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    Causeway Bay: Then & Now


    Feature

    Causeway Bay embodies the many facets of Hong Kong – the fast pace, fascinating contrasts and dynamic energy. From the city’s very beginning to the present day, its diversity and vibrancy makes it a beloved neighbourhood.

    • Grandma Poon


      Resident of Causeway Bay

      “I was born on Lockhart Road back in 1933. I was 20 years old when I was sent to Cuba to be married and have a family. We came back in 1960 and later bought property…

      Streetsnaps
    • Christine Tsoi


      Marketing Manager

      “As a child, I would walk along this street on my way to school. I didn’t know then that decades later, I would still be passing by these same pigeons…

      Streetsnaps
    • Mr Cheung


      Owner, Ambassador Barber Parlour

      I’ve worked here for over 50 years, 30 in this location and 20 in the last. I came to Causeway Bay in 1978 and when my old bosses retired…

      Interviews
    • Chien Lee


      Chairman of Bei Shan Tang Foundation

      For Chien Lee, Chairman of the Bei Shan Tang Foundation, a passion and support for Chinese culture and the arts has always been in his blood. Grandson of Lee Hysan and son of Dr. Jung Sen Lee…

      Interviews
    • Candy Cheung


      Shun Kee Typhoon Shelter Seafood Owner

      “We grew up here on the water. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Causeway Bay typhoon shelter used to be filled with these floating restaurants, but by the 90s, they’d begun to disappear. Some of the few that remained eventually shut down and opened up on-land instead…

      Streetsnaps
    • Paul & Jocelyn


      Lovebirds of Causeway Bay

      Jocelyn: “I moved to Hong Kong from the Chicago suburbs at the age of 11. Causeway Bay was a total assault on the senses in the best way possible – there is so much energy and vibrancy, but also an an instant connection to the pulse of Hong Kong.”

      Streetsnaps
    • Sandy Ki


      Owner, Old San Yang

      It’s difficult to imagine Causeway Bay as anything but a bustling metropolis, but Sandy Ki has witnessed the neighbourhood evolve into the burgeoning business and shopping hub it is today…

      Interviews
    • Michell Lie


      Brand manager, ink artist & candle maker

      “In my eyes, Causeway Bay is a cultural gem. I spent my entire secondary school life here, living next to Victoria Park…

      Streetsnaps

    Celebrating Causeway Bay


    Feature

    A neighbourhood in flux, Causeway Bay’s constant evolution keeps residents and visitors coming back for more. Whether it’s fashion, food, film or art, it’s a part of Hong Kong that keeps people mesmerised and inspired.

    We are the neighbourhood


    Feature

    Thanks to its historic role as the centre of gravity for social life on Hong Kong island, Causeway Bay is home to some of the city’s most tight-knit communities. Some have been around for generations, others are only just developing.

    • Otto Leong


      A childhood spent at Lee Theatre

      Lee Theatre was once one of the city’s most glamorous institutions. Standing at the very edge of Percival Street, it opened to the public in 1927 and hosted a range of shows from Cantonese opera to film screenings, and even the Miss Hong Kong pageant during its heyday…

      Interviews
    • Yum Sing Bar


      Rosalie Carpio and Alex Lai

      “You ask me how deep my love for you is. How much do I really love you? My affection is real, my love is real. The moon represents my heart…”

      Teresa Teng’s beloved song is an apt choice for Rosalie Carpio’s set list…

      Interviews
    • Jimmy Lee


      Owner, Red Pepper

      “In 1967, I worked as an apprentice at an architecture office by day and then went to night school. I worked on the first floor of the Lee Garden building…

      Streetsnaps
    • Cynthia Leung


      Owner, Cat Store

      It all started 18 years ago when my partner ‘Ah Mao’ (Cat) and I had an vintage store on Percival Street. She collected a lot and we soon ran out of space…

      Interviews
    • Celia Garcia


      Long-term Po Leung Kuk volunteer

      “Have you ever heard of ‘airplane olives’? Hawkers would scream from the ground floor, selling their snacks from the street, so we’d drop money down from our balcony and they’d throw the olives up to us…

      Interviews
    • Auntie Yuk


      Pantyhose vendor on Pak Sha Road

      “I’ve had customers, including celebrities and politicians, who would definitely get upset if I ever moved my stall. I’m sure they’d be asking people…

      Streetsnaps
    • Takeo and Ryuma Iwami


      Hong Kong Judo Kan

      Over 50 years ago, Ryuma Iwami’s father Takeo came to Hong Kong with the desire to bring with him a part of Japan and its culture: judo. His dojo, Hong Kong Judo Kan, was established in Prince Edward in 1966, and later relocated to Causeway Bay.

      Interviews
    • Irene Lee


      Chairman of Hysan Development

      There are very few people who know the origin of a suburb, let alone one as integral to Hong Kong as Causeway Bay. But for Irene Lee, granddaughter of Lee Hysan and current chairman of Hysan Development, she can look back on the neighbourhood’s inception…

      Interviews
    • James Robertson


      Founder of El Grande Concepts

      Chances are you’ve eaten at one of El Grande Concepts’ many bars and restaurants. They include Hong Kong favourites Grappa’s and Inn Side Out. Founder James Robertson…

      Interviews
    • Liza Wang


      Accomplished artist

      It was just last year that Liza Wang, Hong Kong’s most beloved diva, actress, and Cantonese Opera artist, celebrated the 50th year of her glorious career. Having mesmerised a whole generation of Hongkongers…

      Interviews
    • Dr Lau


      Chinese Medicine Practitioner

      Dr Lau Tai-yum can recall the days when Lee Garden was just a quarry where he and his school friends would play. “There were only a couple of shops…

      Interviews
    • Zoroastrian Prayer Hall in Causeway Bay


      Neville Shroff, President, and Ervad Homyar Nasirabadwala, Priest of The Incorporated Trustees of the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hong Kong, Canton & Macao

      Zoroastrianism is known as the oldest practiced religion in the world: originating in ancient Persia over three thousand years ago…

      Interviews
    • Daniel Man


      Professional football player

      “I’m a professional football player. I used to play for Lee Man FC and before that I played at the Hong Kong Football Club in Happy Valley for over ten years…

      Streetsnaps
    • Brother Fai


      Fire Dragon Commander-in-Chief,
      Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Association

      Tai Hang is still a village, even if it is being swallowed up by the high-rise city that surrounds it. Walk through its narrow grid of streets and you’ll find…

      Interviews
    • Auntie Chiu


      Villain hitter

      I’m from Dongguan and my family, we had a lot of farms there. I was really busy planting mandarins, we had pigs, cows and chickens…

      Interviews
    • Four Generations of the Lee Family


      At the historic opening of Lee Garden Three in November 2018, Irene Lee, Chairman of Hysan Development remarked, “We have four generations of the Lee family here today to celebrate the opening of Lee Garden Three…

      Streetsnaps
    • Uncle Leung


      Street vendor

      “We picked this spot on Leighton Road today because it’s spacious and we aren’t in peoples’ way. We’ve been here for over 40 years. We used to roast chestnuts…

      Streetsnaps
    • Wan Chai Fire Station


      435 Hennessy Road

      Wan Chai Fire Station is the oldest fire station still standing in Hong Kong. Its maroon facade and retro-style balconies distinguish it from other fire stations in the city, which have followed a standard design since 1958.

      Streetsnaps
    • Savin Kwok


      Owner, Tak Shing Tea Stall

      “My dad operated Tak Shing Tea Stall from 1972 to 2003. It was two carts in an alley between Lan Fong and Pak Sha Roads that sold milk tea, coffee, beef ball and…

      Streetsnaps
    • Yiu Fung


      3 Foo Ming Street

      Established in Shanghai and brought to Hong Kong around 60 years ago, Yiu Fung specialises in Chinese snacks: pickled and preserved fruits, nuts and also dried meat products such as beef, pork and fish…

      Streetsnaps
    • The Lee Gardens Hotel


      Joseph Yung, former General Manager and Toh Toh Ma, former Chief Executive

      Even now, 25 years after its doors closed for the last time, the legacy of Lee Gardens Hotel lives on in the memory of those who called the hotel their home…

      Interviews
    • Noonday Gun


      A beloved tradition

      A loud ‘bang’ echoes from the Causeway Bay waterfront at precisely 12pm every day. It’s the Noonday Gun, a three-pound artillery gun…

      Streetsnaps
    • Andrew Chui


      Managing Director, Tai Ping Koon Restaurant Group

      Tai Ping Koon started in 1860 during the Qing Dynasty, when Guangzhou was an accessible entrepôt for foreign trade…

      Interviews
    • Mimosa Lee


      Salesperson

      “My favourite thing in Causeway Bay? The sound of the peanut shells crunching under my feet at Inn Side Out back when it was in Sunning Plaza. I had some great…

      Streetsnaps
    • St. Mary's Church


      Local Landmark

      St. Mary’s Church is an Anglican church that began in 1911 as a chapel for those at the Eyre Diocesan Refuge. Much of the early work depended on volunteers and donations…

      Streetsnaps
    • Mr Cheng


      Owner, Paris Cotton Singlets Company

      My father and I were refugees who came to Hong Kong in 1948. At first, he worked at a construction site for HK$5 a day. We rented half a store and set up a…

      Interviews
    • Christ the King Chapel


      33 Caroline Hill Road

      Dedicated to Christ the King, this chapel is part of the St Paul’s compound in Causeway Bay which also houses a convent and hospital. Its history can be traced back to 1848, when four Sisters of St Paul of Chartres arrived in Hong Kong…

      Streetsnaps
    • Sim Sim


      Owner, Jardine Bazaar stall

      “I’ve been here for 47 years. I love the women who like my stall. They bring their relatives and friends to visit and I’ve watched them grow from young women…

      Streetsnaps

    Causeway Bay: Then & Now


    Feature

    Causeway Bay embodies the many facets of Hong Kong – the fast pace, fascinating contrasts and dynamic energy. From the city’s very beginning to the present day, its diversity and vibrancy makes it a beloved neighbourhood.

    • Candy Cheung


      Shun Kee Typhoon Shelter Seafood Owner

      “We grew up here on the water. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Causeway Bay typhoon shelter used to be filled with these floating restaurants, but by the 90s, they’d begun to disappear. Some of the few that remained eventually shut down and opened up on-land instead…

      Streetsnaps
    • Paul & Jocelyn


      Lovebirds of Causeway Bay

      Jocelyn: “I moved to Hong Kong from the Chicago suburbs at the age of 11. Causeway Bay was a total assault on the senses in the best way possible – there is so much energy and vibrancy, but also an an instant connection to the pulse of Hong Kong.”

      Streetsnaps
    • Sandy Ki


      Owner, Old San Yang

      It’s difficult to imagine Causeway Bay as anything but a bustling metropolis, but Sandy Ki has witnessed the neighbourhood evolve into the burgeoning business and shopping hub it is today…

      Interviews
    • Michell Lie


      Brand manager, ink artist & candle maker

      “In my eyes, Causeway Bay is a cultural gem. I spent my entire secondary school life here, living next to Victoria Park…

      Streetsnaps

    Celebrating Causeway Bay


    Feature

    A neighbourhood in flux, Causeway Bay’s constant evolution keeps residents and visitors coming back for more. Whether it’s fashion, food, film or art, it’s a part of Hong Kong that keeps people mesmerised and inspired.

    • Grandma Poon


      Resident of Causeway Bay

      “I was born on Lockhart Road back in 1933. I was 20 years old when I was sent to Cuba to be married and have a family. We came back in 1960 and later bought property…

      Streetsnaps
    • Christine Tsoi


      Marketing Manager

      “As a child, I would walk along this street on my way to school. I didn’t know then that decades later, I would still be passing by these same pigeons…

      Streetsnaps
    • Mr Cheung


      Owner, Ambassador Barber Parlour

      I’ve worked here for over 50 years, 30 in this location and 20 in the last. I came to Causeway Bay in 1978 and when my old bosses retired…

      Interviews
    • Chien Lee


      Chairman of Bei Shan Tang Foundation

      For Chien Lee, Chairman of the Bei Shan Tang Foundation, a passion and support for Chinese culture and the arts has always been in his blood. Grandson of Lee Hysan and son of Dr. Jung Sen Lee…

      Interviews

    We are the neighbourhood


    Feature

    Thanks to its historic role as the centre of gravity for social life on Hong Kong island, Causeway Bay is home to some of the city’s most tight-knit communities. Some have been around for generations, others are only just developing.

    • Celia Garcia


      Long-term Po Leung Kuk volunteer

      “Have you ever heard of ‘airplane olives’? Hawkers would scream from the ground floor, selling their snacks from the street, so we’d drop money down from our balcony and they’d throw the olives up to us…

      Interviews
    • Auntie Yuk


      Pantyhose vendor on Pak Sha Road

      “I’ve had customers, including celebrities and politicians, who would definitely get upset if I ever moved my stall. I’m sure they’d be asking people…

      Streetsnaps
    • Takeo and Ryuma Iwami


      Hong Kong Judo Kan

      Over 50 years ago, Ryuma Iwami’s father Takeo came to Hong Kong with the desire to bring with him a part of Japan and its culture: judo. His dojo, Hong Kong Judo Kan, was established in Prince Edward in 1966, and later relocated to Causeway Bay.

      Interviews
    • Irene Lee


      Chairman of Hysan Development

      There are very few people who know the origin of a suburb, let alone one as integral to Hong Kong as Causeway Bay. But for Irene Lee, granddaughter of Lee Hysan and current chairman of Hysan Development, she can look back on the neighbourhood’s inception…

      Interviews
    • Otto Leong


      A childhood spent at Lee Theatre

      Lee Theatre was once one of the city’s most glamorous institutions. Standing at the very edge of Percival Street, it opened to the public in 1927 and hosted a range of shows from Cantonese opera to film screenings, and even the Miss Hong Kong pageant during its heyday…

      Interviews
    • Yum Sing Bar


      Rosalie Carpio and Alex Lai

      “You ask me how deep my love for you is. How much do I really love you? My affection is real, my love is real. The moon represents my heart…”

      Teresa Teng’s beloved song is an apt choice for Rosalie Carpio’s set list…

      Interviews
    • Jimmy Lee


      Owner, Red Pepper

      “In 1967, I worked as an apprentice at an architecture office by day and then went to night school. I worked on the first floor of the Lee Garden building…

      Streetsnaps
    • Cynthia Leung


      Owner, Cat Store

      It all started 18 years ago when my partner ‘Ah Mao’ (Cat) and I had an vintage store on Percival Street. She collected a lot and we soon ran out of space…

      Interviews
    • James Robertson


      Founder of El Grande Concepts

      Chances are you’ve eaten at one of El Grande Concepts’ many bars and restaurants. They include Hong Kong favourites Grappa’s and Inn Side Out. Founder James Robertson…

      Interviews
    • Liza Wang


      Accomplished artist

      It was just last year that Liza Wang, Hong Kong’s most beloved diva, actress, and Cantonese Opera artist, celebrated the 50th year of her glorious career. Having mesmerised a whole generation of Hongkongers…

      Interviews
    • Dr Lau


      Chinese Medicine Practitioner

      Dr Lau Tai-yum can recall the days when Lee Garden was just a quarry where he and his school friends would play. “There were only a couple of shops…

      Interviews
    • Zoroastrian Prayer Hall in Causeway Bay


      Neville Shroff, President, and Ervad Homyar Nasirabadwala, Priest of The Incorporated Trustees of the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hong Kong, Canton & Macao

      Zoroastrianism is known as the oldest practiced religion in the world: originating in ancient Persia over three thousand years ago…

      Interviews
    • Daniel Man


      Professional football player

      “I’m a professional football player. I used to play for Lee Man FC and before that I played at the Hong Kong Football Club in Happy Valley for over ten years…

      Streetsnaps
    • Brother Fai


      Fire Dragon Commander-in-Chief,
      Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Association

      Tai Hang is still a village, even if it is being swallowed up by the high-rise city that surrounds it. Walk through its narrow grid of streets and you’ll find…

      Interviews
    • Auntie Chiu


      Villain hitter

      I’m from Dongguan and my family, we had a lot of farms there. I was really busy planting mandarins, we had pigs, cows and chickens…

      Interviews
    • Four Generations of the Lee Family


      At the historic opening of Lee Garden Three in November 2018, Irene Lee, Chairman of Hysan Development remarked, “We have four generations of the Lee family here today to celebrate the opening of Lee Garden Three…

      Streetsnaps
    • Uncle Leung


      Street vendor

      “We picked this spot on Leighton Road today because it’s spacious and we aren’t in peoples’ way. We’ve been here for over 40 years. We used to roast chestnuts…

      Streetsnaps
    • Wan Chai Fire Station


      435 Hennessy Road

      Wan Chai Fire Station is the oldest fire station still standing in Hong Kong. Its maroon facade and retro-style balconies distinguish it from other fire stations in the city, which have followed a standard design since 1958.

      Streetsnaps
    • Savin Kwok


      Owner, Tak Shing Tea Stall

      “My dad operated Tak Shing Tea Stall from 1972 to 2003. It was two carts in an alley between Lan Fong and Pak Sha Roads that sold milk tea, coffee, beef ball and…

      Streetsnaps
    • Yiu Fung


      3 Foo Ming Street

      Established in Shanghai and brought to Hong Kong around 60 years ago, Yiu Fung specialises in Chinese snacks: pickled and preserved fruits, nuts and also dried meat products such as beef, pork and fish…

      Streetsnaps
    • The Lee Gardens Hotel


      Joseph Yung, former General Manager and Toh Toh Ma, former Chief Executive

      Even now, 25 years after its doors closed for the last time, the legacy of Lee Gardens Hotel lives on in the memory of those who called the hotel their home…

      Interviews
    • Noonday Gun


      A beloved tradition

      A loud ‘bang’ echoes from the Causeway Bay waterfront at precisely 12pm every day. It’s the Noonday Gun, a three-pound artillery gun…

      Streetsnaps
    • Andrew Chui


      Managing Director, Tai Ping Koon Restaurant Group

      Tai Ping Koon started in 1860 during the Qing Dynasty, when Guangzhou was an accessible entrepôt for foreign trade…

      Interviews
    • Mimosa Lee


      Salesperson

      “My favourite thing in Causeway Bay? The sound of the peanut shells crunching under my feet at Inn Side Out back when it was in Sunning Plaza. I had some great…

      Streetsnaps
    • St. Mary's Church


      Local Landmark

      St. Mary’s Church is an Anglican church that began in 1911 as a chapel for those at the Eyre Diocesan Refuge. Much of the early work depended on volunteers and donations…

      Streetsnaps
    • Mr Cheng


      Owner, Paris Cotton Singlets Company

      My father and I were refugees who came to Hong Kong in 1948. At first, he worked at a construction site for HK$5 a day. We rented half a store and set up a…

      Interviews
    • Christ the King Chapel


      33 Caroline Hill Road

      Dedicated to Christ the King, this chapel is part of the St Paul’s compound in Causeway Bay which also houses a convent and hospital. Its history can be traced back to 1848, when four Sisters of St Paul of Chartres arrived in Hong Kong…

      Streetsnaps
    • Sim Sim


      Owner, Jardine Bazaar stall

      “I’ve been here for 47 years. I love the women who like my stall. They bring their relatives and friends to visit and I’ve watched them grow from young women…

      Streetsnaps
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