Page 17 - Sphere No.25 (Aug 2009)

SPHERE 15
T HE FIRST major milestone in the urban develop-
ment of the northernmost part of Hong Kong
island was the opening of the North Point Power
Station in 1919. Electric Road today commemorates the
station, which spurred growth in the area, and was not de-
commissioned until 70 years later in 1989.
By 1941,North Point had become the site of a refugee camp
for Kuomintang soldiers,and although it was used as a prisoner
of war camp for captured Canadian military personnel after
the Japanese invasion, a pattern had been established.
After the war another wave of refugees arrived and made
their way to North Point – although this time many of the
new arrivals had money. They came from Shanghai, generally
regarded at that point as the most sophisticated city in China,
and set about stamping their own identity on the area.North
Point began to acquire a certain glamour as Hong Kong’s
“Little Shanghai”.
As Hong Kong historian Jason Wordie points out in his
authoritative book Streets: Exploring Hong Kong Island (Hong
Kong University Press, 2002): “These days Japan and its fashion
trends symbolise the modern and the smart to Hong Kong’s
young people...but until the 1950s it was Shanghai styles that
were emulated; ageing signboards in North Point today still
advertise beauty parlours, restaurants and barbershops first
established and popularised 50 years ago”.
Even today there are many reminders in North Point of its
1950s heyday, and for a while the Shanghainese stuck togeth-
er in a single community. Eventually, they realised that for the
most part they were not going home, and many moved to
other areas of Hong Kong, mingling and intermarrying with
the Cantonese majority of the population.
As the Shanghainese presence waned, the Fujianese took
their place. Ethnic Chinese immigrants originating from that
area of China came in from unstable Indonesia, and over time
“Little Shanghai” morphed into “Little Fujian”.
North Point also became for some time, according to the
Guinness Book of Records when it was first published in 1955,
the most densely populated place on earth.
There are still many reminders of “Little Shanghai” and
“Little Fujian” in the streets of North Point today, includ-
ing Shanghainese barber shops and Indonesian style grocery
stores. Those with an ear for Chinese dialects will notice
southern Fujian’s Min Nan dialect being spoken alongside
Hong Kong’s native Cantonese.
The political outlook of those immigrants has also left
a legacy. The famous Sunbeam Theatre on the corner of
King’s Road and Shu Kuk Street was established in 1972
to screen patriotically themed Chinese movies promot-
ing ideology with which many North Point locals were in
sympathy. The Sunbeam has since been converted into a
venue for theatrical performances, and is the last privately
owned theatre in Hong Kong to stage Chinese operas.
Although its future has often been in question in recent
years, its lease was renewed in early 2009, and the future
of Cantonese opera there is assured for at least another
three years.
NORTH POINT’S CHEQUERED PAST
“Right behind the hotel we have several A-grade buildings.
North Point is very convenient,” explained Mr Chow. “People
who work in Central or Taikoo Shing can get a taxi here very
easily. Hong Kong is a very small area.”
According to Dr John Ap, Associate Professor at the Hong
Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Hotel & TourismMan-
agement, the new hotel in North Point should have a major
impact on the area. “Usually, a new major project will provide
flow-on benefits for the surrounding neighbourhood and if the
area was previously run down, it may provide the catalyst to
revitalise the neighbourhood,” he said.
“Besides providing services to tourists and business travel-
lers, local residents also use hotels, especially the F&B or rec-
reational/club house facilities. If the area is developing, a new
major hotel can certainly enhance the civic pride of the locals
who can take pride in seeing the area developing and moder-
nising. At the same time, it also provides employment oppor-
‘We can offer a fantastic experience.
It is a beautiful and unique property’
tunities and a boost to
the local economy.”
While it is of course
too early to evaluate the
full long-term impact of
the new Harbour Grand Hong
Kong on North Point, it is certain that Hong Kong’s water-
front has an iconic new landmark and that guests and visi-
tors will have good reason to ponder the potential of the
surrounding area.
“I believe we are the only hotel in Hong Kong to have all of
our guestrooms facing a harbour view, and most of our restau-
rants as well,” said Mr Chow. “Several of our rooms and suites
also have a patio with a sunken Jacuzzi, so guests can relax in
an open environment and at the same time appreciate the har-
bour. We can offer a fantastic experience. It is a beautiful and
unique property.”