30 Minutes Hong Kong
Hong Kong is well known as a global centre of business. The first impression of the city will always be Victoria Harbour and the surrounding high-rise towers. But if you’d like to take a stroll and experience old-time traditions, Sheung Wan is the perfect place for a walk.
Sheung Wan, the western district of Hong Kong Island, is where the city began in the 1840s. It is now a charming mix of old and new. The district’s high density and multi-use architecture, as well as the goods on display in shops and the people talking and bargaining in the market … These all give you a feeling for the old, traditional way of life.
A 30-minute stroll starts at Des Voeux Road West, where I’ve lived since 2011 after I moved from Berlin to Hong Kong. The market streets are known as “The Chinese Heart of Old Hong Kong.” Here, side-by-side stands offer products like dried seafood, herbal medicines and handicrafts. Tong Lau, a tenement building designed for both residential and commercial use, has shops on the ground floor that are open everyday from early morning to late afternoon.
Turning into Hollywood Road and the small alleys around it, you’ll discover a variety of antique shops selling porcelain, old books, and all kinds of furniture. Hollywood Road was the second street built after the colony of Hong Kong was founded. Recently, it has developed into a contemporary art district. One of its interesting galleries is the newly-established Haji, on Lok Ku Road. It’s quite special as it mainly presents work by local artists and designers. In 2012, I exhibited eight paintings there in the show “10P_Illustration & Installation.”
Si Liu, born in Beijing, received her Masters of Architecture at Tsinghua University, and then studied Stage Design & Scenography at the TU Berlin. She had a DAAD artist’s scholarship during her stay in Germany.
She has designed exhibitions including “Das essen wir. Wir essen Reis” in the Juniormuseum (2011), Berlin. Her paintings have been exhibited in Kubrick and Haji Gallery (2012), Hong Kong. Si Liu has lived and worked in Hong Kong since 2011, and currently works as creative coordinator (stage design) at Zuni Icosahedron.