Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Services have been held at this Anglican cathedral since it opened in 1849, with the excep-
tion of 1944, when the Japanese army used it as a social club. It suffered heavy damage dur-
ing WWII, and the front doors were subsequently remade using timber salvaged from HMS
Tamar
, a British warship that guarded Victoria Harbour. You walk on sacred ground in more
ways than one here: it is the only piece of freehold land in Hong Kong. Enter from Battery
Path.
HISTORIC BUILDING
HELENA MAY
The Helena May was opened in 1916 by the wife of a governor as a social club for working,
single European women, for whom the colony had little to offer by way of 'respectable' en-
tertainment like ballet lessons and tea parties. The colonial building with features of the Pal-
ladian and beaux-arts styles was used to stable horses during the Japanese Occupation.
every two months on a Saturday (10am to noon; see the website for dates). Reservations are
compulsory and accepted a month in advance.
HISTORIC BUILDING
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
G)
Parts of this erstwhile official residence of the chief executive of Hong Kong, and previ-
ously the colonial governors, date back to 1855. Other features were added by the Japanese,
who used it as military headquarters during the occupation of Hong Kong in WWII. It's
open to the public three or four times a year, notably one Sunday in March, when the azaleas
in the gardens are in full bloom.
PARK
HONG KONG ZOOLOGICAL & BOTANICAL GARDENS
greenhouse 9am-4.30pm; ; 3B, 12)
Built in the Victorian era, this garden has a welcoming collection of fountains, sculptures
and greenhouses, plus a zoo and some fabulous aviaries. Along with exotic vegetation, some
160 species of bird reside here. The zoo is surprisingly comprehensive, and is also one of
the world's leading centres for the captive breeding of endangered species. Albany Rd di-
vides the gardens, with the plants and aviaries to the east, close to Garden Rd, and most of
the animals to the west.
