There Have Been Three Official Residences of the Governor in Hong Kong

In 1855, the construction of Government House on present-day Upper Albert Road in Central was completed. With the exception of a four-year hiatus during the Japanese Occupation, Government House served as the official residence of the governors of Hong Kong until the handover in 1997.

A little-known fact, however, is that Government House was not the only official residence of the governor of Hong Kong. In fact, alongside Government House, there have been two other official residences of the governor, although Government House has always been the main official residence.

To find relief from the summer heat, Mountain Lodge was built on Victoria Peak in 1900 as an alternative summer residence. Although it ceased to be used as the official residence of the governor in 1934, the building was not demolished until 1946. Today, only the Gate Lodge and Victoria Peak Garden remain.

In 1934, Fanling Lodge, located in Sheung Shui, took over the role of Mountain Lodge as the governor’s summer residence; a role it has retained to this day, albeit as the summer residence of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong since 1997.