Gate Lodge
Encyclopedia
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island...
. Located on the Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, it was built between 1900 and 1902. Gate Lodge is in Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style.
It was a part of the former complex known as Mountain Lodge
Mountain Lodge
Mountain Lodge was the former summer residence of the Governor of Hong Kong on Victoria Peak on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The second building was a two storey Renaissance style home and was demolished in 1946...
. The main Mountain Lodge was home to the then Governor of Hong Kong
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
, but it no longer exists as it was demolished in 1946. The Gate Lodge remains, but it is not used as an official residence.
The Gate Lodge originally served as living quarters for the keeper of Mountain Lodge. It was declared as a monument
Declared monuments of Hong Kong
Declared monuments of Hong Kong are places, structures or buildings legally declared to be "protected". In Hong Kong, declaring a monument requires consulting the Antiquities Advisory Board, the approval of the Chief Executive as well as the publication of the notice in government gazette.As of 12...
in 1995 and it is now preserved in Victoria Peak Garden
Victoria Peak Garden
Victoria Peak Garden is a Chinese style garden, managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It was once an alternate home for the Governor of Hong Kong. The residence, Mountain Lodge, has been demolished, but the park remains as an attraction at the Peak.It is a vantage point which...
and used as a site office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department , often abbreviated as LCSD, is a department in the Government of Hong Kong. It reports to the Home Affairs Bureau, headed by the Secretary for Home Affairs. It provides leisure and cultural activities for the people of Hong Kong, which was also one of...
.
Future development
In order to put the building to meaningful use and leverage its historical legacy, Senior Government Architect Raymond Fung said it will be used as a public gallery."What we are going to do is to open this gate door, so that you can enter this 100 square feet (9.3 m²) space inside where we will put pictures and descriptions about the history of Victoria City and also Hong Kong in general, therefore giving information of our history to visitors."