Thunderstorm Reading Building: Hong Kong Historic Sites and the Reconstruction of Geomantic Murray Building
Wide and deep porches are suitable for keeping buildings ventilated and cool in hot weather. Originally, it was the architectural style of China Tang building. Southerners in China like to use this architectural model in the construction of small buildings facing the street. It is often used for commercial and residential purposes, with shops below and people living on it. After absorbing the Tang architectural style of China, the British developed their designs, which were originally used in Indian colonial architecture. Up to now, a large number of similar buildings can be seen in the old district of South Mumbai, India, but they are far less exquisite than Murray Building.
The biggest feature of Murray Building is the combination of Chinese and western styles, western colonnade and floor, and Chinese tile roof.
This building once belonged to the officers' dormitory of the British military camp. During the Japanese occupation in World War II, it was once the headquarters of the Japanese gendarmerie, where a large number of soldiers and civilians were tortured, detained and killed. As a result, the building was full of yin, and later there were many haunted legends. After World War II, Murray Building was used as an office by many Hong Kong government departments. From 1975 to 1982, Murray Building became the headquarters of Rating and Valuation Department.
1982 Murray building moved to Stanley, and the Bank of China building was built at the original site.
Because of the legend that the original building is haunted, from the perspective of geomantic omen, the relocation location of Murray Building is also very expensive. Stanley is located at the southernmost tip of Hong Kong, and the vibrant sea breeze in the south is conducive to blowing away the original Yin Qi. In addition, there are Stanley Barracks and Stanley Prison near Murray Building, which are also conducive to suppressing evil spirits. At the same time, relying on the Tianhou Palace, pray for crossing over with the incense of the temple. Moreover, the sea and mountains here are extremely beautiful, which complement the historic Murray Building.
The relocation of Murray Building is a model in the history of cultural relics protection in Hong Kong. The government numbered nearly 3,000 granite bricks of Murray Building one by one, and then moved them to Stanley for reconstruction, which was within the architectural protection of Murray Building. In fact, its load-bearing structure was changed during the reconstruction, and the old beams and columns no longer play a load-bearing role. Whether this is appropriate is still controversial in the field of cultural relics protection. Today's Murray Building is very different from the original building. For example, when the chimneys originally used for ventilation were lost in the demolition process, eight chimneys in Gao Jie Mental Hospital with a history of 100 years were misappropriated. Rebuilding the ceiling of the colonnade was added later. The flagpole of Murray Building belonged to Tianma Naval Base before World War II, and the stone pillar next to "Tongchang Dabei" was the reconstruction project of the original Shanghai Street.
Today's Murray Building has a shopping mall on the first floor, two western-style restaurants on the second floor, and some modern convenience facilities. It is already a famous scenic spot for tourists, bathed in the beautiful scenery of Stanley with Bugong Wharf, which also moved here, and quietly watched the vicissitudes of life.