Hong Kong's first prison, Victoria Prison, will be redeveloped into a tourist attraction after decommissioning, Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee said Sunday.

Speaking at the decommissioning ceremony, Lee said every bit of the prison will be nostalgically remembered by the public and become part of the collective memory among the members of the Correctional Services.

Victoria Prison, a landmark structure built in 1841, has seen Hong Kong's 160 odd years of development. Together with the adjoining Central Police Station and the Central Magistracy, it was the center of Hong Kong's criminal justice system in the early years.

The prison was used to accommodate felons such as pirates and bandits during the early years. When the Japanese army occupied Hong Kong during the Second World War, most of its building were destroyed. After the end of the war, the cluster of buildings were repaired and reopened as a prison.

"The ever changing functions of Victoria Prison are a testimony to the development of Hong Kong and its correctional services," Lee said.

With the closure of the old institution, new and well-equipped institutions are commissioned one after another. The Castle Peak Bay Immigration Center which came into operation last August, and Lai Chi Kok Correctional Institution which will become operational in July, will take the place of Victoria Prison, Lee said.

As part of the decommissioning program, Victoria Prison was opened to the public Saturday, which attracted over 10,000 visitors.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2006)