Wan Chai District
Encyclopedia
Districts of Hong Kong
The Districts of Hong Kong are the 18 political areas by which Hong Kong is geographically divided. Each district has a district council, which was formerly known as a district board. The districts were established in the early 1980s, when Hong Kong was under British rule...
of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, located in the north of Hong Kong island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
. It had a population of 167,146 in 2001. The district has the second most educated residents with the highest income, the second lowest population and the third oldest residents, and is also the only district without any public housing estates. It is also affluent, with one in five persons having liquid assets of more than 1 million HKD.
Geography
The area known as "Wan ChaiWan Chai
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the 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 called...
" often includes the area surrounding Tonnochy Road
Tonnochy Road
Tonnochy Road is a road in Wan Chai on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. It runs from Hennessy Road, across Lockhart Road, Jaffe Road, Gloucester Road, to Hung Hing Road near Victoria Harbour. The wide Gloucester Road divided the road north and south...
and the MTR
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
station of the same name
Wan Chai (MTR)
Wan Chai is a station on Island line of Hong Kong's MTR. It serves Wan Chai. The main MTR railway is beneath Hennessy Road in the district. Due to the large area of Wan Chai, more than 50 ticket gates and eight entrances have been set up. One of the exits lead to the footbridge along O'Brien Road,...
, which is located between Admiralty
Admiralty, Hong Kong
Admiralty is the eastern extension of central business district of the Central on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. It is located on the eastern end of the Central and Western District, bordered by Wan Chai to the east and Victoria Harbour to the north. The name of Admiralty refers to the former...
on the west and Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, located on the Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road...
on the east. "Wan Chai North", where the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld-Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbour, it is linked by covered walkways to nearby hotels and commercial...
is located, refers to the area north of Gloucester Road
Gloucester Road, Hong Kong
Gloucester Road is a major road in Hong Kong. It is in the north of Wan Chai and East Point on Hong Kong Island. It connects to Harcourt Road at its western end and it ends east along west side of Victoria Park. It forms part of Hong Kong's Route 4 and connects to the Island Eastern Corridor via...
, reclaimed
Land reclamation in Hong Kong
Land is in short supply in Hong Kong, and land reclamation has been conducted there since the mid-19th century.-Projects:One of the earliest and famous project was the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which added 50 to of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction...
from the sea after the 1970s. It is a cluster of high rise office towers and hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s.
The broader administrative "Wan Chai District" includes the areas of Wan Chai
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the 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 called...
, Wan Chai North
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the 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 called...
, Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, located on the Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road...
, Happy Valley
Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Happy Valley is a mostly residential suburb of Hong Kong, located in the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Administratively, it is part of Wan Chai District....
, Jardine's Lookout
Jardine's Lookout
Jardine's Lookout is a mountain and a residential area on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is located Southeast of the Wan Chai district and South of the Tai Hang area, at an altitude of about 433 metres. Nearby hills include Mount Nicholson, Violet Hill and Mount Butler etc.It is named after...
, Stubbs Road
Stubbs Road
Stubbs Road connects Happy Valley and The Peak area on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, through an area near the Wong Nai Chung Gap. It goes through a residential area of luxurious high-rise tower blocks....
, Wong Nai Chung Gap
Wong Nai Chung Gap
Wong Nai Chung Gap is a geographic gap in the middle of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The gap is between Mount Nicholson and Jardine's Lookout behind Wong Nai Chung. Five roads meet at the Gap Wong Nai Chung Gap Road, Tai Tam Reservoir Road, Repulse Bay Road, Deep Water Bay Road and Black's Link...
and Tai Hang
Tai Hang
Tai Hang is an area southeast of Causeway Bay located in the mid-north of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The area is mainly residential.-Geography:...
.
History
The ceremony of the handoverHandover
In cellular telecommunications, the term handover or handoff refers to the process of transferring an ongoing call or data session from one channel connected to the core network to another...
of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
was performed in the new wing of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition centre in Wan Chai North.
In May 2009, 300 guests and staff members at the Metropark Hotel Wanchai in Wan Chai were quarantined, suspected of being infected or in contact with the H1N1 virus during the 2009 swine flu outbreak. A 25 year old Mexican man who had stayed at the hotel was later found to have the viral infection. He had traveled to Hong Kong from Mexico via Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
.
Politics
The district councilDistrict Council of Hong Kong
The District Councils, formerly District Boards until 1999, are the local councils for the 18 Districts of Hong Kong. Under the supervision of Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong Government, they are consultative bodies on district administration and affairs.- History :In 1982, under the...
of Wan Chai has 11 elected and 3 appointed members. The chairperson of the council is Ada Wong.
Diversity
Today Wan Chai is sometimes described as the heart of the city, representing the epitome of the Hong Kong lifestyle: there is a well-established arts centre, the large exhibition and conference complexes, luxury apartments, five-star and non-five-star hotels, shopping malls, metropolitan office towers and a large government building cluster - along with a multitude of home decoration shops, bars and MahjongMahjong
Mahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
centres filled with gamblers. The largest Muslim mosque in Hong Kong is located in Wan Chai, next to a number of cemeteries for several different faiths. Five minutes away from the noisy polluted streets is Bowen Drive, one of the more popular places for jogging. Top law-makers, movie stars, and government officials can be seen jogging there.
Entertainment and shopping
The numerous barsBar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
and strip joints
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
in the red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
part of Wan Chai are still popular with tourists and visiting US sailors - who arrive on Fenwick Pier
Fenwick Pier
Fenwick Pier is a pier in Fenwick Pier Street, Wan Chai North, Hong Kong, near CITIC Tower and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. There is the "Fleet Arcade" at the pier which was set up by the U.S. Navy. Prior to land reclamation of Wan Chai North in the 1970s, the pier was located near...
. Fenwick Pier was once the location of the only McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
that served alcohol in Hong Kong, but it was closed in 2004 and replaced by an up-market restaurant. Johnston Road and Queen's Road East are the two major streets in the area. Export clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
shops line the streets of Johnston and Luard Road and offer some of the best value in Hong Kong. Queen's Road East has many stores selling Chinese style wooden furniture whilst Spring Garden Lane
Spring Garden Lane
Spring Garden Lane is a street in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. It was one of the first focal areas developed by the British in the 1840s.-History:During the early development of Wan Chai, one of the focal area of development was Spring Gardens. The name was used by the British during the early Colonial...
and Tai Wo Street are also lined with stalls, but for vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s, fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and household items. Tai Yuen Street
Tai Yuen Street
Tai Yuen Street , often called 'Toy Street', where collects all the old toys of Hong Kong, is a street in the Wan Chai district of Hong Kong island, Hong Kong. It intersects with Queen's Road East and Johnston Road.-See also:* Wan Chai Heritage Trail...
is famous for shops and stalls selling various kinds of toys.
Hotels
- Grand Hyatt Hotel
- Renaissance Harbourview
- Novotel Century Hong KongNovotel Century Hong KongNovotel Century Hong Kong is a 4-star hotel in Hong Kong. It is located at 238 Jaffe Road, at the junction of Jaffe Road and Steward Road in Wan Chai....
- South Pacific Hotel
- Luk Kwok Hotel
- Wharney Hotel
- Empire Hotel
- The Fleming
Sights
Next to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition CentreHong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld-Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbour, it is linked by covered walkways to nearby hotels and commercial...
is the "Golden Bauhinia Square
Golden Bauhinia Square
The Golden Bauhinia Square is an open area in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong. The square was named after the giant statue of a golden Bauhinia blakeana at the centre of the area, situated outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the ceremonies for the handover of Hong Kong and the...
". There is a huge sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
of a bauhinia
Bauhinia blakeana
Bauhinia blakeana is an orchid tree of the genus Bauhinia with large thick leaves and striking purplish red flowers. The fragrant, orchid-like flowers are usually across, and bloom from early November to the end of March...
, which is the representative flower of Hong Kong, in the square. This is a popular tourist spot in Hong Kong for mainland visitors and also the location of the flag-raising ceremony which occurs daily and in a special form on Chinese National Day
National Day of the People's Republic of China
The National Day of the People's Republic of China is celebrated every year on October 1. It is a public holiday in the People's Republic of China to celebrate their national day.The PRC was founded on October 1, 1949 with a ceremony at Tiananmen Square...
and other occasions.
Skyscrapers include:
- Central PlazaCentral Plaza, Hong KongCentral Plaza is the third tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong. With a height of 374 m , Central Plaza is only surpassed by 2 IFC in Central and the ICC in West Kowloon. The building is located at 18 Harbour Road, in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island...
, the third tallest skyscraperSkyscraperA skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in Hong Kong, located in Wan Chai North - Hopewell CentreHopewell Centre, Hong KongHopewell Centre is a skyscraper in Hong Kong. It is located at 183 Queen's Road East, in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. It is the first circular skyscraper in Hong Kong. It is named after Hong Kong-listed property firm Hopewell Holdings Limited, which constructed the building...
The Old Wanchai Post Office is a declared monument
Declared monuments of Hong Kong
Declared monuments of Hong Kong are places, structures or buildings legally declared to be "protected". In Hong Kong, declaring a monument requires consulting the Antiquities Advisory Board, the approval of the Chief Executive as well as the publication of the notice in government gazette.As of 12...
. There is also a Police Museum near the junction of Stubbs Road
Stubbs Road
Stubbs Road connects Happy Valley and The Peak area on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, through an area near the Wong Nai Chung Gap. It goes through a residential area of luxurious high-rise tower blocks....
and Peak Road.
At the Stubbs Road Lookout
Stubbs Road
Stubbs Road connects Happy Valley and The Peak area on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, through an area near the Wong Nai Chung Gap. It goes through a residential area of luxurious high-rise tower blocks....
, scenery of the Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
can be seen. The famous Lovers' Stone is located on Bowen Road
Bowen Road
Bowen Road is a road from the Mid-levels to Wong Nai Chung Gap of Hong Kong Island, on the slope above Central, Wan Chai and Happy Valley in Hong Kong...
, which is also a nice place for scenery.
Demographics
According to a household survey by the Census and Statistics Department, the median household income is the highest of Hong Kong.Transportation
The first cross harbour tunnelTunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
in Hong Kong, the Cross-Harbour Tunnel
Cross-Harbour Tunnel
The Cross-Harbour Tunnel is the first tunnel in Hong Kong built underwater. It has become one of the most congested roads in Hong Kong and the world...
, was built in Wan Chai, linking the former Kellett Island
Kellett Island
Kellett Island is a former island off East Point in Hong Kong. It is now connected to Hong Kong Island at Causeway Bay following land reclamation in 1969....
in the district with Hung Hom
Hung Hom
Hung Hom is an area of Kowloon, in Hong Kong, administratively part of the Kowloon City District, with a portion west of the railway in the Yau Tsim Mong District. Hung Hom serves mainly residential purposes though is mixed with some industrial buildings in the north.-Geography:Hung Hom is located...
.
The Star Ferry
Star Ferry
The Star Ferry, or The "Star" Ferry Company, is a passenger ferry service operator in Hong Kong. Its principal routes carry passengers across Victoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon...
operates two routes from the pier at Wan Chai
Wan Chai Pier
The Wan Chai Pier , or Wan Chai Ferry Pier , is a pier at the coast of Wan Chai North on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. The pier is operated by Star Ferry, and provides ferry services to Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom. The pier is near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.-Transport...
:
- HKCECHong Kong Convention and Exhibition CentreThe Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld-Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbour, it is linked by covered walkways to nearby hotels and commercial...
, Wan Chai - Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha TsuiTsim Sha TsuiTsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui... - HKCEC, Wan Chai - Whampoa GardenWhampoa GardenWhampoa Garden is the largest private housing estate located in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was built on the site of the former Whampoa Dockyards under Hutchison Whampoa Property's "garden city" concept and completed in 1991.-Features:...
, Hung Hom
Appearances in fiction
- The computer game Deus ExDeus ExDeus Ex is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive in 2000, which combines gameplay elements of first-person shooters with those of role-playing video games...
features Wan Chai Market as the main district in the Hong Kong chapters of the game. - Almost 1/3 of the game Shenmue IIShenmue IIis a adventure game for the Dreamcast and Xbox. It is the sequel to Shenmue, and was produced and directed by Yu Suzuki of Sega AM2.Due to exclusivity rights obtained by Microsoft, the North American Dreamcast version was cancelled. Because of this, no English dub was recorded for the Dreamcast...
is spent in Wan Chai. A small portion of the city is divided into fictional quarters modeled after similar locations. - The location of the 1957 novel and 1960 film The World of Suzie WongThe World of Suzie WongThe World of Suzie Wong is a 1957 novel written by Richard Mason. The main characters are Robert Lomax, a young British artist living in Hong Kong, and Suzie Wong, the title character, a Chinese woman who works as a prostitute...
is set in Wan Chai.
See also
- Wan ChaiWan ChaiWan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the 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 called...
- Wan Chai PierWan Chai PierThe Wan Chai Pier , or Wan Chai Ferry Pier , is a pier at the coast of Wan Chai North on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. The pier is operated by Star Ferry, and provides ferry services to Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom. The pier is near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.-Transport...
- Causeway BayCauseway BayCauseway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, located on the Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road...
- List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong
- Bottoms Up ClubBottoms Up ClubThe Bottoms Up Club is a girlie bar in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The bar is famous for its appearance in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. The interior of the club evokes the interior of the club as seen in the film....
- Exhibition (MTR)Exhibition (MTR)Exhibition is a station on MTR's proposed North Island Line, an extension of Tung Chung Line, and also Sha Tin to Central Link. If built, it will serve the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre at Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong....
- Hong Kong Academy for Performing ArtsHong Kong Academy for Performing ArtsThe Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts , located near the north coast of Wan Chai on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, is both an academic institution and a venue for performances....
- Wanchai FerryWanchai FerryWanchai Ferry is a range of Chinese cuisine produced by General Mills. It consists of two product lines – recipe kits, which contain the sauces, flavouring and dry ingredients to make up a complete recipe when added to the consumer's choice of fresh ingredients, and in the United States they have...