Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base () is part of the

People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison The People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison is a garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), responsible for defence duties in the Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, Special Administrative Region (SAR) since the sove ...

and small naval base on

Stonecutters Island Stonecutters Island or Ngong Shuen Chau is a former island in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Following land reclamation, it is now attached to the Kowloon Peninsula. Fauna The island once boasted at least three mating pairs of sulphur-crested co ...

(Ngong Shuen Chau),

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

. It is home to the

South Sea Fleet The Southern Theater Command Navy (), or the South Sea Fleet (SSF; ) is one of the three fleets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, operating in the South China Sea under the Southern Theater Command. It is headquartered in Zhanjiang, G ...

Squadron # 38081 and sub-base to the

naval squadron A squadron, or naval squadron, is a significant group of warships which is nonetheless considered too small to be designated a fleet. A squadron is typically a part of a fleet. Between different navies there are no clear defining parameters t ...

of the

. The area surrounding the base is off limits to civilian ship traffic.

History

The naval base was built by the contractors during the handover period in 1996–1997 and one of a few military installations that was not transferred from the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

. The naval base is located on the South Shore of the former

Stonecutter's Island Stonecutters Island or Ngong Shuen Chau is a former island in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Following land reclamation, it is now attached to the Kowloon Peninsula. Fauna The island once boasted at least three mating pairs of sulphur-crested co ...

and located south of the former (now the

Government Dockyard Government Dockyard () is a dockyard of Hong Kong Government responsible for the design, procurement and maintenance of all vessels owned by the Government. The dockyard occupies a site of 98 hectares on the northeast coast of Stonecutters Islan ...

). Most of the facility was created from dredging and in-fill project in the early 1990s in anticipation of the move of ''Tamar'' and the handover. The older buildings and recreation facilities were inherited from the

Hong Kong Military Service Corps The Hong Kong Military Service Corps (HKMSC) (Traditional Chinese: 香港軍事服務團) was a British army unit and part of the British garrison in Hong Kong (see British Forces Overseas Hong Kong). Throughout the history of Hong Kong, it has ...

. Many buildings in the base date to the 1930s, but some are as far back as the 1870s. A list of historic buildings at the naval facility: * Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes * Lido - recreation facilities including a pool * Building # 31 - South Shore * Building # 23 (old Fire Station) - South Shore * Building # 25 - South Shore * Ferry Waiting Room * Shaffies Curry House - South Shore * Old Military Prison * Colchester Road * Didcot Road * Upside-Down House (#24 South Shore) * Ammunition Depot and Bunkers * Sub Ammo Depot * Married Quarters * LEP/HKMSC Medical Centre * Barracks #25 - built 1905 * Old Centurion Battery * Western Battery * Eastern Battery * Watch Towers * South Shore Gun Battery * Armament Depot * Officer's Mess * Old Watch Tower 1870 * Wuthering Height's Quarters * St Barbara's Garrison Church * East Pier * Transmitting Station * Receiving Station * Central Battery Roads within the base once had British names, but they have since been dropped: * Colchester Road * Didcot Road The most high profile visitor to the base was

Hu Jintao Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese politician who served as the 16–17th general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the 6th president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2003 to 2013, an ...

in 2007.

Ships

Various ships of the

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN; ), also known as the People's Navy, Chinese Navy, or PLA Navy, is the maritime service branch of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAN traces its lineage to naval units fighting during the Chinese ...

visit the base, but only a few ships remain on semi-permanent basis.

Facilities

Like the last HMS ''Tamar'', Ngong Shuen Chau is a low-frills and low key naval facility. Access to the base is made via Chi Ngong Road, but access into the naval yard is restricted and surrounding areas fenced off. A heavily wooded area to the north protects the base from unwanted visitors. * basin and concrete berthing facility * naval barracks * exercise track * parade grounds * numerous low-rise naval buildings * Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base Theatre During the summer months the base is open to the public, but otherwise closed during most of the year.

References

External links

PLA Hong Kong Garrison
{{Sham Shui Po District Military of Hong Kong Barracks in Hong Kong People's Liberation Army Navy bases Sham Shui Po District