Bethanie A Place And Time For Remarkable Happy Rest
French Foreign Mission Society built Bethanie sanatorium in 1873
Bethanie fine example of French architecture
The Bethanie, originally a sanatorium, is now a study site and place of worship. While there are many notable cases of French architecture throughout Hong Kong, within Hong Kong Island, only four examples of mid-nineteenth-century European architecture remain – Nazareth (now owned by the University of Hong Kong and renamed University Hall), the former French Mission Building (a declared monument since 1989) and St. Paul’s Convent (a monastery located in Causeway Bay).
French Foreign Mission Society presence in Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s history with the British Empire is a common fact still stamped into our coinage; however, little remains of France’s presence in Hong Kong from the mid-nineteenth century. France-Hong Kong bilateral relations stretch back to the start of the Second French Empire (1852-1870), approximately a decade after the Qing dynasty ceded Hong Kong Island to the British Empire.
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Western missionary work in the east has, over hundreds of years, become a natural part of life in Asia as well as North America. In support of their desire to further evangelical efforts in Asia, in 1873, the French Foreign Mission Society built Bethanie Sanatorium in an area of Hong Kong Island now known as Pok Fu Lam.
Father Pierre-Marie Osouf first Superior in 1875
Set upon a hilltop, the complex would have had a clear view of Victoria Harbour and Kowloon. Today, the landscape is partially obscured by high-rise residential complexes. These obstructions are softened by an abundance of frangipani trees (with pink and yellow-tinted flowers) and lofty palm trees.
Completed in 1875, construction was supervised by Father Charles Edmond Patriat’s assistant Father Pierre-Marie Osouf, who became the first Superior of the House of Bethanie upon its opening in 1875. Through their work, missionaries were routinely exposed to tropical diseases.
Bethanie listed as a Grade II listed historic building
This is where the Bethanie’s purpose was formed. For almost a century, it served as a sanatorium for priests and missionaries to rest and recover from these illnesses before continuing their work. The sanatorium was also fitted with a neo-gothic chapel for those who were well enough to attend services.
The Bethanie operated until 1974 when the French Mission sold the site to Hong Kong Land. By the next year, it had changed hands again, as Hong Kong Land determined the site was too challenging to develop. All signs pointed to the end of this monument, as the Hong Kong Government slated it for demolition. For the next five years, the proverbial guillotine hung above the former sanatorium. Thankfully, conservation reigned supreme when, in 1981, the Bethanie was declared a Grade II listed historic building.
Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts School of Film and Television campus
While rescued from demolition, the Bethanie wasn’t put back into use until March 2003, when the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (Legco) approved funds for the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts (HKAPA) to restore the Bethanie and repurpose it into a landmark heritage campus for its School of Film and Television. Restoration works were completed in December 2006, and the Bethanie has been in active use since.
Walking to the Bethanie is tricky business. Even though our online map guided us to a gate and a landmark post that stated “Bethanie Campus”, we had to take a circuitous route opposite the gate, curiously passing through the ultra-modern International Culinary Institute’s campus grounds on our way to the historic building.
Bethanie amazing glimpses of Victoria Harbour
Situated just above the former dairy farms, a wide road moves with the hill as it ushers you towards the Bethanie. Cream-coloured cement walls topped with non-glazed ceramic tiles barely reach our waists, providing amazing glimpses of Victoria Harbour between faraway housing complexes.
The building’s colour palette matches the cement walls, creating the impression of a peaceful manor in the French countryside. Even though it’s almost ten on a Sunday morning, the grounds are bustling with students arranging filming equipment or rushing to one of the sound studios (accessible only to staff and students). I smiled as I thought how, more than a century ago, the area would be bustling with pasturing cows instead of hard-working students.
Bethanie inspired by thirteenth-century Gothic architecture
As we waited for the church service to begin, we said a friendly hello to the minister (who was waiting outside and taking in the view) and went around the exterior. Inspired by thirteenth-century Gothic architecture, most of the site is strongly reminiscent of contemporary hospitals. Metal catches are neatly placed beside each set of screen windows – French in design and likely in export. The black-and-white checked floor tile is among the Art Deco updates made to the site in the twentieth century.
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The building entrance is topped with a Latin inscription engraved in stone. Translated to “his bones lie in other parts”, the message refers to the chapel’s first Father Superior, highlighting that the Bethanie primarily served as a base for missionary activities outside of Hong Kong. Heading down a long hallway, we pass private rooms that would have served bedridden patients until we reach the chapel. A set of ornately carved wooden doors are fitted to the building’s original stone frame – the doors being another twentieth-century update.
Recent restoration preserved the history of Bethanie
Located at the end of the building, the chapel is in the typical position of a chancel. It closely follows the design of churches of that period, with details including a ribbed vault ceiling, immensely detailed stained-glass windows depicting various saints, and a balcony above the entryway for the organ. Side chapels hold six individual secondary altars, allowing priests living in the Bethanie to each say mass. Three distinct tile sections – with encaustic [inlaid] and plain varieties – preserve aspects of the original construction and the two restorations.
The Bethanie’s restoration was led by Philip Soden, former Director of Operations at the HKAPA, supported by architect Philip Liao. Determined to preserve as much of the Bethanie’s history as possible, Soden sought to recover as much of the site’s original furnishings, as many pieces were auctioned off by the French Mission in 1974. He was able to recover the original main altar and decorative wall, communion rails and sacristy doors, which were returned on loan by the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong.
Bethanie original stained-glass windows brought back
The chapel doors, which were being used by the French Mission House on Mount Kellett Road, were brought back to the Bethanie. He managed to find and restore nine of the seventeen original stained-glass windows – two were unearthed during renovations at the nearby Chi Fu Fa Yuen housing development, and seven were discovered at the Freemasons, Zetland Hall on Kennedy Road. The remaining windows are faithful handmade replicas of the originals, generously funded by St. John’s Anglican / Episcopal Cathedral.
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Twelve elaborate wall-mounted plinths encircle the altar, eight of which stand empty. Despite his best efforts, Soden could only recover four of the twelve apostle statues that previously resided in the Bethanie. Three were found in an art room at a Sisters of Our Lady of the Angels’ school, and the fourth had been given to an architect who worked on the French Mission House. While he retains the original, a replica was commissioned and provided to the chapel.
Sculptures from Bethanie still missing
It’s fascinating that the bulk of these sculptures are still at large, especially considering their uniqueness. Measuring ninety centimetres in height, each statue is fitted with an octagonal base inscribed with the Latin version of the respective saint’s name in red Gothic script. Cast in terracotta with a grey glaze, another curious point is that the sculptor fitted each statue with his registered trademark, a small gold-coloured square at the back of each statue.
A little past ten-thirty in the morning, the service began. Even as a visitor, the order was easy to follow. A handy pamphlet distributed in front of the chapel neatly laid out the service schedule, informing us when to refer to the book of hymns or their modern take on the book of Eucharist. Father Robert, the chapel’s usual minister, was away in Taiwan on missionary work. His substitute, Father Shazz Turnquest, did an admirable job.
French missionaries integral to French footprint in Southeast Asia
His powerful baritone uplifted our spirits and carried weaker voices through the music, and his sermon on perfectionism resonated with a roomful of working professionals. We were stunned when the service came to a close, and the ministers walked out of the chapel. Had an hour passed already? After profusely thanking the minister for his work, we left the site joyfully, surprised by how much we enjoyed the excursion.
When the Bethanie was established, France targeted an aggressive colonial policy to acquire new colonies and maintain a lookout on spheres of interest in China. While not directly participating in these colonial ambitions, French missionaries were integral to broadening the French footprint in Indochina and Southeast Asia.
Bethanie history demonstrates devotion to Christianity
Much of the Bethanie’s history demonstrates devotion to Christianity, whether in support of the missionaries or in preaching the word of God directly.
Awarded an honourable mention at the 2008 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Awards, the Bethanie owes much of its modern history to the remarkable efforts of historic conservationists and the HKAPA, which found ways to respect the past and modernise for the present.
Text & Photos Victoria Mae Martyn
