Flagstaff House
Encyclopedia
Flagstaff House is the oldest example of British-style architecture remaining in Hong Kong
. It is located in 10 Cotton Tree Drive
, Central
- within the Hong Kong Park
.
It has been a longtime residence of the Commander of the British forces in Hong Kong during colonial times. Today Flagstaff House houses the Museum of Tea Ware. The building is a popular setting for wedding photography
.
. The site chosen was a small bluff above the barracks
and above Queen's Road
, then at the waterfront.
The building was designed in Greek revival style
. Historians suspect it was designed either by Murdoch Bruce, a Scottish who was inspector of buildings, or by Lieutenant Bernard, collinson of the Sappers
. The first occupant was Major-General George Charles D'Aguilar
, General Officer Commanding from 1844 to 1846 who also held the post of Lieutenant Governor
.
The west and east wings were shelled during the Japanese invasion
, and it suffered bomb damage. The Japan
ese repaired it and the Commandant took the building as his residence during the occupation
.
After the war
, Flagstaff House was again the Commander's residence until 1978, when the Commander moved to a purpose built house on Barker Road. It was handed over by the military to the civilian Hong Kong Government as part of the surrender of Victoria Barracks
. The Government put it under the responsibility of the Urban Council in 1981.
The building was declared a monument
in 1989. It was restored as far as possible to its original mid-19th-century appearance, structurally reinforced, and the interior was to be modified so that it could be used as a museum.
of the Hong Kong Museum of Art
. The museum specializes in the collection, study and display of teaware
, including many samples of the Yixing
teapot
, from Jiangsu
Province of China
, as well as the world's oldest known extant teapot.
A new wing, the K.S. Lo Gallery, was added in 1995. It is named after a local collector, which made a donation to the city in the 1970s. This donation now constitutes the core of the museum's collection. The new gallery contains a collection of ceramics
and Chinese seals.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It is located in 10 Cotton Tree Drive
Cotton Tree Drive
Cotton Tree Drive is a road in Central to Mid-levels on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The road is famous because of the Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry, a hotspot for marriage registration in Hong Kong Park....
, Central
Central, Hong Kong
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...
- within the Hong Kong Park
Hong Kong Park
The Hong Kong Park is a public park next to Cotton Tree Drive in Central, Hong Kong. Built at a cost of HK$398 million and opened in May 1991, it covers an area of 80,000 m² and is an example of modern design and facilities blending with natural landscape....
.
It has been a longtime residence of the Commander of the British forces in Hong Kong during colonial times. Today Flagstaff House houses the Museum of Tea Ware. The building is a popular setting for wedding photography
Wedding photography
Wedding photography is the photography of activities relating to weddings. It encompasses photographs of the couple before marriage as well as coverage of the wedding and reception...
.
History
Flagstaff House had been named as Headquarter House until 1932. There is some disagreement as to who designed it, but it was completed in 1846 and initially served as the military headquarters office and residence of the Commander of the British forces in Hong KongBritish Forces Overseas Hong Kong
British Forces Overseas Hong Kong consisted of the elements of the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Much of the British military left Hong Kong prior to the handover in 1997. The present article focuses mainly on the British garrison in Hong Kong in the post Second World War era...
. The site chosen was a small bluff above the barracks
Victoria Barracks
There are several Victoria Barracks in the world.*Victoria Barracks, Windsor Castle*Victoria Barracks, Melbourne*Victoria Barracks, Hong Kong*Victoria Barracks, Sydney*Victoria Barracks, Brisbane...
and above Queen's Road
Queen's Road
Queen's Road is the first road in Hong Kong built by the Government of Hong Kong between 1841 and 1843, spanning across Victoria City from Shek Tong Tsui to Wan Chai...
, then at the waterfront.
The building was designed in Greek revival style
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
. Historians suspect it was designed either by Murdoch Bruce, a Scottish who was inspector of buildings, or by Lieutenant Bernard, collinson of the Sappers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
. The first occupant was Major-General George Charles D'Aguilar
George Charles D'Aguilar
Major-General Sir George Charles D'Aguilar, KCB was a British Army Major General and Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong.-Background:...
, General Officer Commanding from 1844 to 1846 who also held the post of Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
.
The west and east wings were shelled during the Japanese invasion
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
, and it suffered bomb damage. The Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese repaired it and the Commandant took the building as his residence during the occupation
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the territory of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting by British and Canadian defenders against overwhelming Japanese Imperial forces. The occupation lasted...
.
After the war
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, Flagstaff House was again the Commander's residence until 1978, when the Commander moved to a purpose built house on Barker Road. It was handed over by the military to the civilian Hong Kong Government as part of the surrender of Victoria Barracks
Victoria Barracks, Hong Kong
The Victoria Barracks were a barracks in the Admiralty district of Central on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The barracks were constructed between the 1840s and 1874, and situated within the area bounded by Cotton Tree Drive, Kennedy Road and Queensway, Hong Kong. The Barracks with Murray Barracks,...
. The Government put it under the responsibility of the Urban Council in 1981.
The building was declared a monument
Declared monuments of Hong Kong
Declared monuments of Hong Kong are places, structures or buildings legally declared to be "protected". In Hong Kong, declaring a monument requires consulting the Antiquities Advisory Board, the approval of the Chief Executive as well as the publication of the notice in government gazette.As of 12...
in 1989. It was restored as far as possible to its original mid-19th-century appearance, structurally reinforced, and the interior was to be modified so that it could be used as a museum.
Museum of Tea Ware
In 1984, the Flagstaff House was converted into the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, a branch museumMuseum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of the Hong Kong Museum of Art
Hong Kong Museum of Art
The Hong Kong Museum of Art is the main art museum of Hong Kong. The museum was established as the City Hall Museum and Art Gallery in the City Hall in Central by the Urban Council in 1962. In 1991, it was moved to the present premises at 10 Salisbury Road, near the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and...
. The museum specializes in the collection, study and display of teaware
Teaware
Teaware encompasses a broad international spectrum of equipment used in the brewing and consumption of tea. Many components make up that spectrum, and vary greatly based upon the type of tea being prepared, and the cultural setting in which it is bring prepared...
, including many samples of the Yixing
Yixing
Yixing is a county-level city in Jiangsu province, in eastern China with a population of 1.3 million. It is well-known for its Yixing clay and the pottery -- especially the "zisha"-style teapots -- made from the clay...
teapot
Teapot
A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in near-boiling water. Tea may be either in a tea bag or loose, in which case a tea strainer will be needed, either to hold the leaves as they steep or to catch the leaves inside the teapot when the tea is poured...
, from Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
Province of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, as well as the world's oldest known extant teapot.
A new wing, the K.S. Lo Gallery, was added in 1995. It is named after a local collector, which made a donation to the city in the 1970s. This donation now constitutes the core of the museum's collection. The new gallery contains a collection of ceramics
Ceramics (art)
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
and Chinese seals.
See also
- Hong Kong tea cultureHong Kong tea cultureThe tea-drinking habits of Hong Kong residents derive from Chinese tea culture. After more than 150 years of British rule, however, they have changed somewhat to become unique in the world...
- Museums in Hong Kong
- List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
- History of Hong KongHistory of Hong KongHong Kong began as a coastal island geographically located off the southern coast of China. While pockets of settlements had taken place in the region with archaeological findings dating back thousands of years, regular written records were not made...