Mount Davis, Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
Mount Davis is a hill in Kennedy Town
, Hong Kong Island
, Hong Kong
. It is the westernmost hill on Hong Kong Island.
It is named after John Francis Davis
, who was the 2nd Governor of Hong Kong
, from 1844 to 1848.
The summit is reached via Mt Davis Path, which comes off Mt Davis Road and Victoria Road
.
depot of the British
forces since 1911 (proposed in 1900). 5 (later 3) 9.2" guns were installed. It was heavily bombed by Japanese planes during the Battle of Hong Kong
. The depot was later demolished by British defenses towards the end of the battle.
Repulse Bay Volcanic Group (Sewell et al., 2000). This same kind of rock
is common in the south of Hong Kong Island and the east and north New Territories
. The rock type in Mount Davis is mainly coarse ash crystal tuff
.
, making it a famous wargame site for Hong Kong airsoft
ers, though due to complaints, the Police will respond to any airsofters discharging pellet guns in the area and disperse them. There is a youth hostel (Hong Kong - Jockey Club Mt. Davis) on top of the hill.
There is an ionopsheric station housing an ionosonde
. The ionosonde was set up in a refurbished bunkhouse by Oulton Walker and Tim Closs of the Hong Kong University Physics department in 1969. There are also microwave towers.
The eastern side of the hill holds the Chiu Yuen Cemetery, private cemetery of the Hotung clan. The North East face has Kwun Lung Lau
one of the earliest public housing developments in Hong Kong. Kennedy Town is on the north side.
Kennedy Town
Kennedy Town is at the western end of Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It was named after Arthur Edward Kennedy, the 7th Governor of Hong Kong from 1872 to 1877...
, 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...
, 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 is the westernmost hill on Hong Kong Island.
It is named after John Francis Davis
John Francis Davis
Sir John Francis Davis, 1st Baronet KCB was a British diplomat, Sinologist, and the 2nd Governor of Hong Kong. He was the son of Samuel Davis and nephew to William Thomas Mercer .-Early career:John Davis was appointed writer in East India Company's factory at Canton in 1813...
, who was the 2nd 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...
, from 1844 to 1848.
The summit is reached via Mt Davis Path, which comes off Mt Davis Road and Victoria Road
Victoria Road, Hong Kong
Victoria Road is a main road near the west shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong connecting Kennedy Town and Wah Fu and an alternative connection of Pok Fu Lam Road. It begins north with Belcher's Street in Kennedy Town and goes along Mount Davis, Sandy Bay, Telegraph Bay and Waterfall Bay and...
.
History
It was an important artilleryArtillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
depot of the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
forces since 1911 (proposed in 1900). 5 (later 3) 9.2" guns were installed. It was heavily bombed by Japanese planes during the Battle of Hong Kong
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
. The depot was later demolished by British defenses towards the end of the battle.
Geology
The geology of Mount Davis comprises dominantly pyroclastic rocks of the CretaceousCretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Repulse Bay Volcanic Group (Sewell et al., 2000). This same kind of rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
is common in the south of Hong Kong Island and the east and north New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
. The rock type in Mount Davis is mainly coarse ash crystal tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
.
Features
On top of the hill are remains of old gun batteries and a barracks from the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, making it a famous wargame site for Hong Kong airsoft
Airsoft
Airsoft is a sport in which participants shoot round non-metallic pellets launched via replica firearms.Gameplay varies in style and composition but often range from short-term skirmishes, organized scenarios, military simulations, historical reenactments, to competition target shooting events...
ers, though due to complaints, the Police will respond to any airsofters discharging pellet guns in the area and disperse them. There is a youth hostel (Hong Kong - Jockey Club Mt. Davis) on top of the hill.
There is an ionopsheric station housing an ionosonde
Ionosonde
An ionosonde, or chirpsounder, is a special radar for the examination of the ionosphere. An ionosonde consists of:* A high frequency transmitter, automatically tunable over a wide range...
. The ionosonde was set up in a refurbished bunkhouse by Oulton Walker and Tim Closs of the Hong Kong University Physics department in 1969. There are also microwave towers.
The eastern side of the hill holds the Chiu Yuen Cemetery, private cemetery of the Hotung clan. The North East face has Kwun Lung Lau
Kwun Lung Lau
Kwun Lung Lau is a public housing estate in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong. It is one of the first public housing developments in Hong Kong, built in 1967 to alleviate a housing crisis in the territory. It is on 20 Lung Wah Street....
one of the earliest public housing developments in Hong Kong. Kennedy Town is on the north side.