The restoration project of King Law Ka Shuk, a cultural relic in Hong Kong, won the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) of Leisure and Cultural Services Department an international award Sunday.

The King Law Ka Shuk project is recognized with an award of merit by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

This is the second time that the AMO's restoration project was recognized with this award, following the awards received in 2000 with the restoration project of Hung Shing Old Temple and the conservation project of Ohel Leah Synagogue.

Situated at Tai Po Tau Tsuen, northeast of the New Territories, the King Law Ka Shuk is the ancestral hall and study hall of the Tang clan there.

Its full restoration project, monitored by the AMO and the Architectural Services Department, commenced in late 1998 and completed in January 2001. The total costs were about HK$400 million (US$51.3 million) funded by the Hong Kong SAR government.

The Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation by the UNESCO drew 40 projects from 13 countries and regions in Asia-Pacific in 2001.

Among the 40 entries, one award of excellence, two awards of distinction, five awards of merit and five projects given with a Honorable Mention were selected by a panel of international conservation experts in architecture, urban planning, landscape design and heritage conservation.

(Xinhua News Agency March 17, 2002)