Watchtowers
Given its location in South China, along with mountains and good sea access, Hong Kong was often invaded by pirates and bandits in the early years. Troops were stationed in the territory in the Qing dynasty, and the clans built wai (walled villages) and organised geng lian (self-organised militia) to defend against bandits, pirates and other enemies.
In the early 20th century, pirates were rampant in Guangdong and Hong Kong waters, and ships and coastal residents were attacked and robbed from time to time. In 1912, a gang of pirates ransacked the shops along Tai San Street on Cheung Chau. In the 1920s, a number of ships were attacked by pirates, such as the SS Sui An in 1922. In 1925, village houses and shops in Tai O were ransacked by bandits. Although there were police stations on Lantau Island, they couldn't provide help quickly in case of trouble, so the villagers built watchtowers for defence.
Historical photos and field studies have revealed eight watchtowers on Lantau Island:
1 The Watchtower in Pak Mong Tsuen
2 The Watchtower in Ngau Kwu Long
3 The Watchtower in Tai Ho
4 The Watchtower on Butterfly Hill
5 – 6 The East Watchtower of Yuen's Mansion in Mui Wo and the West Watchtower of Yuen's Mansion in Mui Wo
7 The Watchtower in Luk Tei Tong
8 The Watchtower in Tai O Wing On Street
The Watchtower in Tai O Wing On Street, whose year of construction is unknown, was demolished. The Watchtower in Ngau Kwu Long collapsed and was demolished in the 1980s. The existing six watchtowers were built from the early to mid-20th century. They are made mainly of granite blocks, in the form of a cuboid. Generally, there are stairs inside the watchtowers to reach the upper floor, and there are small windows on the facade for observation. Some watchtowers, such as the Watchtower in Pak Mong Tsuen, have gun loops on the outer wall of the upper floor. The Watchtower on Butterfly Hill and the Watchtower in Tai Ho were built on the top of small hills so that the villagers could overlook the surrounding areas at the base of the hills from a high vantage point. The Watchtower in Pak Mong Tsuen, the Watchtower in Luk Tei Tong, and the East and West Watchtowers of Yuen's Mansion are adjacent to residential houses so that when villagers learned of an impending enemy attack, they could immediately seek shelter in the watchtower. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, villagers and guerrilla forces used the watchtowers for surveillance and hiding.
After World War II, the defensive function of the watchtowers declined. Over the years, they have been used for other purposes, such as schools and storage facilities. Some of them have become vacant or collapsed.
