SECRETS

Explore the college-turned-military hospital from the nineteenth century

Hong Kong’s rapid urbanisation since the 80s left very few areas of the city untouched. Located in the southmost part of Hong Kong Island, Stanley was not immune from the change. Little about Stanley today reminds people of the secluded village it used to be. The then-fishing village is now a beloved tourist location with beautiful beaches, rustic waterfront bars and bungalows. A big piece of history lies in the stapled school, St. Stephen’s College.

Stanley was the Commonwealth Army’s last line of defence before they surrendered Hong Kong to the Japanese in December 1941. Prior to that, the Main Hall of the St. Stephen’s College Campus was converted into an emergency military hospital of the Army. On Christmas Day 1941, the Japanese Army entered the campus. There, they killed and injured over a hundred wounded soldiers, doctors and nurses. A school teacher was also killed in his effort to protect students who were trapped on campus. The horrific event became known as the ‘St. Stephen’s College Massacre’.

As Hong Kong fell to Imperial Japan, the campuses of St. Stephen’s College and parts of the Stanley Prison became the Stanley Internment Camp. The camp housed over 3,000 captured civilians over the three years of Japanese occupation. Some notable internees include the then-Attorney General of Hong Kong Sir C. Grenville Alabaster and Chief Justice Atholl MacGregor.

The college’s infrastructure suffered tremendously during the occupation. The

Want to know more?

Geoffrey Charles Emerson - Hong Kong Internment 1942-1945, Life at the Japanese Civilian Camp in Stanley conducts a thorough investigation of the history. Available on Google Books, Book Depository; or attend a guided tour of the heritage trail led by students by registering at ssc.edu.hk/ssctrail

bungalows where the school teachers and wardens used to live were mostly destroyed. The now rebuilt Bungalow C was nearly flattened during an American Air Raid in 1945, when over fourteen civilian internees were accidentally killed.

Today, you can stroll down the slanted path surrounded by giant trees and beautiful flowers and watch students moving from classroom to classroom. It is hard to imagine the turmoil this place had been through. Traces of the camp’s history remain – the main hall and bungalows are declared monuments and still used daily by students and staff. One of the bungalows was converted into a mini-museum, housing artefacts found inside the internment camp. The school chapel built shortly after the war has beautiful stained glass windows and plaque to remember the story of the internees. The Campus also borders the Stanley Military Cemetery, the resting place of around 600 soldiers who gave their lives in the war and civilians who passed away in the internment camp. To this day, a number of them remain unidentified.

In commemoration, the St. Stephen’s College Heritage Trail opened in 2008, allowing the public to visit the campus upon registration on the school’s website. The Stanley Military Cemetery is open to the public every day from 8am to 5pm. ssc.edu.hk

How to get there

Take Bus 6, 6X or 260 from Central’s Exchange Square, and alight at St. Stephen’s College station. The journey takes around 45 minutes without traffic. The military cemetery is a 5-minute walk from St. Stephen’s College.