Historical Monument

University Hall was formally declared a historical monument by the Antiquity and Monument Office of Hong Kong on 15 September 1995.

Joined HKU

In 1954, HKU purchased the Nazareth from the French Mission for the purpose of setting up undergraduate students’ hostel there.

When alteration completed in two years, the chapel was converted into a dining hall and the crypt became the common room. Nowadays, there are around 100 men in the castle.

Narareth House

In 1894, Hong Kong was declared to be an infected port of the bubonic plague. The castle is eventually sold to the French Mission who redeveloped Douglas Castle into the Nazareth. Nazareth went through a major renovation, who enlarged the building with a printing house that operated one of the busiest bible printing and translation facilities of the early 20th century in Asia.

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, Douglas Castle was confiscated by the Japanese army and used as the headquarters of kempeitai and residence for workers of the Japanese dock in Aberdeen. After Second World War came to an end in 1945, the castle was returned to the French Mission and the printing press resumed operations in 1948.

However, with the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, it became difficult for overseas missionaries to penetrate the mainland. Most of the foreign missionaries were forced to leave and the Nazareth closed down. 

Douglas Castle

The castle itself was established by Douglas Lapraik, a Scottish trader who made his wealth with shipbuilding and dock renting. Douglas soon became one of the richest people in Hong Kong. He obtained the small hill by the side of the Pokfulam Reservoir, which includes today’s University Hall, the High West and tennis courts.

During 1861–1867, Douglas built on the top of the hill his home, the Douglas Castle, a place to overlook his fleet entering and leaving the harbor.