The former Prince of Wales Barracks is shedding its last trace of colonialism as the People's Liberation Army moves to rename the Tamar site.
Yesterday the first Chinese characters could be seen behind sheeting put up by workers over the Christmas holiday.
They will cover the outline of the letters of the old name which remained after its removal in 1999. And in typically dour Communist Party style, the building - whose shape has been likened to an upturned gin bottle - will in future be called the Chinese People's Liberation Army Force's Hong Kong Building.
Army chiefs have also disclosed that the building's chapel will be renovated and put to a different use. However, the Christian cross on the outside will stay for the time being. A spokesman for the PLA's Hong Kong garrison said workers were putting the new name on the facade in place of the old Prince of Wales barracks sign, which PLA troops began dismantling two years ago.
The spokesman refused to say if the new sign would be bilingual. He said they would also consider what to do with the cross.
The other seven SAR barracks are also being renamed to cut links to the colonial past. A spokesman said the new names were chosen by linking them to their locations, making them easy to remember.
