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:''Not to be confused with Tai Po Lookout Tower in Tai Po Waterfront Park.'' Tai Po Lookout (Cantonese: 大埔瞭望台) is a historical residential building situated at No.11, Lookout Link, Tai Po Kau, Tai Po, in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Tai Po Lookout was built in the early twentieth century by Lawrence Gibbs, a British engineer as his residence. The Lookout had many different owners throughout the years, and was circulated around very frequently. During the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong, the Lookout was used as a torture chamber by the Japanese.〔(Brief Information on Proposed Grade I Items: Historic Building Appraisal, pp. 352-353 )〕 After World War II, the land became government property. It was used by government officials such as the Tai Po District Officers and the Head of Police Secret Service as their private residences.〔 In 1996, the government leased the Lookout to the Society for AIDS Care (SAC). The SAC launched the Lookout Project to provide hospice care for AIDS patients. The service was first operated in June 1997 and officially closed on the first of June 2000〔(Council for the AIDS Trust Fund )〕 due to drying up of funds.〔(ACA Newsfile )〕 Since then, the Lookout has been leased by the Government Property Agency (政府產業署) to private owners and reverted to its original residential purpose.〔(Introduction to 1444 Historical Building )〕 The Lookout is a colonial styled building with a watch tower. Standing on top of a small hill, it oversees Tai Po District and Tolo Harbour. In 1985, the building was accorded as a Grade II Historic Building by the Antiquities Advisory Board (古物諮詢委員). Recently, it is proposed that the status of the Lookout to be regarded as Grade I.〔 == History == Tai Po Lookout is situated on former Tai Po Inland Lot No.5 (now at No.11 Lookout Link, Tai Po Kau, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong). In 1904, Lawrence Gibbs bought the piece of land and built the Lookout as his residence. He was a British civil engineer who worked at the Public Works Department then also 'Denison, Ram & Gibbs' in 1900. The Lookout was designed and built by Gibbs in the early 1900s and he used it as his own residence. The Lookout's location was a remote area in Tai Po on top of a small hill and it is believed that the beautiful views there is the reason for choosing that particular place to build the Lookout. It remains to be a difficult place to get to even in present time. As an engineer, Gibbs was able to get water supply from the hillside, the tower found in the Lookout was also used as a water tower. Throughout the years, the Lookout was sold to different owners. In 1929, the Lookout was sold to Herbert Austin Rogers. After 4 years, August 1933, it was sold to Michael Howard Turner as the leaseholder of the house. Immediately after, the November of the same year, the Lookout was sold to John Alexander Fraser, a judge in Hong Kong as his living quarter. During the time of World War II, Fraser was kept in the Stanley Internment Camp during the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong where he died. The Lookout was then occupied by the Japanese and was used as a torture chamber.〔 After the war, in December 1947, the land became government property. Since then it served as the living quarters of government officials. Many officers of the Tai Po District and the head of the Police Secret Service lived in the Lookout. In 1996, it was leased to the Society of AIDs Care〔The Society for AIDS Care http://www.aidscare.com.hk〕 as a residential centre for AIDS patients. Until the year 2000, the Lookout returned to being a private residence.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tai Po Lookout」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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