Lung Fu Shan Country Park

Lung Fu Shan Country Park

Lung Fu Shan Country Park was designated in 1998. It is the smallest country park in Hong Kong covering 47 hectares. Situated north of High West and south of Kotewall Road, its borders lie on Hatton Road in the east and Harlech Road in the south, while the west and north boundaries are marked by drains laid by the Water Supplies Department.

War ruins are major highlights of the park. Pinewood Battery and remains of old forts provide perfect setting for a journey back in time. The Pinewood Picnic Site nearby has a rain shelter and barbecue stoves. Pinewood Battery was built in 1903 as part of the Island West coastal defense line. This military relic is preserved within the protected realm of the country park, with an interpretation plate to introduce its history.

Sitting on a knoll in Lung Fu Shan Country Park, Pinewood Battery is the remains of an old military fort built in 1903. Pinewood is the highest defense facility of its kind, commanding a high vantage point at 307 metres above sea level. The original gun emplacement, commanding platform and shelters are preserved in tact to this day.

This battery in Lung Fu Shan is a defense position in Northwest Hong Kong Island. Just like Lei Yue Mun, it was designed to protect vessels passing through the western doorway of Victoria Harbour. During the war years, the British forces deployed a large artillery unit and heavy guns in this sea-facing battery to guard the Island.

In the 1920’s, not long after its completion, Pinewood Battery was converted into an air defense battery. During the Japanese invasion, it came under repeated air raids. On December 15, 1941, Japanese bombers launched an attack on the battery, causing 1 death and 1 injury. One of the antiaircraft guns and certain other facilities were destroyed. Commander of the defending troops decided to abandon the battery, and all men were ordered to retreat on that day. At that note, Pinewood’s historical mission ended gloriously.