Why Wan Chai is unlike any other place in Hong Kong – and it’s not just because of its sleazy red light district
- The area – home to bars, brothels and nightclubs but also business and cultural venues – has been targeted for art and creative development
- District is first to be showcased by a project that aims to capitalise on the living culture of Hong Kong for ‘creative tourism’
It is a seedy, trendy, creative, residential, business-focused community that is home to people of all ages. For many, Wan Chai is unlike any district in Hong Kong.
Stretching from police headquarters in the west, to the fire station in the east, and from the waterfront to its southern border on Queen’s Road East, the area is, in many respects, a mini-city all on its own. And like the city that surrounds it, has grown and developed almost beyond all recognition over the past 60 years.
Lockhart Road is a prime example. Before reclamation projects in the 1950s Victoria Harbour was far closer than it is today, and the roads around it were home to bars, brothels, nightclubs, restaurants, and businesses large and small. They still are, but Wan Chai is so much more than a historic red light district.
Urban regeneration
Wan Chai has been built and rebuilt countless times over the years. The government offices on Gloucester Road, the convention centre, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and the police headquarters are all relative newcomers.
As are the soaring blocks of flats, hotels, and other businesses that sprang up since the area was heavily bombed in the second world war.