You might have already visited the Victoria Peak, admired the views of the Victoria Harbor, and even taken a stroll in the Victoria Park. With the names all orbiting around “Victoria”, the places located on the north of Hong Kong Island reveal the territory’s most significant past – The Victoria City, the de facto capital of Hong Kong during the reign of Queen Victoria, yet vanished on the map since the second world war.
Spanning across the four coastal regions or Wans (環) – Sai Wan, Sheung Wan, Central (Chung Wan) and Wan Chai (Ha Wan), the Victoria City was developed by the British after having relocated from their first base at Stanley in 1857. The four crowded Wans were also further divided into nine smaller districts called Yeuks (約), including Kennedy Town, Sai Ying Pun and Causeway Bay.
Different regions performed specific functions. The western areas including Central were the heart of the capital where the government offices and businesses (including opium trades) congregated. The name of the eastern district Admiralty or Ha Wan speaks for itself. It was the military area and the base of the British Royal Navy, housing a couple of barracks and the Admiralty Dock, which guarded the colony against threats.
Though the British were residing in an unfamiliar land, they never missed a chance developing the city that resembled their Western way of life, and even constructed buildings that tailored the needs of the Governors. The Former French Mission Building perched above Queen’s Road Central was their main workplace, whilst the adjacent St. John’s Cathedral served as their spiritual oasis being the center of the capital. The two places were also close to the Governors’ residency – Government house, and the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, where they would rest over the weekends.
The vanished city was a spectacular cluster of Victorian-Edwardian buildings. But many were dismantled for the city’s greed-led economy but some historic buildings still remain. Explore the Western districts if you want to feel the legacy of Victoria.
