Two young alumni of famous Hong Kong school use virtual reality to show its rich history

Young local history buffs are showcasing one of Hong Kong’s most illustrious schools through a virtual tour after going all the way to Britain to dig up historical documents and images.

Established in 1862, the school was the British government’s first public secondary-level institution in Hong Kong. Its notable graduates include Sun Yat-sen, founding father of modern China; influential tycoon Robert Hotung; former pan-democratic lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah; Hong Kong Monetary Authority chief executive Norman Chan Tak-lam; and former justice minister Wong Yan-lung.

Originally known as Central School, it was first built on Gough Street in Central. In 1889, the campus was relocated a few blocks away to Hollywood Road and Aberdeen Street; there, it was renamed Victoria College until it was completely destroyed during the second world war.

Fascinated since high school by the history of his alma mater, John Kwok Ho-yeung, a young history graduate of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, teamed up with former classmate Joseph Yu, studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, to bring the old buildings back to life. They did so using the latest virtual reality technology, also known as VR.