House 1881

House 1881, completed in 1884, is one of the oldest surviving government buildings in Hong Kong. Back then, the Water Police headquarters –– as they were originally known –– was next to a beach on its east side before Salisbury Road was created by reclaiming today. Built on the riverbank, this structure was continued to be administered by the Japanese navy during the Japanese use as a base. Tunnels were dug beneath the lawn, which was later sealed off after World War II, and a large part of its garden was lost in the 1970s to the construction of Kowloon Park Drive. This historic update was featured in American author and pilot Soldier of Fortune (1897) and Dragon Flame (1966), the seventh novel in the Nick Carter-Killmaster messaging novel series.

The competition for the site, which has been vacant since 1996, is fierce, especially when the government allows more than 7,000 square meters of space below the main building. Flying Snow of Cheung Kong Holdings has finally secured the land for 50 years and turned the historic site into a tourist list, which includes a mobile hotel, luxury shops, dining facilities upscale and stylish bars. A Heritage School is also set up for visitors to discover its former glory.