Government House, Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
Government House located on Government Hill
Government Hill
The Government Hill is a hill in Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, bounded by upper section of Upper Albert Road on the south, Queen's Road Central north, Garden Road east, and Glenealy west of Hong Kong Island....

 in the Central District
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...

 of Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...

, is the official residence
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...

 of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong
Chief Executive of Hong Kong
The Chief Executive of Hong Kong is the President of the Executive Council of Hong Kong and head of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The position was created to replace the Governor of Hong Kong, who was the head of the Hong Kong government during British rule...

. The building was constructed in 1855 as a Colonial Renaissance style, but was significantly remodelled during Japanese 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...

, resulting in the current hybrid Japanese-neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...

 form.

Government House was the official residence of the Governor
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...

 from 1855 to 1997, when the city was under British rule
Colonial Hong Kong
In the 19th century the British, Dutch, French, Indians and Americans saw Imperial China as the world's largest untapped market. In 1840 the British Empire launched their first and one of the most aggressive expeditionary forces to claim the territory that would later be known as Hong Kong.In a few...

. 25 governors of Hong Kong, out of total 28, used this building as official residence.

History

Government House was designed by Charles St George Cleverly
Charles St George Cleverly
Charles St. George Cleverly was the second Surveyor General in Hong Kong. He worked under the Colonial Secretary and was responsible for public infrastructure, town planning and land auction....

. Construction started in 1851, eight years after Hong Kong was declared a British colony, and took four years to complete. The first governor to live there was Sir John Bowring, the fourth governor of the territory. The last one was the last governor, Chris Patten
Chris Patten
Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust....

.

In 1891, an annex was added to the house for social functions (namely the Ballroom). During the Japanese 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...

 during World War II (1941–1945), it was occupied by the Japanese Military Governor. The form of the building changed to a hybrid Japanese/neoclassical image by Seichi Fujimura in 1944, primarily through the addition of a tower and roof elements.

Government House also housed the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...

 from 1855 to the 1930s. The Council used the ballroom from 1891 onward.

After the handover of Hong Kong
Transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong
The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, referred to as ‘the Return’ or ‘the Reunification’ by the Chinese and ‘the Handover’ by others, took place on 1 July 1997...

 to the People's Republic of China in 1997, the House became a Ceremonial Reception for ceremonies (such as confederation of Honours and formal banquets). Tung Chee Hwa
Tung Chee Hwa
Tung Chee Hwa, GBM was the first Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China....

, the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong
Chief Executive of Hong Kong
The Chief Executive of Hong Kong is the President of the Executive Council of Hong Kong and head of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The position was created to replace the Governor of Hong Kong, who was the head of the Hong Kong government during British rule...

 did not reside in Government House.

Donald Tsang
Donald Tsang
Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, GBM, KBE is the current Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Government of Hong Kong....

, the second and current Chief Executive moved into Government House in January 2006, following extensive renovations. The Standard
The Standard
The Standard is an English free newspaper of Hong Kong with a daily circulation of 231,018. It was called the Hong Kong Standard and changed to HKiMail during the Internet boom, but it changed back to The Standard in 2001....

criticised that the renovation cost was estimated at HK$14.5 million, including a sum of HK$300,000 allocated to a new fish pond designed to accommodate Tsang's collection of koi
Koi
or more specifically , are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens....

.

Major features

The main entrance of the house faces south towards Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island...

. Down on the northern side is the Central Government Offices
Central Government Offices
The Central Government Offices houses the most major offices of the Hong Kong Government. Located in Central in Hong Kong, it occupies the lower level of Government Hill.- History :...

, where most government secretariat offices are situated.

Government House has a front lawn and a back garden. Eminent among the plants in the garden are the numerous azaleas that come to full bloom in spring. Inside, the ballroom, the drawing room, the dining room and the conference room are frequently used for receiving guests at official functions.

Gate Lodges and Government House Guards

At the front entrance on Upper Albert Road, there are two buildings with an iron gate known as the Gate Lodges. The lodges once housed the Government House Guards, who stood in front of the house and protected the Governor of Hong Kong
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...

. Various units of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 stationed in Hong Kong were used as guard units.
  • 1st Battalion of the Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment 1962-63
  • C Company of the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment Beskshire and Wiltshire


Following the handover in 1997, officers of the Hong Kong Police have guarded the building.

Open days

The garden of Government House is opened twice a year to the public. At least one will be arranged in spring to enable members of the public to share the delight in viewing the full bloom of the azaleas. Visitors are usually allowed to pass by the drawing room, dining room and ballroom where key official functions are held.

The open days are generally arranged during weekends. Dates are announced through press releases one week in advance. No admission fee is charged.

Booking

The ballroom of Government House was made available in the 1990s on three Fridays each month for bookings by charitable, non-profit or public organisations to host events that benefit the community. The nature of the event under application must be well-matched with the identity of Government House as an important historical monument of Hong Kong and with its status as a dignified location for the Hong Kong Government to hold official functions. In early 2006, the Chief Executive moved into Government House and used it as official residence and office. Most of the staff in the Chief Executive's Office have also been relocated to Government House to support the Chief Executive. Since then, Government House is no longer available for booking due to security and operational reasons.

Other official residences

In 1900, Mountain Lodge
Mountain Lodge
Mountain Lodge was the former summer residence of the Governor of Hong Kong on Victoria Peak on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The second building was a two storey Renaissance style home and was demolished in 1946...

, on Victoria Peak, was built as an alternate summer home for the Governor, a role it retained until 1934. The building survived until 1946, but today only the Gate Lodge
Gate Lodge
Gate Lodge is a small house located at Mount Austin Road on Victoria Peak. Located on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, it was built between 1900 and 1902. Gate Lodge is in Renaissance style....

 and Victoria Peak Garden
Victoria Peak Garden
Victoria Peak Garden is a Chinese style garden, managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It was once an alternate home for the Governor of Hong Kong. The residence, Mountain Lodge, has been demolished, but the park remains as an attraction at the Peak.It is a vantage point which...

 remain. One of three "GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE" marking stones of the former Mountain Lodge was erected in the small flower bed in front of the entrance of the Government House in 1980.

From 1934, Fanling Lodge
Fanling Lodge
Fanling Lodge is located in Kam Tsin of the New Territories in Hong Kong, near Fanling and Kwu Tung. The two storey home is located in a wooded lot within the Hong Kong Golf Club off Castle Peak Road Kwu Tung...

, in the New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...

, was used as a summer residence for the Governor. It has retained this role, and is now the alternate residence of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. The lodge is occupied mainly on weekends and holidays.

Feng shui

According to an urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...

, the nearby Bank of China Tower was deliberately designed to shape like a blade so as to reflect bad feng shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....

 to the Government House and its British administration. It is believed that willow trees were planted in the Government House Garden to block the ensuing bad luck.

That notwithstanding, a number of feng shui masters have expressed that the feng shui for Government House, which is surrounded by skyscrapers, is far from optimal. It is worth noting that the Government House was built before any major urban developments, especially those after World War II.

However, some feng shui experts have expressed the opposite, citing that the position of the Government House (with the Victoria Peak behind it and the Victoria Harbour in front of it) makes for an optimal place for decision-making, and that its exact position brings wealth and power for all of its residents.

According to The New York Times, the supposedly bad feng-shui was precisely the reason Tung Chee Hwa refused to live or work in Government House upon becoming Chief Executive. Ironically, during his terms as Chief Executive, he was still heavily criticised by Hongkongers, and his popularity fell well below 40% by the time of his resignation.

The Standard
The Standard
The Standard is an English free newspaper of Hong Kong with a daily circulation of 231,018. It was called the Hong Kong Standard and changed to HKiMail during the Internet boom, but it changed back to The Standard in 2001....

believed Tung's reason to stay away from the mansion was political: a subtle effort to reduce the age-old British legacy over Hong Kong. Other sources mention that "it was the warning about spying devices [installed throughout Government House] that scared him away".

See also

  • Government House
    Government House
    Government House is the name of many of the residences of Governors-General, Governors and Lieutenant-Governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. It serves as the venue for the Governor's official business, as well as the many receptions and functions hosted by...

  • Government Houses of the British Empire
  • Governor of Hong Kong
    Governor of Hong Kong
    The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...

  • History of Hong Kong
    History of Hong Kong
    Hong 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...

  • List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
  • List of official residences

External links

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