Secretary for Development Michael Wong (center); Commissioner for Heritage Ivanhoe Chang (first right); and Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation, Professor Lau Chi-pang (third left) are pictured with representatives of successful applicants of Batch VI of the Revitalizing Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme during a press conference in Hong Kong, June 14, 2022. (PHOTO / INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, HKSAR)

HONG KONG – Four projects proposed by non-profit organizations have been selected as part of a revamp of four structures under the sixth batch of the Revitalizing Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme, the Development Bureau announced on Tuesday. 

The structures are: the Tai Tam Tuk Raw Water Pumping Station Staff Quarters Compound in Tai Tam, Homi Villa in Ting Kau, King Yin Lei in Mid-levels and Fong Yuen Study Hall in Ma Wan, according to a government press release. 

“Through partnership with the non-profit organizations, these buildings are preserved and transformed into unique cultural landmarks, providing opportunities to the public to visit and appreciate these old buildings with heritage value,” Secretary for Development Michael Wong said at a press conference Tuesday. 

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Under a new project, the Tai Tam Tuk Raw Water Pumping Station Staff Quarters Compound, a declared monument, will be converted into a school for nature-based early childhood education. 

The government will earmark about HK$586 million to subsidize the renovation of the four historic buildings and another HK$15 million to subsidize the projects’ initial operation 

Homi Villa, a Grade 3 historic building in Ting Kau, will be turned into a learning center.  

Exhibitions, guided tours, lectures and workshops will be organized to deepen public understanding of the environment, history and culture. 

Classes, mindfulness activities as well as tea and dining services will be offered in King Yin Lei, a declared monument in Mid-Levels, after a revamp, to promote general health through a better understanding of Pu’er tea, traditional Chinese medicine and medicinal herbs, the Development Bureau said. 

Fong Yuen Study Hall, a Grade 3 historic building in Ma Wan, will be revitalized into a learning center. Innovation elements will be added into its history, culture and environmental ecology activities, to attract different age groups. 

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The secretary for development said for the former North Kowloon Magistracy in Sham Shui Po, which was later included in the same batch of the revitalization scheme, the assessment of the 30 applications it has received is underway and the result is expected to be announced in the second half of the year after the completion of the whole assessment process. 

Secretary for Development Michael Wong speaks at a press conference in Hong Kong, June 14, 2022 to announce the selection results for Batch VI of the Revitalizing Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme. (PHOTO / INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, HKSAR)

The government will earmark about HK$586 million to subsidize the renovation of the four historic buildings and another HK$15 million to subsidize the projects’ initial operation. The projects in this batch are expected to be completed in phases and be up and running from 2025. 

The revitalization scheme launched by the Development Bureau in 2008 has so far covered 22 declared monuments and historic buildings. Among them, 10 projects are now in operation, one has recently commenced trial operation and two others will commence operation soon, said the secretary.