Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village

Entrance of Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village
Lei Yue Mun Public Riding School

Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village used to be Lyemun Barracks, barracks for the British Soldiers stationed in Hong Kong. It is located in the east of Shau Kei Wan, facing Lei Yue Mun, with an area of 22.97 Hectares. This is the only Holiday Village in the urban districts of Hong Kong (Hong Kong Island and Kowloon).

History

Lyemun Barracks was named after the fishing village of Lei Yue Mun. During the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945), the Barracks fell into the hands of the Japanese.

At 18th December, 1941, at 3:00am, a troop of Japanese soldiers, in a car, broke through the fence, using bombs and killed the British Guards. The rest of the soldiers, around 100 British soldiers, were locked in a cannon loading room, until 9:30pm, the Japanese ordered the soldiers to get out, and shot all of the soldiers, two Chinese-British soldiers survived by hiding under the corpses, escaping successfully.

The Barracks housed the Depot and Record Office of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps between 1948 and 1985. The Barracks were handed over to the Government in 1986 and were subsequently converted into the Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village.[1]

The whole former barracks compound is graded as Grade I historic building because of its historic significance. The buildings of the compound are graded as Grade I and II historic buildings separately, however.[2]

After the Lyemun Barracks were left disabled and were handed over to the Government, the Southern Part was converted into the Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village, while the Northern Part was left unused and lost until it was converted into the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence in 2000.

Buildings

The Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village have a total of 4 family hostels and 2 group hostels, all provided with balconies, bedrooms, and lavatories with showering facilities, it can contain the living of 282 people.

The buildings were located across hillsides, with passageways linking them. And even though the Lyemun Barracks were converted into Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village, there are still some buildings that were left deactivated and unused. An example would be Block 08, which is located behind Block 07 (The Coffee Corner).The area was listed as prohibited to enter as well. (although tourists could open the unlocked gate and reach Block 08 via the gutter).

Another example would be Block 03, which is located diagonally from Block 04 (The Canteen). It was left unused and deactivated, and the area was listed as prohibited as well. Tourists must risk climbing a nearby stone slope, and over the iron wire mesh to enter. However, it is now confirmed that Block 03 will be converted into a quarantine facility, with the function to prevent epidemics from spreading in case of an outbreak.

Buildings in the holiday village have numbers printed on them to indicate which block they are, though some of these numbers may be difficult to spot. These numbers have been printed on them long ago, during their days as part of the Lyemun Barracks. Some buildings however, have stripped off and removed these numbers, and that makes it a little more difficult to identify them.

There's a road right next to the Lei Yue Mun Public Riding School, with a locked gate preventing tourists from entering. According to the map, the road continues to stretch towards the coast, and crosses the Island Eastern Corridor as a bridge. Along the road are Blocks 01, 39, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46, which were left isolated and lost from the Holiday Village.

Lyemun Barracks Block 01

The isolated Block 01 of the ex-Lyemun Barracks

Block 01 has a green appearance, and is now isolated and left deactivated, with glass pieces and concrete scattered across the remains. According to a 'Ladies Changing Room' sign we have discovered, and what seems to be a dried up pool right beside Block 01, it is likely that Block 01 was formerly used as a Changing Room for swimming. Hence, it is very likely that Block 01 was mainly used as a Changing Room for soldiers to prepare for swimming workouts. Inside, there also seems to be a small room, used for showering purposes, and large pipes that have gone rusty.

Facilities

It has transformed into a park/holiday village, with facilities such as rope courses, a horse-riding school (with a very steep hiking/hacking route up the nearby hillsides), tennis courts, basketball courts, football pitches, as well as many indoor games. The barracks that used to be for soldiers have been transformed into small living quarters for the holiday village.

The riding school has a large and a small paddock. it has about 30 stalls to accommodate about 30 horses and also a hacking route with spectacular views.[3]

PR158 Showtown

Horses and ponies currently in lymprs include:

Retired Racehorses:

Structures and historic buildings

The whole compound was graded as Grade I historic buildings; the historic buildings were graded separately.

The following are all structures of the former Lyemun Barracks, with some of them being Historic Buildings.[1]

Note: Block 01 is extremely difficult to reach, it is strongly recommended that you DO NOT attempt to go there.

Block Built[2] Historic Grade[2] Current Status Number Location Notes Photographs
Block 01 N/A Isolated Front, on one of the poles Isolated from the Holiday Village. Formerly used as a Changing Room for soldiers before going on swimming workouts in a pool next to Block 01.
Block 02 N/A In Use Removed Now used as the Administration block for the Lei Yue Mun Public Riding School.
Block 03 Built in 1939 Grade II Deactivated Formerly Top Left, Currently Removed Formerly used as the Barrack Room Office or Store. It was intended to be left unused, but Block 03 is now confirmed to be converted into a quarantine facility. The conversion will begin in late-2017 and is expected to end in late-2019.
Block 04 N/A In Use Removed The main building is now used as the Canteen for the Holiday Village, while providing 4 Activity Rooms as well (4A, 4B, 4C, 4D).
Block 05 Built between 1920 and 1939 Grade II In Use Front, Top Center (Shown in Photograph) Former Gymnasium of the Barracks; converted to the Indoors Games Halls and Leisure Centers of the Holiday Village. Some people hold their weddings here due to its elegant appearance.
Block 06 N/A In Use Side, Top Center (Shown in Photograph) Now used as the Orchid House of the Holiday Village.
Block 6A N/A In Use Front, Top Center Now used as the African Violet House of the Holiday Village
Block 07 Built in 1890 Grade I In Use Side, Top Center (Shown in Photograph) Formerly used as the "HKMSC Training Complex" of the Barracks, converted to the Coffee Corner of the Holiday Village.

(As of now, Block 07 is under renovation.)

Block 08 N/A Deactivated Side, Top Center (Shown in Photograph) Located beside Block 07, now deactivated and unused.
Block 09 N/A In Use Front, Top Center

(Shown in Photograph)

 Now used as the Children Play House of the Holiday Village.
Block 10 Built between 1890 and 1910 Grade I In Use Front, Top Center

(Shown in Bottom Photograph)

 Now used as the main Indoor Recreation Center of the Holiday Village.
Block 11 N/A In Use Front, Top

(Shown in Photograph)

 Now used as a Storage House for barbecue equipment.
Block 12 N/A In Use Behind, Top

(Shown in Photograph)

 Now used as a Storage House for barbecue equipment.
Block 13 N/A In Use Front, Top

(Shown in Photograph)

 Now used as a Lavatory of the Holiday Village.
Block 15 N/A In Use Removed Now used as an Activity Room of the Holiday Village.
Block 16 N/A In Use Front, Top (Shown in Photograph) Now used as a Storage Room.
Block 17 Built in the early 1900s Grade II In Use Front, beside entrance Formerly used as "Junior Ranks Club", now used as an Activity Room of the Holiday Village.
Block 17A N/A In Use Front, Middle

(Shown in Photograph)

 Now used as a Storage Room.
Block 18 Built between 1890 and 1895 Grade I In Use Side, Top (Shown in Bottom Photograph) Converted to an Indoors Recreation Center of the Holiday Village.
Block 20 Built between 1890 and 1895 Grade I In Use Side, Top

(Shown in Photograph)

 Converted to the Entertainment Center of the Holiday Village.
Block 21 Built between 1890 and 1895 Grade I In Use Side, Top (Shown in Photograph) Formerly used as H.K.M.S.C. Headquarters. Converted to the Office of the Holiday Village.
Block 22 N/A In Use Front Right Now used as a Lavatory of the Holiday Village.
Block 23 N/A In Use Removed Now used as a Flowering Garden of the Holiday Village.
Block 25 Built between 1884 and 1890 Grade I In Use Center RIght (Shown in bottom

Photograph)

 Formerly used as Officers' Mess of the Barracks, converted to be a hostel of the Holiday Village.
Block 25A N/A In Use Removed (Replaced with sign) Now used as a hostel of the Holiday Village.
Block 26 N/A In Use Right Side (Shown in Photograph) Now used as a Activity Room of the Holiday Village
Block 28 N/A In Use Front Right (Shown in Photograph) Now used as a Squash Court Room of the Holiday Village
Block 29 N/A In Use Right Side (Shown in Photograph) Now used as a Storage Room.
Block 30 Built in 1936 Grade I In Use Side, Top Center (Shown in Photograph) "Masefield Block". Now used as a hostel of the Holiday Village.
Block 31 Built in 1907 Grade I In Use Removed, presumably

under the words

"Shakespeare"

 "Shakespeare Block". Now used as a hostel of the Holiday Village.
Block 32 Built in 1909 Grade I In Use Side, Top,

Under the words "Tennyson"

(Shown in Photograph)

 "Tennyson Block". Now used as a hostel of the Holiday Village.
Block 33 Built in 1938 Grade II In Use Removed "Milton Block". Now used as the Staff Quarters of the Holiday Village.
Block 34 Built in 1936 Grade II In Use Removed, presumably under the words "Wordsworth" "Wordsworth Block". Now used as a hostel of the Holiday Village.
Block 35 N/A In Use Removed (Replaced with Sign) Now used as an Activity Room of the Holiday Village
Block 48 N/A In Use Front Top (Shown in Photograph) Now used as a Storage Room.
Block 49 N/A In Use Beside Entrance (Shown in Photograph) Now used as a Snooker Room of the Holiday Village.
Block 50 N/A In Use Left Side (Shown in Photograph) Now used as a Storage Room.

References

  1. 1 2 The Geographical Information System on Hong Kong Heritage
  2. 1 2 3 List of the 1,444 Historic Buildings in Building Assessment (as of 27 December 2013)
  3. ↑ Lei Yue Mun Public Riding School

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