The Old South Gate

The Old South Gate is one of Hong Kong's officially declared monuments. It lies alongside the spacious, tree-lined square that fronts the Yamen. For more than a century, it was the main entrance to the Walled City. Today, it's the first site you're likely to visit, if you're entering the Park via the present South Gate.

When the Walled City was torn down in 1994, two granite plaques with the Chinese characters for "South Gate" and "Kowloon Walled City" were unearthed at the site of the original South Gate. Also discovered were the granite paving and foundations of the South Gate, along with a flagstone path that led to the South Gate and a drainage ditch running along the foot of the inner city wall. All have been preserved, as found, for public viewing.