Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building (abbreviated as PLA Forces Hong Kong Building) is a 113-metre (371 ft) tall, 28-floor building located within the former HMS Tamar naval base on Lung Wui Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong. It serves as the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison and, temporarily, of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the CPG in the HKSAR. The building is still popularly known by its old name as the Prince of Wales Building (Chinese: 威爾斯親王大廈) and is located adjacent to Tamar.[2]

Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building
中國人民解放軍駐香港部隊大廈
The building on 2 September 2014
General information
StatusComplete
TypeMilitary
Location Hong Kong
Coordinates22°16′54″N 114°9′51″E
Completed1979
Height
Roof113 m (371 ft)
Technical details
Floor count28
References
[1]
Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building
Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building
Traditional Chinese中國人民解放軍駐香港部隊大廈
Simplified Chinese中国人民解放军驻香港部队大厦
Prince of Wales Building
Traditional Chinese威爾斯親王大廈
Simplified Chinese威尔斯亲王大厦

History

Constructed in 1979, the building was named the Prince of Wales Building. It housed the head office of the British Royal Navy stationed in Hong Kong until the territory's handover to the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997 when it was made the head office of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison.[1][3] In May 2000, the Legislative Council of Hong Kong passed the Military Installations Closed Areas (Amendment) Order 2000, which renamed the former Prince of Wales Barracks to Central Barracks, and the Prince of Wales Building to the Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building. After the base became the Central Barracks, the old name of the building remained visible in large raised letters along the bottom of the tower for several years.[4] The building underwent a 20-month full renovation, completed in 2014, during which most of the troops were transferred to the Stonecutters Island base.

Due to its distinctive shape, likened to a wineglass, the building stands out from the rest of the Admiralty waterfront buildings. Architects attribute the shape of the building to passive protection, its narrow stem with the protruding upper storeys, supposedly makes it difficult to climb or attack.[3] It is also informally known as 'the upside-down Gin bottle due to its shape resembling a bottle of Gordon's Gin. The corner of the building at the podium level which faces east (towards Admiralty MTR station) used to be a chapel under British use of the barracks. There used to be a crucifix visible on the exterior—however, during external refurbishment (including replacing the 'Prince of Wales Building' inscription in English with its current name in Chinese), the cross was removed.

In July 2020, the building started also serving as the temporary headquarters of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the CPG in the HKSAR.[5]

People's Liberation Army in Hong Kong

The PLA maintains a number of garrisons in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. In addition to the PLA Forces Hong Kong Building, there are notable garrisons at the Stonecutters Island, and at Stanley Fort. Soldiers located at these three garrisons are considered to be the élite of the PLA. The soldiers are not permitted to leave their compounds, even during off-duty times to mingle with the local populace.[6] As a restricted area, the PLA Forces Hong Kong Building is heavily guarded by very alert soldiers with automatic rifles.[3]

  • Tim Mei Road, facing west. Buildings from left to right: Bank of America Tower, Hutchison Whampoa Building, AIG Tower, PLA Forces Hong Kong Building, Jardine House, Exchange Square Towers 1 & 2, The Center (The antenna at the very background), Exchange Square Tower 3, 1 IFC, ---, 2 IFC, 26 December 2007
  • Cotton Tree Drive, facing north east. Buildings from left to right: Bank of America Tower, PLA Forces Hong Kong Building, Lippo Centre Tower 1 (right most) and Far East Finance Center (behind Lippo Centre), 7 May 2006

See also

References
  1. "Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building - SkyscraperPage.com". Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
  2. "PLA Hong Kong Garrison Head Office to Use New Name". Retrieved 21 February 2008.
  3. "Pongü's Hongkong Travel and Hotel Guide – Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building". Retrieved 22 February 2008.
  4. "Latest Hong Kong, China & World News". www.scmp.com. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  5. 沙, 半山 (28 June 2020). "港版國安法｜消息：公安部副部長掌國安公署　分裂國家最高囚終身". HK01 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020. 初期公署可以暫駐在解放軍駐港部隊軍營之內。
  6. "ChinaCultureMall – More on People's Liberation Army". Archived from the original on 24 June 2007. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
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