Kowloon West Battery No. 2

Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui was formerly the Whitfield Road Military Camp. It was converted into a park in 1970. Only four barracks and the No. 2 Battery in the picture are retained in the park. Perhaps the former Urban Council was too enthusiastic about providing recreational facilities for the public and had no concept of preserving historical sites. Unfortunately, the fort was "revitalized" into a children's playground in 1989. Pink plaster was spread on the concrete surface of the three gun mounts, the platform was raised, and railings, seats, stone steps and protruding street lights were added. Three guns were also moved from somewhere and placed on the incongruous concrete gun mounts, which irreversibly ruined a Grade I historical building! It is not surprising that the Urban Council members do not understand cultural heritage conservation, but the Antiquities and Monuments Office, which was established in 1976, should have provided professional advice. I really don’t know what it was doing back then. Similarly, part of the remains of the Devil's Hill Fort were demolished to allow the District Council to build climbing stairs, and one of the gun mounts on Mount Davis was converted into a water tank. This shows how serious a government's attitude towards heritage conservation is! There are also bunkers and ammunition depots hidden underground in Kowloon West Battery No. 2, which have never been opened and it is unknown whether they have been permanently sealed. But because of this, it may be the best preserved part. If it could be reopened to the public after adequate repairs, perhaps it could be a form of atonement. #8月vlog #localtourism #goodplacesinhongkong #goodplacesouthofthecountry #goodplacesforparents