Lower Pak Nai Fort

Lower Pak Nai Fort

The fort located at 55 Lower Pak Nai, Yuen Long, Hong Kong, was built around 1910 and is the only remaining historical building in Hong Kong related to the history of the Xinhai Revolution. Due to its significant historical value and close ties to the Xinhai Revolution and the activities of the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance in Hong Kong, the fort was designated as a Grade I historic building in 2000. On February 23, 2011, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution, the Antiquities Advisory Board approved its designation as a statutory monument of Hong Kong.

Overlooking Deep Bay and Shenzhen from 55 Lower Pak Nai, Yuen Long, the site’s strategic location made it an ideal base for revolutionary activities. Around 1910, following the failure of the New Army Uprising in Guangzhou, revolutionaries established a hideout there, camouflaged as a rice mill and a sugar refinery. The fort was also used to monitor areas across Deep Bay that were under Qing dynasty control. The fort was built by Mr. Tang Yam-nam, a key member of the Revive China Society, on land that was primarily owned by Mr. Li Gaitang, the son of wealthy merchant Li Shing, who joined the Revive China Society in 1900.

Architecturally, Lower Pak Nai Fort is a utilitarian structure primarily designed for surveillance. The two-story rectangular building is constructed from blue bricks. There is a [gap] between the first floor and the roof, and the rooftop features a protruding staircase structure. Gun loopholes can still be seen on the exterior walls at various heights. The interior rooms are simply designed, with mortar flooring. For defensive purposes, the fort has tapered, inward-facing windows that provide a wider field of vision from inside.

Fortified Structure at No. 55 Ha Pak Nai

Must-visit reason: The only historical building in Hong Kong related to the Xinhai Revolution