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Revisit the old site of the Wong Nai Chung Gap battlefield in 1941, and understand Hong Kong's strategic position.
Step into history at Wong Nai Chung Gap, where fierce battles of 1941 unfolded. Guided by a military history expert, this hike retraces wartime stories, battlefield relics, and the sacrifices of those who defended Hong Kong during the Pacific War.
On 7 December 1941, Japan attacked the Pearl Harbour and the colonies of the Allied Power, marking the beginning of the Pacific War. At the same time, the Battle of Hong Kong also unfolded. As a British military and colonial outpost in the Far East, Hong Kong was garrisoned by British, Indian and later Canadian troops. These soldiers along with locally recruited volunteers fought courageously with sweat and blood to protect this soil, many of them even sacraficed their lives.
Owing to the fast-paced urban development, many former battlegrounds on the north of Hong Kong Island have disappeared without a trace. Thankfully, if you hike onto hills such as Mount Parker and Mount Butler, you will find yourself standing in an old battlefield and monuments commemorating the martyrs that lost their lives during the war.
A changing city landscape shall not stop us from recollecting the city’s past. We are honoured to invite Mr. Tsoi Yiu-lun, a renowned scholar of military history to curate a tour in Wong Nai Chung Gap and be our expert docent*. Mr. Tsoi will bring our visitors to the former battlegrounds and illustrate the hardships of war vividly. You will also get to know the stategic value of Hong Kong, past and present. The hiking route is suitable for visitors of all ages.
(The tour has been on offer since 2017.)
Mr Tsoi Yiu-lun is a published expert on the 1941 Battle of Hong Kong. After graduating from the Hong Kong Baptist University, he teaches history in secondary schools in Hong Kong and has maintained a profound interest in military history. He is the co-author of Exposed Outpost: the Battle of Hong Kong in the Pacific War (孤獨前哨:太平洋戰爭中的香港戰役), and Eastern Fortress: A Military History of Hong Kong, 1840-1970.
* In case Mr Tsoi is not available, Walk in Hong Kong may deploy other experienced guides to lead the tour.
History
Chinese History