The role of the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) is to help preserve and promote Hong Kong’s archaeological and built heritage.

In 2017, three historic buildings – Tung Lin Kok Yuen in Happy Valley, Kowloon Union Church in Yau Ma Tei and Yeung Hau Temple in Tai O – were declared monuments for permanent protection by the Antiquities Authority 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 Chik Kwai Study Hall in Pat Heung, the Yan Tun Kong Study Hall and the Tat Tak Communal Hall in Ping Shan, the Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall and the Enclosing Walls of Kun Lun Wai in Fanling, St. John’s Cathedral in Central and the Man Mo Temple Compound in Sheung Wan. Archaeological surveys and excavations made necessary by small-scale development projects were conducted by the AMO in Tuen Mun 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 at Tsim Sha Tsui. The AMO also organised a 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, all designed to promote heritage conservation.