Hugging the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, Wan Chai is a bustling commercial district dominated by office towers and hotels. It’s home to the landmark Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, as well as several landmarks constructed under British rule. After dark, its noodle shops and dim sum eateries overflow with office workers, as does the lively bar district of Lockhart Road.
Things to do in Wan Chai
Discover the district’s rich history along the Wan Chai Heritage Trail, which takes in some of Hong Kong’s most impressive colonial architecture. You can’t miss the aptly-named Blue House, which fuses both Western and Chinese architectural styles. Other architectural treasures nearby include the Old Wan Chai Post Office, the Pak Tai Temple and the Streamline Moderne-style Wan Chai Market Building.
Overlooking Victoria Harbour is the immense Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, which boasted the world’s largest glass curtain when it was constructed in 1988. It now regularly hosts book fairs, anime conventions and art exhibitions and houses a gallery where photos from the 1997 handover of Hong Kong are exhibited. The adjacent Golden Bauhinia Square is dominated by an immense golden flower and provides the setting for a daily flag-raising ceremony.
For a cultural fix, head to the Hong Kong Arts Center to find everything from art galleries and theatres to studios and a cafe. Browse the exhibits on display in the Pao Galleries or catch a dance performance in the Shouson Theatre before picking up unique gifts at the HKAC Art Shop.
Getting around Wan Chai
Wan Chai is a 40-minute drive from Hong Kong International Airport and is served by the Wan Chai subway station. Trams and buses also travel throughout the district and ferries connect from Wan Chai Pier to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon.