The Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) is instrumental in preserving and promoting Hong Kong’s archaeological and built heritage.

In 2016, three historic buildings - Blocks 7, 10 and 25 of the old Lei Yue Mun Barracks at Chai Wan - 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 Tung Wah Museum in Yau Ma Tei, Liu Man Shek Tong in Sheung Shui, the Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall, the Entrance Tower and Enclosing Walls of Lo Wai and the Enclosing Walls of Kun Lun Wai in Fanling, Fat Tat Tong in Sha Tau Kok, Yeung Hau Temple in Ha Tsuen and the Tang Ancestral Hall in Ping Shan, The Helena May in Central and the Man Mo Temple Compound in Sheung Wan. Archaeological surveys and excavations made necessary by small-scale development projects (such as small house development in the New Territories) were conducted by the AMO in Tuen Mun, North 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. The AMO also organised a wide variety of educational and publicity programmes, including lectures on historic buildings in different districts, guided tours at King Yin Lei and Government House, and workshops on archaeology and seminars, all designed to promote heritage conservation.