Hong Kong hideaway: Chinese University conservation team to study Lantau’s rustic century-old stone cabins
- Team gets HK$12.5 million grant to research mountain camp’s history, educate the public and restore cabins
- Several cabins belong to private owners, and tight-knit community is particular about new buyers
Inside a spartan stone cabin 800 metres (2,625ft) above sea level in Hong Kong, Mark Loasby sets his kettle on the stove to make himself a cup of coffee. He opens a window, allowing the sunlight to fill the dark, damp room.
“This might be the highest private residence in the whole of Hong Kong,” said the 72-year-old communications manager with a chuckle.
He owns one of the 19 century-old stone cabins that make up Lantau Mountain Camp, on the ridge between Sunset Peak, Hong Kong’s third-highest mountain, and Yi Tung Shan on Lantau Island.
On a clear day, he can see parts of Kowloon, Cheung Chau, the Hong Kong International Airport and even Shenzhen in the distance.
“The view is unbeatable,” said Loasby, who is from the United Kingdom and has lived in Hong Kong for 36 years. He spends almost every weekend at his cabin.
A team of researchers from Chinese University’s school of architecture has received a HK$12.5 million (US$1.6 million) grant from the Lantau Conservation Fund to research the camp’s history, educate the public and restore the cabins.
