The Story of Hong Kong Coastal Defence

"The Story of Hong Kong Coastal Defence" The permanent exhibition, housed in the Lyemun Redoubt on the hilltop, is made up of 11 thematic galleries converted from casemates to showcase the changes in Hong Kong's coastal defence and military affairs since the Tang Dynasty, as well as the history of Hong Kong's resistance against Japanese aggression. Diverse exhibits are displayed with textual and graphic illustrations, enriched by multi-media programmes. It is hoped that visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the history of coastal defence in Hong Kong. To build the Redoubt, the British Royal Engineers first dug up an area of 7,000 square meters at the summit of the Lyemun headland. They constructed 14 casemates to function as barrack rooms, an ammunition store, a coal store, a cook house, and so forth. The structures were then concealed by earth. The construction was largely completed by 1887. There was an open courtyard in the centre of the Redoubt for assemblies. The Redoubt was armed with two 6-inch breech- loading disappearing guns and was surrounded by a ditch to provide a barrier. The Redoubt Battery and the other batteries nearby covered the Lyemun Channel. In the 1890s, on the shore of the Lyemun headland, the British installed a station for Brennan Torpedoes which were considered to be the world's most advanced underwater weapon. Lyemun was an important battlefield during the Battle for Hong Kong in 1941. After the defending troops retreated to Hong Kong Island from Devil's Peak in Kowloon on 13 December, Japanese troops used Devil's Peak as an observation post for bombarding British fortifications on Hong Kong Island in the following days. The battle across Lyemun Pass continued for a few days. On the night of the 18 December, Japanese troops landed at three points at Lyemun, on Hong Kong Island. Owing to the disparity of strength between the two sides, Lyemun Fort, Lyemun Barracks, and the Sai Wan Battery, fell into Japanese hands within five hours. Lyemun Fort was no longer strategically important after the war. British Forces continued to use it as a training ground until 1987, when it was finally vacated, and the site was returned to the Government. In view of its historical significance and unique architectural features, in 1993, the former Urban Council decided to conserve and develop Lyemun Fort into a museum of coastal defence. The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence (HKM was opened to the public on 25 July 2000