The AMO plays an important role in the preservation and promotion of Hong Kong's archaeological and built heritage.
In 2015, three historic buildings - Signal Tower at Blackhead Point in Tsim Sha Tsui, the Race Course Fire Memorial in So Kon Po, and the facade of the Old Mental Hospital in Sai Ying Pun - were declared as monuments for permanent protection under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance.
The AMO carried out restoration and repairs on a number of historic buildings during the year. Major projects included work on the Morrison Building in Tuen Mun, the Residence of Ip Ting-sz in Lin Ma Hang Tsuen (Sha Tau Kok), the Tang Ancestral Hall in Ping Shan (Yuen Long), the Tang Ancestral Hall in Ha Tsuen (Yuen Long), the Kun Lun Wai Enclosing Walls and Corner Watch Towers in Lung Yeuk Tau (Fanling), the Man Mo Temple in Tai Po, two timber poles in front of the Hung Shing Temple in Ap Lei Chau, and the Helena May and St. John's Cathedral in Central. Archaeological surveys and excavations made necessary by small-scale development projects in the New Territories were conducted by the AMO in Sai Kung and Islands Districts, and archaeological heritage materials were salvaged from some of the sites. A long-term exhibition on the archaeological and built heritage of Hong Kong is on display at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre. To introduce the development of industry in Hong Kong and the city's industrial heritage, the AMO collaborated with the Hong Kong Heritage Project in organising the exhibition Factory Hong Kong from June 12 to September 13, 2015 in the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre. The exhibition was complemented by activities that included a panel discussion on the theme From a Thread to a Dress, and 'History Re-run' Theatrical Guided Tour. During the year, the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre and the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitors Centre attracted over 189 900 and 71 300 visitors respectively. The AMO also organised a wide variety of educational and publicity programmes, including lectures, guided tours, workshops and seminars, all designed to promote heritage conservation.
