Wan Chai
Wan Chai means “Small Bay” in Cantonese, and for generations was also known as Ha Wan, or Lower Bay. Commonly romanised as Wanchai – and popularly referred to by some residents as “The Wanch” - this perennially interesting urban district began in pre-British times as a small Chinese settlement – little more than a hamlet – grouped around the location of the present Tai Wong Temple on Queen’s Road East.
Modern Wanchai began in the 1840s with the intention of creating a high-class residential and commercial centre. Major foreign firms owned substantial buildings, godowns and wharves facing the sea. For a time Wanchai was known, in English, as Spring Gardens; the name is perpetuated in the present-day Spring Garden Lane.
The tramway opened in 1904 along that section of the waterfront (known in that era as the eastern Praya) that now forms Johnston and Hennessy Roads.
Lockhart, Jaffe and Gloucester Roads were all built on land reclaimed during an ambitious reclamation scheme in the 1920s. Gloucester Road, with its substantial police station, remained the Wanchai waterfront thoroughfare until further reclamation work started in the 1970s.
Nineteenth century Wanchai was also a major distribution centre for rattan goods, a precursor of the many rattan shops still to be found in the area, especially along Queen’s Road East. Some historic buildings remain from this time – the Tai Wong Temple, and the Pak Tai Temple on Stone Nullah Lane, both date from the mid-nineteenth century.
Wan Chai’s enduring reputation of Wanchai as a hedonistic nightlife zone only really developed in the post-war era. Before the Pacific War there were a few bars in the area, mainly owned by the Japanese and patronized by servicemen from the nearby Victoria Barracks, and the Royal Naval Dockyard. During the Korean War these businesses started to boom, and the party continued right through the Vietnam War and beyond.
While bars, night-clubs and associated pleasures remain a noted – and some would say notorious - feature of the district, Wanchai offers a great deal more interest than just a no-holds-barred night on the town. And Suzy Wong retired quite a few years ago!
Please note: All walks require appropriate footwear for walking. Please remember to carry water. We also suggest insect repellent, sunscreen, hat and an umbrella.
Meeting Point:
In front of Starbucks, near the entrance to Seibu on the Queensway side of Pacific Place.
Finish Point:
Near the Southorn Playground, on Johnston Road.
Price:
$325HKD per person for a scheduled walk. For private group booking enquiries please contact us.