Antiquities Advisory Board and
Antiquities and Monuments Office

The Antiquities Advisory Board has 17 appointed members. They include
anthropologists, archaeologists, architects, curators, historians and
planners. It advises the government on sites and structures which merit
protection through declaration as monuments.

With the sponsorship of the Hong Kong Tourist Association, the AMO
participated in the Hong Kong Exposition in Beijing, which was organised
by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council of the
People's Republic of China and the Xinhua News Agency - Hong Kong
Branch. A small display on the heritage conservation work in Hong Kong
was staged. The exposition was held in March and attracted many
visitors.

Two historical buildings, Lo Wai walled village and Tang Chung Ling
Ancestral Hall in Fanling, were declared as monuments in 1997.

Lo Wai, built on a small hill and enclosed by brick walls on four sides,
was the first walled village established by the Tang clan of Lung Yeuk
Tau, Fanling. Ten other villages were subsequently established in the
same area. Together, they are commonly known as Five Wais and Six
Tsuens.

Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall is one of the largest ancestral halls in
Hong Kong and has served its clansmen for about 470 years. It is a
three-hall building with two spacious internal courtyards. The whole
building is exquisitely decorated with fine wood carvings, polychrome
plaster mouldings and murals of auspicious Chinese motifs.

Restorations and repairs were undertaken at various historical sites
including Lo Wai, Cheung Shan Kwu Tsz, Tang Ching Lok Ancestral Hall
and Tai Po Man Mo Temple.

The Antiquities Advisory Board also examined and graded pre-war
Chinese temples and monasteries in Tuen Mun; the military structures on
Stonecutters Island; the former Victoria Barracks; the former Whitfield
Barracks and the MacIntosh Forts according to their historical
significance and architectural merit.

An overseas consultant was commissioned in 1997 to inspect all the
declared monuments and to draw up a schedule of maintenance for the
buildings. The consultancy tendered useful advice and recommendations
to the Antiquities Authority on the maintenance of monuments.

A historical buildings survey continued in 1997. So far, about one-third of
Hong Kong has been surveyed with about 2 000 unrecorded items of
historic interest identified. The survey is expected to be completed by late
1998. All the information and data collected will be computerised to
facilitate future research.

It proved to be a very busy year for local archaeologists. With the
assistance of contract archaeologists and enthusiastic volunteers, eight
rescue excavations were conducted by the AMO. A large-scale rescue
excavation was conducted from late March to mid-June at three small
house sites at Lung Kwu Tan, Tuen Mun. A total area of 300 square
metres was excavated and a late-Neolithic cultural layer of about 2000 BC
was encountered one metre below ground surface. The most spectacular
finding of this excavation was a series of 13 post-holes, suggesting that
the local Neolithic folk lived in stilted houses along the coast.

In June and July, the AMO conducted a rescue excavation at Siu Lam,
Tuen Mun, which was necessitated by the Castle Peak Road Extension
Project. A systematic field assessment was followed by the excavation of
two large areas. A complete Tang dynasty kiln structure together with
several pieces of green glazed ceramic sherds were found in one area,
while stone features believed to relate to pottery clay preparation were
uncovered in another area. Specialists now debate over whether the kiln
was meant for ceramic or lime production.

From late June to mid-November, the AMO conducted a large-scale
rescue excavation at the northern sandbar of Tung Wan Tsai on Ma
Wan, site of a large-scale residential development by the Sun Hung Kai
Properties Ltd. With a generous donation from the developer, the AMO
invited a team of professional archaeologists from the renowned Institute
of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in Beijing to
participate in this rescue operation as a joint field study programme. A
total of 20 late Neolithic burials, with skeleton and burial objects such as
pottery, stone rings, bone and shell decorations, were discovered, proving
that Tung Wan Tsai is a unique burial ground for Neolithic people of
4 000 years ago. This important discovery is a breakthrough in local
archaeology and will shed light on the livelihood of Hong Kong's early
settlers.

Local, Chinese and overseas archaeologists and institutions were
commissioned to undertake surveys of assigned areas throughout Hong
Kong with a view to compiling and updating a comprehensive,
computerised inventory on archaeological sites. The survey was expected
to be completed in 1998.

After relocation of the professional staff of the AMO to the head office of
the Broadcasting, Culture and Sport Bureau in Wan Chai in February, the
historical building of the former Kowloon British School at 136 Nathan
Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, was converted into a temporary Heritage
Resource Centre. The building will undergo major upgrading in 1998 to
improve services to the public.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Antiquities and
Monuments Ordinance and the establishment of the Antiquities Advisory
Board, the AMO organised the Year of Heritage project jointly with the
Board and the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust. The latter sponsored most of
the funding.

Events including exhibitions, lectures, heritage tours and archaeological
workshops were organised throughout the year to promote public
awareness of the importance of heritage conservation. Highlights included
a grand opening ceremony in Chater Garden on February 21; a Heritage
Day at Lung Yeuk Tau, Fanling, at which members of the public were
able to enjoy the unique past of a historic rural area through tours of
historic villages, a Cantonese opera performance, lion dance and a basin
meal on March 9; and four heritage concerts held at the former Kowloon
British School, the former Yamen Buildings in the Kowloon Walled City
Park and the Tung Chung Fort respectively. An international conference
on heritage and education was held at the Hong Kong Convention and
Exhibition Centre from December 17 to 18. Professionals and scholars
from different countries addressed the educational aspect of heritage
conservation. To mark the closing of the Year of Heritage, a closing
ceremony and dinner took place at Government House on December 19.

Three exhibitions were staged at the Heritage Resource Centre throughout
the Year of Heritage. The exhibition Hong Kong's Declared Monuments
included 64 declared monuments and relics excavated from archaeological
sites. The second exhibition Hong Kong's Heritage - A History of 6 000
Years introduced the very rich relics of Hong Kong from different
historical periods with an emphasis on archaeological finds and historical
buildings. To complement the international conference, an exhibition
entitled 'Heritage Education in Hong Kong' was also presented at the
Heritage Resource Centre.

With the sponsorship of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the
Central and Western Heritage Trail, the first of its kind in an urban area
was established in phases to present the early development of Hong Kong.
The first phase, covering the Central District, was launched in October as
a major Year of Heritage event. The other phases will cover Sheung
Wan, Western District and the Peak.

The AMO organised seminars and workshops on local heritage and
school curricula of History, Travel and Tourism and General Studies for
teachers of primary and secondary schools. It also encouraged young
people to participate in archaeological workshops, field studies, lectures,
environment improvement exercises at historic sites and processing of
archaeological finds. The AMO helped the Sha Tin District Board in
publishing a booklet introducing the history, monuments and traditions of
the Sha Tin district.

To promote the community's commitment in heritage conservation work,
the AMO set up a Friends of Heritage scheme to organise heritage lovers
who were prepared to undertake voluntary work for the office.

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