Hong Kong’s oldest neighbourhood, Tai Ping Shan, gets a makeover
Tai Ping Shan may be the oldest neighbourhood in the city, but after a facelift it looks younger than ever
FIRST SETTLED IN the 1840s, devastated by disease in the 1890s and a tight-knit working-class enclave for much of the 20th century, the area around Tai Ping Shan Street has recently become a magnet for independent shops, cafes and art galleries.
Much of the appeal has to do with its laid-back atmosphere.
“I love the Tai Ping Shan area because of its greenery, the big old trees, the low-rise neighbourhood and the old steps,” says Katty Law, who grew up on nearby Caine Road and still livesJ in the area.
“People who live and work here are mostly very friendly, probably due to the relaxed atmosphere.”
It’s an area that is changing quickly, however, thanks to gentrification and the possible construction of an escalator up Pound Lane, which has divided opinion in the neighbourhood. For now, it seems to have struck a balance between traditional and trendy and is as friendly as ever.
