Government House, Hong Kong

Official residence of the chief executive of Hong Kong

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Government House, Hong Kong" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Government House

香港禮賓府

Government House, Hong Kong

Location on Hong Kong Island

General information
Architectural style| Colonial Renaissance and hybrid Imperial Crown Style
Town or city| Central, Hong Kong
Country| People's Republic of China
Coordinates| 22°16′43.19″N 114°09′26.70″E﻿ / ﻿22.2786639°N 114.1574167°E﻿ / 22.2786639; 114.1574167
Current tenants| John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of Hong Kong
Construction started| 1851; 174 years ago (1851)
Client| Government of Hong Kong
Owner| Government of Hong Kong
Landlord| Government of Hong Kong
Design and construction
Architect(s)| Charles St George Cleverly
Government House, Hong Kong

The façade of the Government House

Traditional Chinese| 香港禮賓府
Simplified Chinese| 香港礼宾府
| Transcriptions

Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin| Xiānggǎng lǐbīnfǔ
Wade–Giles| Hsiāngkǎng lǐpīnfǔ
Yale Romanization| Syānggǎng lǐbīnfǔ
IPA| [ɕjáŋkàŋ lìpínfù]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization| Heūng góng laíh bīn fú
Jyutping| Hoeng1 gong2 lai5 bin1 fu2
IPA| Cantonese pronunciation: [hœ́ŋkɔ̌ːŋ lɐ̬ipínfǔː]
Former name
Traditional Chinese| 督憲府
| Transcriptions

Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization| Dūk hun fú
Jyutping| Duk1 hin3 fu2
Former name
Traditional Chinese| 香港總督府
| Transcriptions

Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization| Hēung Góng júng dūk fú
Jyutping| Hoeng1 Gong2 zung2 duk1 fu2
Former name
Traditional Chinese| 港督府
| Transcriptions

Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization| Góng dūk fú
Jyutping| Gong2 duk1 fu2

Government House, located on Government Hill in Central, Hong Kong, is the official residence of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. It was constructed in 1855 as a Colonial Renaissance-style building, but was significantly remodelled during the Japanese occupation, resulting in the current hybrid Japanese-neoclassical form.

Government House was the official residence of the Governor from 1855 to 1997, when the territory was under British rule. Of the 28 governors of Hong Kong, 25 have used this building as their official residence.

Located between Upper Albert Road and Lower Albert Road, Mid-Levels, Central, Government House is on a 24,000-square-metre (5.9-acre) plot of land. Its front elevation faces south towards the Peak, while right below its northern part are the former Central Government Offices (currently the Justice Place).

Government House is a declared monument under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance.

## History/Timeline

[edit]

Public Garden & Government house, Hong Kong (taken on 1860–1880) Government House in 1868 Living Room

Government House was designed by Charles St George Cleverly. Construction started in 1851, eight years after Hong Kong became 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 to have was the last and 28th governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten.

Government House also housed the Legislative Council of Hong Kong from 1855 to the 1930s. The Council used the ballroom from 1891 onward.

During the Japanese occupation during the Second World War (1941–1945), it was occupied by the Japanese Military Governor. The form of the building was changed to a hybrid Japanese/neoclassical image by Seichi Fujimura (藤村正一 Fujimura Seiichi) in 1944, primarily through the addition of a tower and roof elements.

On 16 September 1945, the Instrument of Surrender was signed at the Government House.

The Japanese fittings of Government House were removed in 1946, but the tower remains to this day.

During 1947 to 1957, two sculptured stone lions were erected at the entrance.

During 1971 to 1982, a kidney-shaped swimming pool was built in the garden.

During 1982 to 1986, an ornamental pool with a fountain was created at the foot of the main stairs leading down from the north Veranda.

During 1987 to 1992, a small pergola on the lower terrace was erected and the water feature of the main garden staircase was converted into an impressive planter.

Government House was declared a monument in 1995 under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance.

After the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in 1997, the House became a reception for ceremonies (such as the conferring of Honours and formal banquets). Tung Chee Hwa, the first chief executive, did not reside in Government House but rather at Grenville House.

During 1997 to 2005, a bonsai gallery was introduced in the Veranda.

Donald Tsang, the second Chief Executive, moved into Government House in January 2006, following extensive renovations. The Standard 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.[1]

During 2005 to 2012, an outdoor fish pond was added in the back garden.

During 2012 to 2017, three-bin composting system was added in the back garden.

In 2017, one of the tennis courts was converted into a Landscaped Area.

In 2022, HK$2.8 million was spent to renovate the house, before the fifth Chief Secretary John Lee moved in.[2]

## Major features

[edit]

### Exterior

[edit]

The main entrance of the house faces south towards Victoria Peak. Down on the northern side is the Former Central Government Offices, where most government secretariat offices were situated until 2011.

The carriage porch at the front with granite frames is a notable architectural feature of Government House.

The exterior of Government House is plastered in Art Deco style. Government House has its unique character and historical meanings with a blend of different architectural styles added on over more than a century.[3]

### Garden

[edit]

Government House has a front lawn and a back garden with dazzling flowers. Originally planted in 1919, the multi-coloured azaleas bloom every spring.[4] There is also a rare species of tree, Brownea grandiceps (Rose of Venezuela), originating from South America and listed in the Register of Old and Valuable Trees of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Seven metres tall, with a crown spread of nine metres, this tree has been maintained in superb condition by the dedicated horticultural staff. Indeed, there are many mature trees on the grounds. Among those trees stands the giant Litchi chinensis.

The garden also features a kidney-shaped swimming pool and an outdoor fish pond.

### Interior

[edit]

Ballroom – The Ballroom is used for hosting banquets for guests from home and abroad. It is also the venue for the Honours and Awards Presentation Ceremony and various community engagement activities.

Dining Room – The Dining Room is used for banquets of smaller scale for guests from home and abroad.

Drawing Room – The Drawing Room is used for receiving guests and holding meetings. Its walls and ceilings are embellished with exquisite plaster mouldings.

### Gate Lodges and Government House Guards

[edit]

At the front entrance on Upper Albert Road, there are two buildings with an iron gate known as the Gate Lodges. Built in 1855, they are the oldest structures of Government House. They were designed by Surveyor General Charles St. George Cleverly who was in charge of the construction of the first generation of Government House in the 1850s. The lodges once housed the Government House Guards, who stood in front of the house and protected the Governor of Hong Kong. Various units of the British Army stationed in Hong Kong were used as guard units, which included:

* 1st Battalion of the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment from 1962-63
* C Company of the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment Berkshire and Wiltshire

Following the handover in 1997, the Hong Kong Police has taken up the guarding duties of the building.

## Open days

[edit]

Dining room

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.[4]

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

## Booking

[edit]

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 the Government House and used it as their official residence and office. Most of the staff in the Chief Executive's Office were also relocated to the Government House to support the chief executive. Since then, the Government House was no longer available for booking due to security and operational reasons.

## Other official residences

[edit]

In 1900, Mountain Lodge, 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 and Victoria Peak Garden 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, in the New Territories, was used as a summer residence for the Governor. It has retained this role, and is now the alternative residence of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. The Lodge is occupied mainly at weekends and on holidays.

## Feng shui

[edit]

According to The New York Times, alleged bad feng shui was the reason Tung Chee Hwa refused to live or work in Government House upon becoming Chief Executive. During his terms as Chief Executive, he was still heavily criticised by Hong Kongers, and his popularity fell well below 40% by the time of his resignation.[5]

The Standard 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".[6]

## Staff

[edit]

There are 20 housekeeping positions at the Government House.[2] The senior chef is paid around HK$30,000 per month.[2]

## See also

[edit]

* Hong Kong portal

* Government House
* Government Houses of the British Empire
* Governor of Hong Kong
* History of Hong Kong
* List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
* List of official residences

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Tsang fends off renovation criticism". The Standard. Archived from the original on 9 November 2005. Retrieved 19 March 2007.
2. ^ a b c "Lee finally makes move after $2.8m works". The Standard. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
3. ^ "Antiquities and Monuments Office - Declared Monuments in Hong Kong - Hong Kong Island (168)". www.amo.gov.hk. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
4. ^ a b "Chief Executive - My Blog - Azaleas". www.ceo.gov.hk. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
5. ^ "3 Things Matter: Location, Location and Feng Shui". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 November 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2007.
6. ^ "Spy-bugs find to stall Tsang". The Standard. Archived from the original on 22 February 2006. Retrieved 19 March 2007.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Government House, Hong Kong.

* Government House, official website
* Government House Archived 6 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office

Preceded by

? (Caine Road 1846-?)

|  Home of the
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
1855–1930s  | Succeeded by

Old Central Government Offices

|
|

* v
* t
* e

Central, Hong Kong

Areas|

* Glenealy (Elliot's Vale)
* Government Hill
* Tamar

History|

* Praya Reclamation Scheme

Office buildings|

* Admiralty Centre
* AIA Central
* Alexandra House
* Bank of China Building
* Bank of China Tower
* Chater House
* Cheung Kong Center
* Edinburgh Tower
* Exchange Square
* Gloucester Tower
* Hang Seng Bank Headquarters Building
* Hong Kong Club Building
* HSBC Building
* International Finance Centre
* Jardine House
* LHT Tower
* Man Yee Building
* 9 Queen's Road Central
* Pacific Place
* Prince's Building
* St. George's Building
* Standard Chartered Bank Building
* Three Garden Road (Citibank Tower)
* Wing On House
* World-Wide House
* York House

Government|

* City Hall
* City Gallery
* Central Government Complex
* Former Central Government Offices
* General Post Office
* Government House
* Queensway Government Offices

| Closed/reprovisioned|

* Beaconsfield House
* Murray Building
* Murray House
* Victoria Prison

|

Legislature/judiciary|

* Court of Final Appeal Building
* High Court Building (Supreme Court Building)
* Legislative Council Complex

Chinese military|

* PLA Building (Prince of Wales Building)
* Ching Yi To Barracks

Transport|

* Central–Mid-Levels escalators
* Peak Tram

| Bus terminuses|

* Central (Exchange Square)
* Central Piers

|

Ferry piers|

* Central Piers

| Demolished|

* Blake Pier
* City Hall Pier
* Edinburgh Place Pier
* Outlying Islands Pier
* Queen's Pier
* United Pier (Jubilee Street Pier)

|

Relocated|

* Blake Pier

MTR stations|

* Admiralty
* Central
* Hong Kong

Diplomatic missions|

* British Consulate
* Canadian Consulate
* EU Office
* Japanese Consulate
* South Korean Consulate
* Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Chung Hwa Travel Service)
* U.S. Consulate

Other landmarks|

* Battery Path
* Bishop's House
* Canossa Hospital
* The Cenotaph
* Former Central Magistracy
* Central Market
* Chater Garden
* China Club
* Connaught Place
* Conrad
* Old Dairy Farm Depot
* Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum
* Duddell Street
* Edinburgh Place
* 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana
* Flagstaff House
* Foreign Correspondents' Club
* Four Seasons Hotel
* Former French Mission Building
* Graham Street
* Harcourt Road
* The Helena May
* HSBC lions
* Hong Kong Park
* Edward Youde Aviary
* Visual Arts Centre
* Ice House Street
* Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
* Island Shangri-La
* Jamia Mosque
* JW Marriott Hotel
* Lan Kwai Fong
* The Landmark
* L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
* Luk Yu Tea House
* Mandarin Oriental
* Observation Wheel
* Old Bailey Street
* Pedder Building
* Pedder Street
* Pottinger Street
* St. John's Cathedral
* St. Joseph's Church
* St. Paul's Church
* Statue Square
* Statue of Sir Thomas Jackson, 1st Baronet
* Tai Kwun
* Yung Kee
* Zetland Hall
* Zoological and Botanical Gardens

| Demolished|

* Dent's Fountain
* Furama Hotel
* Hong Kong Hilton
* Hong Kong Central Hospital
* Hong Kong Cricket Club
* Hongkong Hotel
* Hutchison House
* Melcher's Building
* Murray Barracks
* Murray Battery
* Murray Parade Ground
* Murray Road Multi-storey Car Park Building
* Pedder Street Clock Tower
* Queen's Building
* Hong Kong Red Cross Headquarters
* Ritz-Carlton Hotel
* Swire House
* Tak Shing House
* Victoria Barracks
* Wellington Barracks

|

Relocated|

* Murray House
* Statue of Queen Victoria

Education|

* Caritas Institute for Further and Adult Education (Caritas Francis Hsu College)
* Sacred Heart Canossian School
* St Joseph's College
* St. Paul's Co-educational College

This list is incomplete.

* v
* t
* e

Government buildings in Hong Kong

Government of Hong Kong

Current|

| Central|

* Central Government Complex (Central Government Offices, Legislative Council Complex, Office of the Chief Executive)
* Former French Mission Building (Court of Final Appeal)
* Queensway Government Offices

|

Local offices|

* Cheung Sha Wan
* Kowloon
* Kowloon East
* Lai Chi Kok
* Mong Kok
* North District
* North Point
* Sha Tin
* Tai Hing
* Tai Po
* Tsuen Wan
* Tuen Mun
* Yuen Long

Others|

* Fire stations
* Former Kowloon British School (Antiquities and Monuments Office)
* Harbour Building
* Immigration Tower
* Post offices
* Revenue Tower
* Wanchai Tower

Residences|

* Government House
* Fanling Lodge

Former|

| Central|

* Old Central Government Offices (1847-1954)
* Former Central Government Offices (1957-2011)
* Old Supreme Court Building

|

Others|

* Beaconsfield House
* Historic police buildings
* Kwun Tong
* Murray Building

Residences|

* Gate Lodge
* Mountain Lodge

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template