Travel information with destination guide in Wan Chai by GuideRooms.com   

Wan Chai, is an area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District, in northern Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong, China. It is bounded by Canal Road in the east, Arsenal Street in the west and Bowen Road in the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called Wan Chai North.

Wan Chai is one of the busiest commercial areas in Hong Kong with many small- and medium-sized companies gathering, likewise various shopping centres and restaurants serving cuisines of different countries. Wan Chai North features office towers, parks, hotels and a world-class conference centre. The locality is also a highly-populated yet ever-aging residential zone, facing an urban decay problem. Arousing much public concern, the government has put an overwhelming attempt in district regeneration in recent years.

Wan Chai attractions

Each day, crowds of people come to the locality to experience its vitality and fascinating diversity. There are many world-class commercial complexes and skyscrapers, the most notable being the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and Central Plaza for its height. At the same time, inimitable structural design reminding people of the past has also been preserved. Wan Chai's renowned historical spots and cultural vestiges include Old Wan Chai Post Office, Hong Kong's oldest post office and a declared monument, Hung Shing Temple which sees the seaside development one and a half centuries ago, and Pak Tai Temple where a bronze figurine is dedicated to Pak Tai. Moreover, a three-storeied, highlighted pergola with a pre-war frontispiece wall exhibiting reflective classical taste and the imaginative touch of customary buildings has been built right opposite to Li Chit Garden in Li Chit Street after the Garden's renovation.

Wan Chai's streets are steeped in history and offer an astonishing range of shopping. Walking down Queen's Road East a number of excellent rattan and Chinese furniture shops could be hit upon. Spring Garden Lane and the stretch of Johnston Road near it are great places to pick up simple clothes and bags at very competitive prices. The market stalls exclusively sell products originally meant for export, meaning quality and price are very competitive. It also connects to local wet and dry markets, and so offers a multicultural experience in the heart of Wan Chai. Spring Garden Lane is in between Queen's Road East and Johnston Road.

Besides Sham Shui Po, which is located in Kowloon, people can buy low-priced computer hardwares and applications in the area. Interestingly enough, certain medium-sized shopping centres are named in numerals, such as Oriental 188, 328, and 298 Computer Centre. The Wanchai Computer Centre would be the most popular computer center in Wan Chai. In spite of the abundance of sophisticated computer equipment, pirated discs abound in the computer shops.

Central Plaza is a modern triangular office building. Completed in 1992, it stands near Wan Chai Bay and occupies 7,230 m². The land and construction costs totaled HK$ 5 billion. This 374-metre, 78-story high skyscraper was once Asia's tallest and the world's fourth tallest building. At present it is the second tallest in Hong Kong. The apex of Central Plaza is designed as a unique neon tower clock. It consists of four spandrel neon bands, each representing 15 minutes, and the colour changes from top to bottom. When the four bands are of the same colour, an hour has passed. Small and free art exhibitions are on on the second floor year round.

More than an innovative clock, LightimeTM has become a new symbol of Hong Kong in a similar way to which the Eiffel Tower reminds people of Paris.

Located outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Golden Bauhinia Square, which witnessed the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, represents the end of British colonial rule and the return of the territory to China. A flag-raising ceremony is held there on a daily basis.

Wan Chai Tai Fat Hau footbridge make an absorbing display of art available. Made up of 30,000 citizens' fingerprints, the sticker pictures on the 50 poles of the footbridge, designed by famous artists and lay out "50 landscapes of Wan Chai", are now in line for enclosure in Guinness World Records Primetime. The Footbridge Gallery is located at the junction of Hennessy Road and Queen's Road East.

Lovers' Rock reclines on the hillside of Bowen Road near Shiu Fai Terrace and looks like a stone pen sticking out of a stone base. This special looking rock is said to have granted happy marriages to pious worshippers. In certain days, couples who want a happy marriage come to the Lovers' Rock to burn joss sticks and candles in sincere worship. Many overseas tourists, attracted by its reputation, come to marvel at the Lovers' Rock. From that location, they can also enjoy a splendid view of the whole of Wan Chai District, Happy Valley Racecourse, Central Plaza, the Hopewell Centre and other famous buildings in the community.

To appreciate a lush view of Wan Chai, tourists can take several routes up to the Peak. They may start from the old stone stairs facing Ship Street, or from the brae contiguous to Old Wan Chai Post Office and then ascend, step by step, to the top where grass and trees thrive. The flag-raising ceremony held every day at the Expo Promenade of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is always a must-see occasion that should not be missed; especially on July 1, the anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR and on October 1, the National Day, times when the ceremony is most spectacular.