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Sheung Wan is a relatively small area on the west side of Hong Kong Island, dominated mostly by historic streets that stand in stark contrast to the modern skyscrapers of neighboring "Central". This is exactly the place where British Victoria City (as Hong Kong was then called) started its history from, and although some of the historic sites are now covered with concrete and tarmac, the area is still packed with chinese traditions and cultural attractions that are worth exploring.
This article will guide you through the top attractions in Sheung Wan:
- Naturally, the first attraction on your Sheung Wan trip should be Western Market: This impressive Edwardian building was erected in the early 20th century and is currently Hong Kong oldest existing market.The best way to get to the market is with the historic tramway. You can board it anywhere along the line of Causeway Bay - Wanchai - Admiralty - Central, and drop off right next to the market... Tip: Walk to the upper deck and enjoy the urban scenes, as the tram rattles through the bustling streets.
- From Western Market, you can start your walk through the historic streets of Sheung Wan, peeping into traditional shops that sell all sorts of exotic products... Wing Lok Street, just a heartbeat from the market, is known as the Ginseng and Bird's Nest Street. It will lead you to Des Voeux Road West (which is known as the Dried Seafood Street), from where you can proceed to the Herbal medicine Street (or Ko Shing Street, as it is officially called).
- The walk will eventually take you to Hollywood Road, Hong Kong's first constructed street, which unlike what many people assume, is not named after LA's glittering suburb, but after a shrub with the same name that used to grow around this area... (As a matter of fact, when the road was put up in the 1840s, California's famous Hollywood was not even born...). Hollywood Road gained its reputation as Hong Kong's antiques market, right from its very beginning, when it was much closer to the shoreline (before reclamation "pushed" the sea away) and European merchants used to pass here on their way back home, and sell the antiques they collected in China...
Even today, the street and its small offshoots are filled with many galleries and trinket shops. Possession Street, on the western side of Hollywood Road, is where the Brits first set their foot on Hong Kong soil, back in 1841. The exact landing point is within Hollywood Road Park, just around the corner from Possession Street. In the early 1960s, Hollywood road became internationally famous, when part of a Hollywood movie, called The World of Suzie Wong, was shot here. - Man Mo Temple, on 126 Hollywood Road (near the corner of Ladder Street) was built in the 1840s in honor of the gods of literature (Man) and war (Mo), and although it is not the city's most impressive temple, it is quite atmospheric, with many incense coils that fill the prayer halls with their strong and aromatic scents. Ladder Street, a stone-stairs alley right next to Man Mo Temple, used to house some funeral homes in the old days, and bodies of the departed were rested here before being sent to their home villages in China. Upper Lascar Row (Cat Street), below Hollywood Road, is also worth a visit.
- Walking up Ladder Street will take you to Bridges Street and Tai Ping Shan Street, where an 1850s ancestral hall can be visited. The Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences, just above Bridges Street, occupies an impressive 3-storey Edwardian building that once housed the old pathological institute, and is one of the only museums in the world that compare traditional Chinese and Western approaches to medicine. Not far from there, on Castle Road, Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum is dedicated to the legendary Chinese statesman, who played a vital role in transforming China from a monarchy to a republic, back in 1911. Occupying a beautiful Edwardian mansion, the museum provides a glimpse into the life of the "father of modern China", who received his education in Hong Kong and developed his revolutionary ideas in this city.
- At the eastern end of Hollywood Road, not far from the famous escalator, there are some declared historic buildings that are worth visiting, such as The Former Central Police Station, Victoria Prison (on Old Bailey Street) and the Former Central Magistracy (which is facing Arbuthnot Road). From here you can walk down Pottinger Street, which is also known as "stone-step street", thanks to its historic granite steps, turn left to Lyndhurst Terrace with which you can climb back to Hollywood Road, visit the wet market on Gage Street, or take the escalator up to SoHo, where plenty of great restaurants and cafes can be found.
Roni Shwartz is a certified travel consultant and an expert to the cities of Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. He writes for http://www.metropolasia.com/ - The ultimate online-guide for travel, dining and lifestyle in Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. To know more about Hong Kong, including recommended restaurants and nightspots, shopping tips, hotel recommendations and some great suggestions for do-it-yourself trips, visit the Hong Kong Travel Guide at Metropolasia.com
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