Wan Chai
Wan Chai | ||||||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 灣仔 | |||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 湾仔 | |||||||||||||
Jyutping | Waan1 zai2 | |||||||||||||
Literal meaning | "small bay" or "cove" | |||||||||||||
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Wan Chai (Chinese: 灣仔; pinyin: Wānzǎi) is situated at the western part of Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often referred to as Wan Chai North.
Wan Chai is one of the busiest commercial areas in Hong Kong with offices of many small and medium-sized companies. Wan Chai North features office towers, parks, hotels and an international conference and exhibition centre. As one of the first areas developed in Hong Kong, the locale is densely populated yet with noticeable residential zones facing urban decay. Arousing considerable public concern, the government has undertaken several urban renewal projects in recent years. There are various landmarks and skyscrapers within the area, most notably the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Central Plaza and Hopewell Centre.
Names
Wan Chai originally began as Ha Wan (下環), literally meaning "a bottom ring" or "lower circuit".[1] As one of the earliest developed areas in Hong Kong along the Victoria Harbour, Central ("centre ring" in Chinese), Sheung Wan ("upper ring"), Sai Wan ("western ring") and Wan Chai are collectively known as the four rings (四環) by the locals. Wan Chai literally means "a cove" in Cantonese from the shape of its coastal line, however, due to drastic city development and continual land reclamation, the area is no longer a cove.
History
Wan Chai was the first home to the many Chinese villagers living along the undisturbed coastlines in proximity to
British Colony (from 1842)
With the growth of the
By the 1850s, the area was already becoming a Chinese residential area.
One of the first water-front hospitals was the
The district was home to several well-known schools. One of these schools was established by the famous traditional teacher, Mo Dunmei (莫敦梅). Started as a shushu (書塾) in 1919, the school was renamed Dunmei School (敦梅學校) in 1934 after him.[6][7] It taught classical Chinese writings and Confucian ethics.
In 1936, the Chinese Methodist Church (香港基督教循道衛理教會) moved its building from Caine Road, Mid-levels Central, to Hennessy Road (軒尼詩道), Wanchai, a thoroughfare of the district running from west to east.[8] This church building became the landmark of the district. In 1998, this building was demolished and replaced by a 23-storey building.
Second World War and the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945)
During the
Post-war development (from 1945)
During the
Transfer of sovereignty to China (PRC)
Wan Chai's
In May 2009, 300 guests and staff members at the Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai were quarantined, suspected of being infected or in contact with the H1N1 virus during the global outbreak of swine flu. A 25-year-old Mexican man who had stayed at the hotel was later found to have caught the viral infection. He had traveled to Hong Kong from Mexico via Shanghai.[11][12]
Reclamation
Wan Chai's coastal line has been extended outward after a series of land reclamation schemes. Early in 1841, the coastline was located at Queen's Road East (the area of Spring Gardens and Ship Street). The first reclamation took place and new land was sold to Minister of Foreign Affairs of the British Colony. The project was privately funded and the government did not take part. Soon after, in 1858, the Minister and his salesmen sold the land back to the Chinese after Sir Robert Brown Black was named President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.[13]
The next reclamation project in Wan Chai was the Praya East Reclamation Scheme. The coastline was extended to today's Gloucester Road. The reclamation after World War II from 1965 to 1972 pushed the coastline further out to the areas around Convention Avenue and the Wan Chai Pier. The 1990s Wan Chai Development project added additional land, on which the current HKCEC stands today.
Community life
Arts and culture
Wan Chai is a major hub of foreign and Chinese cultural institutions in Hong Kong. It is home to the French
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), a HK$4.8 billion convention centre with an extension completed in 1997, covers over 16 acres (65,000 m2) of newly reclaimed land that added an extra 38,000 m2 of functional space to the existing convention centre.[14][15] It remains a venue for international trade fairs, some of which are among the biggest in the world: the annual Hong Kong Book Fair in July, food fair and festival, technology exhibitions, and cosplay competitions.
Dining
- leong cha (lit. cool tea) and 24-mei.
- Dai pai dong, open-air restaurants in a big tent, is another classic restaurant type that appeared in Wan Chai. Despite the often unclean and uncomfortable eating conditions, many people are attracted to the freshly made steamed rice roll, congee and chow mein early in the morning. Due to urban renewal projects in recent years, most of these restaurants are fading away.
- Yum Cha, is the name associated with having dim sum, e.g. Fook Lam Moon restaurant.[16] People usually have "one bowl with two pieces" (一盅兩件, meaning a cup of tea with two dim sums) for breakfast. There were three old-styled dims restaurants remaining in Wan Chai, namely Lung Mun, Lung To, and Lung Tuen. Lung Mun, the last of the trio, closed on 30 November 2009. A number of Buddhist cuisine restaurantsare also available in the area.
- The Maxim's and Café de Coral. Jaffe Roadand Lockhart Road are famous for pubs.
Bar district
The area towards the western end of
Recreational activities
Some of those trademark activities still exist through today: senior citizens socialise and play Chinese chess, young people at school play football and basketball, ad-hoc street basketball games that attract flocks of spectators and players. Occasionally, the entire playground is used for carnival fairs, three-player drill basketball contests and hip hop dance competitions.
Religious diversity
Wan Chai's places of worship represent
Tourism and landmarks
Wan Chai offers historical conservation sites including Old Wan Chai Post Office, Hung Shing Temple and Pak Tai Temple. Many of the medium-sized shopping centres are named in numerals, such as Oriental 188, 328, and 298 Computer Centre. These numbers might have come from the earlier days when all prostitution houses were numbered, as they were referred to as "big numbers" (大冧巴, dai lum bah).[1]
There are many commercial complexes and office skyscrapers in Wan Chai. The HK$4.4 billion 78-storey skyscraper Central Plaza currently stands as the third tallest building in Hong Kong.[19] Small but free art exhibitions used to be held on the second floor all year round, whereas the first floor connects Wan Chai's footbridge network: the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre at the network's extreme north, Wan Chai Pier, China Building, Harbour Centre, Central Plaza, Immigration Department Tower, Wan Chai Court, Wan Chai MTR station and Johnston Road (the tram line) at the network's extreme south.
More recent tourist attractions include the Golden Bauhinia Square, the site of a daily flag-rising ceremony. This ceremony is enhanced on 1 July (Handover of Hong Kong) and 1 October (National Day of China).
A 3-storey
Lovers' Rock reclines on the hillside of Bowen Road near Shiu Fai Terrace, mid-levels Wan Chai. The rock received its name since it resembles a small, thin column sticking out of the rock base. This special-looking rock is said to have granted happy marriages to its devoted worshippers.[20] Many people are attracted by its reputation.
Buildings and constructions
Architecture
Throughout Wan Chai's history, construction styles have changed according to the architectural movement at the time.
Era | Style | Examples |
---|---|---|
Qing Dynasty |
Chinese-style | Hung Shing Temple |
1910s–1920s | Neoclassical architecture | Old Wan Chai Post Office Blue House |
1930s | Streamline Moderne architecture | Wan Chai Market
|
Post-WWII | Bauhaus-style | Shop houses ( Tai Yuen Street
Caltex House |
In the 1950s and 1960s, an increasing number of girlie bars and nightclubs were opened in the red-light district by Jaffe and Lockhart Road. The establishments entertained visiting sailors landing at Fenwick Pier. Beyond Gloucester Road is the commercial area developed in the late 1970s and 1980s, a time at which Hong Kong underwent economic development at full speed. At the same time, buildings like the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, HKCEC, and Central Plaza were constructed on the newly reclaimed land.
Skyscrapers in Wan Chai include:
- Central Plaza, 78 floors, offices, completed in 1992
- Hopewell Centre, 64 floors, offices, completed in 1980
- Sun Hung Kai Centre, 56 floors, offices, completed in 1981
- May House, 47 floors, government offices, completed in 2004. Headquarters of the Hong Kong Police Force
- China Online Centre, 52 floors, offices, completed in 2000
- Three Pacific Place, 40 floors, offices, completed in 2004
- Convention Plaza Office Tower, 50 floors, offices, completed in 1990
- Immigration Tower, 49 floors, government offices, completed in 1990
- Revenue Tower, 49 floors, government offices, completed in 1990
- Wanchai Tower, 44 floors, government offices, completed in 1985
- MLC Tower, 40 floors, offices, completed in 1998
- Wu Chung House, 40 floors, offices and government offices, completed in 1992
- Great Eagle Centre, 35 floors, offices, completed in 1983
- Shui On Centre, 35 floors, offices, completed in 1987
- QRE Plaza, 35 floors, offices and shops, completed in 2007
- China Resources Building, 48 floors, offices, completed in 1983
- Harbour Centre, 33 floors, offices, completed in 1983
Urban decay and renewal
Many of Wan Chai's older buildings now face a serious problem of urban decay. To tackle the problem, the government has launched a series of urban renewal projects to bring new life into the area. Many local residents have relocation worries such as whether the Urban Renewal Authority can compensate enough to put them in a new space of equal size. Other concerns involve the loss of building character that make up part of that Hong Kong cultural identity.
- Demolition of Lee Tung St – Old buildings on Lee Tung Street are scheduled for demolition. Many businesses have shut down or moved out. Today, most stores have signs on their gate proclaiming "This is an Urban Renewal Authority Property".
- Renovation of Tai Yuen St – Visitors may gain a distinctive experience of bustling local street-stall shopping in Chinese herbal medicine. This predominantly tourist attraction area is a place where old houses and modern mansions mingle, creating an interesting disparity.
Central and Wan Chai reclamation (from 2007)
After the completion of the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation Feasibility Study in 1989, the Land Development Policy Committee endorsed the idea of an ongoing series of reclamation.[21] The reclamation comprises three discrete development areas to be aligned by public parks, namely, Central, Tamar and Exhibition. The urban development of each cell would be further divided into five subsequent phases. As of 2014, reclamation for the Central area has been completed: the area is largely taken by the new government offices and the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (its old building in the heart of Central has been reverted to its original use as the Supreme Court).
Government
The Hong Kong
Economy
Esquel Group has its head office in Harbour Centre (海港中心), Wan Chai.[25]
Jademan (now Culturecom) was formerly headquartered in Harbour Centre.[26]
Transportation
Geographically, Wan Chai is the crossing point between the Central and Western District (West Point/Central), and the Eastern (Causeway Bay/North Point) district. Its thoroughfares connect the main developed areas along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island. The transport infrastructure is efficient, convenient and highly accessible.
- Mass Transit Railway(MTR)
- Wan Chai station on the Island line, trains run between Kennedy Town and Chai Wan (north-eastern part of Hong Kong Island)
- Exhibition Centre station on the East Rail line, trains run between Admiralty and Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau border crossings
- Tramsrun between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan (north-eastern part of Hong Kong Island)
- Buses travel along thoroughfares such as Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road, with destinations as different parts of Hong Kong
- Ferry services from Wan Chai Pier to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, across the Victoria Harbour
Ferries
The Star Ferry at Wan Chai Pier the sole ferry operator in the area. Frequent services cross the Victoria Harbour from HKCEC, Wan Chai to the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. In light of more convenient and competitive cross-harbour public transportation, the Star Ferry continues to provide an inexpensive option to local commuters. Numerous shipping companies, such as the Anglo-Eastern Group, also have their headquarters in Wan Chai.
Main roads and tunnels
Wan Chai's Gloucester Road, an east–west trunk route along the northern coast, is connected to Cross-Harbour Tunnel, the first undersea tunnel in Hong Kong. This tunnel is connected to the south by a direct viaduct from its landing point on Hong Kong Island to the Aberdeen Tunnel towards the southern coast.[27] Connecting Hong Kong Island at Kellett Island (the site of the Royal Navy Club) to a reclaimed site at Hung Hom Bay in Kowloon, this tunnel provides a direct link by road. Prior to the tunnel's opening in 1972, local drivers and pedestrians depended solely upon the Star Ferry services to cross the Victoria Harbour.[28] Linking the main financial districts on both sides of Victoria Harbour, the tunnel carries 123,000 vehicles daily.[29] On the other hand, the thoroughfare Queen's Road East, an extension from Queen's Road West at Kennedy Town, through Queen's Road Central at Central, Queensway at Admiralty, takes a southerly route to provide an alternative east–west road link. Due to Wan Chai's early involvement in the British colonial administration, road names were often taken from previous Governors, such as Hennessy Road, and notable people (Gloucester Road, Jaffe Road, Lockhart Road, Johnston Road, Fleming Road, Luard Road, O'Brien Road, Marsh Road, Stewart Road, McGregor Street, etc.).
Thoroughfares, Roads and Streets:
- Amoy Street
- Anton Street
- Arsenal Street
- Convention Avenue
- Cross Lane
- Cross Street
- Electric Street
- Expo Drive
- Expo Drive Central
- Expo Drive East
- Fenwick Pier Street
- Fenwick Street
- Fleming Road
- Gresson Street
- Harbour Road
- Hennessy Road
- Hill Side Terrace
- Jaffe Road
- Johnston Road
- Landale Street
- Lockhart Road
- Lee Tung Avenue
- Luard Road
- Lun Fat Street
- Marsh Road
- Monmouth Path
- Moon Street, Starstreet Precinct
- O'Brien Road
- Performing Arts Avenue
- Queen's Road East
- Salvation Army Street
- Schooner Street
- Ship Street
- Spring Garden Lane
- St. Francis Street
- St. Francis Yard
- Star Street, Starstreet Precinct
- Stewart Road
- Stone Nullah Lane
- Sun Street, Starstreet Precinct
- Swatow Street
- Tai Wo Street
- Tai Wong Street East
- Tai Wong Street West
- Tai Yuen Street
- Thomson Road
- Tonnochy Road
- Triangle Street
- Wan Chai Road
- Wood Road
Mass Transit Railway
The MTR Island line runs beneath Hennessy Road, a thoroughfare, in the locality. Due to the large size of Wan Chai, more than 50 entry/exit gates and 8 entrances/exits are set up. An extension project was carried out in the early 2000s; it created two additional entrances/exits, one of which connects to the footbridge network from the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre to the station. Then this footbridge is also interconnected with covered corridor of buildings along the Victoria Harbour, and ends up at Wan Chai Pier.
The
Trams
Tram services run between Shau Kei Wan on the northeastern part of the island and Kennedy Town on the west, with a circular branch serving Happy Valley and the Happy Valley Racecourse. The tram route runs across Johnston Road and Hennessy Road.
Buses
Most buses travel in Wan Chai from
and Gloucester Road.Taxis
Minibus
There are two types of minibuses in Wan Chai, the green minibus and the red minibus. In general, green minibuses operate on scheduled service with fixed routes and published fares. Red minibuses run with government licence but on non-scheduled services, casually connecting regular travellers and commuters to specific urban areas across Hong Kong Island. Drivers of red minibuses will display fares in the front of their minibus windshields.
- Routes:
- Green: 4A, 4B, 4C, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14M, 21A, 21M, 24A, 24M, 25, 28, 30, 31, 35M, 36X, 39M, 40, 56, 69
- Red:
- West Point – Causeway Bay (Sogo) / Shau Kei Wan
- Tsuen Wan – Wan Chai – Causeway Bay. The return to Tsuen Wan stop is in front of Wan Chai Computer Centre.
- Sheung Shui – Wan Chai
- Yuen Long – Wan Chai
Education
Wan Chai is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 12. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and the following government schools: Hennessy Road Government Primary School (
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 962-209-563-1.
- ^ "Wan Chai". Thaiworldview. 1 January 1998. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
- ^ 24-site heritage tour for Wan Chai, SCMP, 6 Oct 2008, quoting Ho Pui-yin, Chinese University historian
- ^ "Hong Kong electric company generation". Hong Kong Electric. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
- ^ "Hong Kong royal navy". private website citing Harland, Kathleen, The Royal Navy in Hong Kong since 1841, Maritime Books, Liskeard, Cornwall, undated; and Melson, Commodore P.J., White ensign – red dragon, Edinburgh Financial Publishing, Hong Kong. 1 January 1997. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
- ^ a b "Hong Kong Dunmei school history". Hong Kong university. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
- ^ a b "The Hong Kong Oral History Archives Project". University of Hong Kong Centre of Cultural studies. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
- ^ "香港基督教循道衛理聯合教會之歷史". www.methodist.org.hk. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- ISBN 962-209-734-0.
- ^ Eric Cavaliero, face of Wan Chai, The Standard, 3 July 1997
- ^ Cheng, Jonathan; Ye, Juliet; Stein, Peter, "Hong Kong Orders Quarantine of Hotel", Wall Street Journal, 2 May 2009
- ^ Dasgupta, Saibal, "Swine flu scare: China puts 460 in isolation", The Times of India, 3 May 2009.
- ^ "A historical and architectural appraisal of Queen's Pier central" (PDF). Amo gov hk. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
- ^ "Government gives policy support to TDC's atrium link extension proposal". HK Government. 16 June 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
- ^ "Letterhead of Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention organiser's and supplier's association" (PDF). HK Legislative Council. 12 January 2001. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
- ^ "The best Hong Kong dim sum" CNN Go. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011
- ^ "The World of Suzie Wong (1960) - Gwulo: Old Hong Kong". gwulo.com. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- ^ "Wan Chai1". Thaiworldview. 1 January 1998. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
- ^ "Wan Chai central plaza architecture". Hong Kong university. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
- ^ "Lover's Rock". Go hk gov. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
- ^ "Central and Wan Chai Reclamation". Hong Kong civil engineering and development department. 27 June 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
- Immigration Department. Retrieved on 14 August 2011. "Immigration Department Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong"
- ^ "Hong Kong Police Force." Government of Hong Kong. Retrieved on 14 August 2011.
- ^ Farley, Maggie. "LAW ENFORCEMENT; Colony's Expatriate Police See '97 as Incentive to Hand In Badges; Those who opt to leave Hong Kong cite reasons ranging from uncertainty under Chinese rule to perks for early retirement. Series: LIVES IN TRANSITION. Hong Kong Awaits China's Takeover. One in an occasional series." Los Angeles Times. 6 December 1996. Part A Foreign Desk. Retrieved on 14 August 2011. "In the Wan Chai police headquarters, a stolid, whitewashed building with square pillars and breezy verandas[...]"
- ^ "Contact Us". Esquel. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
ESQUEL ENTERPRISES LTD. [...] 13/F Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
- Traditional Chinese address: "溢達企業有限公司 [...] 香港灣仔港灣道25號 海港中心13樓", Simplified Chinese address: "溢达企业有限公司 [...] 香港湾仔港湾道25号 海港中心13楼" - Jademan Comics. 1988. p. 2.
JADEMAN (HOLDINGS) LIMITED, 28/F Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Hong Kong.
- ISBN 962-209-550-X.
- ISBN 1-74059-687-0
- ^ "Hong Kong, the Facts transport" (PDF). Hong Kong government. 1 April 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
- ^ "POA School Net 12" (PDF). Education Bureau. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
Further reading
- Paris, Nicolas (Spring 2011). "" Comme à l'époque de Suzie Wong ". Les mutations du red-light district de Wan Chai". doi:10.4000/gss.1878. - Abstract available in English