The History and Transformation of Wan Chai
灣仔區的歷史及轉變
What is Wan Chai?
Wan Chai is located in the west of Wan Chai District on Hong Kong Island. It is the major part of Wan Chai District. This tiny bay area has developed a distinct culture and streetscape, and conceals many histories we do not understand. Do you know? Wan Chai was also known as "Ha Wan" initially.. Later, the area was progressively named after the geographical feature of the small bay, resulting in the name we are most familiar with: Wan Chai.
Wan Chai's development history can be divided into three distinct phases, with each phase having close ties to Hong Kong and global history.
何謂灣仔？
灣仔位於港島灣仔區西部。它是灣仔區的主要部分。這個小小的灣區已經形成了獨特的文化和街景，隱藏著許多我們不了解的歷史。你知道嗎?灣仔在最初亦被稱為「下環」。後來，這個地區逐漸以小海灣的地理特徵命名，轉變了我們最熟悉的名字:灣仔。
灣仔的發展歷史可分為三個不同的階段，每個階段都與香港和全球歷史緊密相連。
TOURISM - HONG KONG'S MILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY - [HENNESSY ROAD LOOKING EAST FROM NEAR MORRISON HILL ROAD], 1962
1841s – 1860s：
In the early days of the foundation of Hong Kong, Wan Chai was just a poor area with very few residents living there. However, in the middle of the nineteenth century, due to a series of wars such as the Taiping Rebellion in southern China, a large number of refugees came to Hong Kong. The foreigners at that time sold the land in and around Wan Chai to them. These refugees settled in Wan Chai and built a large number of community facilities and public buildings, bringing vitality into the area. Therefore, Wan Chai has gradually become a community dominated by Chinese. When these Chinese immigrated to Wan Chai, they brought their culture and religious beliefs with them.
1860s-1920s：
There are not only mainland Chinese immigrants but also many foreigners living in Wan Chai. From 1850 to 1920, many foreigners from the Philippines, India and other countries came to Hong Kong to seek business and employment opportunities. For example, the original residents of Canal Road East were Indians employed by Jardine Matheson. The continuous development of the area has also attracted more Chinese to settle in Wan Chai. With the increase of the population, the government developed the area of Stone Nullah Lane for the Chinese to live in. At the same time, the Hung Shing Temple and the Pak Tai Temple were also completed during this period. Wan Chai thus became a mixed-use district, which flourished and expanded due to the influx of people of different races and cultures. The ethnic minority community and the Chinese community have jointly contributed to the development of Wan Chai, making Wan Cha become increasingly prosperous.
After 1920s:
In 1921, the government initiated a reclamation project to address the land shortage issue caused by population growth.The reclamation project ended in 1930, Many port areas, including Johnston Road and Hennessy Road, no longer face the sea. So far, Wan Chai has undergone three reclamation projects. As a result, Wan Chai has ample land for future development. Due to the economic depression in the United States in 1929, Chinese Americans decided to buy real estate in Hong Kong, which led to the construction of the first batch of high-rise buildings on Lockhart Road in Wan Chai, marking that Wan Chai has entered a modern stage. With the Hong Kong government's active improvement of urban infrastructure and public services, the development of Wan Chai has received greater support and protection, and the Chinese community has expanded.
Now Wan Chai is no longer a "Supporting area of Central", it has developed its own community culture. Although Wan Chai has undergone significant changes despite years of development, some historical structures, such as the Blue House, Woo Cheong Pawn Shop have been preserved. We can observe the local culture of Hong Kong.
1841s – 1860s：
在香港開埠初期，灣仔只是一個貧窮的地區，居住的人非常少。然而，在十九世紀中葉，由於華南地區發生太平天國運動等連串戰亂，大量難民湧入香港。當時的外國人見狀便將灣仔及其附近的土地賣給他們。這些難民在灣仔定居，並興建了大量的社區設施和公共建築，為該區注入了活力。因此，灣仔逐漸成為一個以華人為主的社區。當這些華人移民到灣仔時，他們帶著他們的文化和宗教信仰。
1860s-1920s：
灣仔不僅有中國內地移民，也有許多外國人居住。在1860到1920年間，許多來自菲律賓、印度等國家的外籍人士到香港尋找商機和就業機會。例如，堅拿道東最初的居民是怡和洋行僱傭的印度人。地區的持續發展也令越來越多的華人來到灣仔定居。隨著人口的增加，政府開發石水渠街一帶供華人居住，同時洪聖廟、北帝廟等也在這個時期相繼落成。灣仔由此成爲了一個混合用途的地區，因爲不同種族和文化的人的湧入而蓬勃發展和擴大。少數族裔社區與華人社區共同為灣仔的發展出力，讓灣仔日漸繁榮。
1920s之後：
在1921年，政府啟動了填海工程，以解決人口增長造成的土地短缺問題。填海工程于於1930年結束，許多港口地區，包括莊士敦道和軒尼詩道，不再面對大海。到目前為止，灣仔經歷了三個填海工程。於是，灣仔擁有了充足的土地以供日後的發展。由於1929年美國經濟蕭條，美籍華人決定在香港購買房產，導致灣仔駱克道興建了第一批高樓，標志著灣仔由此邁入了現代化的階段。隨著香港政府的積極改善城市基礎設施和公共服務，灣仔的發展也得到了更好的支持和保障，華人社區的發展進一步壯大。
如今灣仔已不再是「中環配套區」，它已發展出自己獨特的地域文化。雖然灣仔經過多年發展，已發生重大變化，但仍保留了一些歷史建築，如藍屋建築群、和昌大押等。我們可以觀察過去香港的市井文化。摩天大樓和唐樓在灣仔以莊士敦道為分界線被一分爲二，在灣仔這一帶我們可以看到香港各個時代的精髓。
