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Wan Chai Hong Kong

April 19, 2014 by David Herd

Wan Chai Hong Kong in mid February, it was so cold, you must be joking I thought. Last week the temperature was 18 degrees, when I arrived it was 8. The first stop on my “seven Super Cities” adventure in a city I had not visited since 1980, 34 years ago.

Wan Chai Hong Kong

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

Wan Chai Hong Kong 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.

Gloucester Rd Wan Chai

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

Wan Chai’s Gloucester Road, a 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.

Wan Chai Hong Kong opposite my hotel

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

Prostitution has been one of the oldest occupations in Wan Chai. There are numerous historical accounts of women trading sex for western merchandise, especially from visiting sailors who got off the trading ships and visited this area.

Lockhart Rd Wan Chai

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

 In the 1960s, Wan Chai became legendary for its exotic night life, especially for the US servicemen resting there during the Vietnam War.

One Aussie, one Kiwi & 3 Filipinos.

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

For bars, restaurants and night clubs Wan Chai Hong Kong is a great part of the cityThe area towards the western end of Lockhart Road, including a small part of the parallel Jaffe Road, is one of Hong Kong island’s two main bar districts (the other being the more upmarket Lan Kwai Fong in Central). Once considered primarily as a red light district, this area is now more diverse with bars, pubs, restaurants and discos.

A number of the raunchier bars still remain, however, their doorways festooned with women from Thailand and the Philippines. The famous novel and film “The World of Suzie Wong” sets many scenes in this area. The bar district has been popular with visiting sailors and navies, when Fenwick Pier, west of the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre, was in use as a military pier.

Wan Chai Hong Kong

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

Only a 10 minute walk from my hotel to the ferry.

Short ride across the bay

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

About a 30 minute ferry ride to Star terminal at Kowloon.

Hong Kong bus

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

Or is it a tram?

View of Hong Kong island from the ferry.

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

The island is home to many of the most famous sights in Hong Kong, such as “The Peak“,Ocean Park, many historical sites and various large shopping centres. The mountain ranges across the island are also famous for hiking. The northern part of Hong Kong Island together with Kowloon forms the core urban area of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong island from the ferry.

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

The island is often referred to locally as “Hong Kong side” or “Island side”. This description was formerly applied to many locations (e.g. ‘China-side’ or even ‘Kowloon Walled City-side’) but is now only heard in this form and ‘Kowloon side’, suggesting the two sides of the harbour.

Star Ferry pier in Kowloon

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

Quite a contrast between these two vessels. 

Star Ferry Pier

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

The “Star” Ferry Company, is a passenger ferry service operator and tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Its principal routes carry passengers across Victoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It was founded in 1888 as the Kowloon Ferry Company, adopting its present name in 1898.

Kowloon

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

 Large-scale development of Kowloon began in the early 20th century, with the construction of the Kowloon-Canton Railway and the Kowloon Wharf, but because of Kowloon’s close proximity to Kai Tak Airport, building construction was limited by flight paths. As a result, compared to Hong Kong Island, Kowloon has a much lower skyline.

One Peking building

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

Located at the heart of the Tsimshatsui district, One Peking has stunning panoramic views of Victoria harbour.

Wan Chai Hong Kong Lotus Vietnamese restaurant

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

Good food and service at this nice Vietnamese restaurant at 118 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai Hong Kong.

Mango & sticky at the Lotus.

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

One of my favourite deserts in Wan Chai winter Hong Kong.

Brighton Hotel 128 Lockhart Rd, Wan Chai

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

This is a terrific small hotel in a great location. Book here for a good discount.

Hong Kong 1980

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

Here is a shot from my first visit to Hong Kong in 1980, how things have changed.   

          Somebody has to do it. 🙂

Wan Chai winter Hong Kong

 Thanks for visiting my Wan Chai winter Hong Kong photo blog.

  Here are some more posts to check out 

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Seven deadly Songkran days

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That’s all folks

1g Duck

 
 

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