Tai Kwun - Police Station, Court and Jail

A stop on Hong Kong: Star Ferry to the Peak, a free self-guided tour.

Tai Kwun means big station in Cantonese, the nickname people used for the old police headquarters. Behind these walls sit three historic sites in one: the Central Police Station, the Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison. The first buildings went up in 1841, the year the British took possession of Hong Kong Island, and the compound grew until 1925. The prison stayed in use until 2006.

After an eight-year restoration led by the Hong Kong Jockey Club with the government, Tai Kwun opened to the public in 2018. Sixteen heritage buildings were restored, and Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron added two new ones, including a contemporary art gallery wrapped in a metal skin that echoes the old brickwork.

Wander the parade ground and the prison yards, peek into restored cells, and take a break in one of the restaurants and bars around the courtyards. Entry to the grounds is free.

Getting here: Continue east along Hollywood Road for about 5 minutes, past the escalator, to the Tai Kwun entrance at 10 Hollywood Road.

Did you know?: Ho Chi Minh was held in Victoria Prison here from 1931 to 1933, arrested at the request of the French colonial authorities; he fought deportation in the Hong Kong courts.

Photo op: Stand at the edge of the parade ground and frame the long verandas of the police headquarters block, with the modern gallery peeking in at the side.

More on Wikipedia: Tai Kwun · Victoria Prison · Herzog & de Meuron · Ho Chi Minh

Stops on this tour

  1. Clock Tower - Last Call for the Kowloon Terminus
  2. Avenue of Stars - Hong Kong Cinema by the Harbor
  3. Star Ferry - Ten Minutes Across Victoria Harbour
  4. Statue Square - Named for Statues Mostly Gone
  5. Court of Final Appeal - Justice on a Timber Raft
  6. HSBC and Bank of China - Two Banks, Two Landmarks
  7. Mid-Levels Escalator - Riding Uphill Through SoHo
  8. Man Mo Temple - Incense Coils on Hollywood Road
  9. PMQ - Police Flats Turned Design Hub
  10. Tai Kwun - Police Station, Court and Jail
  11. Peak Tram - Asia's First Funicular
  12. Victoria Peak - The View That Built a Neighborhood