Menu

Wan Chai Fire Station


435 Hennessy Road

Wan Chai Fire Station is the oldest fire station still standing in Hong Kong. Its maroon facade and retro-style balconies distinguish it from other fire stations in the city, which have followed a standard design since 1958. In 1966, Hong Kong experienced a drought so severe that the Water Authority put a ban in place, during which fire stations had to share their water supply with the general public and would only receive water every four days until the drought ended.

Wan Chai Fire Station stands next to the Canal Road flyover on Hennessy Road. Evelyn Phoa would pass by the Wan Chai Fire Station every day on her way to school. “I couldn’t help but wonder what was happening behind those doors,” she says. The four-storey building houses offices, a canteen, dormitory for on-duty firemen, a recreation room, kitchen and bathroom, married quarters and more.

More Stories

Causeway Bay: Then & Now


Feature

Causeway Bay embodies the many facets of Hong Kong – the fast pace, fascinating contrasts and dynamic energy. From the city’s very beginning to the present day, its diversity and vibrancy makes it a beloved neighbourhood.

  • The Lee Gardens Hotel


    Joseph Yung, former General Manager and Toh Toh Ma, former Chief Executive

    Even now, 25 years after its doors closed for the last time, the legacy of Lee Gardens Hotel lives on in the memory of those who called the hotel their home…

    Interviews
  • Uncle Leung


    Street vendor

    “We picked this spot on Leighton Road today because it’s spacious and we aren’t in peoples’ way. We’ve been here for over 40 years. We used to roast chestnuts…

    Streetsnaps
  • Celia Garcia


    Long-term Po Leung Kuk volunteer

    “Have you ever heard of ‘airplane olives’? Hawkers would scream from the ground floor, selling their snacks from the street, so we’d drop money down from our balcony and they’d throw the olives up to us…

    Interviews
  • Cindy


    Newspaper vendor

    “I used to be a secretary at HSBC. No one believes me when I say that! This newspaper stand was my uncle’s, but he decided not to work anymore and I took over…

    Streetsnaps
  • May Fung


    Founder, Arts and Culture Outreach

    Long before there was Art Basel Hong Kong, long before international galleries opened their doors and jet-setting collectors began coming here…

    Interviews
  • Hong Kong Street Snack Stalls


    Hong Kong street snack stalls are peppered throughout the city’s densest districts, serving office workers, hungry shoppers, teenagers and tourists. Each stall has its own specialty. In Causeway Bay, many of them are busy all day ladling out their signature siu mai and curry fishballs…

    Streetsnaps
  • Andrew Chui


    Managing Director, Tai Ping Koon Restaurant Group

    Tai Ping Koon started in 1860 during the Qing Dynasty, when Guangzhou was an accessible entrepôt for foreign trade…

    Interviews
  • Dr Lau


    Chinese Medicine Practitioner

    Dr Lau Tai-yum can recall the days when Lee Garden was just a quarry where he and his school friends would play. “There were only a couple of shops…

    Interviews

Celebrating Causeway Bay


Feature

A neighbourhood in flux, Causeway Bay’s constant evolution keeps residents and visitors coming back for more. Whether it’s fashion, food, film or art, it’s a part of Hong Kong that keeps people mesmerised and inspired.

Causeway Bay: Then & Now


Feature

Causeway Bay embodies the many facets of Hong Kong – the fast pace, fascinating contrasts and dynamic energy. From the city’s very beginning to the present day, its diversity and vibrancy makes it a beloved neighbourhood.

  • May Fung


    Founder, Arts and Culture Outreach

    Long before there was Art Basel Hong Kong, long before international galleries opened their doors and jet-setting collectors began coming here…

    Interviews
  • Hong Kong Street Snack Stalls


    Hong Kong street snack stalls are peppered throughout the city’s densest districts, serving office workers, hungry shoppers, teenagers and tourists. Each stall has its own specialty. In Causeway Bay, many of them are busy all day ladling out their signature siu mai and curry fishballs…

    Streetsnaps
  • Andrew Chui


    Managing Director, Tai Ping Koon Restaurant Group

    Tai Ping Koon started in 1860 during the Qing Dynasty, when Guangzhou was an accessible entrepôt for foreign trade…

    Interviews
  • Dr Lau


    Chinese Medicine Practitioner

    Dr Lau Tai-yum can recall the days when Lee Garden was just a quarry where he and his school friends would play. “There were only a couple of shops…

    Interviews