Jao Tsung-I was very accomplished in Chinese learning and fine arts. There are three sections in the Jao Tsung-I Academy. The very upper section is up on the hill. With five buildings there they are now serving as the Heritage Lodge, a hotel. In the middle section, the buildings were once the wards for the prisoners and the patients. As the former Lai Chi Kok Hospital, the structures of the Jao Tsung-I Academy were built between 1921 and 1924. All of the structures are of red brick, a common feature for colonial-era buildings in Hong Kong. Due to its history serving as healthcare and prison institutions, including as the quarantine center for infectious deceases, the buildings in the middle and upper sections were reinforced with very heavy layers of concrete and sealed with white paint.

Public tours are available for free but signup is required.

The Academy is now a venue for cultural and educational activities. There is a coffee shop and a restaurant on site. Parking spot is available for patrons of the restaurants but pre-booking is required. Quite a number of Shatin-bound buses stop at the bus stop right across the street from the Academy.