In 1955, while leveling a hill to make way for the Lei Cheng Uk resettlement buildings, workmen accidentally uncovered an ancient tomb.
Experts from the University of Hong Kong were summoned to carry out the excavation of the site. No human remains were found, but 50 pottery objects comprising cooking tools, containers and models were discovered, along with eight bronze objects, including a mirror, basin, bell and bowls.
The tomb has four chambers in the shape of a symmetrical cross. The front chamber features a domed roof, while the other chambers and entrance passage have barrel vaults. Noting the similar characteristics to other ancient tombs found in Southern China, the tomb was dated back to the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD), making it the oldest known structure unearthed in Hong Kong.
Within a month of its discovery, the government announced that the tomb would be open to visitors for 10 days before being demolished. The public response was overwhelming: on the first day, around 800 visitors gate-crashed the tomb, damaging barriers surrounding the site. Following public appeals and pressure from major political organizations, the government recanted their demolition plans.
Today, it is part of a small museum complex that first opened to the public in 1957, allowing visitors to learn about its history and to examine artifacts found within its walls. The tomb itself is off limits to visitors for preservation purposes, but the intricate brickwork can be marveled at through a glass panel placed at its entrance.
The entire exhibition space is small and takes less than 30 minutes to tour. However, for history buffs, it offers an opportunity to get up close to what remains Hong Kong’s only known Han-era brick tomb.