Sheung Wan (the upper district) and Central on Hong Kong Island are familiar names, but not many visitors - or even residents - have heard about Ha Wan (the lower district). Ha Wan, where Wan Chai lies today, was a barren, rocky bay 80 or 90 years ago.

The early city of Hong Kong stretched from Central to Western District. Until 1921 when reclamation began, Wan Chai was a quiet part of the island. After decades of intense development, Wan Chai is now one of Hong Kong island's most important transport, cultural and economic hubs.

In the streets of Wan Chai today, shops and houses in traditional style stand side-by-side with modern residential blocks and world-class office towers. The district has many buildings of international acclaim. The 78-storey Central Plaza, for example, is the fourth tallest building in Asia, while the Hong Kong Arts Centre is a well-equipped arts complex boasting a theatre, a concert hall, a cinema, exhibition halls, galleries, a broadcasting studio and rehearsal studios.

Then there is the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts which is a training base for performing artists; and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) the new wing of which looks like a seagull taking flight in Victoria Harbour. This striking building was the venue of the historic ceremony for Hong Kong's reunion with China in 1997.

The waterfront promenade adjacent to the HKCEC new wing has a panoramic view of the harbour and Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. The Gold Bauhinia sculpture standing in the middle of the promenade was a gift from the central government to celebrate Hong Kong's reunion with China. It symbolises a new page of Hong Kong's history.

Interesting Stories of 18 Districts
Central & Western	Eastern
Islands	Kowloon City
Kwai Tsing	Kwun Tong
North	Sai Kung
Sham Shui Po	Sha Tin
Southern	Tai Po
Tsuen Wan	Tuen Mun
Wan Chai	Wong Tai Sin
Yau Ma Tei Tsim Sha Tsui Mong Kok   Others	Yuen Long

After seeing the modern faces of Wan Chai, why not savour the charms of old Hong Kong? Wan Chai's period architecture is just as appealing as its world famous landmarks. Hung Shing Temple is one such building. Located on the harbourfront in pre-reclamation days, but now several hundred metres inland, its rock foundations were designed to protect it against the washing tide. Its busiest times are the 1st and 15th day of the each lunar month when worshippers come to pray for their future well-being.