Tiger Tales

HONG KONG’S Neighbourhood du jour

Heritage is in vogue in Hong Kong and the tiny district of Sheung Wan is becoming the city’s capital of chic nostalgia. Directly west of Central, the area has never been under the radar, just underappreciated. A dynamic, colourful, eccentric neighbourhood just outside Hong Kong’s central business district, it is a hub for galleries, boutiques, private kitchens (unlicensed eateries) and the city’s hottest clubs. Cafés and yoga studios now jostle for space with Chinese tea shops, meat warehouses and traditional medicine clinics, creating a contrast between the Hong Kong that was and the one that will be.

The Scene

Despite its proximity to Central and the Mid-Levels, Sheung Wan is a down- to-earth locale – home to markets, noodle stands and mahjong parlours. There are also open-air butcher shops and a fantastic antiques market, its stalls and stores stained with age. On Sundays, Hollywood Road Park bustles with tai chi enthusiasts, old men playing Xiangqi (Chinese chess) and couples ballroom dancing. Ponds full of fat, vibrantly coloured carp, benches where people doze or read and pagoda-like shelters where children play create a tranquil scene.

Eat, Drink, Play

Eateries like Classified and The Press Room are increasingly drawing crowds farther down Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan’s main artery. 208 Duecento Otto, a new Italian eatery that smacks of the Big Apple, attracts the neighbourhood’s growing ranks of expats and affluent locals. Carved from a former meat-packing warehouse, 208’s ground-floor antipasto bar is a popular spot for a drink during the week. Its main dining room upstairs serves up simple yet elegant fare, while Classified’s streetside seating area and cheese room are always packed at lunch time.

Just down the road from the revered Man Mo Temple, where believers jostle for space with camera-toting tourists, and across from the emerging restaurant precinct of Gough Street, is Sheung Wan’s newest sensation. Chic lounge-cum-nightclub Republik is custom-designed to capitalise on Sheung Wan’s new sense of dynamism, as well as its newfound wealth. It gives the party people of Hong Kong yet another reason to head west.

Art Attack

A migration begun by the arts community has breathed new life into the area west of Aberdeen Street, home to the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and Hong Kong Dance Company. Other venues include The Space, Hong Kong’s first Lomography store, and modern studios like the Cat Street Gallery and Para/Site. Sheung Wan is also known for antiques. Visit markets for colonial-era trinkets and the boutiques on Hollywood Road for serious stuff. Keep an eye out for Hong Kong Tourism Board endorsement stickers, which guarantee authentic antiques.

FACT FILE

Classified, 108 Hollywood Rd, Sheung Wan, tel: +852 2525 3455, www.classifiedfoodshops.com.hk

The Press Room, 108 Hollywood Rd, Sheung Wan, tel: +852 2525 3444, www.thepressroom.com.hk

08 Duecento Otto, 208 Hollywood Rd, Sheung Wan, tel: +852 2549 0208, www.208.com.hk

Republik, 108 Hollywood Rd, Sheung Wan, tel: +852 2261 1111, www.republik.com.hk

The Space, 210 Hollywood Rd, Sheung Wan, tel: +852 2361 1210, www.thespace.hk

Lomography, G/F, 2 Po Yan St, Sheung Wan, tel: +852 2915 2205, www.lomographyasia.com

Cat Street Gallery, 222 Hollywood Rd, Sheung Wan, tel: +852 2291 0006, www.thecatstreetgallery.com

Para/Site, GF, 4 Po Yan St, Sheung Wan, tel: +852 2517 4620, www.para-site.org.hk