King Yin Lei To Become Healthy Living Centre

A historic red brick, green tile monument on Stubbs Road is to be turned into a centre promoting Chinese medicine and the Chinese tea pu'er.

King Yin Lei is one of four sites that the government on Tuesday awarded to organisations as part of its scheme to revitalise old buildings across Hong Kong.

The think tank, Tianda Institute, will run the King Yin Lei project to promote healthy living as early as 2027.

History professor Lau Chi-pang, who heads the committee vetting the projects, said they approved this project because tea-sipping is a quiet activity, and is in keeping with the Mid-Levels community.

"Before we got into the process, we received complaints already from neighbours, they didn't want a partner there running music or all sorts of activities that will create a different ambiance for this neighbourhood," he said at a press conference.

"You don't create too much noise when you drink tea."

Meanwhile, Homi Villa in Ting Kau, which used to be the residence of merchant Jehangir Ruttonjee, will be run by the National History Education Limited as a learning centre.

Lau said national education is probably something that Hong Kong needs right now.

The Boys' Brigade is getting the Fong Yuen Study Hall in Ma Wan to develop a STEM learning centre, while the Lifewire Foundation Limited will run a school at a water pumping station staff quarters compound near the Tai Tam Tuk reservoir.