舊大會堂的故事:

　　這座建於一八六九年的香港第一代大會堂，是一座非常華麗的巴洛克風格建築。由怡和洋行捐贈，並透過一項公開比賽挑選了法國人M. Hermite的設計。會堂内設有圖書館、博物館、舞廳，休息室、入口廣場還有一座雄偉的噴泉，是專供當時上流社會的社交場所。

　　它位於舊中國銀行及匯豐銀行的地點，由於要讓位興建第三代匯豐銀行而於一九三五年清拆；據悉，只留下一株現位於長江中心旁的大榕樹。一九六二年，香港終於有一座真正為本人而興建的香港大會堂。

Former City Hall

　　The first City Hall in Hong Kong was built in 1869 with donations from organisations including Jardine Matheson. By way of an open competition, the design of M. Hermite, a French designer, was chosen. The French Baroque compound included a library, museum, ballroom, theater and a fountain in the square, making it the finest public architecture in Hong Kong of the time even though it was an exclusive site for higher society. 

　　Former City Hall was situated at the current site of old China Bank and HSBC. It was demolished in 1935 to make room for the third generation of HSBC. The only remaining part of the First City Hall might be the huge banyan tree planted in the square, where Hilton Hotel was constructed, demolished and rebuilt into Cheung Kong Center as decades have gone by. 

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