appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Tracey Furniss

Hollywood Road has been one of Hong Kong’s favourite destinations for tourists looking for art and antiques over the years, but it has more to offer than just shopping. Just take a walk along its 1km stretch to learn about its long history that dates back to early colonial days.
Where to eat in Hong Kong in May
What’s in a name?

The name may evoke images of glitz and glamour, but Hollywood Road in Central was most likely named by the city’s second governor Sir John Francis Davis, who served in that post from 1844 to 1848, after his mansion Holly House near Bristol in England.
Another popular story is that the name came from holly bushes that grew in the area at the time, creating a “wood”. As holly bushes are not indigenous to Hong Kong, they would have been brought over by early colonials.
Meet Hong Kong’s new kings of Cantonese cuisine
Hollywood Road, Hong Kong is older than Hollywood, California

Hollywood Road was built by the Royal Engineers in 1844, at the beginning of British colonial rule. It was only the second paved road to be built in the colony after Queen’s Road just down the hill. It stretches 1km from the former Central Police Station and Victoria Prison in the east to Possession Point, where the British first landed, in Sai Ying Pun to the west.
Hong Kong’s most expensive homes to rent: from The Peak to Repulse Bay

Fun fact: Hollywood Road in Hong Kong predates its more famous namesake in Los Angeles, California, which was registered by real estate magnate Harvey H. Wilcox in 1887.
Hollywood haven

The road was closer to the harbour in its early years before extensive reclamation, and was a haven for merchants and sailors selling antiques they had acquired in China for money to take back home with them. The reputation it gathered for antiques stuck and has made it a tourist destination ever since.
There is a dubious history behind how some of the antiques were “acquired” from China, but it is said that occasional museum quality pieces could be found there. In recent years, this industry has died due to online shopping habits and the area has added more art galleries instead.
3 best cocktails to try in Hong Kong now

Early Hollywood
In the early years, Hollywood Road was a hub of activity with antique shops neighboured by brothels, night bazaars and cinemas. Then there was the former Central Police Station and Victoria Prison, built at the road’s eastern end in 1864. Now known as Tai Kwun, it has been redeveloped into a dining and art hub within its original structure.

There is also the even older Man Mo Temple on the west side of Hollywood Road, built in 1847. It is a complex of three adjacent buildings – Man Mo and Lit Shing temples and Kung So community hall where disputes were settled. Dedicated to the worship of the god of literature, Man Tai, the civil god Man Cheong and the martial god Mo Tai, the temple has long been popular with scholars seeking success in their studies.
Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
 


The teapot from hell? Why the Chinese restaurant staple needs a rethink – the traditional design is cheap, leaky and dangerous to handle, so why are we still using it?

Why char siu is old Hong Kong’s classic comfort food – and how top Michelin-starred chefs are keeping it in foodie vogue today

Old Hong Kong’s 50-year-old shipwreck: how the world’s largest boat, Britain’s RMS Queen Elizabeth, sank on the seabed of Victoria Harbour – and it’s still there!

The story behind Hong Kong’s famous Queen’s Road: named after Queen Victoria, the city’s oldest street became a shopping hub after a 17-hour fire destroyed the area on Christmas Day

Hong Kong Origins Stories

Hong Kong’s Hollywood Road has nothing to do with Los Angeles: the surprising history behind the old and artsy tourist hotspot

Hollywood Road is Hong Kong’s second oldest paved road and its historic sights, and busy shops and stalls have long made it popular with visitors. Photo: SCMP

The pedestrian walk on Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Tourism Board promotes the street as part of Old Town Central with a guide outlining five walking routes. Photo: SCMP

Antique shops on Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong in 1989. Photo: SCMP

Archways at Public Square on Hollywood Road in 1974. Photo: SCMP

An alleyway trinket stand just off the western end of Hollywood Road in 2017. Photo: SCMP

Street signs above the mid section of Hollywood Road in 2017, indicating the prevalence of art galleries over antique shops. Photo: SCMP

Elaine Chiu’s set of Angel Wings can be found on Aberdeen Street, accessed from beside 74 Hollywood Road. Photo: SCMP

Keung To’s incredible transformation: from 90kg fat-shamed teen to one of Hong Kong’s hottest Cantopop celebrities

Keung To’s transformation from overweight teen to Canto-pop heartthrob. Photo: @keung_show/Instagram

Keung To back in school. Photo: @keung_show/Instagram

Keung To’s teenage years. Photo: ViuTV/YouTube

Keung To when he was younger. Photos: ViuTV/YouTube

Keung To’s transformation. Photo: ViuTV/YouTube

Keung To shared his journey on ViuTV’s Good Night Show. Photo: ViuTV

Keung To looking chic at a Cartier event. Photo: @keung_show/Instagram

When will China’s art market become the biggest in the world again? As Art Basel Hong Kong 2021 kicks off, only the US is worth more

China’s art market is now worth 20 per cent of the global total, benefitting Chinese artists such as Ji Xin, whose 2021 oil painting White Cat was displayed at Art Basel Hong Kong. Photo: Hive Center for Contemporary Art

Wesley Tongson’s Mountains of Heaven No. 149. Photo: Galerie du Monde

Cyano-Collage 096 by Wu Chi-Tsung. Photo: Galerie du Monde

Zhang Ji’s While We Took a Selfie, a Blooming Started (2021). Photo: Hive Center for Contemporary Art

Mirror No. 1 by Zhang Xiaogang (2018). Photo: Pace Gallery

Michael Müller’s Nr. 1 & 2, Verschränkte Werke. Photo: Galerie du Monde

How do K-pop and LGBT issues inspire Haneyl Choi’s sculptures? Art Basel Hong Kong marks the millennial Korean artist’s international arrival

Mini Han (2021) by Haneyl Choi: stainless steel, a folding hand fan and a skirt. Photo: P21


You​ (2021) by Haneyl Choi, an artwork of stainless steel, a beanie and a belt. Photo: P21

Paiksuk Chung (2021) by Haneyl Choi: steel and a Recto bag. Photo: P21

Mingyu Lee (2021) by Haneyl Choi: stainless steel and a cap. Photo: P21 Gallery

Art Basel Hong Kong: how artists are being energised by luxury brands looking to captivate social-savvy Gen Z

Swiss luxury skin care brand La Prairie collaborated with local artist Carla Chan to celebrate each day’s golden hour and the brand’s Pure Gold Collection. Photo: La Prairie


The Moon is Leaving Us (2021) by Phoebe Hui, curated by Ying Kwok, for Audemars Piguet’s 5th Art Commission. Photo: Audemars Piguet

Drawings from The Moon is Leaving Us (2021) by Phoebe Hui. Photo: Audemars Piguet

Keung To’s surprise celebrity fans: Louis Koo, Teresa Mo and more Hong Kong stars we never expected to see at Cantopop boy band Mirror’s concerts

Hong Kong celebrities Louis Koo, Keung To and Teresa Mo. Photos: @koontinlok_louis; @keung_show; @moje115/Instagram

Hong Kong actress Teresa Mo likes Mirror? Photo: @moje115/Instagram 

Famous Hong Kong actress Teresa Mo with Keung To. Photo: @moje115/Instagram 

Wyman Wong – an unlikely Mirror fan. Photo: @concertyy/Instagram

Award-winning Hong Kong actor Louis Koo. Photo:@kootinlok_louis/Instagram

Hong Kong singer Kay Tse. Photo: @kaytse/Instagram

Hong Kong film director Kearen Pang. Photo: @kearenpang/Instagram

Magazines

Style

Leisure


Possibly named by the territory’s second governor Sir John Francis Davis, the road was formerly known for its many shops selling antiques from China
Its most famous landmarks are both from the 19th century: Man Mo temple and Central Police Station, now the Tai Kwun arts and dining complex



It’s a popular tourist destination today, but did you know it’s older than California’s Tinseltown and used to be a haven for sailors selling antiques?
