HONG KONG

Former Lai Chi Kok Hospital / Jao Tsung I Academy

The entrance of this compound is very hard to miss, as you are climbing the mountain on a car. The Former Lai Chi Kok Hospital, or the Jao Tsung-I Academy, was built on a hillside between 1921 to 1924, and is composed of clusters of single and double storey rectangular pitch-roof brick structures. The compound has taken on many different roles in Hong Kong’s society - it had been a seaside customs area at the end of the 19th century before the start of land reclamation in surrounding areas, with part of it was transformed into a living quarters for Chinese labourers. Then it served as a quarantine hospital, a prison, an infectious disease hospital and a psychiatric rehabilitation centre. The site represents Hong Kong’s changes in the social and medical landscape, and right now, it also represents Hong Kong’s cultural landscape.

The compound was named after Jao Tsung I, who was a intelligent scholar who devoted his whole life to pursuit an excellence in the world of arts and academics, hence he is renowned in China for his academic and artistic achievements. He explored many different areas of the arts - his poetry, contemporary, but still adhering to traditional schematic rules; his paintings, vibrant, which symbolises his free spirit in life; his calligraphy, unique, not compliant to any sort of previous styles. His works blend classical traditions with innovation, which makes his work stand out. 

There are many galleries in the little houses that display his artwork, as well as many different artists of similar style and calibre. You may even see some students and campers who live in the hostel at the top of mountain who deliberately came here to respect the culture and heritage of the arts in Hong Kong. If you are hungry, you can always stop by the restaurant in the middle of the complex that serves traditional Cantonese food. The most interesting thing about this restaurant is that all the workers are senior citizens. The owner set up this restaurant to encourage elderly employment throughout Hong Kong, which is a very important issue that should be addressed. This site is definitely worth the trip there!