iSee Old Tsan Yuk

Hong Kong’s first western maternity clinic

'I was born in Tsan Yuk!' many local aunties will proudly tell you. This red-brick building was the first Chinese maternity clinic in Hong Kong. Established in 1922 by a female missionary, this western clinic was fast to become a popular place for giving birth because the death rate was much lower here than in its local counterparts. In its heyday, sometimes two women even had to share one bed!

Staying true to its roots

After WWII, the hospital moved to Hospital Road and became a teaching unit of HKU's School of Medicine. In the 1970s, it was turned into a community centre but never lost its roots: today, the building is home to a Chinese clinic and breastfeeding organisation.

Conserving heritage

Featuring spiral staircases and high-ceiling rooms with parqueted floors, the old clinic, one of the few classical red-brick buildings in the area, is a real gem. It's a suitable home for the Conservation Association Centre for Heritage (CACHe), an active force advocating the conservation of Hong Kong history, culture and heritage. Pop in to see if they have exhibitions going on.

The old morgue

Hidden in the back garden, you find a small abandoned structure, which once was the hospital's morgue…