HOTELS IN WANCHAI

Formerly a playground for sailors and home to one of the racier parts of Hong Kong, Wanchai has grown into a business district. Its crowning jewel - the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre - sits proudly in the harbor guarding Wanchai's new reputation. Don't be too deceived, however.

There are a few remnants of older days mixed with the trendier places such as Joe Bananas and Delaney's. Still, to underscore the new focus on business, North Wanchai at the harbor is more dense with skyscrapers than Central!

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center - HKCEC

The original HKCEC was completed in 1988. Completed in 1997, just in time to house the historic handover ceremonies, is the extension to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Sitting in Victoria Harbour, the world's tallest glass wall opens onto gorgeous panoramas of the water, Kowloon, and up and down the island coast toward Central and Causeway Bay. Consistently voted one of the best exhibition venues in the world, it's a great place to visit -- even if you don't have a convention or exhibition to attend! If you're in TST, take a ferry to the Wanchai Ferry pier for a great view of the structure from the harbor.

Central Plaza Building

When construction was finished on the Central Plaza building in 1992, it stood as the tallest building in the world outside the United States. As of November, 2000, it still holds a respectable rank and just beats out (measured without masts) the Bank of China building. At night, the office building acts as a clock with different color patterns on the outside representing the time. (Ask a resident how to decipher the clock, as it changes.) If you're outside almost anywhere in Hong Kong or Kowloon at 9:00 p.m., keep an eye on the building for an explosion of color.

Shopping

The area is not really famous for its shopping. It went from being a bit run down to housing (in no small part due to the cheaper land costs before) a boom in high-rises. For shopping, you're better off one MTR stop west (at Pacific Place in Central) or east (everywhere in Causeway Bay), both of which are reknowned for some of Hong Kong's best stores and complexes.

Wanchai Ferry Pier

Star Ferry type boats go to Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom (Wonderful Worlds of Whampoa Shopping Complex) on the Kowloon peninsula.

Wanchai MTR Station

Located a bit inland due to all the harbor reclamation, a train from here gets you to Central in a couple of minutes and only a few more under the harbor to TST.