啟德越南船民轉解中心/離港中心
1979-Dec 1981 (East),
1979-1990 (North)
Open + Closed
9500 (East), 14500 (North)
The site was a RAF base built in 1927. In 1978, the RAF moved its base to Shek Kong Airfield. Part of the RAF base had been redeveloped.In 1979, the remaining part of the RAF base was turned into the Kai Tak Transit Centre. Kai Tak consisted of two parts: East & North camp. Some of the buildings remains, including the RAF Headquarter buildings, which is now a Grade I historic building. It is now being used as Caritas Family Crisis Support Centre. There was also a 5-story building built in 1973 called Gary Block, which was used as a school for the asylum seekers. Although there was debate about preserving this building (in memory of the RAF) but it was
demolished due to the lack of architectural merits.
Similar to the Shum Shui Po camps, there are notable reclamation near the Kai Tak site. The southern part of the site, including the East camp and its surrounding area, have been redeveloped as housings (Richland Gardens) in the early 1980s. The site of the North Camp has been left idle for years, even though the camp had been closed since 1988 in anticipation of
redevelopment.
Kai Tak Transit Centre
Top:
Aerial view of Kai Tak North Camp in 1982 showing huts of various sizes. The RAF HQ building is visible at the back of the photo. One can also see the high-density housing and highways of Kowloon Bay at the back of the photo.
Mid & Bottom:
Image of UNHCR huts (left) and converted RAF barracks in Kai Tak North camp.
These pictures were taken in 1982 after the violent incident on the Freedom Day of Vietnam. The
UNHCR huts came with different sizes to accommodate asylum seekers of different family sizes.
The one shown in the picture was likely a family hut – which is smaller than the dormitory style
huts. (HKPRO HKRS693-1-1)
Kai Tak North (Red) and Kai Tak East (Orange) overlapped with the current Google earth image. Surviving building included the RAF HQ building (hatched in red), which is being used by Carita’s, a Christian charity.