Summer in Hong Kong Park

Hong Kong Park is a rare large recreational area in the business center of Hong Kong Island. It features lush trees and colorful flowers, as well as attractions such as the antique teaware museum, greenhouse garden, and bird-watching garden, making it an ideal place to take a break from the bustling city. The site of the park was originally the Victoria Barracks. In 1979, the government decided to allocate the land near the foothills for commercial development and the construction of government buildings, while the mid-levels part was developed into a park through a collaboration between the former Urban Council and the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, with a project cost of HK$398 million. The park preserves several heritage buildings constructed between 1842 and 1910, including the Flagstaff House (now the Museum of Tea Ware), Rawlinson House (now the Hong Kong Park Office and Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry), Wavell House (now an education center), and Cassels Block (now the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre). In the center of the park, visitors can see an artificial lake and waterfall, which were transformed from the old barracks' tennis courts. Following the lakeside path towards Central, one ascends to the Olympic Square, the Hong Kong Park Office, and the Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry. In the middle of the park, there are two large modern facilities built along the hillside: the greenhouse and the bird-watching garden, which, together with the Tai Chi Garden and the lookout points, form the characteristic architectural complex of Hong Kong Park.