Nam Koo Terrace is a

Grade I Historic Building Grade most commonly refers to: * Grading in education, a measurement of a student's performance by educational assessment (e.g. A, pass, etc.) * A designation for students, classes and curricula indicating the number of the year a student has reach ...

located at No. 55 Ship Street,

Wan Chai Wan Chai (Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: 灣仔) is located in the western part of Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is bounded by Canal Road, Hong Kong, Canal Road to the east, Arsenal St ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

, popularly known as "The Wan Chai Haunted House". The building is currently owned by

Hopewell Holdings Hopewell Holdings Limited () is a major property developer in Hong Kong established in 1972 and headed by Sir Gordon Wu. History Hopewell Holdings was established on 17 October 1972. It was listed on the Hong Kong stock exchanges in 1972 and ...

, a large property development company based in Hong Kong.

History

The two-storey red brick building was built in c.1915-1921 and owned by a wealthy Shanghai merchant family by the name of To (杜). Prominent Hong Kong businessman To Chun-man (杜仲文) first leased the land lot where the building now stands in 1915. At this stage To Chun-man held the position of Chief Chinese Silks Salesman (專理紗羅綢緞員) for Wing On Company Limited (永安有限公司), although he was later promoted to Assistant Manager (副司理). He also held several posts in various community committees including that of Secretary (司理) for the Commercial Chamber of The Heung Shan District (香邑僑商會所), and was a member of The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (華商總會). However, To Chun-man was forced to evacuate the mansion at the onset of the

Japanese occupation of Hong Kong The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began when the governor of Hong Kong, Mark Aitchison Young, surrendered the British Crown colony of British Hong Kong, Hong Kong to the Empire of Japan on 25 December 1941. His surrender occurred after Batt ...

, and he died soon after his return. It is said that during the occupation, Nam Koo Terrace was used as a

military brothel A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establis ...

or "comfort house (慰安所)" for the Japanese soldiers from 1941 to 1945. Many other properties within the Wan Chai area were also used as brothels by the Japanese military during this period, including St. Luke's College and neighbouring

Tung Chi College Tung Chi College () was a private Chinese secondary school located at No. 15, Kennedy Road, in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The building has been mostly demolished. History The school was established in February 1936. Before being located at Kennedy Road ...

. Nam Koo Terrace continued to remain under the ownership of the To family until 1988, when the property was sold to YUBA Co. Ltd. Hopewell Holdings took over ownership of the building in 1993, which was initially acquired to be demolished in order to make way for their Mega Tower hotel project
Hopewell Centre II
. However, the site has stood vacant since then; despite the fact that the company's development proposal gained Government approval in 1994. While Hopewell Holdings remains the current proprietor of Nam Koo Terrace; recent public announcements indicate that their intentions have now shifted to the preservation of this historical site but does not have any concrete plans announced since 2008.Hopewell Holdings Limited Revises Development Plan of Hopewell Centre II (19 November 2008)
/ref> ''See: Preservation''

Location

Wan Chai District

The Wan Chai district was one of the earliest developed areas on

Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island () is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had a population of 1,289,500 and a population density of , . It is the second largest island in Hong Kon ...

after the first land sale in 1841, where property lots were sold to various firms and individuals. The area soon became a hub of commerce and industry, closely linked with the shipping business along the waterfront during the 19th century. However, due to the acquisition of the Victoria Barracks by the military in the 1850s, the shipbuilding business began a steady decline and the district turned instead towards residential development. By 1845, the Wan Chai area (dubbed '

Spring Garden Lane Spring Garden Lane ( Chinese: 春園街) is a street in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, connecting Queen's Road East to its south, and Johnston Road to the north. It was one of the first focal areas developed by the British in Hong Kong during the 1840s ...

' (春園街) during this period after opium merchant John Dent's personal villa) had been transformed into an exclusive residential district for privileged European businessmen.''Conservation Guidelines for the Adaptive Re-use of the ‘Blue House’ and its Immediate Surrounding Area'' by the Architectural Conservation Office (ACO), The Blauhaus Project Team, L.D. DiStefano, L.H. Yin, R.J. Tan, R.G.B. Tan (July 2002)
/ref>

Neighbouring Heritage Sites

Geographically speaking, Nam Koo Terrace is in relatively close vicinity to several other properties ranked by the

Antiquities Advisory Board The Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) is a statutory body of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with the responsibility of advising the Secretary for Development, Antiquities Authority on any matters relating to antiquities and monum ...

. No. 18 Ship Street, the

Blue House Cheong Wa Dae (), also known as the Blue House in English, is a public park that was the former Office of the President of South Korea, executive office and residence of the president of South Korea. Located in Seoul's Jongno District, directl ...

at Nos. 72-74A

Stone Nullah Lane Stone Nullah Lane is a one-way street in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Named after Nullah, the water channel that until 1959 ran down its middle, it stretches from Lung On Street to Queen's Road East. The street is noted for its his ...

, Nos. 6, 8, 10 and 12 Burrows Street (石水渠街), Nos. 2, 4, 6, and 8 Hing Wan Street (慶雲街) as well as Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, & 11 Mallory Street (茂羅街) and Nos. 186, 188 & 190

Queen's Road East Queen's Road East () is a street in Wan Chai, in the north of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, connecting Admiralty, Hong Kong, Admiralty in the west to Happy Valley, Hong Kong, Happy Valley in the east. Queen's Road East is one of the four section ...

(皇后大道東) can all be found in the surrounding area. Other sites of heritage significance, such as the

Hung Shing Temple Hung Shing Temples or Tai Wong Temples are temples dedicated to Hung Shing Tai Wong (). Hung Shing temples have been widely built in southern China, especially Guangdong province The table provides a partial list of these temples. Hung Shing F ...

on Nos. 129-131 Queen's Road East and

Wan Chai Market The Old Wanchai Market Building was constructed in 1937. It is located at 264 Queen's Road East, at the Wan Chai Road crossing, opposite Stone Nullah Lane in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island. It is a Grade III Historic Building. Its architectur ...

(灣仔街市) on No.264 Queen's Road East, are also situated within the locality of Nam Koo Terrace.The Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office ''Brief Information on Proposed Grade I Items''
Nam Koo Terrace is accessible from Exit B2 of the Wan Chai MTR station.

Architecture

Nam Koo Terrace is a site of significant cultural and architectural heritage stemming from Hong Kong's

Colonial Era Colonial period (a period in a country's history where it was subject to management by a colonial power) may refer to: Continents *European colonization of the Americas * Colonisation of Africa * Western imperialism in Asia Countries * Col ...

. The building was designed as a European-style house in the 1910s when large private lots on the hillside below Kennedy Road were sold for real estate development. Nam Koo Terrace is a two-storey mansion, incorporating strong elements of both Eastern and Western architectural styles. As one of the more prominent villas in the Wan Chai District, Nam Koo Terrace covers over two hundred square meters of land. It is also referred to as the "red house" because the majority of the building's external wall is constructed from red bricks. Today, the building exists in a ruined state due to the effects of corrosion suffered during the Japanese invasion and ineffective preservation.Nam Koo Terrace haunted house in Southern Wan Chai, Hong Kong: Historical Background (March 2009) ''(Chinese)''
/ref>

Design Features

As well as embracing the Colonial Eclectic style, Nam Koo Terrace also adopts

Classical Revival Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassic ...

and

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...

architectural features combined with traditional Chinese decorations and motifs. The red bricked outer wall of the building is considered to be one of the major features of its architectural construction. Besides the red brickwork; rusticated quoins, moulded

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative Moulding (decorative), moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, ar ...

s, and

voussoir A voussoir ( UK: ; US: ) is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, which is used in building an arch or vault.“Voussoir, N., Pronunciation.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, June 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/7553486115. Acces ...

ed arches over the windows add to the uniqueness of the structure's architecture. The use of

ironwork Ironwork is any weapon, artwork, utensil, or architectural feature made of iron, especially one used for decoration. There are two main types of ironwork: wrought iron and cast iron. While the use of iron dates as far back as 4000 BC, it was th ...

for the window grilles, balconies and entrance gate also provides the building with a certain ornamental aesthetic. The façade facing the garden at the front of the property is simple and symmetrical in design, and consists of a curved

colonnade In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or curv ...

d porch and veranda similar to that of a temple

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

. The

Doric Order The Doric order is one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Doric is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of t ...

and

Ionic Order The Ionic order is one of the three canonic classical order, orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric order, Doric and the Corinthian order, Corinthian. There are two lesser orders: the Tuscan order, Tuscan (a plainer Doric) ...

are both incorporated in the building's standing columns; while the main entrance gate, which is situated adjacent to the Ship Street steps, applies a combination of

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

and

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

features. On the rooftop, a

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings; * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

has been built in traditional Chinese style. This pavilion, in addition to the position of the entrance gate and the asymmetrical building plan, suggest the influence of Chinese

feng shui Feng shui ( or ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term ''feng shui'' mean ...

was incorporated in the original construction design.

Preservation

Historical Status

In 1996, Nam Koo Terrace received the status of a Grade I Historical Building from the Antiquities Advisory Board in light of its historical and architectural importance in Hong Kong. As no evident alterations have taken place within the structure, Nam Koo Terrace has managed to retain its authenticity and is now considered a building of notable cultural value. However, the historical significance of the site has not always been acknowledged by the local community, and has thus fallen into disrepair over the years. Serious neglect has ultimately left the building in sufficient need of renovation.

Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance

As a Grade I Historic Building, unpermitted demolition or excavation of the Nam Koo Terrace site is strictly prohibited by Section 6, Part 1 of the

Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance The Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance, in Hong Kong Law (Cap. 53), was enacted in 1976 to preserve the objects of historical, archaeological and palaeontological interest and for matters ancillary thereto or connected therewith. It is admini ...

(Cap.53); a legislative document administered by the

Antiquities and Monuments Office The Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) is a Hong Kong government organization established in 1976 under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance to protect and preserve historic monuments. Housed in the Former Kowloon British School, the AMO ...

under the management of the

Home Affairs Bureau The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau () is a policy bureau of the Hong Kong Government. The bureau has general responsibility over local administration, with a remit covering youth affairs, family planning, women's affairs, social development, f ...

within the government's

Leisure and Cultural Services Department The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), is a department in the Government of Hong Kong. It reports to the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau, headed by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. It provides leisure and cultural ...

''"(1) Subject to subsection (4), no person shall-'' :''(a) excavate, carry on building or other works, plant or fell trees or deposit earth or refuse on or in ''a proposed monument or monument''; or'' :''(b) demolish, remove, obstruct, deface or interfere with a proposed monument or monument,'' ''except in accordance with a permit granted by the Authority.'' ''(Amended 38 of 1982 s. 7)"''

Hopewell Centre II Development Plan

On 19 November 2008
Hopewell Holdings
issued a press release stating that it will be revising the development plan of it
Hopewell Centre II
aiming to achieve more of a balance between “''economic development and environmental protection''” in the new proposal. Currently the total investment budget for the new centre is to be around HK$5 billion which will encompass a HK$400 million road improvement plan, widespread tree planting and a public park. The company believes the project will considerably enhance Wan Chai's commercial value upon completion in 2016. Since the 1970s, Hopewell Holdings has attained many old buildings in the district to use as sites for this redevelopment. Although Nam Koo Terrace was not specifically featured in the development plan approved by the Town Planning Board in 1994; the company has pledged to restore the historic site together with the new Hopewell Centre project. Mr. Thomas Wu, Co-Managing Director of Hopewell Holdings, has stated that:

"''There is an increasingly strong voice in the society calling for the conservation of heritage buildings and historic sites in Hong Kong. Hopewell Holdings has heard their opinions and has plans to conserve and revitalise Nam Koo Terrace, a Grade I historic building with 90 years of history.''”

Wan Chai Heritage Trail

Nam Koo Terrace is one of the initial 15 sites featured on the newly formed

Wan Chai Heritage Trail The Wan Chai Heritage Trail () is a walking trail in Hong Kong. It was launched on 27 September 2009 and is two hours in duration. It was formed by the Old Wan Chai Revitalisation Initiatives Special Committee (OWCRISC) established by the Develo ...

, which was launched on 27 September 2009 by the Old Wan Chai Revitalisation Initiatives Special Committee (OWCRISC). The trail's aim is to encourage visitors to examine the architectural and historical diversity on display in one of Hong Kong's oldest districts.Wong, Olga. ''HK$20m proposal to turn Star Street in Wan Chai into another Knutsford Terrace''.

South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...

: C1 (28 September 2009)

Folklore

Colloquially referred to as a '

Haunted House A haunted house, spook house or ghost house in ghostlore is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the property ...

', the mansion has been attached with a certain conjectural element of mystery and esoteric connotation. The '

ghosts In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

' of women, who are said to have died in the time Nam Koo Terrace allegedly served as a Japanese military brothel; are claimed to have been witnessed at several different points in the building. Accounts of hearing cries and screams from these said

comfort women Comfort women were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term ''comfort women'' is a translation of the Japanese , a euphemism ...

, have long been circulated by the supernatural rumour mill and have subsequently furthered Nam Koo Terrace's reputation for being a place of paranormal interest. People have also reported seeing "ghostly flames" in the house. However, as Nam Koo Terrace was frequented often by Hong Kong's

squatting Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there wer ...

community, these apparitions were most likely the result of actual fires lit by local vagrants using the site for shelter. On 30 November 2003,

Oriental Daily ''Oriental Daily News'' is a Chinese-language newspaper in Hong Kong. It was established in 1969 by Ma Sik-yu and Ma Sik-chun, and was one of the two newspapers published by the Oriental Press Group Limited (). Relative to other Hong Kong n ...

, as well as many other local Hong Kong newspapers; covered a story about a group of eight middle school students who attempted to stay overnight on the Nam Koo Terrace property. It was said the students wanted to catch a glimpse of the supernatural 'ghosts' that have long been rumoured to reside in the historical building. According to the report, three of the female students were seen to have become emotionally unstable, claiming to have been assailed by a ghostly visitant. Later, police sent the three girls to hospital to receive psychiatric treatment. In the days following, local people in Hong Kong thronged to Nam Koo Terrace en masse and the house continued to dominate the headlines of daily newspapers for some time.''Students encounter ghosts in Nam Koo Terrace the Haunted House''. Oriental Daily: (30 November 2003) ''(Chinese)''
/ref>

Popular culture

Trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...

, a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

music trio, filmed the music video of their song ''I'll Be There For You'' in this house.

Gallery

File:Nam Koo Terrace Cornice.jpg, Corniced Roof Design File:Nam Koo Terrace Second Storey Windows.JPG, Second Storey Windows File:Nam Koo Terrace External.JPG, External View of the Building File:Nam Koo Terrace Ornamentation.JPG, Architectural Ornamentation File:Nam Koo Terrace Second Storey.JPG, Second Storey Balcony File:HK Wan Chai Ship Street 55 Nam Koo Terrace NKT55 洋船街南固臺 2.JPG, 55 Ship Street Plaque File:HK Wan Chai Ship Street 55 Nam Koo Terrace NKT55 1 a.jpg, Property entrance barricaded from Ship Street steps

References

External links

Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office official website

Hopewell Holdings official website

Hopewell Centre II official website ''(Chinese)''

OWCRISC Wan Chai Heritage Trail official website

{{Heritage conservation in Hong Kong , state=collapsed Wan Chai Grade I historic buildings in Hong Kong Reportedly haunted locations in Hong Kong