befall other military fortifications that guarded the coastline, such as the ones in Tung Chung and Junk Island. Restoration and present-day After the fort was abandoned, it slowly fell into disrepair over the years. Villagers living in Fan Lau took stones from its walls to utilize as raw materials for construction, and the old fortification was surrounded by thick foliage. Fan Lau Fort was declared a monument on November13, 1981, and preliminary restoration works were carried out during the early part of 1985. A more extensive restoration took place five years later in 1990, and entailed clearing away the foliage encircling the site. In that same year, three blocks of flats were constructed close to the fort in anticipation of CLP Group's proposal to establish a HK$60 billion power station in Fan Lau. However, the Government refused to approve of the project, and the properties were never inhabited and remain deserted. The ruins of Fan Lau Fort is one of only two historic military fortifications on Lantau Island that have survived to the present day – the other being Tung Chung Fort. Description Fan Lau Fort is rectangular with dimensions of by . Its exterior walls – which were made of "semi-dressed stone and green bricks" – are tall, and its entrance faces towards the east. When it was first built, the fort was guarded by thirty soldiers and equipped with eight cannons, along with twenty guard houses. See also Tung Chung Fort, another fort on Lantau Island List of the oldest buildings and structures in Hong Kong References External links Aerial image from Google Map Fan Lau Archaeological sites in Hong Kong Declared monuments of Hong Kong Forts in Hong Kong