Established in 1862 on Gough Street, Central School (also known as the Government Central School in The Hong Kong Government Gazette) was the first government school to provide Western education to Chinese boys in Hong Kong. In 1889, the school was relocated to the site at the junction of Aberdeen Street and Hollywood Road and was renamed Victoria College. In 1894, the school changed its name, once again, to Queen's College.
In the school’s early years, renowned British educator Dr Frederick Stewart was appointed as headmaster. During his tenure, the school established equal emphasis on Chinese and Western knowledge. Students were required to study the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as, English and mathematics, resulting in the first group of elites who could master Chinese and English and served the country with their cross-cultural experience. Prior to the establishment of The University of Hong Kong, Queen's College had a prestigious status and was hailed in Chinese as Da Shu Yuan or Da Shu Guan, meaning “Grand Academy” or “Grand College”.
During that time, Central School attracted many elite students from Hong Kong and the Mainland. Making use of their bilingual ability and cross-cultural experience, the graduates joined the railway, translation and newspaper industries, or foreign trading companies as compradors, thus contributing immensely to China's modernisation. Among its graduates, many emerged as prominent figures in the late Qing revolutions, including Dr Sun Yat-sen and, a founding figure of the revolution, Liao Zhong-kai. Dr Sun Yat-sen enrolled in Central School in 1884 and is believed to have witnessed the foundation ceremony of the Hollywood Road campus. Liao Zhong-kai joined Tong Meng Hui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) in 1905 and followed Dr Sun in his revolutionary cause. Tse Tsan-tai, a graduate of the school, was the co-founder of the early revolutionary organisation Foo Yan Man Ser (Chinese Patriotic Mutual Improvement Association).
During the Japanese Invasion, some graduates of Queen’s College joined Hong Kong and Kowloon Brigade of the East River Guerrillas. Among them, Raymond Chok-mui Wong, graduate of 1935, was actively involved in the intelligence work of Dongjiang Column and British Army Aid Group. After the war, he was the only member of the Communist Party of China to be made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). In 1949, he took office as the second president of Xinhua News Agency (Hong Kong Branch).
The Hollywood Road campus was severely damaged during the Japanese Occupation. After the war, it was torn down to make room for the Police Married Quarters. Between 2005 and 2007, the Antiquities and Monuments Office conducted archaeological investigations at the site and unearthed the remains of the school’s foundation, which is now open to the public.
Opening Hours of Underground Interpretation Area:
Monday to Sunday: 7am - 11pm
Address:
PMQ, No. 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong.
Enquiry Hotline:
(852) 2870 2335
After the Fall of Hong Kong in 1941, the Queen's College’s Hollywood Road campus was severely damaged. It was torn down shortly after the war to make room for the Police Married Quarters. In 1947, Queen's College resumed classes in a temporary school building at No. 26 Kennedy Road. In 1950, the college was allocated a plot of land at Queen’s Recreation Ground in Causeway Bay to construct a new campus for accommodating the needs of the students. The college was moved to its new campus on Causeway Road on 22 September 1950, where it remains to this day.
The new two-storey school building covered more than 8,000 square metres. The pavilion, which is said to have been a dressing room for Queen’s Recreation Ground was incorporated into the Queen's College campus. According to the historical records of Queen's College, physical education classes and the annual sports day were held in Queen’s Recreation Ground. In March 1950, the college held its last sports day in Queen’s Recreation Ground before it was redeveloped into the new campus of Queen's College and Royal Naval Sports Ground.
After being incorporated into the Queen’s College campus, the pavilion was used for various purposes, including as a Scout Den and activity room. It continues to be a testimony to the changes at the college over the decades and the college’s continual commitment and contribution to nurturing elites for the country.
Open Day:
Normally held in March or April each year. For details, please visit the official website of Queen's College: https://www.qc.edu.hk
Address:
No. 120 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
Enquiry:
(852) 2576 1992