Saturday, 27 July 20244M Tiena Cheung
It was a great honour for us to visit Crown Wine Cellars on an excursion organised by the English Department and History Department on 24th April 2024. Although it took us around an hour to get there, the arduous journey was all worthwhile once we arrived. It was a new, interesting, and special experience for us as the cellar is not usually open for public viewing. It was amusing to learn that this place was built by the Royal British Engineers in 1937 and given the code name “Little Hong Kong”. The speaker and gracious host, Mr Gregory De ‘Eb, shared with us the historical background of “Little Hong Kong” and punctuated the tour of the venue with fascinating stories that happened before, during, and after the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Originally, “Little Hong Kong” served as the Central Ordnance Munitions facility, which stored equipment and ammunition during World War II. It played a crucial role in protecting people and property during the war and was designed as a secure military facility. It was also the last location in all of Hong Kong to surrender to the Japanese during the war.
Since 2001, it has been transformed into one of the finest wine cellars in the world. Undoubtedly, it was a great experience for us to visit this place and witness how Crown Wine Cellars has successfully preserved the heritage while repurposing the location as a wine cellar. I am confident that more students like us could greatly benefit from visiting this living museum and exploring more about local history. Personally, I would definitely say yes to another visit to this meaningful place!