Causeway Bay

Causeway Bay is a major commercial, cultural and leisure district on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island. Straddling the border between Wan Chai District and Eastern District, it is among Hong Kong’s busiest urban areas and one of the world’s most prominent shopping locations. For nearly a decade after 2012, retail rents in Causeway Bay ranked as the most expensive globally, surpassing even New York’s Fifth Avenue. Although the area’s Cantonese name, Tung Lo Wan, refers historically to the original bay, it is seldom used in English, where “Causeway Bay” has become the established term.

Location and administrative context

Causeway Bay lies between the easternmost part of Wan Chai District and the western edge of Eastern District. Its boundaries are generally understood as Oil Street to the east, Tung Lo Wan Road and Leighton Road to the south, and Canal Road to the west. The district includes notable landmarks such as Victoria Park, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, the Noonday Gun, Hong Kong Central Library, Queen’s College and the historic Causeway Bay Market.
Traditionally the name referred to the area around present-day Tin Hau station, but contemporary usage encompasses a broader zone including the surroundings of Causeway Bay station—an area historically known as East Point. This expansion of meaning contributes to occasional confusion over terminology and district affiliations.
Electoral arrangements have changed over time. Until 2016, parts of Causeway Bay belonged to different district council constituencies in both Eastern and Wan Chai Districts. After boundary adjustments effective from the 2015 local elections, the Victoria Park and Tin Hau constituencies were reassigned to Wan Chai District, enlarging its jurisdiction within the wider area. Despite this, town planning is governed by the Causeway Bay Outline Zoning Plan, which also applies to nearby Tai Hang and So Kon Po but excludes reclaimed spaces such as Victoria Park.

Historical development

Before extensive land reclamation, Causeway Bay was a silted inlet whose shape is still traceable along the path of Tung Lo Wan Road. A stone causeway—the origin of the district’s English name—was constructed across the bay; it corresponds to present-day Causeway Road. Subsequent reclamation, particularly during the 1950s, transformed the remaining bay area into Victoria Park. As part of post-war reconstruction, the statue of Queen Victoria, earlier removed during the Second World War, was reinstalled in the new park.
The area’s shoreline once included Kellett Island, which has since been linked to Hong Kong Island by a breakwater. Causeway Bay’s evolution from a fishing village to a commercial hub accelerated in the 1960s when the Japanese department store Daimaru opened on Great George Street. Its success encouraged other major Japanese chains such as Matsuzakaya, Mitsukoshi and Sogo, earning the district the nickname “Little Ginza”. During the 1990s, the development of major shopping centres consolidated its status as a premier retail district.
Historically, the true Causeway Bay referred to the vicinity of Tin Hau and the Tin Hau Temple, while East Point, situated around today’s Causeway Bay station, was named for a peninsula extending from the old shoreline. Streets such as Yee Wo Street, Jardine’s Bazaar and Jardine’s Crescent reflect early nineteenth-century land acquisitions by Jardine Matheson. Another nearby area often mistaken for Causeway Bay is Canal Road—locally known as Ngo Keng (“Goose’s Neck”)—famous for the practice of “villain hitting”, a ritual intended to dispel misfortune.

Features and urban character

Causeway Bay is one of Hong Kong’s principal shopping and entertainment districts. Its retail landscape includes:

• Sogo, a large Japanese-style department store
• Times Square, a major vertical shopping and office complex
• Hysan Place, a modern retail centre
• Smaller shopping areas such as Fashion Walk, Windsor House, World Trade Centre, Hang Lung Centre, and the Lee Gardens complexes

The district is known for its density of boutiques, fashion chains and lifestyle stores, many of which remain open late into the night. Causeway Bay is a major social destination for young people and visitors, offering a mix of dining, entertainment and cultural venues.
Several notable hotels serve the area, including the Park Lane Hotel and establishments by Regal Hotels International. Newer boutique hotels such as Mira Moon have added to the hospitality landscape.
A distinctive local tradition is the daily firing of the Noonday Gun by Jardine Matheson, situated near Victoria Harbour. Once a time signal for the community, it has become a recognised cultural landmark, famously referenced in Noël Coward’s “Mad Dogs and Englishmen”.

Recreation, culture and notable sites

The area includes significant recreational and cultural facilities:

• Victoria Park, one of Hong Kong’s largest public parks, providing sports courts, lawns, exhibition areas and event venues
• Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, located on the former Kellett Island
• Hong Kong Central Library, the territory’s largest public library

Education

Causeway Bay falls within Primary One Admission School Net 12. This network includes various aided primary schools and two government institutions: Hennessy Road Government Primary School and Sir Ellis Kadoorie (Sookunpo) Primary School.