Hong Kong’s historic gas lamps along Duddell Steps reinstalled 15 months after they were shattered by Typhoon Mangkhut
- Technicians from Town gas on Friday put their finishing touches to the lamps, which were shattered by Typhoon Mangkhut in September 2018
- The lamps were sent back to their manufacturer William Sugg and Co in London for repairs and it cost the Highways Department HK$4 million
Four historic gas lamps at the heart of Hong Kong’s busiest district are lit up again after a 15-month repair, as the government overcame the challenges in obtaining accessories and skills essential for the century-old monuments.
The lamps, known as a heritage landmark in Central, will again be lit from 6pm to 6am everyday. Handrails and balustrades accompanying them have also been returned to their old looks.
Located at the end of Duddell Street, the gas lamps have been the only functioning street lamps of their kind in the city since 1967. The lamps, together with the Duddell Steps, were both declared monuments in 1979, ensuring the structures protection by the government.
The four iconic lamps, known as two-light Rochester models, were manufactured by the London-based William Sugg and Co. They were designed especially with shorter posts so they could be mounted on the parapets of the steps.
“The broken lamp posts had to be sent back to their manufacturer in England for repairs after the super typhoon,” a technician reinstalling the lamps on site told the Post.
“It’s complicated since the structures are very old,” he added.
Following repairs, the lamp posts have now been set up with a new “smart box” in each that will monitor and directly report any future malfunction to the company.
Duddell Street was badly affected by Mangkhut in September last year. Not only all lamps were damaged, but large sections of the staircase, including handrails, were also wrecked by fallen trees.
The Highways Department, which is responsible for repairing the Duddell Steps, and the Antique and Monument Office (AMO) were criticised by conservation groups earlier for being slow in restoring the heritage structure.
“I am surprised to know that these lamps were here 100 years ago, and I found it special after I knew the history of them and saw the pictures of how severely they had been destroyed,” Martin Ploschniczek, a tourist from Austria, said.
“Lucky that we got to see them before we are leaving the city tomorrow. The lamps look interesting.”
Lina, a German tourist in her 20s, said: “It’s good the authorities are fixing the lamps. It’s lovely to see these old antiques that will remind people of the history of the city.”
Officials from the AMO had been looking into ways to restore the heritage structures that were damaged by Mangkhut. The Highways Department also hired consultants and contractors specialising in heritage conservation to restore the wrecked parts along the stairs.
The total repair cost has been estimated at about HK$4 million.
Dr Lee Ho-yin, head of conservation programme at the University of Hong Kong, said: “It’s reasonable to take about a year to do the repair work” given that the AMO had strictly followed the rules of best-practice for a declared monument.
“I was amazed the AMO found the original manufacturer of the gas lamps, and that the company is still operating – that is a great story in itself.”
