Central Ordnance Munitions Depot facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Central Ordnance Munitions Depot
壽臣山軍火庫
External view of the munitions depot in 1941
Alternative names	"Little Hong Kong" Central Ordnance (Munitions) Depot
General information
Type	bunker, munitions dump
Location	Shouson Hill, Hong Kong
Current tenants	Crown Wine Cellars
Completed	1937
Renovated	March 2004
Renovation cost	HK$30 million
Landlord	Government of Hong Kong
Renovating team
Awards and prizes	2007 Award of Merit of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation

The Crown Wine Cellars is located in Shouson Hill, a suburb of Hong Kong Island.

The Central Ordnance Munitions Depot was built in the late 1930s. The British military created it to store weapons and ammunition. This was important for defending Hong Kong during World War II against a possible Japanese invasion. The British used "Little Hong Kong" as a secret code name for the site. This was to confuse Japanese spies in the area. "Little Hong Kong" was actually the name of a nearby fishing village called Aberdeen.

In 2002, a plan was made to reuse the old underground bunkers. The Government of Hong Kong approved this idea. The Central Ordnance Munitions Depot was then turned into special wine cellars. This project won an award in 2007 from UNESCO. It was recognized for helping to save cultural heritage.

History of the Munitions Depot

The Central Ordnance Munitions Depot was built in 1937. It was created by the British Royal Engineers. This was part of their preparations for World War II. The depot was a secure place to keep ammunition and weapons. It originally had 12 pairs of underground bunkers. There was also a main office building and a guard post.

The bunkers were built about 20 meters underground. Their walls were 1 meter thick concrete. The entrance passages were 12 meters long. These features made the bunkers very strong. They were designed to protect the stored items.

How the Bunkers Were Built

The entire site of the Central Ordnance Munitions Depot was quite large. It measured about 250 meters wide and 600 meters long. Each bunker had a similar design. They had an entrance corridor about 9.4 meters long. The inside of each bunker was about 7.3 meters wide and 12.2 meters long. Some bunkers had an extra brick wall inside. This was for storing high explosives. The extra wall helped reduce the impact of any internal explosion.

The corridors were shaped like an "S". This design helped to block the force of a blast. If an explosion happened, the S-shape would turn the blast wave aside. There were also special channels in the corridor walls. These channels were angled at 45 degrees. They were designed to trap blast waves. This would force the waves down to the floor. This stopped them from leaving the passageways.

A smaller corridor was also built at the bunker entrance. It was 1.25 meters high and 50 cm wide. This small passage went around the outer wall of the bunkers. It created a "moisture trap". This was important because the bunkers were often below the water level. This design kept the inner concrete walls dry. It also kept the weapons and ammunition safe from humidity.

The entrance to the bunker area had two thick steel doors. Each door was 1.27 cm thick. The ceiling inside the bunkers was rugged and wave-like. It rose and fell by about 40 cm. This ceiling was covered in steel. This design also helped to reduce the effect of explosions. It helped to deflect blast waves.

Inside the bunkers, there was an escape hatch. It was one meter wide. It ran horizontally for 5 meters. Then it went straight up to the surface. Metal structures and bricks were added to the slope. This made it easier to escape during an explosion or fire. A "breather pipe" was also built. It opened into a hidden structure above the slope. This was for soldiers who might get trapped inside.

One of the bunkers outside the Crown Wine Cellars that is no longer in use.

The Japanese Invasion

The British military kept the depot a secret. This was because many Japanese spies were in Hong Kong. The fishing village of Aberdeen was about 5 km away. Locals called it "Little Hong Kong". The British used this name as a code. This helped to confuse anyone spying for the Japanese.

In December 1941, about 60 soldiers guarded Little Hong Kong. They came from different countries. These included soldiers from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and Royal Engineers. There were also Canadian soldiers from the Winnipeg Grenadiers. Local Chinese soldiers from the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps were there too. Men from the Middlesex Regiment and Punjabi infantrymen also served.

The depot was the last place to surrender during the Battle of Hong Kong. This battle lasted 18 days. It ended when the Japanese army took over the British colony. Two days after Hong Kong surrendered on December 25, 1941, the Japanese learned about the depot. They found out it was still under British control.

The Japanese commander could have attacked. But the bunkers were very strong. The British had enough food, water, and ammunition. So, Major Dewar, the British commander, refused to surrender easily. Captain Suzuki was sent to negotiate. He learned that Dewar had wired all 24 bunkers to a detonator. This meant Dewar could blow them up. So, the Japanese captain agreed to an honorable surrender. This happened on December 27, 1941.

A British man named Lewis Bush recorded what happened next. He was a translator for the Japanese Army. Bush wrote in his diary that the Japanese treated the surrendering troops "like heroes". They were taken to Aberdeen. A Japanese officer arrived with "beer and whisky in plenty". The Japanese then used the site until Hong Kong was freed in August 1945. It is believed they built the current guard house during this time.

After the War

The British military stopped using the site in 1977. Control was then given to the Hong Kong Police Driving School. This lasted until the early 1980s. At least four pairs of bunkers were destroyed in the mid-1980s. This happened when two apartment buildings were developed nearby.

From the mid-1980s, the Hong Kong Geotechnical Engineering Office used the remaining bunkers. They stored rock core samples there. In 2000, the government asked private companies for ideas. They wanted to revitalize old military sites in Hong Kong.

Saving and Restoring the Depot

Crown Worldwide spent about 30 million Hong Kong dollars to restore and build Crown Wine Cellars.

For a long time, Little Hong Kong's history was forgotten. The site fell into disrepair. Then, in 2000, the Government of Hong Kong called for private restoration. This was guided by the Chief Secretary, Donald Tsang.

In 2002, Jim Thompson and Gregory De’eb from Crown Worldwide Group had an idea. They noticed there were no good wine cellars in Asia. They suggested turning the underground bunkers into a commercial wine cellar. It would also have a private members' clubhouse. They worked with 22 government departments. They signed a seven-year lease. Crown then invested 30 million Hong Kong dollars (about US$3.8 million).

Before starting the restoration, many people were consulted. This included over twenty government departments. The Antiquities and Monuments Office was involved. Local and international historians also gave their input. Local residents and the District Council were also part of the discussions. Everyone agreed, and restoration began in August 2003. It finished in March 2004. The 'Crown Wine Cellars' opened that same year.

The main goal of the restoration was to save the site for a long time. They wanted to use it in a way that made sense. They also wanted to create a "living museum". This museum would teach people about the Battle of Hong Kong. It would also show Hong Kong's role in the larger Sino-Japanese conflict. Two of the eight remaining bunkers were turned into a clubhouse. This allowed more people to visit and learn about the history.

In 2007, UNESCO gave Little Hong Kong an Award of Merit.

Images for kids

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  External view of the munitions depot in 1941

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  The Crown Wine Cellars is located in Shouson Hill, a suburb of Hong Kong Island.

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  One of the bunkers outside the Crown Wine Cellars that is no longer in use.

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  Crown Worldwide spent about 30 million Hong Kong dollars to restore and build Crown Wine Cellars.