Discover the secrets of Wong Chuk Hang, an unpolished gem
There's a buzz about WCH, where grimy industrial buildings have been colonised by designers, artists, coffees shops and restaurants and you can expect to stumble across something unexpected
recently that Wong Chuk Hang is the kind of place where you constantly run into people you know. Sure enough, I had only just sat down for an espresso at Mum, a bright cafe stocked with old school furniture, when I spotted Daniel Pätzold, a local architect who works in a studio nearby. "Wong Chuk Hang is a very Hong Kong thing," he says. "It has these nice lofts, but you can walk down the road and go sailing."
Of all the up-and-coming industrial districts in Hong Kong right now, it's probably Wong Chuk Hang that's getting the most buzz. Perched on the edge of Aberdeen Harbour, it doesn't seem like much at first glance — a long strip of grimy warehouses punctuated by a few flashy new towers. Hidden inside those buildings, however, are a number of new art galleries, design shops, bars and restaurants, along with a growing cluster of design offices and other creative enterprises. "The textile business is moving out and often it's their kids who move in and do interesting things," says Pätzold.
It's easily reachable from the north side of Hong Kong Island and the journey to Admiralty will take just six minutes when the MTR's South Island Line opens in late 2016. Redevelopment has already picked up pace, but for now, Wong Chuk Hang remains an unpolished gem. "In Hong Kong, sometimes the glossiness of things is tiring," says Mimi Brown, who runs Spring Workshop on Wong Chuk Hang Road. "People take refuge in things with a patina."
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