View source for Old City Hall (Hong Kong)

{{Short description|Structure in Hong Kong used solely for community purposes}}
{{Use Hong Kong English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox building
| name =Old City Hall
| native_name =舊香港大會堂
| native_name_lang =zh-HK
| image =Old City Hall HK.jpg
| image_size =250
| image_alt = <!-- or | alt = -->
| image_caption = The 1869 City Hall, southern aspect, with [[Dent's Fountain]] at the middle.
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| location_country = {{HKG}}
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| groundbreaking_date =1866
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| opened_date =28 June 1869
| inauguration_date =2 November 1869
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| closing_date =1933
| demolition_date = 1947
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| owner =[[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong Government]]
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| architectural =[[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance]]
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| floor_count =2
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| architect =[[Achille-Antoine Hermitte]]
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{{Chinese
|t=舊香港大會堂
|y=Gauh hēung góng daaih wuih tòhng
|j=Gau6 hoeng1 gong2 daai6 wui6 tong4
}}

'''Old City Hall''', which existed from 1869 to 1933, was the first public multipurpose performance facility and cultural venue in the [[crown colony]] of Hong Kong. It housed a theatre, a library, a museum and assembly rooms. Despite its name, its function differed from a [[town hall]] in that it was used solely for community purposes and did not house any government offices. 

Located on [[Queen's Road, Hong Kong|Queen's Road Central]] in [[Victoria, Hong Kong]], it occupied the current sites of the [[HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building]] (partly) and the [[Bank of China Building (Hong Kong)|Bank of China Building]].<ref name=EIA1>[http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/report/eiareport/eia_0552001/report/vol2/eia_0552001appendix_w.pdf EIA: A survey report of Historical Buildings and Structures within the Project Area of the Central Reclamation Phase III], Chan Sui San Peter for the HK Government, February 2001</ref> 
It was designed by the French architect [[Achille-Antoine Hermitte]] and was opened by Prince [[Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh]], in a ceremony on 28 June 1869.{{sfn|Davies|2014|p=208}}<ref>{{citation |title=Achille-Antoine Hermitte (1840–70?) |pages=206–208 |last=Davies |first=Stephen |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch |volume=54 |year=2014 |publisher=Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch |jstor=jroyaaisasocihkb.54.201}}</ref>
The current site of the HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building was occupied in part by the old City Hall, and in part by the first and second generations of the HSBC building.

==Design and function==
[[File:HK Cityhall1875.jpg|thumb|City Hall c.1875, oblique view of eastern façade]]
The City Hall was built on [[Crown land]], and funds were raised for its construction, which started in 1866, from public subscriptions. The two-storey hall was designed by M<sup>e</sup> French architect [[Achille-Antoine Hermitte]]<ref name=EIA1/><ref>[http://www.amo.gov.hk/form/HKFR_leaflet_091208.pdf "Building Together: 160 Years of Hong Kong – French Common Heritage and Perspectives"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308030416/http://www.amo.gov.hk/form/HKFR_leaflet_091208.pdf |date=8 March 2014 }} Exhibition leaflet</ref> in a [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance style]], with cupolae, colonnades and arches. The facilities available for use by the local community included a theatre, library, museum and assembly rooms.<ref name=EIA1/> A fountain - [[Dent's Fountain]], sponsored by [[Dent & Co.]], was located at the front (south side) of the Hall. The building was inaugurated by [[Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh|HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh]] on 2 November 1869 on his visit to the colony.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Twentieth_Century_Impressions_of_Hongkong,_Shanghai,_and_other_Treaty_Ports_of_China.djvu/169|title=Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/169 - Wikisource, the free online library}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oneclick.hku.hk/en/node/213|title=Hong Kong City Hall &#124; 一擊通 OneClick|access-date=13 June 2021|archive-date=13 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613111259/https://oneclick.hku.hk/en/node/213|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The land was acquired by [[The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation|the Hong Kong Bank]] in 1933 for its [[HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building|third generation headquarters]], so that the western part of City Hall was pulled down. The remaining part was demolished in 1947 to make way for the [[Bank of China Building (Hong Kong)|Bank of China Building]].<ref name=EIA1/>

==Theatre==
The Hall housed the Theatre Royal, a 569 seats performance space which hosted a number of amateur and professional theatre performances for residents of the colony.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Twentieth_Century_Impressions_of_Hongkong,_Shanghai,_and_other_Treaty_Ports_of_China.djvu/169|title=Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/169 - Wikisource, the free online library}}</ref> The theatre was renovated in 1903 to improve the function and acoustics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Theatre Royal in Hong Kong, CN - Cinema Treasures |url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/34876 |website=cinematreasures.org |accessdate=20 November 2020}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Dent's Fountain]], also known as City Hall Fountain
* [[Hong Kong City Hall]]
* [[The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{commons category|Old City Hall, Hong Kong}}
{{coord missing|Hong Kong}}

[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 1947]]
[[Category:Former seats of local government]]