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November 22, 2010

4 buildings declared monuments
The Antiquities Authority has declared Tung Wah Museum at Kwong Wah Hospital, the Man Mo Temple Compound in Sheung Wan, the Tang Kwong U Ancestral Hall in Kam Tin and the Kom Tong Hall in Central as monuments.
     The Tung Wah Museum on Waterloo Road was originally the Main Hall of Kwong Wah Hospital which opened in 1911. The Main Hall was converted into the museum in 1993. The museum building is Chinese Renaissance style characterised by a composition of Chinese and Western architectural features.
     The Man Mo Temple Compound on Hollywood Road was built between 1847 and 1862 by wealthy Chinese merchants. The Temple has imperative historical and cultural value, representing the social organisation and religious practices of the Chinese community in old Hong Kong.
     Tang Kwong U Ancestral Hall in Shui Tau, Kam Tin, also known as Loi Shing Tong, was built by Tang Tseung-luk in about 1701 during the Qing Dynasty. It was built to commemorate Tang Kwong-u, the 17th generation ancestor of the Tang clan. The hall is a Qing vernacular building, having a two-hall-one-courtyard plan of three bays.
     Situated on Castle Road, Kom Tong Hall was built in 1914 as a private residence by Ho Kom-tong, a prominent businessman, community leader and philanthropist. The Government acquired it in 2004 for preservation and established the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum there. It was built in Edwardian classical style, featuring red-brick walls, granite dressings around windows and doors, and ornate ironwork on balconies. It is one of the first buildings in Hong Kong to have been built with a steel frame and concealed in-wall electrical wiring.