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Arts x Living
Arts x Living
藝術 x 生活系列
Queens Hill Estate
Abandoned barracks Transformed Into A Captivating Community Hub Showcasing History, Art & Conservation
68 Lung Ma Road, Fanling
in desktop
Queens Hill Estate
68 Lung Ma Road, Fanling
in mobile
The Queens Hill Estate is located on Lung Ma Road in Fanling, site of the former Queen's Hill Barracks. The Housing Authority overcame numerous obstacles and, through careful planning and design, transformed the abandoned barracks into a new community brimming with rich cultural heritage in just a few years.

In different corners of the Queens Hill Estate, there are diverse style of artworks and conservation attractions. By following our recommended viewing route, visitors can appreciate the artworks under the theme of "Roots and Origins" and learn about the history and development of the estate. The artworks within the estate are crafted by local artists and experienced craftsmen, using the retained wood preserved from the former Queen’s Hill Barracks and recycled materials. This unique approach gives the artworks a distinctive character. Additionally, along the way, visitors can admire valuable preserved trees such as Ficus elastica at Lung Ma Road entrance, Cinnamomum camphora next to the public transport terminus and Araucaria cunninghamii at the central plaza.

Each site is marked by a sign with details of the artworks, benches and trees. Visitors can also scan the QR code on the sign to access the dedicated Queens Hill Estate’s minisite and learn more about each site.

Features
Artistic Ambience
Hong Kong artists created a diverse range of artworks and wooden benches using the trees and old items preserved from the former Queen’s Hill Barracks as the theme of “roots and origins”. These artworks are displayed throughout the estate and seamlessly integrated into the community, promoting the concept of symbiosis between humans and trees, and the importance of protecting our roots.
Conservation Attractions
During the design phase, we made special adjustments to the layout and details of the buildings to allow the public spaces and structures to complement the more than 100 preserved trees as viewing highlights.
Combining Technology & Art
The project team adopted augmented reality (AR) technology to the artworks called "The Trees of Life" and "Our Home", providing visitors a rich visual experience.
Community Participation
The artwork development team of Queens Hill Estate invited students from Fanling Government Secondary School to participate in the creation of two artworks, “The Trees of Life” and “Moments in the Wood”, led by professional artists. These works were exhibited at the MTR Community Art Gallery at Hin Keng Station for public viewing.
click on the following images to view the featured attractions
“Moments in the Woods” is a collaboration between the artist and students from a local school, capturing moments in the ancient woods of the former Queen’s Hill Barracks. Different colours of wood materials, textures of bark, and even the dried flowers and metal parts that students put in resin symbolise the moments turned into eternity.
“Time Track” adopted a three-dimensional illusion technique to bring back the scene of the barracks days. Salvaged artefacts such as the metal gate, fire alarm bell and road sign, were placed on the wall forming part of the scene.
“Beacon of Hope” consists of three tower-shaped wooden sculptures: that represent the high-rise buildings in Queens Hill Estate. One could imagine the lights from thousands of homes by looking at the gleaming windows and feel connected with others in the community.
"A Joyful Journey" presents the past and present lives in Queen’s Hill in the form of traditional Chinese paper-cutting art.
"Life" is made of wood planks slices from the timber from the former Queen’s Hill Barracks. With the high-rise residential blocks as the backdrop, "Life" is a metaphor for a robust seed deeply rooted in Queens Hill Estate.
The artwork development team of Queens Hill Estate held art workshops in Fanling Government Secondary School, for the students and artists to jointly create two sets of artworks for display at the Queens Hill Estate. Students directly participated in public art production and had great fun.
We invited Hong Kong artists and artisans to design and fabricate different types of wooden benches from the retained wood preserved from the former Queen's Hill Barracks. They are installed in various locations in the estate for residents to enjoy.
“The Trees of Life” expresses the beautiful form of banyan trees (Ficus virens Aiton) in an abstract way. One could easily be absorbed in this poetic picture and feel like being in the woods. On the branches, there are some figurative paintings of birds pecking fruits. The bird figures were created by students taking reference to different bird species.
“Our Home” demonstrates the development of Queen’s Hill and its surrounding areas in the form of a collage. From the past Hakka villages, railway branch line and Gurkha barracks, to the current Queens Hill Estate, all elements are presented in vibrant colours against the backdrop of a big banyan (Ficus virens Aiton).
“Interweaving” - Following the theme of "Nature intertwined with the Community", some unique vibrant elements related to farming and harvesting are presented on each of the chain link panels surrounding the community farm.
Each bronze of “Our Footprint” casting plaque of art emulates the growth-rings we often observe in trees, a detail that pays homage to the generations who have passed through Queen's Hill.
“The Bloom in the Barracks” - Made from salvaged floorboards and road signs of the former barracks, the barrel screens arouse people’s interest in barracks architecture. The artists organised them in a shape of a bauhinia, with artefacts that carry memories of the barracks days in Queen’s Hill.