Header image courtesy of @shallwe0317 (via Instagram)
Home to the gigantic ship that never set sail (a.k.a The Whampoa, the Hong Kong mall that looks like a boat), a 55-year-old ferry pier still in operation, and some 88 residential buildings divided into 12 complexes, Whampoa is no longer a low-profile housing estate nestled in Hung Hom, Kowloon. In all honesty, Whampoa was never quite out of reach, thanks to its vast network of buses that get you just about anywhere. Plus, with the opening of the ever-so-convenient Whampoa MTR station in 2016 and the resumption of ferry services from Central, tourists and locals alike flock to this former dockyard to explore its unique and bustling neighbourhood.
Whampoa is quite literally a “garden” (no, not just a namesake)—the area is covered in rich flora of all colours and streets are lined with elegant palm trees. Whampoa was designed incorporating principles of “the garden city movement,” in which urban planning is done with a combination of residence, agriculture, and industry in mind. Each of the complexes is named after a plant, ranging from Hong Kong’s symbolic bauhinia and bamboo to lily. Sounds like the place you’d chill at during your next day off? We’ve got the nooks and crannies covered on things to do, places to eat and drink, and where to shop (yes, there’s more than just the ship-shaped superstore)!