Located at the junction of Bonham Road and Western Street, King's College was completed in 1926 and was officially opened in 1928. Being one of few existing pre-war government schools in Hong Kong, the school premises remain in use today. The college is rooted in the Western District on Hong Kong Island. It was formerly the Saiyingpun School, established by the government in 1879 on Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, before it was relocated to Pok Fu Lam Road.

At the time of the college’s completion in 1926, the Hong Kong Government Administrative Report described it as “one of the finest and most modern of school buildings; it contains 29 Classrooms, Staff and Common Rooms...a Museum and Library, an Art Room, Physics and Chemistry Laboratories...Gymnasium, Covered Playground, Fire Fighting appliances....”.

During the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941, King's College, with St. John Ambulance equipment introduced by its first headmaster, Alfred J. Morris, was presumably used as a first-aid station to support the resistance efforts. The college was severely damaged during the war and required extensive repairs.

The restoration began in 1950. Owing to a shortage of school buildings in Hong Kong, despite the completion of the first phase restoration and expansion works in 1953, King’s College had to share the school premises with Grantham Training College, Li Sing Primary School, an affiliate school of Northcote Training College and Queen Elizabeth School. The college was an important venue for the post-war recovery of education in Hong Kong. In 1960, the final phase of expansion was completed, and King's College operated on a whole-day basis for the first time since the end of the war.

Since its establishment, King's College has nurtured many talented individuals. Notable graduates include Professor Lau Din-cheuk, a world-renowned scholar of Confucian classics, who was awarded a scholarship to study in the Department of Chinese of The University of Hong Kong in 1938. He furthered his studies in Britain and held a teaching position in School of Oriental and African Studies at University of London. The Chinese classics he translated into English include The Analects, Mencius and Laozi. The translated works are must-read books for foreign scholars studying Chinese philosophy. In 1978, Professor Lau returned to Hong Kong to teach in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Professor Jin Ying-xi was a classmate of Professor Lau Din-cheuk. Deeply influenced by the spirit of academic pursuit of Professor Hsu Ti-shan and Professor Chen Yin-ke, he contributed immensely to the history of China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. He subsequently taught at Sun Yat-sen University and took office as deputy director of Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences in 1979.

Open Day:
Normally held in March each year. For details, please visit the official website of King’s College: https://www.kings.edu.hk

Address:
No. 63A Bonham Road, Mid-levels, Hong Kong.

Enquiry:
(852) 2547 0310