Header image courtesy of @singsingshum (via Instagram)
Originally posted by Sophie Pettit. Last updated by Annette Chan.
Ah, Wan Chai. It’s known for a lot of things—not all of them good—but there is so much more to this historic area than just red-light districts and orientalist novels from the 1950s. (Yeah, we said it.)
Its name—meaning little bay or cove—refers to the coastline that ran along what is now Queen’s Road East prior to extensive land reclamation. What began as a humble fisherman’s village quickly developed into a colonial stronghold thanks to its desirable location on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island. Nowadays, Wan Chai is a cultural hub where historical landmarks rub shoulders with trendy restaurants and vibrant open-air markets. Sure, it’s got a disproportionate amount of pubs and “girlie bars,” but it’s also got an unusually high number of bathroom- and kitchen-fitting businesses, too.
Technically, Wan Chai District covers everything from the western end of Queensway to the base of Stubbs Road in Mid-Levels. In casual conversation, however, people generally mean the neighbourhood between Admiralty and Causeway Bay when referring to “Wan Chai”—and that’s what we’re going with too. Read on for the best things to do, see, eat, and drink in the glorious Wanch.