While Hong Kong may conjure an image of bustling cities and metropolitan life, Wan Chai in Hong Kong is considered a settlement that dates as far back as possible in the country’s history. With buildings and constructions developed during different periods preserved to date, the best way to explore this cultural heritage of Wan Chai, according to many a Hong Kong hotel, is to take the Wan Chai Heritage Trail.
While Wan Chai has seen a lot of development in the latter years with modern hotels such as Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong establishing itself in the area, the Heritage Trail takes you through the residential areas of high-class Europeans and foreign traders near the Wan Chai Bay. The trail commences at Mallory Street and concludes at Wing Fung Street. All along the trail, touch-sensitive screens have been installed so that the wandering tourist can read up about the buildings that they pass. Some of the buildings that you will encounter on the trail are an early 20th century construction named “Green House”, which is now a venue for a thriving comic industry; the Wan Chai Market, another creation of the early 20th century that follows a modern architectural scheme; the site of Hua Tuo Temple, renovated and termed the “Blue House”; a building with arched windows and iron grilles, but no balcony due to the narrowness of the street, called “Yellow House”; the Pak Tai Temple which was built in 1862; and Hung Shing Temple built in 1910.
In addition to the above, there are many other old buildings and markets that you can walk through, experiencing the blending of generations that has given birth to modern-day Hong Kong. You can download the exact trail route online or simply consult your hotel regarding the route and they can point you in the right direction.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+
