permanent exhibition hall displaying the permanent exhibition "The 600 Years of Coastal Defence in Hong Kong"; On the upper floor, there is a thematic exhibition hall with a children's corner, which allows children to play.
 

 Historical Trail

The military relics on the Lei Yue Mun headland have been moderately restored and opened up as a historic trail. There are more than a dozen scenic spots along the way, providing visitors with an opportunity to experience the magnificence of the former Lei Yue Mun Fort.

 

Transportation

 By Bus

Depart from Mount Peak Garden: Take bus KMB/Citybus 102, KMB/NWB N122, NWFB 2X, NWFB N8P and get off at Tung Hee Road Station, then walk about 82 meters.

Depart from Nan’an Lane: Take bus 606 Road, NA12 Road, KMB / NWFB 106, KMB / NWFB 106P, KMB / NWFB 682D, Citybus 77,Citybus 85, Citybus 99, Citybus A12, Citybus N8X, NWFB 14, NWFB 682, NWFB 682A, NWFB 682B, NWFB 682P, NWFB 694, NWFB720X, NWFB 81, NWFB 81A, NWFB 82, NWFB 82S, NWFB 8H, NWFB N8 and get off at Shau Kei Wan Road Station, then walk about 163 meters.

Depart from Ai Yin Street: Take bus KMB/Citybus 102, KMB/Citybus 102P, KMB/NWB N122, KMB 82X and get off at Aldrich Bay Road Station, then walk about 190 meters.

Depart from North Point Ferry Pier: Take Citybus No.85 and get off at Siu Sai Wan Station.
 

By Subway

Take the Island Line and get off at MTR Shau Kei Wan Station and Exit from B2.

By Taxi

Chinese: 请带我去香港海防博物馆。English: Please take me to the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence.