Central Market
In August 2021, the market just finished a four years long renovation and preservation. It is an 80-year-old grade three historic building,located in Des Voeux Road. It was a fresh food market , and also the first wet market in the city. But it’s now converted into a community hotspot. The market is a 4 floors high concrete building, and there are 200 stalls inside including shops, restaurants and exhibitions, etc.With a central court, high ceilings, and glass walls for natural light and air.It’s history can be traced back to the 1800s.After the British occupied Hong Kong Island in 1841, many Chinese influx into HK. Central Market was formally opened at Queen's Road ,Central to cater the market demand of the burgeoning Chinese population. In the 1850s,Taiping Rebellion in China resulted in more Chinese escaping to HK. The need for new marketplaces greatly increased. so the 2nd Generation of the Central Market was then established. In the years of 1895 and 1939, the 3rd and 4st generation of market was constructed. But the central market was closed in 2003 until 2009. In the 2009-10 policy address, it was announced that the Central Market would be handed over to the Urban Renewal Authority for conservation and revitalization.The conservation aims to make it into a “playground for all” that combines "approachable," "energetic," and "gregarious," not only preserving collective memories but also introducing new experiences to the community.
Tai Kwun
Dating back to the mid-19th century i.e. year 1864, Tai Kwun (Central Police Station in the past) comprised some of the earliest structures built under British colonial rule. The site began to serve the functions of police station, magistracy and prison, forming an integrated law enforcement system. In 1995, the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance designated the former Central Police Station, the Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison as Declared Monuments. In 2004, the previous Central Police Station was shut down and was used for 140 years.In 2008, the Government of the Hong Kong SAR and The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced a not-for-profit plan, which means Tai Kwun would operate under a non-profit model, to revitalise the Central Police Station compound.In 2011, pre-construction preparatory works started.Ten years later, Tai Kwun is opened to public from 8am–11pm and it is free to pay a visit there due to the not-for-profit revitalization plan in 2008 .The naming of Tai Kwun is due to its significance of reminding people about the historical importance of the former Central Police station. In Chinese, Tai Kwun means Big station. There are a special mix of heritage and contemporary architecture as it is a centre for heritage and arts which organizes exhibitions and programmes.In 2019, Tai Kwun receives the Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Under the government regulations of COVID19, Tai Kwun is open with limited services and access. Unfortunately, all exhibitions, guided tours, performances, events, and workshops will gradually resume from February 25, 2021. Yet, we can still pay a visit there to know more about the history of Tai Kwun after its revitalization project.
The Murray
Murray Building was designed by the then Public Works Department and completed in 1969. It close to the Bank of China Tower, the US embassy and Hong Kong Park, with a superior geographical location. It used to be the headquarters of many important government policy bureaus and departments, and has more than 47 years history. This 27-storey building was the tallest government building at that time. Until 2011, after the government department moved to The Central Government Complex in Tamar, Murray Building was vacated. The angle of the windows of Murray building is 45 degrees so it can prevent direct sunlight and save energy. Also, Murray Building is very prominent because its white wall. The new usage of the building is a five-star hotel which opened in 2017, called The Murray. The Murray is part of the Conserving Central project, which aims to preserve what remains of the historic heart of the city so the exterior design of Murray Building is preserved.From a government building to a hotel, Not only the appearance of the historical building is completely preserved, but also keeps the buildings from being abandoned. the driveway of the old parking lot has now been converted into a hotel lobby with white marble as the main theme. Anyone can go to the garden to appreciate the artworks placed outdoors. The hotel is open to the public, people can come to hang out at any time, and the accessibility is very high.
藍屋
Blue house, which is a 4-storey balcony-type tenement block located in Wan Chai. Blue house was a hospital before 1886. And it changed to the building of 4 floors in 1922.Blue house had different use before the renovation by government in 2015 such as a temple, school for free education and the residence. In present, blue house is the most successful revitalization and got a prize in 2018. It is now called the Hong Kong House of Stories which is telling the stories and showing the old things using before, the purpose of blue house in present is going to promote the concern of cultural conservation, it is worth to visit and know more about the stories of Wan Chai and Hong Kong.
