Quick Answer: Wan Chai runs from the Convention and Exhibition Centre on the harbour to the temples and tenements of the old town uphill: Lockhart Road's bars, the Blue House, Pak Tai Temple, Tai Yuen Street's toy stalls and the Star Street restaurant quarter, with a second office district in between. Here is what is where and how to use it.
Wan Chai runs from the Convention and Exhibition Centre on the harbour to the temples and tenements of the old town on the hillside. In between are Lockhart Road's bars, the Blue House, Pak Tai Temple, Tai Yuen Street's toy stalls, the Star Street restaurant quarter, and Hong Kong Island's second-largest office district. This guide covers what is where, how to get around, and the businesses based here. Portal Hong Kong lists more than 500 businesses in Wan Chai.
What is where?
| Area | What you find | Nearest station |
|---|---|---|
| Harbourfront | Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai Ferry Pier, Harbour Road office towers, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Academy for Performing Arts | Exhibition Centre; Wan Chai exit A |
| Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road | Central Plaza, Immigration Tower, Revenue Tower, Wan Chai Tower government offices, mid-rise office blocks, the tram line | Wan Chai |
| Lockhart Road and Jaffe Road | The bar strip, sports bars, late-night restaurants, hotels | Wan Chai exit C |
| Johnston Road, Tai Yuen Street, Wan Chai Market | Tai Yuen Street toy and household stalls, Wan Chai Market, Southorn Playground, Wan Chai Computer Centre, Lee Tung Avenue | Wan Chai exit A3 |
| Queen's Road East and the old town | Blue House, Pak Tai Temple, Hung Shing Temple, Wan Chai Post Office (1913), Hopewell Centre, Stone Nullah Lane | Wan Chai exit A3, ten minutes uphill |
| Star Street precinct | Star, Moon and Sun streets: restaurants, wine bars, galleries, small design shops | Admiralty exit F |
How do you get there and around?
Wan Chai station on the Island line is two stops from Central; Exhibition Centre station on the East Rail line, opened in 2022, serves the Convention Centre and harbourfront directly. The tram runs along Hennessy and Johnston roads, the Wan Chai Ferry crosses to Tsim Sha Tsui, and the elevated walkway links Wan Chai station to the Convention Centre across Gloucester Road. Walking from the harbour to Queen's Road East takes about fifteen minutes with a climb at the end.
What should you see?
- Golden Bauhinia Square and the Convention Centre's harbour wing, site of the 1997 handover ceremony; the daily flag-raising is at 8am.
- The Blue House on Stone Nullah Lane, a restored 1920s tenement with residents still in place and the Hong Kong House of Stories on the ground floor.
- Pak Tai Temple on Lung On Street, built in 1863, the largest temple on Hong Kong Island.
- Wan Chai Post Office on Queen's Road East, the 1913 building now an Environmental Resource Centre, and Hung Shing Temple next to it.
- Tai Yuen Street, the toy street, and the Wan Chai Market for a working district market.
- Lee Tung Avenue, the redeveloped Wedding Card Street, for the lanterns and the restaurants.
- Hong Kong Arts Centre on Harbour Road for exhibitions and independent cinema.
Where do you eat, drink and shop?
Lockhart Road and Jaffe Road for bars and late-night food; the Star Street precinct for restaurants and wine bars; Queen's Road East and Stone Nullah Lane for cafes and bakeries near the Blue House; Lee Tung Avenue for mid-range dining; and the cooked food centre above Wan Chai Market for local lunch. Wan Chai Computer Centre on Hennessy Road is the Island's computer market; Tai Yuen Street is for toys and household goods. Browse Wan Chai restaurants and shopping and lifestyle listings.
Who does business here?
Government departments at Immigration Tower, Revenue Tower and Wan Chai Tower; trade associations and the exhibition industry around the Convention Centre; and the Island's largest concentration of CPA firms, corporate services providers, law firms and language schools outside Central, at rents a third lower. Central Plaza and Hopewell Centre anchor the towers; the mid-rise blocks along Hennessy Road and Queen's Road East hold the small firms. Next door: our Central district guide. For firms based here, see profits tax filing in Hong Kong and Cantonese and Mandarin courses for adults.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Wan Chai known for?
- The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and Golden Bauhinia Square on the harbourfront, where the 1997 handover took place; the bars of Lockhart Road and Jaffe Road; the old town around Queen's Road East with the Blue House, Pak Tai Temple, Hung Shing Temple and the Wan Chai Market; Tai Yuen Street's toy stalls; and the Star Street restaurant quarter. It is also Hong Kong's second office district after Central.
- How do I get to Wan Chai?
- Wan Chai station on the Island line, two stops from Central, and Exhibition Centre station on the East Rail line (opened 2022) for the Convention Centre and the harbourfront. The tram runs along Hennessy Road and Johnston Road, and the Wan Chai Ferry Pier connects to Tsim Sha Tsui. Admiralty is one stop west and Causeway Bay one stop east.
- Where are the bars in Wan Chai?
- Lockhart Road and Jaffe Road between Fenwick Street and Luard Road, the strip that has been Wan Chai's nightlife since the 1950s, with pubs, sports bars and late-night venues. The Star Street precinct (Star, Moon and Sun streets) behind Pacific Place Three is the quieter alternative with wine bars and restaurants.
- What is the Blue House?
- A four-storey 1920s tenement block on Stone Nullah Lane, painted blue, one of the last balconied tong lau in Wan Chai, restored with its neighbours (the Yellow and Orange houses) as a living heritage project with residents still in place, a community centre and the Hong Kong House of Stories on the ground floor. It won a UNESCO Asia-Pacific heritage award in 2017.
- Is Wan Chai a good office location?
- Yes: it is the largest office district on Hong Kong Island after Central, with Central Plaza, Hopewell Centre, the Convention Centre office towers and dozens of mid-rise blocks along Gloucester Road, Hennessy Road and Queen's Road East at rents well below Central. Government departments at Immigration Tower and Revenue Tower, trade associations, CPA firms and corporate services providers are based here.
