Whampoa - the Transformation of an Old Dockyard!

Whampoa is probably most commonly known as a residential estate interspersed with numerous shops and restaurants.  At first glance, it appears to be just another modern housing estate in the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong, but beneath the tall apartment blocks lies a little piece of Hong Kong’s history.

Whampoa Dock was at one time one of the largest dockyards in Asia.  Founded in 1863 by D. Lapraik and T. Sutherland, the dockyard was known as the Kowloon or Whampoa Docks.  Whampoa Docks were considered to be highly important as demonstrated when the Japanese eagerly sought to destroy the dockyard on the eve of their occupation of Hong Kong with heavy bombing causing large casualties. 

Despite the considerable damage to the docks, the dockyard continued to thrive well into the 1960s.

In 1985 the dockyard was transformed into a private housing estate: Whampoa Garden, the second largest private estate in Hong Kong after Mei Foo Sun Cheun.  


The largest private housing estate in Hung Hom, Whampoa Garden was completed in 1991.  It comprises of 88 16-storey residential towers and houses an estimated 40,000 people, including a significant Japanese and expatriate population.  The most striking, and certainly most surprising, landmark in the area is The Whampoa.  An obvious nod to the district’s history, the 110 metre long boat-shaped shopping centre was built on the site of the original no.1 dry dock.  During the 1980s and 1990s The Whampoa housed a playground, seafood restaurants, a cinema and an indoor family theme park.  In the late 1990s Jusco took over The Whampoa and it was renamed Aeon in 2013.  The boat is now home to a large department store and the wonderful shop that is the $12 store.  

Unfortunately the only remaining part of the original dockyard is Bulkeley Street, which now is a street like any other in Hong Kong, lined with Chinese medicine shops, small local restaurants and unique clothes shops.  The only sense of something historical is the small temple located at the end of Bulkeley Street.

Any regular visitors to Whampoa will have noticed the current redevelopment of the area, which I can only assume is meant to coincide with the opening of the new Whampoa MTR station currently under construction.  New shops, hotels and restaurants are appearing with surprising frequency.  With all this regeneration in the area, I can’t help but wonder whether the changes are completely welcome.  The redevelopment and the new MTR link will certainly bring more people to Whampoa, which will presumably see businesses flourish and the local economy grow.  The potential downside to this is that property prices will likely rise and rents will inevitably increase. 

So will the continuing evolution of Whampoa prove to be beneficial to the locals?  Or will the inevitable surge in property prices and rent hikes force some local people to move to cheaper areas? Only time will tell, but as a current Whampoa local, I’m excited to be part of the next chapter in Whampoa’s story.

A big thank you to the amazing Lisa Masters who contributed to this post!