Kom Tong Hall a monumental honour for first epic hero
Kom Tong Hall converted into a memory of Dr Sun Yat-sen
Kom Tong Hall English design
Built in 1914, the design of Kom Tong Hall was the responsibility of famous English architects Aston Webb and Ingress Bell.
Their portfolio speaks for itself. Previous commissions include the eastern façade of Buckingham Palace, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as well as two noteworthy sites in Hong Kong – the aforementioned former Supreme Court and the old clock tower in Tsim Sha Tsui.
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When it came to designing Kom Tong Hall, which totals an area of 2,560 square metres, Webb and Bell were largely inspired by classic Edwardian styles and embellished with Art Nouveau characteristics.
The mansion’s exterior is a mix of rusticated stonework, red brick and delicate stucco reliefs.
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The main entrance, which originally served as the courtyard, is towered by three floors of outdoor balconies built into a curved stone façade and supported by Greek-style granite columns.
These tiled galleries originally enjoyed an unobstructed view of Victoria Harbour. Now, the balconies are a view unto themselves.
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Upon entering the residence, there is an eye-drawing contrast between the sienna-red tiles and the pristine white walls. Concrete steps lead to the upper ground floor.
Above the stairway, raised wooden panels in warm, deep tones are set in the ceiling, offering texture and depth to the enclosed space.
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At the top of the staircase, there is a brief green-and-white tiled design that switches into sleek wood flooring as visitors step further into the upper ground level.
Main Room, White Hall
The main room, named White Hall, served as the premier location to host guests. Its interior is coloured white and gold and fitted with several mirrors and French doors.
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White Hall also features numerous mouldings painted in gold leaf.
Across from the grand room sits a wide U-shaped staircase that connects the three main levels of the building.
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Each flight of stairs is connected by a wide landing, and lush carpeting is set atop the entire configuration.
Reaching the first-floor landing, visitors can lean against the railing and rest between a series of carved and rounded wooden columns.
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Their bases, a repeat of the columns on the upper ground floor, are a homage to composite designs on a smaller scale. Turning to face the stairs, it is easy to admire a stained-glass window set above the initial landing.
Built 1914
Two narrow windows lie on either side of a wide window. The same configuration is repeated in miniature for the top windows.
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In the top centre, the year “1914” is framed by a leafy wreath and billowing golden ribbons to the left and right.
Below, on the narrow windows, the stained-glass framing of the top corners gives the impression of an arch shape. Jewel-toned drops adorn all three main glassworks.
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On the top floor, the columns that frame the railing are rectangular in shape and more subtly decorated with ribbon-like patterns.
Most impressive are the fittings that cannot be seen. Kom Tong Hall was built with a reinforced concrete frame and hidden electrical wiring, two innovations that were still very unusual in Hong Kong at the time.
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In fact, the private house was among the earliest residential buildings constructed with reinforced concrete.
Kom Tong Hall originally served as the residence of a local businessman after whom it was named, Ho Kum-tong.
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Born in 1866, Ho had an extensive family lineage that included prominent Eurasian businessman and philanthropist, Sir Robert Ho Tung (his older matrilineal half-brother), whose life was closely intertwined with Ho’s.
His descendants are no less impressive, with such noteworthy figures as gambling tycoon Stanley Ho and martial arts phenomenon Bruce Lee.
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Ho was educated at the Central Government School – later renamed Queen’s College – and shared classes with the former president of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen.
After his studies, Ho succeeded Ho Fook (another half-brother) as Head Comprador for the trading conglomerate Jardine Matheson.
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In this position, Ho rose to great financial success. His half-brother Sir Robert, who also previously worked for Jardine as a comprador, was considered Hong Kong’s richest man when he reached the age of thirty-five.
It was important for Ho to keep up with social expectations. His fellow peers among the city’s ascending merchant class were building great properties along the slopes of Victoria Peak.
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Where was Ho’s slice of paradise? Restricted by the questionable jurisdiction of the era, Ho had to limit the heights of his property dreams.
Castle and Caine Roads
After securing a plot of land at the corner of Castle and Caine Roads, Ho commissioned his four-storey mansion.
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Completed in 1914, Ho and his family – comprising twelve wives and concubines, along with at least thirty children in all – lived there for nearly half a century.
This was briefly interrupted by the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. When Ho and his immediate family fled to Macau for safety, the patriarch allowed more than three hundred members of their extended clan to take shelter in Kom Tong Hall. After the war, they returned to the city and their home.
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During his career as a comprador, Ho worked for foreign traders by serving as the middleman between local government officials and merchants.
Once the comprador system was abolished, these local businessmen became trade partners, rising in status and income.
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However, even the soaring merchant class faced obstacles. In 1904, non-European settlements in Victoria Peak were banned.
This was partly a result of the growing wealth of locals such as Ho, which threatened the existing government class of British residents.
At the time, the 1904 Peak District Reservation Ordinance (which was enforced until 1930) was explained in the Government Gazette as a way to address the health concerns of the city’s European residents.
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The city was still recovering from the effects of the 1894 plague, which was the third pandemic of bubonic plague that spread from China to the port city. In the late 1890s, Europeans who resided in the district of Victoria gradually moved up to higher altitudes
As the ethnic Chinese population continued to increase, the government decided to reserve the peak for Europeans and other non-Chinese.
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Initially, the white-only property restriction extended as far down the hill as Caine Road.
Ho lobbied to have the rules eased to allow for the development of Kom Tong Hall, and racial exclusion was officially lifted from the Mid-Levels in 1906.
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Even with his extensive fortune, Ho was faced with the limitations of the colonial establishment.
British policies and attitudes ensured that society remained racially segregated and polarised, with white Europeans at the top, followed by mixed-race Eurasians, Portuguese and Indians, and Chinese at the bottom.
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Still, the rise of the local merchant class led to the development of a series of great mansions. Nearly all of them have since been demolished.
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Following Ho’s death in 1950, his family remained in the estate for another decade before selling it to the Cheng family.
The Chengs then swiftly sold the mansion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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The new owners used the property as a chapel and educational centre. When the church applied for a permit to demolish and redevelop the structure in 2002, the move prompted backlash from heritage conservationists and the general public.
So, the government stepped in and purchased the house for fifty-three million Hong Kong dollars.
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As one of the best-preserved buildings that dates back to the early twentieth century, Kom Tong Hall has been listed as a declared monument since 2010.
After the government took ownership of the mansion, it was converted into a museum in honour of revolutionary Dr Sun Yat-sen.
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Making the most of the Sun Yat-sen trail in the Central district, the grand rooms on each floor are now exhibition spaces depicting various stages of Sun’s life and Hong Kong society at the time.
In the courtyard, a bronze statue of Sun Yat-sen stands at the end.
While the historical figure never stepped foot inside the estate, his close connections with the Ho family link their legacies.
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Ho’s former private residence is now home to the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum in honour of his school friend and revolutionary hero.
Text and photos Victoria Mae Martyn
