South Wan Chai - Hong Kong's History and Future
When navigating south Wan Chai’s fifteen historic shopping streets, that form a rhombus grid between Queen Road East and Johnston Road, timing is critical. After nine am, most streets, which sell everything from unpackaged underwear to unpackaged meat, are thicker than curdled molasses. While a few streets are slated for ‘urban redevelopment’, a stroll through this area provides a glimpse at Hong Kong’s past. At first glance the streets in South Wan Chai are gritty and chaotic, but they secretly represent an organized biosphere.
Walk through Tai Yuen Street to experience an eclectic outdoor market that sells everything from socks, sausages, fish (for pets) and kitchen appliances from crowded hawker stands. Continue on to Stone Nullah Road and Tai Wo Street which fuse together butchers standing behind meat hanging from hooks, fish mongers huddled over murky fish buckets, and women in flower shirts shaking their heads fondling fruit and vegetables. Lee Tung Street is ground zero for Wan Chai’s urban redevelopment. Until recently, this street served as Hong Kong’s hub for wedding cards, greeting cards and lycee packets. Now, ‘This is an Urban Renewal Authority Property’ signs plaster most shop fronts causing the shop owners, most entrenched for generations, to scatter or close. On the western end, Swatow and Landale Streets contain bird and parrot shops as well as a variety of local noodle shops. Gresson Street contains a surprisingly serene wet/dry market selling flowers, fruit under a patchwork plastic canopy.
