Tai Po Lookout
Encyclopedia
Tai Po Lookout is a historical residential building situated at No.11, Lookout Link, Tai Po Kau
, Tai Po
in the New Territories
of Hong Kong
.
Tai Po Lookout was built in the early twentieth century by Lawrence Gibbs, a British engineer as his residence. The Lookout had many different owners throughout the years, and was circulated around very frequently. During the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong
, the Lookout was used as a torture chamber by the Japanese. After World War II
, the land became government property. It was used by government officials such as the Tai Po District Officers and the Head of Police Secret Service as their private residences. In 1996, the government leased the Lookout to the Society for AIDS Care (SAC). The SAC launched the Lookout Project to provide hospice
care for AIDS
patients. The service was first operated in June 1997 and officially closed on the first of June 2000 due to drying up of funds. Since then, the Lookout has been leased by the Government Property Agency (政府產業署) to private owners and reverted to its original residential purpose.
The Lookout is a colonial styled building with a watch tower. Standing on top of a small hill, it oversees Tai Po District
and Tolo Harbour
. In 1985, the building was accorded as a Grade II Historic Building by the Antiquities Advisory Board (古物諮詢委員). Recently, it is proposed that the status of the Lookout to be regarded as Grade I.
, Tai Po
, New Territories
, Hong Kong
). In 1904, Lawrence Gibbs bought the piece of land and built the Lookout as his residence. He was a British civil engineer who worked at the Public Works Department then also 'Denison, Ram & Gibbs' in 1900.
The Lookout was designed and built by Gibbs in the early 1900s and he used it as his own residence. The Lookout's location was a remote area in Tai Po
on top of a small hill and it is believed that the beautiful views there is the reason for choosing that particular place to build the Lookout. It remains to be a difficult place to get to even in present time. As an engineer, Gibbs was able to get water supply from the hillside, the tower found in the Lookout was also used as a water tower
.
Throughout the years, the Lookout was sold to different owners. In 1929, the Lookout was sold to Herbert Austin Rogers. After 4 years, August 1933, it was sold to Michael Howard Turner as the leaseholder of the house. Immediately after, the November of the same year, the Lookout was sold to John Alexander Fraser
, a judge in Hong Kong
as his living quarter. During the time of World War II
, Fraser was kept in the Stanley Internment Camp
during the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong
where he died. The Lookout was then occupied by the Japanese and was used as a torture chamber
.
After the war, in December 1947, the land became government property. Since then it served as the living quarters of government officials. Many officers of the Tai Po District
and the head of the Police Secret Service lived in the Lookout. In 1996, it was leased to the Society of AIDs Care as a residential centre for AIDS patients. Until the year 2000, the Lookout returned to being a private residence as of now.
/AIDS
and their care givers, Sister Maureen McGinley MBE established the Society for AIDS Care (愛滋寧養服務協會) in 1994 with the support from the government. The SAC is community-based non-profit charity organization aiming at running sustainable HIV
/AIDS
programmes on care and prevention. The SAC is a professional team of nurses, counselors, social workers and physiotherapists who provide both centered-based and external services for AIDS
patients and their families.
In 1996, the Tai Po Lookout was leased to the SAC. The organization planned to implement the Lookout Project as a measure to tackle with the lack of hospice
facilities when AIDS
treatment was not mature. The Project officially started in May, 1997. It admitted and served 73 patients until it stopped operating on 1 June 2000. The project received funding from the Council for the AIDS Trust Fund (愛滋病信託基金委員會) in Hong Kong
, which provided $30 million to cover the running cost of the hospice. The implementation of the Lookout Project faced strong objection from the Department of Health (Hong Kong)
from 1995 to 1996, shortly before the Lookout's opening though. Health officials argued that the Lookout was deeemed to be short-living as "cocktail therapy", treatment by taking a combination of several antiretroviral drugs, was already available in Hong Kong and was expected to be used extensively. They also claimed that isolation of AIDS patients from the urban area would hinder the integration of patients into the community.
The Lookout, situated at a remote area in Tai Po
, functioned as a 24-hour residential medical center that offered day-care as well as in-patient service, particularly for terminal patients. It was recgonized as Asia's first and only 24-hour residential medical care centre at that time. The Lookout originally had five beds for in-patients and two more beds were added in 1999. Facilities were also set up for patients' families to stay overnight when they needed to. On top of these, the Lookout was a center for physiotherapy and counselling to help patient maintain good physical and psychological health. An integration of services was provided by a team of specifically trained doctors, nurses and social workers in palliative care. It was closely associated with other Hong Kong SAR medical bodies such as the Department of Health AIDS Unit and Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Special Medical Unit to provide more comprehensive care to patients.
In addition, the Lookout provided educational and experimental training for medical personnel in AIDS
care.
Most of the patients admitted when the Lookout first operated were kicked out by their families, who could not tolerate the notion of living under the same roof with relatives contracted with HIV
. They had low chance of survival unless they had a high insurance premium or were able to afford treatment overseas. Two of the seventy-three patients died during their stay at the Lookout. The bungalow served as a quiet sanctuary for these patients. It was planned that 22 beds were to be made available within two years of operation. However, with the advancement of AIDS
treatment, demand for hopsice service for AIDS care declined drastically with the emergence of antiretroviral drugs, which profoundly lengthen the life span of AIDS
patients. Taking a combination of several drugs, patients are expected to live as long as they remain on medication. The plan for expansion was eventually abandoned as dedicated hospice facilities were no longer widely needed as before. Access to medical care in public hospitals was much easier. Thereon, the Lookout put its focus on nursing care and counselling instead of medical services. It served as a "mid-way home" for patients to rebuild self-esteem and helped them integrate into the community by providing space and time for them to organize themselves.
Funding for the Lookout ceased in the third year of the Project on the grounds that the Project performed overlapping functions as other hospice services provided by public hospitals. The SAC could not find sufficient financial support for keeping the running of the Lookout. Moreover, resorting to life in a remote part of the New Territories
was unnecessary as AIDS
patients under cocktail therapy were able to lead a more or less normal life at home. Falling short of demand, together with the drying up of funds, prompted the SAC's decision to put an end to the Project in February, 2000. The last two patients at the Lookout was transferred to other medical centers and marked the official closure of the Lookout at the end of May, 2000. Although the Lookout Project did not last long, it was a pioneering experiment to introduce hospice
service into the existing medical system. It brought insights to other health projects as in the importance of considering medical development and patients needs.
. The walls stands on a low rubble plinth and are painted white, this remains to be unchanged till present time. There are several quarters for servants in a detached block setted at a particular angle next to the main building of the Lookout located on another small hill. The Lookout also has a spacious lawn that has spectacular view over Tolo Harbour
to the Pat Sin Leng
.
The design of the house internally is quite symmetrical and had some walls and partitions removed over the years by comparing the current building with the original floor floor plan. The Lookout still contains its original design and appearance from a few infill windows to the rear verandah It also as a swimming pool, in the past, the water supplies from a nearby stream not only supplied water for the residence all year round, but also enough water for the swimming pool.
When the Lookout was first built it had no water mains and relied on a stream nearby which went strongly all year round. The stream supplied water to the house and the overflow went into the swimming pool of the garden. Water mains was later developed and supply fresh water
to Lookout Link.
It is known that the Lookout is able to view Island House
(the former residence of government official, now property of the World Wide Fund for Nature
) located next to the shore, a declared monument of Hong Kong. It now continues to oversee the Tai Po District
and Tolo Harbour
.
The Lookout is situated in a remote area on top of a small hill and close to the Lookout are mansions such as Villa Costa and 'Tsung Tsai Yuen' (in Cantonese: 松仔園), a part of Tai Po Kau Natural Reserve. This particular area is famous for being the home of fireflies all year round. The area is also well-known for the 'Ghostly Bridge' (in Cantonese: 猛鬼橋), which is located at part of Tai Po Road - Tai Po Kau section. The name came from an incident during the 1950s where many students were washed away in a storm under a bridge.
is not a current concern as the Lookout serves as private residence once again. Because the Lookout is located in a remote part of Tai Po
, it is not a popular landmark and is just of a local interest. As a colonial architectural building located in such remoted area in Tai Po, it is a rare and unique piece of heritage that still remains.
In 1985, the Antiquities Advisory Board
accorded the Lookout as Grade II Historic Building, meaning that the Lookout had "special merit and efforts should be made to selectively preserve". Recently, it is proposed in the assessment on the 1,444 historic building completed in March, 2009 that the status to be raised to Grade I Historic Building to ascertain its outstanding merit.
In vicinity to Tai Po Lookout in the same district, there is a range of Grade II Historic Buildings managed by different institutions at present time, including, the Old Tai Po Police Station
, Old District Office North
, Old Police Bungalow, and the Island House
. These buildings share the same colonial style as the Lookout since they were built at roughly the same period of time.
and has always been a difficult place to reach amongst the area as it is still remotely far away from the central concentrated area of Tai Po
. The only means of transportation would be bus 72, 72A of Kowloon Motor Bus
and taxi. Minibus 28K would also lead to the area of Tai Po Kau
. Five to ten minutes of walking is necessary after taking the bus or minibus as there are no direct transport leading to the Lookout.
Tai Po Kau
Tai Po Kau is an area south of the town of Tai Po in Hong Kong. There was the former Tai Po Kau Station of Kowloon-Canton Railway erected in the area. It is located at the estuary of rivers and Tai Po Hoi.-See also:* Tai Po Kau Special Area...
, Tai Po
Tai Po
Tai Po is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui and the Tai Wo Town on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River, near the old Tai Po Market Station of the...
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...
of Hong Kong
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...
.
Tai Po Lookout was built in the early twentieth century by Lawrence Gibbs, a British engineer as his residence. The Lookout had many different owners throughout the years, and was circulated around very frequently. During the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong
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...
, the Lookout was used as a torture chamber by the Japanese. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the land became government property. It was used by government officials such as the Tai Po District Officers and the Head of Police Secret Service as their private residences. In 1996, the government leased the Lookout to the Society for AIDS Care (SAC). The SAC launched the Lookout Project to provide hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
care for AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
patients. The service was first operated in June 1997 and officially closed on the first of June 2000 due to drying up of funds. Since then, the Lookout has been leased by the Government Property Agency (政府產業署) to private owners and reverted to its original residential purpose.
The Lookout is a colonial styled building with a watch tower. Standing on top of a small hill, it oversees Tai Po District
Tai Po District
Tai Po District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It covers the areas of Tai Po, Tai Po Kau, Ting Kok, Plover Cove and the northern part of Sai Kung Peninsula on both shores of Tolo Channel. It is located in the New Territories...
and Tolo Harbour
Tolo Harbour
Tolo Harbour , or Tai Po Hoi is a sheltered harbour in northeast New Territories of Hong Kong.-Geography:Tide Cove aka...
. In 1985, the building was accorded as a Grade II Historic Building by the Antiquities Advisory Board (古物諮詢委員). Recently, it is proposed that the status of the Lookout to be regarded as Grade I.
History
Tai Po Lookout is situated on former Tai Po Inland Lot No.5 (now at No.11 Lookout Link, Tai Po KauTai Po Kau
Tai Po Kau is an area south of the town of Tai Po in Hong Kong. There was the former Tai Po Kau Station of Kowloon-Canton Railway erected in the area. It is located at the estuary of rivers and Tai Po Hoi.-See also:* Tai Po Kau Special Area...
, Tai Po
Tai Po
Tai Po is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui and the Tai Wo Town on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River, near the old Tai Po Market Station of 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...
, Hong Kong
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...
). In 1904, Lawrence Gibbs bought the piece of land and built the Lookout as his residence. He was a British civil engineer who worked at the Public Works Department then also 'Denison, Ram & Gibbs' in 1900.
The Lookout was designed and built by Gibbs in the early 1900s and he used it as his own residence. The Lookout's location was a remote area in Tai Po
Tai Po
Tai Po is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui and the Tai Wo Town on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River, near the old Tai Po Market Station of the...
on top of a small hill and it is believed that the beautiful views there is the reason for choosing that particular place to build the Lookout. It remains to be a difficult place to get to even in present time. As an engineer, Gibbs was able to get water supply from the hillside, the tower found in the Lookout was also used as a water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
.
Throughout the years, the Lookout was sold to different owners. In 1929, the Lookout was sold to Herbert Austin Rogers. After 4 years, August 1933, it was sold to Michael Howard Turner as the leaseholder of the house. Immediately after, the November of the same year, the Lookout was sold to John Alexander Fraser
John Alexander Fraser
Major John Alexander Fraser GC MC and Bar was a British colonial officer who was posthumously awarded the George Cross, the highest British award for bravery out of combat, for his "magnificent conduct" and "outstanding courage" in resisting Japanese torture during the Second World War.-First...
, a judge in Hong Kong
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...
as his living quarter. During the time of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Fraser was kept in the Stanley Internment Camp
Stanley Internment Camp
Stanley Internment Camp was a civilian internment camp in Hong Kong during World War II. Located in Stanley, on the southern end of Hong Kong Island, it was used by the Japanese imperial forces to hold non-Chinese enemy nationals after their victory in the Battle of Hong Kong, a battle in the...
during the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong
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...
where he died. The Lookout was then occupied by the Japanese and was used as a torture chamber
Torture chamber
A torture chamber is a room where torture is inflicted.- Methods of coercion :According to Frederick Howard Wines in his book Punishment and Reformation: A Study Of The Penitentiary System there were three main types of coercion employed in the torture chamber: Coercion by the cord, by water and...
.
After the war, in December 1947, the land became government property. Since then it served as the living quarters of government officials. Many officers of the Tai Po District
Tai Po District
Tai Po District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It covers the areas of Tai Po, Tai Po Kau, Ting Kok, Plover Cove and the northern part of Sai Kung Peninsula on both shores of Tolo Channel. It is located in the New Territories...
and the head of the Police Secret Service lived in the Lookout. In 1996, it was leased to the Society of AIDs Care as a residential centre for AIDS patients. Until the year 2000, the Lookout returned to being a private residence as of now.
The Lookout Project
Dedicated to promote the wellbeing of people living with HIVHIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and their care givers, Sister Maureen McGinley MBE established the Society for AIDS Care (愛滋寧養服務協會) in 1994 with the support from the government. The SAC is community-based non-profit charity organization aiming at running sustainable HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
programmes on care and prevention. The SAC is a professional team of nurses, counselors, social workers and physiotherapists who provide both centered-based and external services for AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
patients and their families.
In 1996, the Tai Po Lookout was leased to the SAC. The organization planned to implement the Lookout Project as a measure to tackle with the lack of hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
facilities when AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
treatment was not mature. The Project officially started in May, 1997. It admitted and served 73 patients until it stopped operating on 1 June 2000. The project received funding from the Council for the AIDS Trust Fund (愛滋病信託基金委員會) in Hong Kong
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...
, which provided $30 million to cover the running cost of the hospice. The implementation of the Lookout Project faced strong objection from the Department of Health (Hong Kong)
Department of Health (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong's Department of Health is responsible for healthcare policies and the provision of basic healthcare services. The public hospitals are managed by the Department's Hospital Authority...
from 1995 to 1996, shortly before the Lookout's opening though. Health officials argued that the Lookout was deeemed to be short-living as "cocktail therapy", treatment by taking a combination of several antiretroviral drugs, was already available in Hong Kong and was expected to be used extensively. They also claimed that isolation of AIDS patients from the urban area would hinder the integration of patients into the community.
The Lookout, situated at a remote area in Tai Po
Tai Po
Tai Po is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui and the Tai Wo Town on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River, near the old Tai Po Market Station of the...
, functioned as a 24-hour residential medical center that offered day-care as well as in-patient service, particularly for terminal patients. It was recgonized as Asia's first and only 24-hour residential medical care centre at that time. The Lookout originally had five beds for in-patients and two more beds were added in 1999. Facilities were also set up for patients' families to stay overnight when they needed to. On top of these, the Lookout was a center for physiotherapy and counselling to help patient maintain good physical and psychological health. An integration of services was provided by a team of specifically trained doctors, nurses and social workers in palliative care. It was closely associated with other Hong Kong SAR medical bodies such as the Department of Health AIDS Unit and Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Queen Elizabeth Hospital or Queen Elizabeth's Hospital can refer to one of several institutions named after Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth II or Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother:Australia*Queen Elizabeth Hospital, AdelaideBarbados...
Special Medical Unit to provide more comprehensive care to patients.
In addition, the Lookout provided educational and experimental training for medical personnel in AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
care.
Most of the patients admitted when the Lookout first operated were kicked out by their families, who could not tolerate the notion of living under the same roof with relatives contracted with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
. They had low chance of survival unless they had a high insurance premium or were able to afford treatment overseas. Two of the seventy-three patients died during their stay at the Lookout. The bungalow served as a quiet sanctuary for these patients. It was planned that 22 beds were to be made available within two years of operation. However, with the advancement of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
treatment, demand for hopsice service for AIDS care declined drastically with the emergence of antiretroviral drugs, which profoundly lengthen the life span of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
patients. Taking a combination of several drugs, patients are expected to live as long as they remain on medication. The plan for expansion was eventually abandoned as dedicated hospice facilities were no longer widely needed as before. Access to medical care in public hospitals was much easier. Thereon, the Lookout put its focus on nursing care and counselling instead of medical services. It served as a "mid-way home" for patients to rebuild self-esteem and helped them integrate into the community by providing space and time for them to organize themselves.
Funding for the Lookout ceased in the third year of the Project on the grounds that the Project performed overlapping functions as other hospice services provided by public hospitals. The SAC could not find sufficient financial support for keeping the running of the Lookout. Moreover, resorting to life in a remote part of 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 unnecessary as AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
patients under cocktail therapy were able to lead a more or less normal life at home. Falling short of demand, together with the drying up of funds, prompted the SAC's decision to put an end to the Project in February, 2000. The last two patients at the Lookout was transferred to other medical centers and marked the official closure of the Lookout at the end of May, 2000. Although the Lookout Project did not last long, it was a pioneering experiment to introduce hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
service into the existing medical system. It brought insights to other health projects as in the importance of considering medical development and patients needs.
Architectural and Geographic Features
The Lookout adapts the colonial style and is a one-storey flat-roofed building with an arched colonnaded verandah, a projecting portico (built at a later date) and a cylindrical watch tower at the top which gives the building its name. The watch tower is also a water towerWater tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
. The walls stands on a low rubble plinth and are painted white, this remains to be unchanged till present time. There are several quarters for servants in a detached block setted at a particular angle next to the main building of the Lookout located on another small hill. The Lookout also has a spacious lawn that has spectacular view over Tolo Harbour
Tolo Harbour
Tolo Harbour , or Tai Po Hoi is a sheltered harbour in northeast New Territories of Hong Kong.-Geography:Tide Cove aka...
to the Pat Sin Leng
Pat Sin Leng
Pat Sin Leng is a mountain range in the northeast New Territories of Hong Kong, located within the Pat Sin Leng Country Park. The name Pat Sin Leng literally means "Mountains of the Eight Immortals", who are famous xian in Chinese Mythology, and symbolizes the eight peaks along the Pat Sin Leng...
.
The design of the house internally is quite symmetrical and had some walls and partitions removed over the years by comparing the current building with the original floor floor plan. The Lookout still contains its original design and appearance from a few infill windows to the rear verandah It also as a swimming pool, in the past, the water supplies from a nearby stream not only supplied water for the residence all year round, but also enough water for the swimming pool.
When the Lookout was first built it had no water mains and relied on a stream nearby which went strongly all year round. The stream supplied water to the house and the overflow went into the swimming pool of the garden. Water mains was later developed and supply fresh water
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
to Lookout Link.
It is known that the Lookout is able to view Island House
Island House
Island House is located on Island House Lane, Yuen Chau Tsai , in Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong.-History:Built in 1905, Island House was built as the residence for the first British Police Magistrate appointed in 1898....
(the former residence of government official, now property of the World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
) located next to the shore, a declared monument of Hong Kong. It now continues to oversee the Tai Po District
Tai Po District
Tai Po District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It covers the areas of Tai Po, Tai Po Kau, Ting Kok, Plover Cove and the northern part of Sai Kung Peninsula on both shores of Tolo Channel. It is located in the New Territories...
and Tolo Harbour
Tolo Harbour
Tolo Harbour , or Tai Po Hoi is a sheltered harbour in northeast New Territories of Hong Kong.-Geography:Tide Cove aka...
.
The Lookout is situated in a remote area on top of a small hill and close to the Lookout are mansions such as Villa Costa and 'Tsung Tsai Yuen' (in Cantonese: 松仔園), a part of Tai Po Kau Natural Reserve. This particular area is famous for being the home of fireflies all year round. The area is also well-known for the 'Ghostly Bridge' (in Cantonese: 猛鬼橋), which is located at part of Tai Po Road - Tai Po Kau section. The name came from an incident during the 1950s where many students were washed away in a storm under a bridge.
Conservation
Under the management of Government Property Agency (政府產業署), Tai Po Lookout is a structure not open to public. It is being leased since 2000. Thus, the question of adaptive reuseAdaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl...
is not a current concern as the Lookout serves as private residence once again. Because the Lookout is located in a remote part of Tai Po
Tai Po
Tai Po is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui and the Tai Wo Town on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River, near the old Tai Po Market Station of the...
, it is not a popular landmark and is just of a local interest. As a colonial architectural building located in such remoted area in Tai Po, it is a rare and unique piece of heritage that still remains.
In 1985, the Antiquities Advisory Board
Antiquities Advisory Board
The Antiquities Advisory Board is a statutory body of the Government of Hong Kong created in 1976 to evaluate old buildings in Hong Kong, and to recommend those with historical or architectural merit for listing as monuments. It is under the responsibility of the Home Affairs Bureau, directly...
accorded the Lookout as Grade II Historic Building, meaning that the Lookout had "special merit and efforts should be made to selectively preserve". Recently, it is proposed in the assessment on the 1,444 historic building completed in March, 2009 that the status to be raised to Grade I Historic Building to ascertain its outstanding merit.
In vicinity to Tai Po Lookout in the same district, there is a range of Grade II Historic Buildings managed by different institutions at present time, including, the Old Tai Po Police Station
Old Tai Po Police Station
The Old Tai Po Police Station is a former Hong Kong police station at the top of Tai Po Wan Tau Tong Hill. It is located at No. 11 Wan Tau Kok Lane, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong, near the Old District Office North.-History:...
, Old District Office North
Old District Office North
The Old District Office North is a building located at 20 Wan Tau Kok Lane, Tai Po in the New Territories of Hong Kong, near the Old Tai Po Police Station.-History:...
, Old Police Bungalow, and the Island House
Island House
Island House is located on Island House Lane, Yuen Chau Tsai , in Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong.-History:Built in 1905, Island House was built as the residence for the first British Police Magistrate appointed in 1898....
. These buildings share the same colonial style as the Lookout since they were built at roughly the same period of time.
Transportation
Tai Po Lookout stands on the top of a small hill in Tai Po KauTai Po Kau
Tai Po Kau is an area south of the town of Tai Po in Hong Kong. There was the former Tai Po Kau Station of Kowloon-Canton Railway erected in the area. It is located at the estuary of rivers and Tai Po Hoi.-See also:* Tai Po Kau Special Area...
and has always been a difficult place to reach amongst the area as it is still remotely far away from the central concentrated area of Tai Po
Tai Po
Tai Po is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui and the Tai Wo Town on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River, near the old Tai Po Market Station of the...
. The only means of transportation would be bus 72, 72A of Kowloon Motor Bus
Kowloon Motor Bus
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited , a company of the Transport International Holdings Limited, is the largest franchised bus operators in Hong Kong, and one of the largest privately owned public bus operators in the world...
and taxi. Minibus 28K would also lead to the area of Tai Po Kau
Tai Po Kau
Tai Po Kau is an area south of the town of Tai Po in Hong Kong. There was the former Tai Po Kau Station of Kowloon-Canton Railway erected in the area. It is located at the estuary of rivers and Tai Po Hoi.-See also:* Tai Po Kau Special Area...
. Five to ten minutes of walking is necessary after taking the bus or minibus as there are no direct transport leading to the Lookout.