History and Conservation
With over a century of history, Jao Tsung-I Academy has undergone a unique and fascinating evolution. Benefiting from its strategic location between the mountains and the sea, this site has played various roles throughout history. From its days as the Kowloon Customs Station to its time as Lai Chi Kok Hospital, each transformation has been deeply connected to the changing needs of the society.
This project is made possible with financial support from the Sir David Wilson Heritage Trust.
History
Chinese Workers' Settlement
Prison
Lai Chi Kok Mental Hospital
Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme
1887 - 1898
1904 - 1906
1910 - 1912
1920 - 1938
1938 - 1975
1975 - 2000
2000 - 2004
2008
2009
Kowloon Port
Quarantine station
Lai Chi Kok Infectious Disease Hospital
Lai Chi Kok Hospital HACare Home
Jao Tsung-I Academy
History timeline of JTIA
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1887
Kowloon Port
Kowloon Customs is responsible for the collection of customs duties and anti-smuggling work within Hong Kong, including opium duties, and also monitors the maritime activities of vessels and smuggling activities.
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1904
Chinese Workers' Settlement
Chinese workers generally refer to Chinese laborers (coolies) who went overseas to work during the late Qing Dynasty. The places where piglets were sold and traded were called Zhaogongguan (bureau) and Huagongbanfang, commonly known as "pig house", also known as Barracoon (Portuguese: Barracoon), which was a prison-style coolie dormitory.
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1938
Lai Chi Kok Infectious Disease Hospital
After Stanley Prison was completed in 1937, all male prisoners were transferred there, leaving the Lai Chi Kok Prison temporarily vacant. A year later, another infectious disease outbreak prompted the government to convert the site into an infectious disease hospital.
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1908
Lai Chi Kok Quarantine Station
In early 1908, in response to the outbreak of the infectious disease smallpox, the Hong Kong government spent HK$3,000 to purchase the land of the former Lai Chi Kok settlement from the Chamber of Mines Labour Importation Agency. It then spent another HK$8,500 to renovate the thatched huts that were used to detain Chinese workers into a group of low red brick houses, which would serve as the Lai Chi Kok Quarantine Station, which could isolate 1,600 people.
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1914
Quarantine Camp
After the British military left, the site once again became a facility for handling infectious diseases, specifically dedicated to treating patients with yellow fever.
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1912
Military Camp
Due to the outbreak of infectious diseases in Hong Kong at the time, the government repurposed the Lai Chi Kok Inspection Station as a military camp to prevent soldiers from being infected.
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1920
Lai Chi Kok Prison
To alleviate the overcrowding at Victoria Prison in Central, the Hong Kong government decided to convert the Lai Chi Kok Quarantine Camp into a prison. Prison equipment was installed to facilitate the daily work of inmates.
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1975
Lai Chi Kok Mental Hospital
With the opening of the infectious disease ward of Princess Margaret Hospital in 1975, the role of the infectious disease hospital of Lai Chi Kok Hospital was phased out. At that time, Castle Peak Hospital in Tuen Mun was overcrowded, so some patients were sent to Lai Chi Kok Hospital for rehabilitation treatment. The hospital provided residential services for the mentally ill and leprosy patients who needed long-term care.
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2000
The Hospital Authority transformed the former Lai Chi Kok Hospital, which housed long-term psychiatric patients, into a nursing home named "HACare Home."
Lai Chi Kok Hospital HACare Home
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2012
Jao Tsung-I Academy
Jao Tsung-I Academy is one of the first batch of revitalization projects under the "Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme" initiated by the Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Hong Kong Institute for Promotion of Chinese Culture was responsible for the preservation, re-planning, and revitalization of the site. In 2012, first phase (Lower Zone) of the Jao Tsung-I Academy was officially opened.
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2014
With the opening of the second phase of Jao Tsung-I Academy, Upper Zone and Middle Zone are now fully operational and open for service.
Historic Relics
A flurry of conservation activity has shed light on the shifting functions of these historical buildings over the past century, Jao Tsung-I Academy transforming an isolated location into a unique public space and cultural artifact set against the picturesque backdrop of towering trees.
Let’s trace the historical roots of the Academy’s premises.
Jao Tsung-I Academy Century Heritage Trail
Stepping into the Academy is like boarding a time machine and surveying its architectural history. Besides a showcase of conservation and revitalisation, the buildings are also a microcosm of Hong Kong history. Let’s examine their various phases and the stories they tell.
(Click to enlarge picture)
(Click to enlarge picture)
Environment and Ecology
The Academy’s grounds also house over a thousand plants, mostly native to this area, which have attracted dozens of species of birds that have nourished the woods. The site is a diverse ecosystem, a rare oasis in a bustling metropolis.
Education Video
Title: "Research on Historical Relics and Cultural Interpretation of Jao Tsung-I Academy"
Language: Cantonese (with Chinese and English subtitles)
Length: 25 minutes
Produced by: Jao Tsung-I Academy
Version: July 2017
Research Report
Written by Professor Siu Kwok-kin, Professor, Department of Chinese Literature and Director, Centre for Hong Kong History and Culture Studies, Chu Hai College of Higher Education, Hong Kong together with Hong Kong Cultural Imaging Workshop, the “Research Study and Heritage Interpretation of Historic Relics in Jao Tsung-I Academy” report is anticipated to deepen public understanding of the history, architecture and humanistic value of the site of Jao Tsung-I Academy. The Academy would like to thank all the consultants, researchers, volunteers and friends from community who have contributed to the research report.
A Study of Kau Wah Keng Old Village & Surrounding Areas
Over the past half century, Kau Wah Keng Old Village and its neighbouring areas have undergone tremendous changes. This is a portrait of the renewal of the region and a microcosm of Hong Kong’s social changes. A Study of Kau Wah Keng Old Village & Surrounding Areas, written by Dr. Kelvin K. Chow, The University of Hong Kong, School of Chinese; and translated by Jao Tsung-I Academy, helps the public to understand the historical development and significance of this area.
Past and Present – Stories of the site of Jao Tsung-I Academy
Written by Professor Siu Kwok-kin, Professor, Department of Chinese Literature and Director, Centre for Hong Kong History and Culture Studies, Chu Hai College of Higher Education, Hong Kong together with Jao Tsung-I Academy, the “Past and Present – Stories of the site of Jao Tsung-I Academy” is anticipated to tell the centennial stories of the historic site, the revitalization process and various aspects nowadays. The Academy would like to thank all the consultants, researchers, translators and team members who have contributed to the manuscripts.
Learn More...
If you enjoy culture & heritage and wish to stay connect with Jao Tsung-I Academy:
– Join guided tour
– Register the JTIA’s E-newsletter, like Facebook and follow Instagram to get the latest moves
– Join The Hong Kong Institute for Promotion of Chinese Culture membership for extra privileges
– Enroll as a volunteer to support the development of the the Academy
– Share your special stories, photos, old objects and even ideas with us, please contact our staff.
[JTIA Program Department Email: programme@jtia.hk Tel: 2100 2828]
Acknowledgments:
To all consultants, researchers, volunteers, producers, translators and friends from community who have contributed to this project.
Disclaimer:
The copyright of all the materials, pictures, and clips on this website is owned by Jao Tsung-I Academy and is for the information and enjoyment of the public only.
Please do not copy, record, or reprint for commercial use without express permission of the Academy. Thank you for your cooperation.