Fortress Hill, Hill in North Point, Hong Kong Island, China.
Fortress Hill is a hill and an area on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, comprising the western part of North Point west of Oil Street and the eastern part of Causeway Bay. It is crossed by King's Road, Electric Road and Fortress Hill Road, and contains private residential estates, office buildings, hotels and serviced apartments.
In 1879 the British military built the North Point Battery on the hill then called East Hill to guard Victoria City, giving Fortress Hill its name. The battery was handed back to the government and dismantled in June 1922; its site is now occupied by the State Theatre and Fortress Hill Methodist Secondary School, and Fort Street recalls it. During the Japanese occupation, anti-aircraft guns were placed on the hillside behind Chung On Terrace and Comfort Terrace.
The name Fortress Hill comes from the North Point Battery, built in 1879 on the hill then called East Hill; the battery was dismantled in 1922. Fort Street beside the former site recalls it. The English name Fortress Hill also inspired the brand name of Fortress electrical stores, founded by Hongkong Electric, whose North Point power station stood at today's City Garden.
Fortress Hill is served by the MTR Fortress Hill station on the Island Line, by Hong Kong Tramways along King's Road, and by several bus and minibus routes. King's Road, Electric Road, Island Eastern Corridor and Fortress Hill Road run through the area. The MTR station lies at the foot of the hill, where Causeway Bay East meets North Point.
The 1897 oil depot that gave Oil Street and Shell Street their names was built by Royal Dutch, the company that became Royal Dutch Shell; it closed in 1981. The depot stood near today's Fortress Hill station, which opened in 1985.
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