Murray House in Hong Kong

　　Murray House (English: Murray House) is a Victorian-era building in Hong Kong. It was originally located on Hong Kong Island in Central but was later relocated to Stanley. Currently, its floors are mainly used as dining establishments. In 2005, the Housing Authority sold off its properties to raise funds and handed over management to The Link REIT.

　　History

　　The Murray House on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island was built in 1844 as part of the Murray Barracks and was primarily used as a military barracks for the British garrison in Hong Kong. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, Murray House was used as the headquarters of the Kempeitai (Japanese military police) and contained multiple prisoner cells and served as an execution ground, where it is reported that over 4,000 people were killed, making it the building with the highest number of deaths outside of hospitals. After World War II, Murray House was used as offices by various Hong Kong government departments. From 1975 to 1982, it served as the headquarters of the Rating and Valuation Department.

　　In 1982, due to the construction of the Bank of China Tower in Central, Murray House had to be demolished. Due to its historical value, the Hong Kong government decided to preserve the building intact and relocate it elsewhere. Over 3,000 architectural elements were carefully documented and stored.

　　In 1990, the Housing Authority decided to move Murray House to Stanley. The entire building was reinstalled in 1998 and reopened in 1999.

　　Architectural Features

　　The building is one of the few remaining ancient European-style Victorian structures in Hong Kong and is also a Grade I historic building in Hong Kong. The three-story Murray House is mainly constructed from massive granite and combines both Eastern and Western architectural features. It has a traditional Chinese tiled sloping roof as well as classical European-style round stone columns. Coupled with Hong Kong’s unique historical background, it has a very distinctive character.

　　Transportation Guide

　　Location: Stanley Main Street, Southern District, Hong Kong

　　Getting There: Take bus routes 6, 6A, or 260 from Exchange Square Bus Terminus in Central and alight at Stanley Bus Terminus