iSurprise Devil’s Peak bunker

What’s in a name?

Don’t worry, you won't find any evil creatures here! Devil's Peak was first called 'Gai Por Mountain' (雞婆山) because of its pentagonal shape, and then got its more ominous name because it was known to be a pirate outpost. Many merchant sailors were afraid to pass through the narrow Lei Yue Mun channel. Later, when the British built batteries to protect the sea passage, they tried to rename it 'Pau Toi Mountain' (炮台山) - 'Pau Toi' means 'battery' in Chinese - but the original name stuck.

Strategic military location

It may come as no surprise that the British government chose to build a bunker at a place that had served as a strategic pirate outpost for centuries. From 1914, the fire command headquarters for the entire East Coast of Hong Kong was located right here. Major guns were relocated in the 1930s, but soldiers were still stationed at Devil's Peak.

The Japanese invasion

In 1941, when the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began, the British tried to defend from Devil’s Peak with field artillery to delay the invasion. After the Japanese seized the peak, they turned it into a firing ground.

Hiking trail

The bunker was abandoned after World War II. Section 3 of a popular hiking trail, the Wilson Trail, runs through the foot of Devil's Peak.