Mount Davis and Jubilee Batteries

Completed in 1912 on Hong Kong Island's westernmost hill, the Mount Davis Battery served as an important fortification for the British armed forces during the territory's colonial era. Overlooking the western approach to Victoria Harbor and the surrounding islands to the west, the battery was a most vital defensive structure.

In the early 1930s, the British recognized the need to strengthen fortifications, and started construction of the Jubilee Battery on the lower portion of Mount Davis, which was completed in 1939.

The strategic locations of both batteries lead to heavy bombing by Japanese forces during the Battle of Hong Kong. Ultimately, the British destroyed the remaining armaments and equipment prior to their surrender to Japanese forces on Christmas Day 1941.

At present, open access to the battery remnants allows visitors to see the various haunting structures still standing (lookout positions, living quarters, and gun mounting points, for example) and to enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding coastlines.

Visiting Mount Davis on a weekday often results in having the battery to yourself, in complete solace. The peaceful and serene location, in a rare pocket of undeveloped land on Hong Kong Island, serve as a stark contrast to its military past.