Through the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO), the department plays an important role in the preservation and promotion of Hong Kong's heritage. A highlight of the year was the designation of Morrison Building of Hoh Fuk Tong Centre as a declared monument, bringing the total number of declared monuments in Hong Kong to 79. The office also carried out restoration and repair work on 46 historical buildings, including Tin Hau Temple in Causeway Bay, Wong Uk in Shatin and the Cheung Ancestral Hall in Yuen Long.

	Representing a harmonious blend of Chinese and Western architecture, the Morrision Building in the Hoh Fuk Tong Centre in Tuen Mun has been declared a monument.

The AMO conducts rescue excavations at archaeological sites threatened by development and monitors other sites. Some 180 operations were undertaken in 2004. The office also contributed to environmental impact assessment studies for development projects, and monitored field investigations and the implementation of mitigation measures for heritage impact assessment.

On May 7, 2004, relics were discovered from a drainage work site at the junction of Soy Street and Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok. During further site monitoring, four intact pottery vessels dating from the Eastern Han to Jin dynasties were retrieved, together with a small quantity of prehistoric artefacts. All the important relics retrieved from Mong Kok were subsequently displayed at the Museum of History and Heritage Museum.

	Antiquities and Monuments Office staff conduct an on-site investigation after relics are uncovered at a work site at the junction of Soy Street and Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok.

	Students show keen interest in some of the pottery artefacts discovered at a work site in Mong Kok.

The AMO and the City University of Hong Kong jointly organised, from June 24 to 25, an international conference on Chinese Export Ceramics and Maritime Trade from the 12^th to 15^th Century. Over 60 experts and scholars from the Mainland China, Hong Kong and other countries attended the conference. It provided an opportunity for delegates to share their experiences and latest research findings on ceramic trade and maritime history between China and Southeast Asia.