Antiquities and Monuments Office
Through the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO), the Department plays an important role in the preservation and promotion of Hong Kong's archaeology and built heritage.
Notable AMO achievements during the year included the declaration of 41 waterworks structures within six pre-war reservoirs, namely, the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir, Tai Tam Group of Reservoirs, Wong Nai Chung Reservoir, Aberdeen Reservoir, Kowloon Reservoir and Shing Mun (Jubilee) Reservoir. With the support of the owners concerned, two private buildings, namely, the Residence of Ip Ting-sz in Sha Tau Kok and the Yan Tun Kong Study Hall in Ping Shan, were also declared monuments during the year.
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The AMO also carried out restoration and repair works on a number of historical buildings, including Kun Lung Wai and Lo Wai in Lung Yeuk Tau, Man Mo Temple in Tai Po, the Hung Shing Temple in Kau Sai Chau, the Yi Tai Study Hall in Kam Tin, I Shing Kung in Wang Chau, the Leung Ancestral Hall in Pat Heung, the Maryknoll Convent School in Kowloon Tong and The Helena May building in Central. Full restoration of the Tang Ancestral Hall in Ha Tsuen also commenced in November 2009, with completion targeted for 2011.
The AMO also conducted rescue excavations at archaeological sites threatened by development, helped with environmental impact assessment studies for development projects and monitored the implementation of mitigation measures. A large-scale rescue excavation at So Kwun Wat, Tuen Mun was launched in November 2008 and completed in late July 2009. Archaeological surveys were also carried out in Sai Kung, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun, and Tai Po and on Lamma Island to protect underground archaeological deposits against damage from building work.
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During the year, the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre and the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitors Centre attracted 175 178 and 83 723 visitors, respectively. With the help of other organisations, the AMO co-organised three major exhibitions, namely, Remaking Hong Kong: Architecture as Culture, Keys to the Past: Artefacts and Records, and Heritage Alive: Hong Kong Winning Projects of UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre. A symposium entitled Revitalisation of Urban Heritage Buildings and Sites: Private Sector Experience in Three Cities (Hong Kong, Toronto and Vancouver) was also arranged jointly with the Architectural Conservation Programme of The University of Hong Kong and the Commissioner for Heritage's Office in November 2009.
