On your right, you can see the main entrance to Government House. You will be unable to take a detailed look at it from the road, so we encourage you to go through the gate and draw closer to the building itself.Government house is yet another landmark left by the British colonists; it was constructed in 1855, only a few years after Hong Kong became a British colony.The main building is built in an elegant, neo-classical Georgian style, yet it has certain colonial elements that just add to its ambiance. Twenty-five out the 28 colonial governors took up residence in this beautiful house and every one of them performed certain redecorations and renovations. The major one took place around 1890 when an annex was added to the main building. Another substantial change happened during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, when the house was the residence of the Japanese Military Governor, so he decided to make some changes, and the central tower was added to the whole complex, so now Government house is a peculiar blend of Western and Eastern architectural and design traditions. Every year, the house opens its doors for a day, so everyone can enjoy the beautiful decorations and design solutions in the interior. The locals state that it has become a touristic attraction for mainlanders and so it becomes increasingly crowded every year. Anyway, even if you are not here on the open day, you can just enjoy the beautiful front lawn and back garden of Government House. Then, please go back to the road, so that we can continue the tour from there.
Photo HK Government House 2005 by [2] is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0