editorial

A quartet of new or upgraded heritage attractions gives history buffs another reason to visit.
<figure id="attachment_127890" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-127890" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-127890 size-large" src="https://archive.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Hong-Kong-618-Shanghai-Street-665x495.jpg" alt="A shophouse facade at 618 Shanghai Street; grilled eel and ochazuke bento at the mall’s Japanese rooftop café Poach." width="665" height="495" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-127890" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: A shophouse facade at 618 Shanghai Street; grilled eel and ochazuke bento at the mall’s Japanese rooftop café Poach. (Photos: James Louie)</figcaption></figure>
Times have changed in a city once famously dismissive of its historic buildings: the trend set by recent high-profile revitalization projects like The Murray hotel and the Tai Kwun arts center is continuing on both sides of Victoria Harbour.
Launched a few months before the pandemic, <a href="https://618shanghaistreet.com/en/home-en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">618 Shanghai Street</a> in Kowloon’s Mong Kok neighborhood is a not-for-profit mall that incorporates the restored facades and verandas of the largest cluster of prewar shophouses in town. Independent local brands take center stage here: Wai Chi Street Playground offers an assortment of home goods such as old-school porcelain bowls, vintage glassware, and Hong Kong–made Camel flasks; incense-scented Douguya sells refined Japanese teaware and antiques; while REstore is stocked with a smorgasbord of quirky souvenirs. Also noteworthy is the excellent Malaysian eatery Semua Semua and rooftop café Poach, which serves a moreish grilled eel and ochazuke bento.
<a href="https://www.centralmarket.hk/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Central Market</a> in its namesake district on Hong Kong Island takes a more expat-friendly approach. The hulking 1930s Bauhaus building sat abandoned for nearly two decades before an extensive revamp led to a soft reopening in August last year. Spaces once occupied by humble market stalls now host a range of upmarket tenants that include compact bistros and wine bars, a gourmet deli, and zero-waste grocery store Slowood. The bamboo-filled courtyard is a preferred spot for alfresco meals for workers in the nearby office blocks.
<figure id="attachment_127889" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-127889" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-127889 size-large" src="https://archive.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Hong-Kong-Central-Market-665x495.jpg" alt="A sushi bar in Central Market; the building’s open-air courtyard." width="665" height="495" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-127889" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: A sushi bar in Central Market; the building’s open-air courtyard. (Photos: James Louie)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_127888" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-127888" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-127888 size-large" src="https://archive.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Hong-Kong-Oil-Street-Art-Space-665x443.jpg" alt="North Point’s Oil Street Art Space. " width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-127888" class="wp-caption-text">North Point’s Oil Street Art Space. (Photo courtesy of Leisure and Cultural Services Department)</figcaption></figure>
Down the tram line in North Point, government-run <a href="https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/APO/en_US/web/apo/oi.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oil Street Art Space</a> debuted a handsome new extension this past May opposite its existing digs in a 1908-built former clubhouse of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. A glass-walled upstairs gallery beckons with interactive exhibitions and views of the expanded garden, which regularly hosts video art screenings. Look out for People-Plant-Place, an installation of potted native fruit trees where tangerines and Indian gooseberries can be seen ripening on the branch.
One of the hottest heritage sites for Hongkongers these days is the <a href="https://wsd.ex-sspsr.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir</a>, whose rows of brick archways on rough-hewn granite piers were designed in the style of ancient Rome. The 119-year-old cistern underneath the summit of Kowloon’s Bishop Hill came to light only in late 2020, when demolition work was swiftly halted by a major public outcry. This offbeat attraction opened for unguided visits at the end of October; booking ahead is essential.
<figure id="attachment_134062" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-134062" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-134062 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Central-Market-Hong-Kong-Heritage-Display.jpg" alt="Vintage items on display at a preserved stall within Central Market." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Central-Market-Hong-Kong-Heritage-Display.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Central-Market-Hong-Kong-Heritage-Display-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Central-Market-Hong-Kong-Heritage-Display-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Central-Market-Hong-Kong-Heritage-Display-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-134062" class="wp-caption-text">Vintage items on display at a preserved stall within Central Market. (Photo: James Louie)</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_127891" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-127891" style="width: 665px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-127891 size-large" src="https://archive.destinasian.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/Hong-Kong-Ex-SSP-Service-Reservoir-665x443.jpg" alt="Inside the newly protected Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir in Kowloon." width="665" height="443" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-127891" class="wp-caption-text">Inside the newly protected Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir in Kowloon. (Photo: James Louie)</figcaption></figure>
This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://www.destinasian.com/magazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">December 2022/February 2023</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“In with the Old”).

North Point’s Oil Street Art Space. (Photo courtesy of Leisure and Cultural Services Department)

Reviving the Past in Hong Kong