Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance

Ordinance of Hong Kong

Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance

Legislative Council of Hong Kong

Long title

* An Ordinance to provide for the preservation of objects of historical, archaeological and palaeontological interest and for matters ancillary thereto or connected therewith.

Citation| Cap. 53
Passed by| Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Passed| 1 December 1971
Commenced| 3 December 1971
Legislative history
Introduced by| Secretary for Home Affairs Donald Collin Cumyn Luddington
Introduced| 29 October 1971
First reading| 3 November 1971
Second reading| 17 November 1971
Third reading| 1 December 1971
Amended by
1974, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2019[1]
Status: Current legislation
Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance

Traditional Chinese| 古物及古蹟條例
Simplified Chinese| 古物及古迹条例
| Transcriptions

Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin| Gǔwù jí Gǔjì Tiáolì
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping| gu2 mat6 kap6 gu2 zik1 tiu4 lai6

The Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance, in Hong Kong Law (Cap. 53), was enacted in 1976 to preserve the objects of historical, archaeological and palaeontological interest and for matters ancillary thereto or connected therewith. It is administered by the Antiquities Authority (Secretary for Development), with the executive support of the Antiquities and Monuments Office under the Development Bureau, since 2007.

## Constitution of the Antiquities Advisory Board

[edit]

Section 17 of the Ordinance establishes the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB), which consists of members the Chief Executive may appoint, with one being appointed Chairman by the Chief Executive. The Ordinance does not mandate a minimum number of members, nor the qualifications to become a member.[2]

Under s.18 of the Ordinance, the AAB gives a recommendation for the Antiquities Authority on matters relating to antiquities, proposed monuments or monuments under s.2A(1), s.3(1), and s.6(4) of the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap. 53).[3] Those matters include the declaration of proposed monuments, declaration of monuments, and exemptions of forbidden acts relating to certain monuments.

## Antiquities

[edit]

Under the Ordinance, "Antiquities" are defined as "places, buildings, sites or structures erected, formed or built by human agency before the year 1800 and the ruins or remains of any such place, building, site or structure, whether or not the same has been modified, added to or restored after the year 1799" and "relics". The word, "relics" is defined as the movable objects made, shaped, painted, carved, inscribed, created, manufactured, produced or modified by human agency before the year 1800 or those have not been modified, added to or restored after the year 1799. Fossil remains or impressions are also considered as "relics" under the Ordinance.

### Archaeological sites

[edit]

All archaeological relics in Hong Kong are considered as properties of the Government under the Ordinance. This includes ancient architecture, kilns, hearths, rock carvings, farm lands, shell or refuse mounds and foot prints of ancient human beings.

The Antiquities Authority is empowered to regulate the search and excavation of all such relics through a system of licensing.

The most important sites are declared as Declared Monuments. These are defined under the Ordinance as any feature, structure, building and artefact which are considered important because of its historical, archaeological or palaeontological significance.

Over 180 sites are known as Sites of Specific Archaeological Interest (SSAI).

## Monuments

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After consultation with the AAB and with the approval of the Chief Executive, the Secretary for Development may, by notice in the Gazette, declare any place, building, site or structure, which he or she considers to be of public interest by reason of its historical, archaeological or palaeontological significance, to be a monument.

According to the Ordinance, any one without permits granted by the Secretary for Home Affairs, is not allowed to excavate, carry on building or other works, plant or fell trees or deposit earth or refuse on or in any proposed monuments or monuments; or demolish, remove, obstruct, deface or interfere with any proposed monuments or monuments.

### Proposed monuments

[edit]

Main article: Proposed monuments (Hong Kong)

Several historical building have been declared as proposed monuments for temporary statutory protection within a specified period.[4][5]

King Yin Lei, now being declared monument, was declared a "proposed monument" on September 15, 2007, due to the damage caused by the non-structural works. Jessville, now a Grade III historical building, was declared a "proposed monument" on April 20, 2007.[5]

## See also

[edit]

* Antiquities Advisory Board
* Declared monuments of Hong Kong
* Heritage conservation in Hong Kong

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Enactment History of Cap. 53 Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance". Cap. 53 Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
2. ^ Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap. 53), section 17.
3. ^ Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap. 53).
4. ^ Subcommittee on Antiquities and Monuments(Declaration of Proposed Monument)(Ho Tung Gardens) Notice:Response to Members’ request for information made at the meeting held on 23 February 2011
5. ^ a b "Government to declare King Yin Lei and Maryknoll Convent School monuments". Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 25 March 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* Bilingual Laws Information System
* Strategic Environmental Assessment

* v
* t
* e

Heritage conservation in Hong Kong

Government|

* Antiquities and Monuments Office
* Antiquities Advisory Board
* Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance
* Urban Renewal Authority

Lists|

* Declared monuments
* Grade I buildings
* Grade II buildings
* Grade III buildings
* Oldest buildings

Museums|

* Heritage Discovery Centre
* Heritage Museum
* Museum of History
* Government Records Service

Heritage trails|

* Central and Western
* Dr Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail
* Lung Yeuk Tau
* Pinewood Battery
* Ping Shan
* Tai Tam Waterworks
* Wan Chai

Schemes|

* Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme
* Old industrial buildings revitalization

Notable cases|

| Demolished|

* Kowloon Station (1978)
* Hong Kong Club Building (1980)
* Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier (2006)
* Queen's Pier (2007)
* Lee Tung Street (2007)
* Ho Tung Gardens (2013)
* Tung Tak Pawn Shop (2015)
* Union Church (2017)

|

Preserved|

* Ohel Leah Synagogue (1987)
* Morrison Building (2003)
* Jessville (2007)
* King Yin Lei (2007)
* Wing Lee Street (2011)
* State Theatre (2017)
* Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir (2020)

Relocated|

* Murray House (2002)
* Blake Pier (2007)

Pending|

* Nam Koo Terrace
* Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen
* Stone House (Diamond Hill)
* Wan Chai Police Station

Adaptive reuse|

| Completed|

* Blue House
* Bridges Street Market
* Central Market
* Chai Wan Factory Estate
* Dairy Farm cowsheds
* Dairy Farm Depot
* District Office North
* Former Explosives Magazine
* Fanling Magistracy
* Former French Mission Building
* Island House
* Kowloon British School
* Kowloon Fire Station
* Lai Chi Kok Hospital
* Lui Seng Chun
* Ma Tau Kok Animal Quarantine Depot
* Marine Police Headquarters
* Mei Ho House
* North Kowloon Magistracy
* Old House, Hoi Pa Village
* PMQ
* Former RAF Kai Tak station buildings
* Former Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
* Shek Kip Mei Factory Estate
* Sheung Shui Police Station
* Stanley Police Station
* Tai Kwun (Central Police Station, Central Magistracy, Victoria Prison)
* Tai O Police Station
* Tai Po Police Station
* Tsan Yuk Maternity Hospital
* Blocks of Victoria Barracks
* Wan Chai Post Office
* Western Market
* Blocks of Whitfield Barracks
* Yau Ma Tei Theatre

|

Pending|

* British Military Hospital
* Engineer's Office of the Former Pumping Station
* Fong Yuen Study Hall
* Haw Par Mansion
* Homi Villa
* King Yin Lei
* Luen Wo Market
* No. 27 Lugard Road
* Tai Tam Tuk Raw Water Pumping Station Staff Quarters Compound
* Old House, Wong Uk Village

Facadism|

* Old Mental Hospital
* Wan Chai Market

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