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革命元老 建造殷商 譚肇康翁逝世  

享壽八十七嵗明日擧殯

墳場研究 Cemetery Study added a new photo to the album: 墓碑照片 — at 荃灣華人永遠墳場.

April 27 · Hong Kong · 

108年前的今日(1911年4月27日)，是廣州黃花崗起義的日子，但是起義最終失敗，導致不少革命黨人陣亡。當年有些革命黨人協助黃花崗的烈士殮葬，今天本專頁與友頁維城觸蹟再度合作，分別介紹兩位長眠香港、當年有份協助安葬黃花崗烈士的革命黨人之墓地及生平。維城觸蹟負責介紹潘植我，而本專頁則負責介紹圖中墓的主人譚肇康。

譚肇康，字時年，生於1875年11月7日。譚肇康早年於香港成長，曾經於聖保羅書院就讀。後來前往大連學習建築工程學。

譚肇康學成後回港，曾經在香港工務司署及生利建築公司任職。1911年，他便自立門戶，創立永利號；之後更先後與伍華創辦裕利號建築公司及與林護(林護現安葬於薄扶林道基督教墳場，稍後本專頁會介紹其墓地及生平)、林裘謀(林裘謀現安葬於荃灣華人永遠墳場，稍後本專頁會介紹其墓地及生平)兩兄弟創辦聯益建造公司。由於譚公與港英政府關係友好，所以經常有機會承辦政府的工程。此外，譚肇康亦是香港建造業商會創辦人之一，並且出任過第2任會長。

譚肇康早年加入同盟會，並且有參與革命宣傳報《中國日報》的事務。1906年至1911年間，譚公被孫中山任命為同盟會籌餉人員，協助同盟會香港分會的保管、審核、會計等事務。1911年，廣州黃花崗起義失敗，譚肇康等人應革命黨人潘達微的邀請，協助收殮及辨認死者，最終收殮到七十二具的遺骸，並將他們合葬於黃花崗(稍後本專頁會介紹位於廣州的黃花崗七十二烈士之墓)。

1911年武昌起義成功後，譚肇康獲任命為廣東省革命政府財政名譽員及參議員，之後更被任命為廣東省都督府實業公司的建築工程師。

除了革命及商業外，譚肇康亦活躍於慈善公益等事務。他先後出任過東華三院、保良局的總理。此外，他更創辦麗澤中學及協助港英政府設立香港官立商業學院(即今天香港理工大學之前身)。

1958年，譚肇康與甄冠南編寫了《辛亥革命回憶錄》。

1961年7月23日，譚肇康因病逝世，終年85歲，其遺體後安葬於荃灣華人永遠墳場。巧合地，當年有份協助收殮烈士遺骸及捐款興建黃花崗七十二烈士之墓的同盟會會員、商人潘植我亦是安葬在同一墳場內。

(部分資料參考自丁新豹博士的著作《香江有幸埋忠骨－長眠香港與辛亥革命有關的人物》。)

#譚肇康 #黃花崗起義 #黃花崗七十二烈士之墓 #同盟會 #麗澤中學 #辛亥革命回憶錄 #潘植我 #維城觸蹟 #HeritageFootprintsHK #墳場研究 #CemeteryStudy #荃灣華人永遠墳場 #hongkongcemetery

👆👆點撃上圖連椄東華三院網站

中環鐡崗聖保羅書院舊址

 上圖歷史縁由：

在1911年中國辛亥革命爆發的同年農歷9月20日，胡漢民偕港商李煜堂、林護、容星橋、余斌臣、鄧仲澤、楊西岩、余于簪、李茂之、譚肇康等二十餘人晉廣東省就都督職。圖中第一排右一為林護，第四排左三為譚肇康。

Serial No.: N349

Name and Address: Confucius Hall, No. 77 Caroline Hill Road, Causeway Bay, H.K.

名稱及地址：香港銅鑼灣加路連山道 77 號孔聖講堂

District: Wan Chai

孔聖講堂於 1935 年落成，由南洋兄弟煙草公司的簡孔昭捐出土地，並以其父簡朗山之名拆資興建。除簡孔昭外，孔聖堂的創辦人還有其他赫赫有名的商人及社會領袖，當中包括曾富、周壽臣、羅旭龢、曹善允和周埈年，以及著名學者賴際熙、朱汝珍等。

孔聖講堂是現存歷史最悠久，用作發揚儒學的建築，它仍然是每年慶祝孔聖誕及孟子誕的重要場所。在香港大會堂於 1962 年開幕前，孔聖講堂是本港主要的社區會堂，開放給公眾人士參與大型活動及講座。它在文化上的包容性，從曾在這裏舉行的不同類型講座，亦可見一斑，當中包括 1948 年的五四運動紀念活動，郭沫若和茅盾分別在講堂內舉辦了題為「科學與民主」及「當前文藝工作者的任務」的講座。1940 年的魯迅六十歲誕辰紀念會及 1941 年的許地山追悼會亦在此舉行。另外還有為諸如葉蘭泉(1946 年)及岑才生(2016 年)等著名公眾人物舉行的追悼會。

重要的歷史事件亦曾於孔聖講堂內發生，當中包括宣揚愛國精神及團結大眾支持抗日的活動。此外，一所名為「孔聖堂兒童保康院」，以朱汝珍為院長的孤兒院於 1939 年在此成立，因戰事才於 1941 年結束。日佔期間（1941 - 1945 年)，講堂被日軍用作辦公室及休養所。

孔聖講堂可從牌坊及花崗石階梯前往，設計中西合璧。原有的木窗被換成鋁窗，是該建築唯一的明顯改動。它是現存僅有以中西合璧設計，並用以宣揚儒學的歷史建築。毗鄰的員工宿舍，亦是於 1935 年落成，設計平實，但亦具中式元素，當中包括位於露台，呈青竹狀的欄杆柱。

Historical Interest

Standing on retaining walls built of dressed granite blocks, the main building and staff quarters of Confucius Hall Hong Kong (香港孔聖堂) at No. 77 Caroline Hill Road were completed in 1935. Two occupation permits were issued by the Building Authority on 3 October 1935 to certify the completion of the “Confucius Lecture Hall” and “quarters”. Its name in Chinese, 孔聖講堂, literally meaning Confucius lecture hall, was inscribed on the front elevation of the main building when it was built, although it is more commonly known as Confucius Hall in English. (1) Foundation works commenced in October 1932, whereas the construction of the lecture hall itself began in September 1934. Confucius Hall was formally opened on 10 December 1935, with the then Secretary for Chinese Affairs, the Hon. Mr. N. L. Smith as an officiating guest at the opening ceremony.

The construction of Confucius Hall as a public place and community hall for the reverence of Confucius (孔子, 550 – 478 B.C.) demonstrated the great enthusiasm and efforts of Confucian believers, including prominent businessmen and leading figures of the Chinese community, together with scholars and retired officials from mainland China, in their advocacy for the revival of Confucianism amid the strong tides of modern science on the Mainland and in Hong Kong during the early twentieth century. Confucianism was indeed only one of the schools of thought that the supporters of traditional Chinese culture endeavoured to advocate. (2) Apart from Confucius Hall Hong Kong (founded in 1928), there were another three major Confucian societies in the city, namely the Hong Kong Confucius Society (香港孔聖會, founded in 1909), Confucian Association of China (中華聖教總會, founded in 1921) and The Confucian Academy (孔教學院, founded in 1930). (3) All these four societies are still operating today. 

The construction of Confucius Hall was initiated by Tsang Foo (曾富) (4) and Kan Hung-chiu (簡孔昭), (5) who thought it important to erect a prominent building embodying Confucianism. The proposal was endorsed at the first formal meeting held in April 1928. In the same meeting, Kan Hung-chiu initiated the project by donating a plot of land, of around 120,000 square feet, on Caroline Hill Road for the building of Confucius Hall. Moreover, a preparatory committee composed of notable businessmen and community leaders was formed. Members included Sir Robert Ho Tung (何東, 1862 – 1956), Tso Seen-wan (曹善允, 1868 – 1953), Tsang Foo (曾富, 1861 – ?), Yau Lit (尢列), Li Yik-mui (李亦梅, c.1877 – 1957), etc.  Revolutionist Yau Lit wrote a manifesto (宣言) on the construction of Confucius Hall.(6)

In February 1929, the second general meeting was held. A committee was set up to organize subscriptions to implement the proposal. The committee was composed of other well-known businessmen and community leaders, including Sir Shouson Chow (周壽臣, 1861 – 1959), Sir Robert Kotewall (羅旭龢, 1880 – 1949), Tso Seen-wan and Chau Tsun-nin (周埈年, 1893 – 1971) were elected to form a presidium (主席團), while Ip Lan-chuen (葉蘭泉, 1865 – 1946) was elected the Secretary; Li Yau-chuen (李右泉, 1861 – 1940), Chau Tsun-nin, Tsang Foo, Lui Yum-suen (雷蔭蓀, 1876 – 1953), Kan Hung-chiu etc. the Money Collectors (勸捐員); Tang Shiu-kin (鄧肇堅, 1901 – 1986), Chau Tsun-nin, Leung But-yu (梁弼予, ? – 1954 ), Au Lim-chuen (區廉泉, c.1868 – 1958) etc., the Money Keeper (接收捐款員), and Li Yau-chuen, Tang Shiu-kin (鄧肇堅, 1901 – 1986), Au Lim-chuen, etc. the Treasurers (司庫員).7 By around October 1929, $80,000 was subscribed.

A committee for general affairs (總務值理) of some 100 members was also formed. Members included businessmen and 

philanthropists like Tsang Foo, Sir Robert Ho Tung (何東, 1862 – 1956), Li Yik-mui (李亦梅), Ngan Shing-kwan (顏成坤, 1903 – 2001), Au Lim-chuen, etc., as well as notable scholars of the then Qing dynasty, namely Chen Huanzhang (陳煥章, 1880 – 1933), 8 Lo Sheung-fu (盧湘父,1868 – 1970),9 Lai Tsi-hsi (賴際熙, 1865 – 1937), 10 Ou Dadian (區大典, 1877 – 1937),11 Zhu Ruzhen (朱汝珍, 1870 – 1942), etc.12 However, almost all the money was spent on site formation and foundation works. Eventually, Kan Hung-chiu donated some $57,000 in the name of his father, Kan Long-shan (簡朗山), who supported the promotion of Confucianism, to cover the cost of constructing Confucius Hall. The front elevation of the main building, at the ground floor level near the main entrance, is embedded with a plaque engraved with “簡朗山公贈建孔聖講堂全座 民國廿四年 吉日立”,13 while at the roof floor level, it bears the inscriptions of “孔聖講堂 ” and “ 謝家寶” (Tse Ka-po, the calligrapher).(14) in-between the characters “孔聖” and “講堂” is a plague engraved with “玉振金聲”.15 Confucius Hall was formally opened on 10 December 1935. Tso Seen-wan was the first president of the society. Confucius Hall is situated on a plot of land registered as “Inland Lot No. 3357” (or I.L. 3357). According to the Government Lease of I.L. 3357, the lessee “will 

not except with the consent of the Governor erect or allow or suffer the erection on the said piece or parcel of ground or any part thereof any building other than a Confucius Hall and ancillary buildings thereto … and for any purposes whatever other than for the purposes of the propagation of Confucius morals and principles (including charities, education, celebrative functions and ceremonies and revolution)”.(16)   The use of the site is restricted to the activities mentioned in the said lease. The Birthday of Confucius is still annually celebrated and lectures are organized there. An orphanage named “孔聖堂兒童保康院” was opened at Confucius Hall on 25 March 1939, but it ceased operation in 1941 due to the outbreak of the war. (17)  The building was slightly damaged during the Japanese invasion (mainly the glass panes of doors and windows broken by the nearby bomb attacks). During the Japanese Occupation (1941 – 1945), the main building was occupied by the Japanese as an office and a sanatorium. 

There are a number of artefacts in the lecture hall that show the patronage of Confucius Hall by the leading figures of the Chinese community and its social network in Hong Kong. They include the wooden couplets presented to Confucius Hall in celebration of its completion in 1935. The gilded couplet which flank the main entrance door of the hall were presented by the founders. It is flanked by the couplet presented by the Hong Kong Confucius Society (香港孔聖會). In the middle above the main entrance door is a plaque from The Confucian Academy (孔教學院), written by Zhu Ruzhen. The couplets inside the hall were presented by the Confucian Association of China (中華聖教總會), The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (香港中華總商會), a children’s hospital in Guangzhou named “廣州志德嬰孩醫院”, as well as some community leaders of the New Territories, including Tsoi Po-tin (蔡寶田, 1872 – 1944), Ng Kei-cheung (伍其昌, 1859 – 1938) and Tang Fan-sun (鄧勳臣, 1874 – 1953). (18)

Architectural Merit

The lecture hall and the adjacent staff quarters are accessible from the entrance gateway, which takes the form of a pai-fong (牌坊) erected along the pavement on Caroline Hill Road and then the granite stairways leading from the gateway to the elevated platform upon which the buildings stand. The concrete pai-fong is surfaced with washed granolithic render, and inscribed with the society’s name “孔聖堂” (Confucius Hall) and that of the calligrapher “雷蔭蓀” (Lui Yum-suen), who was one of the founders of the society. The delicately carved Chinese-style granite balustrades bordering the northern and eastern edges of the platform remain intact. (19)

 Confucius Hall is situated on a plot of land registered as “Inland Lot No. 3357” (or I.L. 3357). According to the Government Lease of I.L. 3357, the lessee “will not except with the consent of the Governor erect or allow or suffer the erection on the said piece or parcel of ground or any part thereof any building other than a Confucius Hall and ancillary buildings thereto … and for any purposes whatever other than for the purposes of the propagation of Confucius morals and principles (including charities, education, celebrative functions and ceremonies and revolution)”.(16)  The use of the site is restricted to the activities mentioned in the said lease. The Birthday of Confucius is still annually celebrated and lectures are organized there. An orphanage named “孔聖堂兒童保康院” was opened at Confucius Hall on 25 March 1939, but it ceased operation in 1941 due to the outbreak of the war. (17) The building was slightly damaged during the Japanese invasion (mainly the glass panes of doors and windows broken by the nearby bomb attacks). During the Japanese Occupation (1941 – 1945), the main building was occupied by the Japanese as an office and a sanatorium. There are a number of artefacts in the lecture hall that show the patronage of Confucius Hall by the leading figures of the Chinese community and its social network in Hong Kong. They include the wooden couplets presented to Confucius Hall in celebration of its completion in 1935. The gilded couplet which flank the main entrance door of the hall were presented by the founders. It is flanked by the couplet presented by the Hong Kong Confucius Society (香港孔聖會). In the middle above the main entrance door is a plaque from The Confucian Academy (孔教學院), written by Zhu Ruzhen. The couplets inside the hall were resented by the Confucian Association of China (中華聖教總會), The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (香港中華總商會), a children’s hospital in Guangzhou named “廣州志德嬰孩醫院”, as well as some community leaders of the New Territories, including Tsoi Po-tin (蔡寶田, 1872 – 1944), Ng Kei-cheung (伍其昌, 1859 – 1938) and Tang Fan-sun (鄧勳臣, 1874 – 1953). (18)

The lecture hall and the adjacent staff quarters are accessible from the entrance gateway, which takes the form of a pai-fong (牌坊) erected along the pavement on Caroline Hill Road and then the granite stairways leading from the gateway to the elevated platform upon which the buildings stand. The concrete pai-fong is surfaced with washed granolithic render, and inscribed with the society’s name “孔聖堂” (Confucius Hall) and that of the calligrapher “雷蔭蓀” (Lui Yum-suen), who was one of the founders of the society. The delicately carved Chinese-style granite balustrades bordering the northern and eastern edges of the platform remain intact. (19)

Confucius Hall was designed by Tam Shiu-hong (譚肇康, 1875 – 1961), who was a well-known architect at the time. The building applications were submitted to the Building Authority by Messrs. Leigh and Orange, while the contractors were Messrs. Kin Cheong (建昌建築公司). (20) It is a reinforced concrete structure with Chinese-style features. The building consists of a main hall overlooked by an internal balcony, and a second floor constructed over the front part of the building. Externally, the two concrete roofs are covered with green glazed pan and roll tiles. At the front there is a hipped roof (四坡頂), while the rear one is a hip-and-gable roof (歇山頂). The main ridge of the front roof is decorated with a pair of dragon fish (鰲魚) with a pearl in the middle. The side ridges are decorated with wave-like ornaments. Beneath the eaves are concrete brackets, which imitate the dougong (斗栱) of Chinese architecture, and bands of painted decoration with Chinese patterns.

On the ground floor, the entrance bay is composed of three red wooden doors and fanlights decorated with patterned metal grilles, while the cantilevered balcony above has a Chinese-style granite balustrade. The bay is embellished with a pair of red terrazzo colossal columns, a band of ruyi (如意) motifs, and decorative panels with ruyi motifs.

In 1985, a statue of Confucius (孔子像), a pavilion named “觀鳳亭” near the Architectural Merit statue and a one-storey building named “書劍軒” near the lecture hall were erected to mark the 50th anniversary of Confucius Hall.(21)  The design of these structures, which reflect the influences of Chinese architecture, makes them compatible with the external appearance of the lecture hall. Internally, the main building consists of two parts. The rear part is a double volume space comprising the main hall with its internal balcony. Regarding the front part, this comprises a ground floor entrance hall, above which is a mezzanine floor with the main hall’s internal balcony and a room adjacent to it. This room has a cantilevered balcony with a Chinese-style decorative granite balustrade, and was formerly a conference room and a classroom, and is now a reading room. It is said that the officiating guests at the opening ceremony stood on this balcony to greet the guests, and they could enjoy a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour. During the Japanese Occupation, the room was used by the Japanese as a conference room. A library is housed on the top floor above it. The main hall is an auditorium built with a great deal of consideration. The design is practical but elegant. It is a column-free hall, and the usage of the space is therefore very flexible. To achieve such a column-free space, a concrete arched-beam roof structure with vertical hangers was designed and installed above the ceiling (in the ceiling void next to the library) in order to suspend the huge roof over the main hall. The ground floor has a gentle slope to enhance audience experience through better visibility. It is an open plan design without fixed seating to suit the needs of different events. The internal balcony is stepped for better visibility, and has a U-shaped form to provide more space to accommodate rows of historic timber seats. For acoustic reasons, it was reported that the hall’s ceiling was lined with Celotex panels.

The building’s decoration mostly adopted traditional Chinese elements or motifs. Ruyi motifs in different forms are widely used, for instance, on the brackets at the ground floor and upper levels of the main hall, on the parapet surrounding the balcony and the ventilation grilles on the ceiling of the main hall. Chinese meander patterns and four-petal motifs are also identifiable on the balcony’s parapet. The decorative elements are elaborate and eye-catching with their use of bright and contrasting colours and with a high level of craftsmanship. There are other features that are worthy of mention, as they serve to illustrate the contemporary building materials and techniques used in the 1930s. 

They include the terrazzo finishes of the colossal columns, the entrance surround and the flooring of the entrance hall, and the coloured cement tiles at the entrance hall, in the reading room and on the cantilevered balcony. Besides, the library is made of long hard wood floorboards, some of which are around 4.2 metres in length. The three-storey ancillary building was built for use as staff quarters. As an annex building, it adopts a humbler design with practical use in mind. Simple moulded cornice can be identified between the second and third floor levels, while the balcony on the third floor is surrounded by a balustrade with bamboo-shaped balusters, which enhance the aesthetics of the building. Toilet facilities and storerooms are housed in the building now.

Social Value & Local Interest

It was said that before the opening of Hong Kong City Hall in 1962, Confucius Hall was the major venue for large-scale activities and lectures, and the only community hall open to the public before the Second World War. For instance, in August 1940, a remembrance service for the 60th birthday of the late Lu Hsun (魯迅, 1881 – 1936), with an attendance of some 300 members of the public, was held at Confucius Hall. Hsu Ti-shan (許地山, 1893 – 1941) delivered an opening speech and Xiao Hong (蕭紅, 1911 – 1942) introduced the biography of Lu Hsun. In September 1941, a memorial service for Hsu Ti-shan was also organised there, which was attended by some 700 people from around 40 cultural and educational groups and tertiary institutions, etc., After the war, during an event in 1948 commemorating the May Fourth Movement, public lectures delivered by Guo Moruo (郭沫若) on “Science and Democracy” (科學與民主) and Mao Dun (茅盾) on “The Mission of Contemporary Artists” (當前文藝工作者的任務) attracted an audience of about 1,000 people. These examples also show the inclusivity of Confucius Hall, in that it welcomed people holding different ideas, including those who advocated science and new expressions of culture rather than traditional Chinese culture and beliefs. (22)

Various other kinds of events were also held at Confucius Hall. For instance, it was a venue for rallying supports and arousing national spirit and patriotic feeling against the Japanese invasion of China. On 12 May 1938, for example, the Hongkong Committee for Student Relief ( 香港學生賑濟會 or 學賑會 in abbreviation), comprising students of secondary schools and The University of Hong Kong, organised a mobilisation ceremony at Confucius Hall. It was attended by representatives of student organisations, including those from the UK, France, Guangzhou and Macau.

On 31 March 1939, the committee organised a mass oath-taking ceremony named “國民公約宣誓典” at Confucius Hall. Some 1200 students from about 100 schools pledged their loyalty to the country and their determination to mobilise patriotic feeling against the Japanese invasion in accordance with the anti-Japanese convention of national citizens (國民抗敵公約 or 國民公約 in abbreviation), which became effective across the Mainland from 27 April the same year. Activities such as singing and drama performances and exhibitions were also held there in order to gather subscriptions and raise funds to provide necessities for the destitute and soldiers on the Mainland.

 At present, Confucius Hall is still a venue used for the celebration of the Birthdays of Confucius and Mengzi. Memorial services for well-known public figures, such as Ip Lan-chuen (葉蘭泉, 1865 – 1946) and Shum Choi-sang (岑才生, 1922 – 2016),23 were also held there. It is also the assembly hall of the Confucius Hall Secondary School (孔聖堂中學, first built as Tai Shing Secondary School (大成中學) in 1950, and renamed its current name in 1953). Confucius Hall has group value with other historic buildings, including the Race Course Fire Memorial (馬場先難友紀念碑, Declared Monument), Tung Wah Eastern Hospital (東華東院, Grade 2), Shing Kwong Church (聖光堂, Grade 2), St. Paul’s Convent Church (聖保祿修院, Grade 1), S.K.H. St. Mary’s Church (聖馬利亞堂, Grade 1) and Main Building of Po Leung Kuk (保良局主樓, Grade 2).

Rarity, Built Heritage Value & Authenticity

When completed in 1935, Confucius Hall was described as a “novel building” and a “notable structure”. (24)   Its design is a fusion of Chinese and Western architectural features. The movement that was rejuvenating Chinese architecture by incorporating the use of modern building materials and methods was in its heyday on the Mainland at that time. Confucian Hall displays the influence of the movement on Hong Kong’s architectural community. The replacement of original timber windows with aluminium ones is the only obvious alteration that can be identified.

Without any major alterations that might have diminished its authenticity, Confucius Hall is one of the rare and outstanding surviving examples of design and construction combining both Chinese and Western architecture in Hong Kong. It is also the only surviving building built for the promotion of Confucianism that has this kind of design. (25)

 Moreover, Confucius Hall is also the oldest surviving historic building constructed for the reverence and advocacy of Confucianism in Hong Kong. It is still an important venue for the annual celebration of the Birthdays of Confucius and Mengzi. As a cultural venue, its commitment to inclusivity, as demonstrated by lectures held there on Confucianism and other classical and modern cultures has made it a place of great cultural diversity and dynamism. The hall was the only pre-war community venue open to the public for large -scale gatherings and it hosted important historical events, both shortly before and during the war years, which have enriched the historical value of the building.

REFERENCES

Document Records at The Land Registry Office, Hong Kong

Property Particulars of Inland Lot No. 3357.

Records at Building Information Centre, Hong Kong

Building Authority’s Office, Non-Domestic Permit dated 3 October 1935 (No. 55, Ref. No. 7