Gascoigne_Road

Gascoigne Road

Gascoigne Road (Chinese: 加士居道; Cantonese Yale: gaa1 si6 geui1 dou6) is a main road in Kowloon, Hong Kong, going west-east from Nathan Road to Chatham Road South through the head of King's Park, leading vehicles from West Kowloon to the Cross-Harbour Tunnel.

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The western end of Gascoigne Road (right), merging into Nathan Road in Yau Ma Tei in February 2013.
The Old South Kowloon District Court, viewed from Gascoigne Road Flyover in December 2007.
India Club entrance at the corner of Gascoigne Road and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Road in August 2010.
United Services Recreation Club in December 2011.
Headquarter building of the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association, seen from Gascoigne Road Flyover in January 2008.

Gascoigne Road Flyover (加士居道天橋) is a 1.2 km (0.75 mi) long flyover linking between Gascoigne Road and Ferry Street, passing through Yaumatei Carpark Building.[1] Built in 1977, it is part of the West Kowloon Corridor.

History

The road was laid out after 1901 and named after William Julius Gascoigne,[2] Commander British Troops in China and Hong Kong from 18981903. It was reported in 1908 that "All the roads on the [Kowloon] peninsula are wide and lined with trees, and two in particular—Robinson Road [today's Nathan Road] and Gascoigne Road—are noticeable by reason of their width" and "Gascoigne Road, which is 100 feet wide, runs right across the peninsula from Hunghom to Yaumati, and skirts the King's Park, a large enclosure reserved for recreation, and the United Services Recreation Ground."[3]

The Fronde Memorial, a granite obelisk, was erected in May 1908 in memory of the five sailors of the French Arquebuse-class destroyer Fronde who disappeared in the sinking of their boat near the Torpedo Depot, Kowloon, during the 1906 Hong Kong typhoon. Initially erected at the corner of Gascoigne Road and Jordan Road, the monument was relocated to Hong Kong Cemetery in Happy Valley[4] during the 1960s.[5] The Fronde was later salvaged, repaired in the Hung Hom shipyard, and left Hong Kong in March 1907. It was active during World War I and was decommissioned in 1919.[6]

Gascoigne Road was widened in 1988 and the adjacent slope near the Queen Elizabeth Hospital was cut back. A 12m high rock-socketed caisson retaining wall was constructed to support the cutting.[7]

Features

Northern side of the road: (from east to west)

Southern side of the road: (from east to west)

See also


References

  1. Wordie, Jason (2007). Streets: Exploring Kowloon. Hong Kong University Press. pp. 70–74. ISBN 9789622098138. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  2. Wright, Arnold (1908). Twentieth century impressions of Hong-kong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China. London: Lloyd's Greater Britain Pub. Co. p. 156. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  3. France – Hong Kong, 160 ans d'histoires: "Le monument perdu et… retrouvé de la «Fronde»", 17 November 2008. (in French)
  4. France – Hong Kong, 160 ans d'histoires: L’épopée de la «Fronde». 19 January 2009.(in French)
  5. Ho, K.K.S.; Mak, S.H. (1 January 2001). "Performance monitoring of a rock-socketed caisson wall". In Ken K. S., Ho; K. S., Li (eds.). Geotechnical Engineering – Meeting Society's Needs. Vol. I. CRC Press. pp. 315–320. ISBN 9789058092564.
  6. Hong Kong Telegraph, 12 October 1940, reported in gwulo.com: "Life in Hong Kong's ARP tunnels"

22.30897°N 114.17089°E / 22.30897; 114.17089


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