Episode 11: Old Central Police Station

The Old Police Station on Hollywood road is another monument to colonial times in Hong Kong. In 1841, the magistrate’s office was moved here and later it included a police station as well as a prison. The oldest surviving structure of this complex is a three-storey barrack block. Other blocks were added in 1905, 1910 and 1925. The headquarters, a beautiful granite building executed in the Greek-revival style facing Hollywood Road, was constructed in 1919. Because of the large number of migrants from mainland China, the number of police stations and policemen also increased. The need to control newcomers led to the construction of other police headquarters after WWII and so the importance of this one declined. Up until recently, this building was more or less abandoned, but now the site is undergoing a "revitalisation project" in order to turn the former police station into a centre for arts and leisure.
Photo Barrack Block Central Police Station 201012 by Tksteven is licensed under CC BY 3.0