Shelter at Peel Rise Rest Garden [c.1919- ] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Shelter at Peel Rise Rest Garden [c.1919- ]

Current condition: 
In use
Date Place completed: 
c.1919-06-01 (Year is approximate)

A very attractive, Chinese style, pavilion stands in the small public park known as Peel Rise Rest Garden at the Jardine's Corner end of Mount Kellett Road.

north_side_of_shelter.
north_side_of_shelter., by gw 
south_side_of_shelter.
south_side_of_shelter., by gw
internal_view_of_shelter_roof.
internal_view_of_shelter_roof., by gw 

In 2016, when I last visited, there wasn't any signage talking about its history, but the wooden rafters and roof tiles look quite old to my untrained eye.

The earliest photo I can find of the pavilion is this one, roughly dated 1930's, in which it appears towards the top right corner.

Jardine's Corner - Mt. Kellett
Jardine's Corner - Mt. Kellett, by Links Gwulo to Library photos 

 The excellent "The Peak - an illustrated history of Hong Kong's top district" by Richard J. Garrett speculates that it was built in the 1930's, either as a rest place for sedan chair bearers or for members of the public using the park in which it stands. I'd say it's a rather ornate design for sedan chair bearers.

Para.108 of the 1919 PWD Report contains the following;

"A small shelter for children was erected at the junction of Mount Kellett and Chamberlain Roads, where a playground has been formed."

As the location matches I've given 1919 as the construction date, but I wouldn't describe the pavilion as a "small shelter for children", so I'm not sure if they are one and the same. Does anyone know when and why it was built? 

Photos that show this place

2016
2016
2016

Comments

Rain shelter.  One of the Ho Tung girls describes trying to play there and the European girls nannies put paid to that.