Wan Chai
- by
- Isabel Foo
Sitting on the north shore of Hong Kong, Wan Chai (literally translated as “small cove”) was one of the first developed areas on the island. Densely populated, and bounded by Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street west and Bowen Road to the north, the neighbourhood gained infamy as Hong Kong’s red light district. The go-go bars along Lockhart Road are a testament to its seedier past, but modern day Wan Chai offers much more than company for lonely sailors. With a thriving restaurant scene, more coffee shops than you can shake a stir stick at, and a unique mix of old and new, it’s a neighbourhood that offers enough to fill both your Saturday night and Sunday morning.
La Station
Cheong Fun Wang
Odd One Out
Okashi Galleria x Calbee Plus
Monocle
Capital Cafe
Kasa
Classic Canto. Modern twist.
Cosmos Books
Hopewell Centre elevator
Pak Tai Temple
Coffee Academics
Kapok
Leekeestore
Bowen Road Fitness Trail
Motorino
Bread & Beast
Nlostnfound
Tak Yu Cha Chaan Teng
Enjoy a HK milk tea at this HK cafe
LA CREMERIE
The best French cheeses in Hong Kong
Explore more neighborhoods
The Blue House
- Address
- 72 Stone Nullah Lane
This Grade 1 Historic Building is an iconic image of Wan Chai. One of the few remaining examples of tong lau—tenement-style housing—once common in the city, the blue colour is slightly less vibrant these days, but no less worthy of an Instagram snap. And for the curious traveller, it also houses the Hong Kong House of Stories, a community-run museum whose aim is preservation of the house, as well as conserving Hong Kong culture amid the sweeping changes of time.