Hi from Quarry Bay, Hong kong!
Hi from HiStreet!
We are actually a new mobile app that is putting 100% shops in Hong Kong at your fingertips. Hong Kong is a city known as a Shopper’s Paradise — with over 64,000 retail outlets, it’s about 58 shops per square km! It’s a wonderful place to find all sorts of retailers, from street vendors to small shops to international chains. We know it’s easy to get lost in this maze of shops and services, so we’re putting together a complete directory to guide you. Before we’re launched, join us in learning about all the different neighbourhoods in Hong Kong on our blog.
Blast from the Past
Our offices are located in Quarry Bay, an area on the eastern side of Hong Kong Island with an interesting history. The English name came from the original use of the land — a bay for transporting quarried rocks from the nearby hillside. The Chinese name of the area, 鰂魚涌, describes a creek that ran through the area where crucian carp could be found.
Times have changed since the days of the Coca-cola factory, sugar refinery, and shipping docks, but there’s now a mix of older industrial buildings with newer residential and commercial ones. A perfect example of the juxtaposition of new and old is Pan Hoi Street (濱海街), just one block from the Quarry Bay MTR Station off King’s Road. Under the shadows of the nearby skyscrapers, the small shops and restaurants reflect a more down-to-earth vibe.
Did you notice that part of the pavement is elevated from the rest of Pan Hoi Street? In the early 1900s, when Quarry Bay was a thriving industrial district, there were 2 reservoirs that supplied fresh water to the factories. During the rainy season, water would overflow from the reservoirs, down the open drains through Quarry Bay Street and King’s Road, and out to Victoria Harbour. Buildings on Pan Hoi Street and other streets on the way would need to be elevated by a few meters to prevent from flooding.
Stay tuned for a little more about this unique street!
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Originally published on the HiStreet Blog.
About HiStreet Hong Kong
Ever shop along the streets of the dense city, only to realise you can’t find what you need? Here is where the HiStreet mobile app comes in. We manually collect shop information into one handy directory, so you’re never lost.
