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Queen's Pier at night
'Queen's Pier' (), named after Queen Victoria, is a public ceremonial pier in front of City Hall in Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong.
"Queen's Pier" has been witness to the official arrival in Hong Kong of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Charles and Diana, and all of Hong Kong's Governors since and including Cecil Clementi.
History
It was originally named "Statue Pier", but was officially renamed "Queen's Pier" in honour of Queen Victoria on July 31, 1924. Although its Chinese name is a mistranslation of "Queen", meaning queen consort instead of queen regnant, it has never been changed to reflect its proper dedication.
The Pier was a ceremonial landing area for the British Royal Family visiting Hong Kong, and for successive Governors to assert their authority on arrival. The first Governor to land there was Cecil Clementi, in November of 1925. The preceding Governor, Reginald Stubbs, boarded the "Victoria" from the Pier at the end of his term on October 31, 1925.
1925 Pier
Full length of Queen's Pier, c.1930
Queen's Pier (1925) was a sheltered pier made of concrete and steel, with round pillars and arches. It was built on the waterfront at Pedder Street on the site of the present Mandarin Oriental Hotel[1] at a cost of HKD20,000[2].
The 1925 pier was intended to be opened in time for the arrival of Edward Albert of Windsor, the Prince of Wales, but construction delays made this impossible. It was completed ''ca''. October 1925.
It was demolished in ''ca''. January 1955.
1954 Pier
Due to post war reclamation, work commenced in February 1954 on a new pier on the new waterfront. The pier was opened by Maurine Grantham, wife of Governor Alexander Grantham on June 28, 1954.[3]
Design
The development of the City Hall and Edinburgh Place were ongoing at the time. Due to the ceremonial function of the cluster, the pier was considered "an integral part" of the development, with the entrance to the City Hall forming an axis with the Pier to lend a sense of occasion to visiting dignatories. The secondary design goal was to maximise public access to the very limited open space in Central in contrast with the city bustle.[4]
The pier was designed in a modern utilitarian style. The structure is described as a U-shaped plan, with an open-sided superstructure. It consists of tiled reinforced concrete base and pillars, and was modelled after previous piers in the area. Its flat roof was also made of concrete, topped with bitumen waterproofing. Five sets of stairs allow boat passengers to board and disembark, three are located on the north side, one on the east and one on the west.
Function
The pier's primary rôle was ceremonial, being the traditional landing place of British monarchs and successive Governors. Governors would arrive at Central on board the official Governor's yacht, land at Queen's Pier. From the 1960s, Governors would inspect the Guard of Honour at Edinburgh Place, followed by the official swearing-in at the City Hall.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially landed there on May 4, 1975 on her first visit to Hong Kong (after landing by plane at Kai Tak Airport)[5], Charles and Diana landed there in November 1989.
The pier's secondary rôle was as a public pier, where pleasure craft were allowed to dock. Tour boats offering a view of the Kowloon side of the harbour use the pier for passenger boarding. Up to 1978, it was the winning line for the annual cross-harbour swimming race. As the ceremonies declined, the pier's secondary purpose became the main one: People met and strolled in the area; some fished.
On April 26, 2007, the pier was officially closed in order to facilitate reclamation in Central[6].
The Pier's Future
From the outset, the fate of the pier has been intimately linked with the central reclamation project which was unveiled in 1989 but not explicitly spelled out as such. However, the scale of reclamations has only been slightly cut back following significant legal battles.
The Government's position
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At the end of January 2007, the government postponed the demolition of Queen's Pier until a consensus could be reached on the course of action. Consultations with the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers, and the Conservancy Association were held. The Institute of Architects, whose members opposed dismantling the pier, originally maintained the pier should remain untouched. However, it was reported that after meeting the government, the Institute and the Conservancy Association were persuaded by the government that the pier could first be dismantled, and then reassembled at another waterfront location after completion of the reclamation work. This change of heart was heavily criticised by Winston Chu, founder of the Society for Protection of the Harbour. The HKIA clarified that their opposition had not in fact changed.Press Statement: Approval of Funding for Dismantling and Reassembling Queen's Pier by LegCo Public Works Subcommittee at its Meeting held on 23 May 2007, Hong Kong Institute of Architects, June 7, 2007
Chief Executive Donald Tsang said that being overzealous in saving the past may hurt Hong Kong's competitiveness, and called on activists to take a more balanced view toward economic growth and conservation.
Soon after Tsang's re-election of as Chief Executive, on 26th March, the Government pressed ahead with plans to dismantle and move the entire pier, piece by piece, enabling the reclamation to go ahead[9].
The government believes the in-situ preservation, though it may appear viable on paper, would risk irreversible damage to the pier. Furthermore, it argues that important underground facilities such as the Airport Railway Extended Overrun Tunnel would be affected, saying a natural curvature of the track was required. "Setting aside the technical difficulties and the huge risk involved in the works, underpinning for the construction of the extended overrun tunnel would cost about HK$500 million and take more than two years to complete".
Appearing before a public forum at the pier on July 29, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor repeated the government's insistence that keeping the pier was not an option. She said that giving the people false hope was not what a responsible government would do.[10] Although Lam's solid performance in public debates was praised,[11] the Secretary for Development's conflict of interest as the head of the Antiquities Authority was criticised. Lam said the AAB did not have governmental authority, and that it had not suggested keeping the pier in its totality.
Dismantling and storing
At the end of July, 2007, the Development Bureau issued a paper for the Legislative Council's lands and works panel. Hoardings to be erected by the end of July, and the target for completing "preservation works" by November. It is suggested for the pier's pitched roof to be disassembled into halves and the 34 concrete columns will be cut at roof and deck level. The pieces will be labeled and then lifted by a crane barge and transported to the government's explosives depot in Lantau, where it will be stored under guard.[12]
The paper suggested that if it was to be reassembled in the same location, it could take as long as December 2012, as re-alignment of the proposed Road P2 would be involved.
Conservationists' position
Ron Phillips, original designer of the pier, backed preservation, saying that any loss of the City Hall and the adjacent open space would be "a disaster", and be something "future generations will come to regret".
In reaction to Donald Tsang to take a more "balanced" view, Christine Loh riposted: ""Heritage is economically, culturally and socially important, and the people get it, Mr Tsang does not."[13] Albert Lai, Chairman of the Hong Kong People's Council for Sustainable Development, drew attention to the Government's past priorities: the budgeted spending for infrastructure over the past three years of HK$90 billion contrasted poorly with HK$90 million spent on acquiring and renovating heritage sites.
Environmental groups angrily criticised the Government of technobabble, and for inflating the costs and technical difficulties of keeping the pier at the original site[14]. The plan for a 40 metre wide road, drawn up in the 1980s, was now "obsolete", and would make the waterfront "inaccessible to the public"[15]. The Hong Kong Institute of Architects denounced the government's insistence that dismantling and reassembling of the Pier is the only feasible option, in disregard of the Pier's "grade 1" status. Its statement also said that "After careful study and analysis of the technical information provided by the government through various meetings, we have found that all such technical difficulties are not irresolvable, and the government’s reasons for not revising the current infrastructural design are not at all convincing."
The Civic Party accused the Government of misleading the public. They studied the development plans for the North Island Line, and said it would be technically impossible to restore the pier before 2016.
Preservation campaign battlefronts
Public and media
In September 2004, legislator Law Chi-kwong took a swim in Victoria Harbour bearing a plaque saying "Goodbye to the Queen", to protest the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation, particularly the loss of Queen's Pier.[16]
Banners erected by protesters, tents on the rooftop
Soon after the unsuccessful attempt to save the Star Ferry pier in early 2007, a campaign to preserve the Pier ''in situ'' was launched. Ahead of the closure, members of the public, environmentalists, and some lawmakers arrived to tie blue ribbons to indicate their desire to preserve the Harbour. On April 22, about 100 protesters once again rallied at the Pier, launching farewell voyages in a last-ditch attempt to urge the Government to reconsider[17]. A petition of over 400 signatures from the Arts community was collected[18].
The hunger-strikers' encampment, day 3
An occupation of the pier was started by 10 activists on the designated closure date. The campaign was boosted by the appearance of Chow Yun-fat early on the morning of April 28, 2007, to sign the petition, and to appeal pre-emptively to the police not to hurt protesters[19].
A handful of protesters have continued to sit it out at the site. Some, like Chu Hoi-dick, have been involved in the Star Ferry pier protest. They take it in turns to maintain a round-the-clock presence at the Pier, hoping to preserve the public amenity[20]. Leung Chun-yiu, who works a full-time job yet spends 3 nights a week at the site, vows to block the demolition non-violently, in any way he can[21].
On July 27, three students, as part of a group called ' ''Local Action' started a hunger strike on the pier.[22] Hunger-striker Chan King-fai hopes his actions will draw attention to the importance of historical preservation, saying: "The government wasn't chosen by us. All we can do is to use our humble and limited voices." In response, the Government embarked on a communications offensive, announcing that Secretary for Development Carrie Lam would appear on RTHK's City's Forum and at a public forum on Sunday July 29 at the Pier.
On July 30, the Government ordered an end to the "unlawful occupation" of government land. Activists vowed to defy the order to quit the site by midnight; a candlelight vigil held at the pier was attended by 200 sympathisers. The Government did not risk a violent confrontation immediately on the expiry of the eviction deadline.[23]
In an operation which lasted ten hours during daylight hours on August 1, 2007, 300 Police officers cleared away the 30 or so protesters from the site, amid scuffles.[24] Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor complained that its observers were denied access the area during the eviction.[25]
In Legco
An application for HK$50 million to fund the dismantling and relocating of the Pier was scheduled to be debated by the Public Works sub-committee on May 9, 2007, the same day the Antiquities Advisory Board would hold a public hearing to decide on the historical grading of the pier. Government stressed the timing was "a coincidence", and steadfastly refused to defer the vote pending an outcome of the AAB vote.
On May 9, after an hour-long heated debate, the government was forced to withdraw its motionAntiquities backing to save Queen's Pier, Damon Pang, The Standard, May 10, 2007 due to the lack of support. Choy So-yuk, from the usually pro-Government DAB, called for the vote to be postponed, and the Liberal Party equally did not back the Government[26]. However, Government ministers declared that it had "no plans to list the pier as a declared monument", and insisted that there was "no direct relationship between the grading and whether we will demolish and relocate the pier". During the debate, the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services also said that even if the site was pronounced a first-class monument, there remained no legally binding prohibition against its demolition. Liberal Party Chairman James Tien said that, in failing to muster support to implement its policies, "the Government is like a crab with weak legs".
The government claimed that its handling of the issue had been "in line with pledges made by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen during his recent re-election campaign" to regain the moral high ground regarding heritage preservation, following the mistakes of the Star Ferry saga[27]. Civic Party legislative councillor Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung said that there was "no sincerity [from the government] to preserve historic venues".
The public works subcommittee approved the Government's re-submitted request for funds to dismantle and relocate Queen's Pier on May 23 in a 10-7 voteDiana Lee, Pier demolition cash bid gets nod, May 24, 2007. Choy So-yuk, who voted against the appropriation on May 9, abstained. She revealed that she had been lobbied by Michael Sun and Donald Tsang; party whips did not allow her to cast an opposing vote. The Hong Kong Institute of Architects said it "regretted the funding approval".
Antiquities Advisory Board grading vote
The Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) held a public hearing May 9, 2007, and Board members voted a 'Grade 1' listing for the pier by a majority. Twelve members voted for Grade 1 listing, and ten voted for Grade 2 listing. However, the status is not-binding on the Government unless the Government concedes Monument status[28].
After the hearing, an activist from protest group 'Local Action' declared the AAB's decision a victory for the people, and warned the government "not to treat the voice of the people lightly".
Legal challenge
As Lands Department officials arrived on July 30 to put up notices ordering an end to the "unlawful occupation" of government land, the activists filed for a judicial review,[29] claiming that Secretary for Home Affairs' decision not to declare the structure a monument was unreasonable and illegal.[30] On July 31, 2007, the High Court accepted the application, and set the date for the case to be heard on August 7.[31] Judge Johnson Lam said that the case about the future of Queen's Pier should be heard as there is great public interest in the outcome and thus a one-week respite for the site.
On August 10, Hong Kong's high court dismissed a plea by campaigners to save the pier, giving the go-ahead for the government to demolish it. Judge Lam said in his ruling that the applicants had failed to establish that the government had acted perversely.[32]
Popular culture
The pier is featured in following T.V. drama series:
★ My Date with a Vampire (Asia Television Limited)
★ Life Made Simple (Television Broadcasts Limited)
★ Glittering Days (Television Broadcasts Limited)
★ Sam Hui's song "Goodbye Bell" Music Video
See also
★ Central Police Station
★ Central Market
★ Yau Ma Tei Police Station
★ Lee Tung Street
References
1. Ship has sailed for another landmark
2. 工商日報，"Final stages of Central reclamation, new Queen's Pier gets a cover", February 12, 1954
3. Sara Z Al-Sudairy, Royal landing site valued by public, The Standard, August 02, 2007
4. Save Queen's Pier, says architect of City Hall complex Liz Heron
5. Raymond Yao, The Royal seal of stability, Far Eastern Economic Review, 16-May-1975
6. In Hong Kong, no looking back at Britain
7. New spot for pier at old location Winnie Chong
8. Harbor option for Queen's Pier Diana Lee
9. Pier preservation plan proposed, HK Government, March 26, 2007
10. Death knell on pier Una So
11. Death knell on pier Scarlett Chiang and Anson Douglas
12. Queen's Pier to be cut up and stored at month's end
13. Protect heritage and growth, urges Tsang Jonathan Cheng
14. Anger over plan to dismantle pier Audrey Parwani
15. Don't kid the public on when the pier will be rebuilt, party says Audrey Parwani
16. Legislator in protest swim, Associated Press, September 08, 2004
17. Groups accused of backtracking on Queen's Pier Una So
18. Protest voyagers sail from pier Joshua But
19. Chow Yun-fat signs pier petition Chloe Lai
20. Heritage: Last resistance Chloe Lai
21. First Person Simon Parry
22. Pier protesters stage hunger strike
23. Damon Pang, Protesters spend one last night at Queen's Pier, The Standard, August 01, 2007
24. Damon Pang, Violent scuffle mars otherwise tidy operation, The Standard, August 02, 2007
25. Una So, Pier vigil comes to dramatic end, The Standard, August 02, 2007
26. Pier failure shows Tsang team 'like a weak crab' Ambrose Leung
27. New policy aims will lead heritage debate, Carrie Chan, The Standard, May 10, 2007
28. Historic status for pier, but future still in doubt Chloe Lai
29. Damon Pang, Court challenge as tussle looms on pier, The Standard, July 31, 2007
30. Hong Kong court delays demolition of historic Queen's Pier
31. Una So, Pier drama extended as court bid offers delay, The Standard, August 01, 2007
32. Una So, Court ruling clears way for Queen's Pier dismantling, The Standard, August 11, 2007
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