Fan Lau Fort

🔭 【Fan Lau Fort（分流 炮台）】 is one of Hong Kong’s oldest surviving military defense facilities, located on the Fan Lau Peninsula at the Southwest Lantau Island . This fort has not only witnessed Hong Kong’s maritime defense history but also reflects the geostrategic significance of the meeting point between East and West. —

📜 Historical Background

• Built in the 7th year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1729), as documented in historical texts like *Ao Men Ji Lue* (A Brief Monograph of Macao)
• Mainly used for Pirate Defense and Opium Smuggling Suppression（打擊鴉片走私）
• Once Occupied by Pirates , it was later reclaimed by the Qing imperial court, which redeployed military forces there
• Subordinate to the Right Battalion of Dapeng Naval Garrison（大鵬協水師右營）
• Estimated to have been abandoned in the late 19th century following the New Territories Lease to Britain（新界租借予英國）

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🧱 Architectural Features

• Covers an area of approximately 966 m²
• The fort measures about 64 m long and 21 m wide
• Constructed from Granite（花崗石） and Blue Bricks（青磚）
• The defensive walls stand around 1–4 m high, thick and robust
• Features Timber Slots（杉眼） as a defensive structure above the entrance gate
• Originally equipped with Eight Cannons（八門大炮） and Twenty Barracks（兵房二十所）

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🛡️ Military Garrison

• In 1820, it housed 48 Soldiers , commanded by a Commander（千總）
• The garrison was later reduced to about 30 Soldiers
• Ranked alongside the Dapeng Fortress in Shenzhen（深圳大鵬所城） and Chek Wan Battery（赤灣炮台） as one of the three major maritime defense strongholds

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🏛️ Declared Monument & Restoration

• Listed as a Declared Monument in 1981（香港法定古蹟）
• Two phases of restoration work were carried out in 1985 and 1990, overseen by the Architectural Services Department
• Opened to the public after restoration, with continuous improvements to the surrounding environment and visitor facilities

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🧭 Place Names & Alternative Titles

Also known as:

• Kai Yik Kok Fort（雞翼角炮台） : Named after the landform which resembles a chicken wing
• Shek Shun Fort（石筍炮台） : Derived from the old name of Fan Lau Village , originally called “Shek Shun Village”
• Lantau Fort（Lantau Island炮台） : A general term referencing its geographical location

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🚶‍♂️ Nearby Attractions & Hiking Routes

• Accessible via the Lantau Trail Section 8（Lantau Trail Section 8）
• The hiking trail spans about 10 km（10公里） , is of moderate difficulty, and offers beautiful scenic views

Nearby attractions include:

• Fan Lau Stone Circle（分流石圓環） : A prehistoric archaeological site
• Fan Lau Tin Hau Temple（分流天后廟）
• Southern Boundary Stone（嶼南界碑） : A monument witnessing the history of the New Territories lease

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