ZIM CITY

The 150 year old stones we walk on

Paul Zimmerman explores the Pok Fu Lam Conduit

The Pok Fu Lam Conduit was built between the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir and the Albany Tanks from 1876 - 1877, to improve the supply of water to the City of Victoria. Pik Shan Path runs over the northern section of the Pok Fu Lam Conduit between Queen Mary and Kotewall Road. Hikers may have noticed the original chiselled interlocking granite covers still intermittently present.

Over Christmas, we inspected together with residents a handy access to the conduit along the rock stream next to 140 Pok Fu Lam Road. From there you can walk to Queen Mary Hospital. We discovered that the aqueduct bridging the stream had the number five chiselled in the granite keystone of the supporting arch. Making good use of the New Year’s holidays I scrambled up and down rock streams and gullies along the entire conduit and found 16 of the 32 aqueducts to be intact between Pok Fu Lam Reservoir and the West Point filter beds where the original staff quarters and manager’s bungalow are now used as the Lung Fu Shan Environmental Education Centre.

While the short sections of the conduit and the original granite covers are still present, aqueducts one to four have been lost during construction of High West (HKU). Similarly, while the alignment of the conduit can still be found back at Queen Mary hospital, aqueducts 10 to 17 appear to have been lost with hospital extensions.

Between the hospital and Kotewall Road the original aqueducts 23, 26, 28 and 31 were lost due to landslides or washed out during heavy rain. Remains of the conduit from there to the Albany tanks above Garden Road are hard to find. Following the construction of Conduit Road early last century the alignment of that section of the conduit disappeared from maps.

Hong Kong’s history starts with merchant vessels discovering waterfalls along our coast as good places to collect fresh water. Ever since, Hong Kong has feverishly built water gathering and storage capacity to supply its growing population. Our water works tell the city’s story of resilience and endurance. Only aqueduct number nine is currently graded as a heritage structure. Designing Hong Kong has written to the Antiquities Advisory Board to ask for heritage status for all remaining 16 aqueducts of the Pok Fu Lam Conduit in time for its 150 birthday.

Pok Fu Lam Conduit Map from 1888

Paul Zimmerman is the CEO of Designing Hong Kong, a Southern District Councillor and the co-convenor of Save Our Country Parks alliance.