Wan Chai – Nearly Three Centuries of Urbanization in Hong Kong

Wan Chai district is one of Hong Kong's 18 districts and is situated on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island. Essentially a commercial hub, it is home to companies, offices, hotels, parks, malls, shopping areas, convention centers and exhibition halls. The most prominent ones that stand out include the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center (HKCEC), the Central Plaza and Hopewell Center.

Wan Chai was one of the first areas of Hong Kong to be developed, and even today remains a prominent urban residential area. Wan Chai North is one of Hong Kong's busiest areas and this is the part of Wan Chai that falls north of Gloucester Road.

Wan Chai is Hong Kong's hub for Chinese arts and culture, and a center for foreign language institutes like the Alliance Francais, Goethe Institut as well as the British Council. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Arts Center are located next to the waterfront. Both are focal points for theatrical, musical and cultural performances, and the Academy has a constant stream of plays, mini concerts, dances and music recitals.

Broadway musicals are staged in the Academy every year including Western plays like Saturday Night Fever, Annie and Singin' in the Rain. The Arts Center is popular with its Galleries, Rehearsal rooms and a restaurant that overlooks the harbor. Some of the world's largest exhibitions and international trade fairs are held here including the well-known Hong Kong Book Fair held every July.

Hong Kong's myriad facets are to be explored in many ways and Wan Chai is only one among specialized districts for a traveler to discover. You can ask your hotel in Hong Kong to arrange an itinerary for you.