政府檔案處 | |
The Hong Kong Public Records Building, at No 13 Tsui Ping Road, Kwun Tong | |
Department overview | |
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Formed | 1 September 1989 |
Jurisdiction | Hong Kong |
Headquarters | 3/F, Hong Kong Public Records Building, 13 Tsui Ping Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon |
Minister responsible |
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Parent department | Administration Wing, Chief Secretary for Administration's Office |
Website | Official website |
Government Records Service | |||||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 政府檔案處 | ||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 政府档案处 | ||||||||||||
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Government Records Service (GRS) is the central records management service agency of the Hong Kong Government. It aims to be the most insightful,resourceful and leading public archives in Hong Kong. [1] [2] The department is subordinate to the Administration Wing of the Office of the Chief Secretary for Administration.
The agency incorporates the Public Records Office (PRO,歷史檔案館),which is the designated archives to preserve and make accessible the archival records of the HKSAR Government. [3] [4] As of 2022,the office is the custodian of over 1.7 million archival holdings in various media and formats. [3]
The Public Records Office,Hong Kong was established on 24 July 1972 [5] under the Home Affairs and Information Branch of the Colonial Secretariat, [6] following discussions within the government on devising a system to preserve and dispose of government records. [7] Its principal responsibility at that time was to conserve all government records of permanent value for official reference and private research. [6] The major areas of work were to help government agencies maintain the standards of records management,to provide facilities for the custody and maintenance of records for permanent preservation,and to make records available for both official reference and private research. [7]
Ian Diamond,an Australian archivist who was previously involved in setting up the National Archives of Fiji,was appointed as the Government Archivist and was tasked with the herculean task of setting up the office from scratch,in a city where archives were hitherto non-existent. [6]
The PRO was initially housed in a two-storey hut at 1A Garden Road,where Three Garden Road,Central now stands. The building was converted from the galley of the Murray Barracks,and had a storage capacity of around 1,500 linear metres. In September 1974,the PRO was relocated to the ground floor and mezzanine of Murray Road Multi-storey Car Park Building,where the PRO would call home for the next 20 years. [5] The PRO was slated to be relocated again into the planned Murray Building II where 25,000 square feet of space will be allotted to the archives,but the plan never materialised as the building plan was scrapped. [6]
In order to free up space at the Murray Road Car Park to house the expanding offices of the ICAC,the government proposed in 1993 to relocate the PRO to Tuen Mun Government Storage Centre (Sun Yick Industrial Building). The permanent relocation of the archives from the city centre to an industrial building in the New Territories sparked outrage among users,history scholars and legislators,who believed that the new location was too remote and were worried that records might be damaged by air pollution in Tuen Mun. [8] The Legislative Council's information policy panel voted overwhelmingly against the move in 1993,but the relocation nevertheless proceeded on 20 July 1995. [9] The authorities relented in October 1994 and announced to the legislators that a site in Kwun Tong has been identified for the construction of a purpose-built public records building. [8] The building was to take a fan-shaped design with 41,340 square foot of floor space,costing $45 million. The original design was later replaced by a 71,000 square foot rectangular building,with the cost rising to $85.6 million and completion date pushed back early 1997 to November 1997. [10] Work commenced on the building in January 1996 and was completed by June 1997;the Hong Kong Public Records Building was officially opened by Chief Secretary Anson Chan on 19 June 1997. [11]
As a government agency,the Government Records Service Division was established on 1 September 1989 following a review on government records management by the former Constitutional Affairs Branch. [12] The Public Records Office was placed under the division together with the Government Records Co-ordination Unit (GRCU),which was formed under the Office of the Deputy Chief Secretary to implement records management regimes in the government. [7] Upon the restructuring of the division on 20 October 2003,the word "Division" was dropped from its name.
Today,the GRS comprises five departments:The Public Records Office,which performs the functions of archival appraisal,accessioning and description,public programme;and reference services;the Preservation Service Office,which take charges of the preservation and conservation of GRS holdings;the Record Systems Development Office,which oversees the government-wide implementation of electronic records management (ERM) and electronic record keeping systems;the Records Management and Administration Office,which provides training,advisory,review and records centre services to government agencies on effective records management;and the Legislation and Planning Office,which is tasked with the study of archive law issues and the strategic planning of the GRS. [13]
As of 2022,the Public Records Office is home to 1,707,700 archival holdings,adding up to about 23,026 linear metres. [2] The bulk of the holdings at the PRO were acquired from government agencies and belong to the Hong Kong Record Series (HKRS). The remaining holdings are donated by private sources like public organisations,private institutions and individuals associated with the history and development of Hong Kong,and are classified as Hong Kong Manuscript Series (HKMS). [3]
The PRO also purchases reproduction copy of records relating to Hong Kong from other archival institutions like The National Archives (United Kingdom) and the George W. Bush Presidential Center, [2] and these copies are also classified into HKMS.
A Central Preservation Library for Government Publications is operated by the PRO to preserve publications and printed materials issued by the government. Government bureaux and departments are asked to forward one copy of their new publication/printed material to the Library for selection. [14] As at the end of December 2017,it preserved around 43,400 publications. [7]
The PRO also houses the Carl Smith Collection (施其樂牧師資料集),a series of 139,922 double-sided index cards with information on individuals,organisations,buildings,roads,land matters and important events relating to Hong Kong,Macau and China's coastal cities since the mid 19th century. [15] These index cards were compiled by the Reverend Carl Thurman Smith (1918–2008) throughout his 25 years of intensive research into PRO holdings,newspapers and publications. As of 2008,the Carl Smith Collection was the most frequently used part of the PRO's holdings. [16]
Members of the public may inspect the holdings of the PRO by paying a visit to the Search Room in the Hong Kong Public Records Building. They may register for a free reader's account and order records on “@PRO”,the online catalogue of the GRS. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong,both walk-ins and reservations for inspecting records were accepted,but the PRO now requires readers to make a reservation in advance.
Public access to archival records held by the PRO is governed by the Public Records (Access) Rules 1996,which establishes that the public are able to gain access to most records that have been closed for over 30 years. Apart from records that have not reach the 30-year limit,records containing personal data and classified records that are awaiting transferring agencies' confirmation of their access status might also be counted as exceptions from the limit and continue to be closed thereafter. [17] Nevertheless,members of the public may apply to view closed records,in which case the PRO would consult the transferring agency to ascertain if the request should be granted. [18]
A small part of the PRO's collections is also digitised and placed on the GRS website.
Home to the Government Records Service,the Hong Kong Public Records Building is located in Kwun Tong,Kowloon,Hong Kong. It was opened in 1997. [19] The building is accessible within walking distance from Kwun Tong station of MTR.
It was the first purpose-built archival facility in Hong Kong. It has public areas including a large working reference room,an exhibition hall and a search room equipped with computers for access to the extensive archival collection.
Apart from the main facility in Kwun Tong,the Government Records Service also operates two record centres,namely Tuen Mun Records Centre and YKK Records Centre,in Tuen Mun. The remote facilities are where inactive records are stored on behalf of government bureaux and departments. [2]
Hong Kong has a highly developed transport network,encompassing both public and private transport. Based on Hong Kong Government's Travel Characteristics Survey,over 90% of daily journeys are on public transport,the highest rate in the world. However,in 2014 the Transport Advisory Committee,which advises the Government on transportation issues,issued a report on the much-worsened congestion problem in Hong Kong and pointed at the excessive growth of private cars during the past 10–15 years.
The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is a major public transport network serving Hong Kong. Operated by the MTR Corporation (MTRCL),it consists of heavy rail,light rail,and feeder bus services,centred around a 10-line rapid transit network,serving the urbanised areas of Hong Kong Island,Kowloon,and the New Territories. The system encompasses 245.3 km (152.4 mi) of railways,as of December 2022,with 179 stations—including 99 heavy rail stations,68 light rail stops and 1 high-speed rail terminus.
Kwun Tong is an area in the Kwun Tong District of Hong Kong,situated at the eastern part of the Kowloon Peninsula,and its boundary stretches from Lion Rock in the north to Lei Yue Mun in the south,and from the winding paths of Kowloon Peak in the east to the north coast of the former Kai Tak Airport runway in the west.
Sha Tin District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. As one of the 9 districts located in the New Territories,it covers the areas of Sha Tin,Tai Wai,Ma On Shan,Fo Tan,Siu Lek Yuen,Kwun Yam Shan and Ma Liu Shui. The district is the most populous district in Hong Kong,with a population of 659,794 as per 2016 by-census,having a larger population than many states or dependencies including Iceland,Malta,Montenegro and Brunei.
The Kwun Tong line is a rapid transit line of the MTR network in Hong Kong,coloured green on the MTR map. Starting at Whampoa in Hung Hom and ending at Tiu Keng Leng in Tseung Kwan O,Sai Kung,the route has 17 stations and takes 35 minutes to complete. The Kwun Tong line is one of the busiest railway lines on the network connecting the central and the eastern portions of Kowloon via Wong Tai Sin. The line is mostly underground,but includes a lengthy elevated section,and runs generally in an east-west direction. During the morning rush hour,the Kwun Tong line utilises 33 trains running at 29tph to achieve a route capacity of 85,000 pphpd.
Hong Kong counts approximately 600 temples,shrines and monasteries. While Buddhism and Christianity are the most widely practiced religions,most religions are represented in the Special Administrative Region.
Kwun Tong is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is located in Kowloon,and is the easternmost and southernmost district in Kowloon. It had a population of 666,500 in 2023. The district has the second highest population in Hong Kong,after Sha Tin District,while the income is below average. Kwun Tong District borders Sai Kung District to the east,Wong Tai Sin District to the north,and Kowloon City District to the west. To the south is Victoria Harbour,and the Eastern District directly across on Hong Kong Island.
Lam Tin is an area in the Kwun Tong District in southeastern New Kowloon,Hong Kong. Lam Tin is primarily a residential area but also hosts a major transport interchange and several shopping attractions. Lam Tin was once a large field in the vicinity of Kowloon Bay. During the Song dynasty,it was a site of salt production. Since the 1980s,a number of housing estates were constructed in Lam Tin.
Lei Yue Mun is a short channel in Hong Kong. It lies between Junk Bay and Victoria Harbour,separating Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The channel is an important passage for the city,forming the eastern entrance of Victoria Harbour.
Yau Tong is an area of Hong Kong,located in the southeastern end of Kowloon,between Lei Yue Mun and Lam Tin,at the east shore of Victoria Harbour,west of Tseung Kwan O. Administratively,it is part of Kwun Tong District,the most densely populated district in Hong Kong.
Tuen Mun or Castle Peak is an area near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories,Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in what is now Hong Kong and can be dated to the Neolithic period. In the more recent past,it was home to many Tanka fishermen who gathered at Castle Peak Bay. Tuen Mun is now a modern,mainly residential area in the north-west New Territories. As of 2011,487,546 residents live in Tuen Mun.
The Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) is one of the member institutions of the Vocational Training Council (VTC) offering vocational education to post-secondary students in Hong Kong through its nine campi located across the territory.
The Tuen Ma line is a rapid transit line that forms part of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong. Coloured brown on the map,the Tuen Ma line is 56.2 kilometres (34.9 mi) in length,making it the longest line of the MTR network. It has a total of 27 stations,more than any other in the MTR system.
Hong Kong Gold Coast is a private housing estate served by Castle Peak Road,near Castle Peak Bay,in So Kwun Wat,Tuen Mun,New Territories,Hong Kong. Developed by Sino Group,it includes 20 residential buildings completed in two phases,a resort hotel,a shopping mall,a yacht and country club,a marina and a beach.
The following is an overview of public housing estates in Tuen Mun,Hong Kong,including Home Ownership Scheme (HOS),Private Sector Participation Scheme (PSPS),Sandwich Class Housing Scheme (SCHS),Flat-for-Sale Scheme (FFSS),Subsidised Sale Flats Project (SSFP),and Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) estates.
The Hong Kong government started developing new towns in the 1950s to accommodate Hong Kong's booming population. During the first phase of development,the newly developed towns were called "satellite towns",a concept borrowed from the United Kingdom,of which Hong Kong was a colony. Kwun Tong,located in eastern Kowloon,and Tsuen Wan,located in the south-west of the New Territories,were designated as the first satellite towns,when the urban area in Hong Kong was still relatively small,restricted to the central and western parts of Kowloon Peninsula and the northern side of Hong Kong Island. Wah Fu Estate was also built in a remote corner on the southern side of Hong Kong Island,with similar concepts but at a smaller scale.
Public swimming pools in Hong Kong are managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). There are 44 public swimming pools in Hong Kong;9 in Hong Kong Island,13 in Kowloon,and 22 in the New Territories. LCSD manages public swimming pools according to Law of Hong Kong Chapter 132 sections 42 to 45.
Public factory estates are blocks of factory buildings owned by the Government of Hong Kong. Built between the late 1950s and the early 1980s,most of these industrial buildings have been demolished during the 1990s and 2000s,while some have been converted and a few are still active. While these buildings are notable as witnesses of the history of manufacturing in Hong Kong and of the public housing policy of the Government of Hong Kong,they represent only a fraction of the industrial buildings of the territory:there were about 1,700 industrial buildings in Hong Kong in 2003.
Chan Yat-san was a Hong Kong politician and rural leader. He was a New Territories indigenous inhabitant and chairman of the powerful Heung Yee Kuk,and was dubbed the "King of the New Territories".
Kwun Tong Promenade is an urban waterfront park in Kwun Tong,New Kowloon,Hong Kong. The first and second stages of the promenade,opened in 2010 and 2015 respectively,comprise the first open space project of the Kai Tak Development. The promenade is about one kilometre in length. It overlooks the Kwun Tong Typhoon Shelter and sits beneath the Kwun Tong Bypass.