History of Causeway Bay
🚀 Time travel alert! Causeway Bay's story will blow your mind - from fishing village to neon wonderland in just 180 years! 🌊➡️🌆 Breathe deep - that salty tang in the air? It's the ghost of typhoon shelters past, mingling with today's sizzling street food aromas! Every gleaming skyscraper here stands on layers of incredible stories waiting to be uncovered!
Picture this: 1840s opium clippers unloading where designer boutiques now shine! 1950s rickshaws rattling down streets now packed with double-decker trams! The BOOM! of Jardine's Noon Day Gun still echoes daily - Hong Kong's oldest running gag since 1861! 🤣💥 This is living history you can taste, touch and experience at every turn!
Local Secret: The granite blocks near the typhoon shelter? Original 1844 causeway stones - run your fingers over the same weathered surfaces sailors tied their boats to! 🚢✨ Book our award-winning history walk to unlock all the hidden stories!
The reclamation has been gradual and the typhoon shelter and anchorage has gradually moved north as each new part of the reclamation was completed. Having filled in the original "Bay" the East Point is no longer a point, but just part of the district and this term is rarely used today.
🏗️ 1841 - The Birth of Modern Causeway Bay
The colonial government sells Hong Kong's first commercial plot at East Point (now Causeway Bay) to Jardine Matheson. Imagine the scene: wooden godowns storing tea and silk where Times Square now dazzles with neon! Today, you can still see Jardine's legacy in street names like Jardine's Bazaar and Yee Wo Street.
⚓ 1844 - Building the Breakwater
The first causeway transforms the bay into a sheltered anchorage. Smell the salt air as clipper ships unload exotic cargoes where luxury yachts now moor! Fun fact: Some original granite blocks remain visible near the typhoon shelter.
💥 1861 - The Noon Day Gun Tradition Begins
Jardine establishes their famous time signal - originally fired at 8pm! The daily boom you hear today at noon (since 1946) is one of Hong Kong's quirkiest traditions. Pro Tip: Arrive by 11:45am for the best viewing spot!
🥛 1940 - Vitasoy's Humble Beginnings
Sir Man-Kam Lo opens his soy milk factory in Causeway Bay. That sweet, nutty aroma of steaming soybeans once filled the air where fashionistas now shop! Taste this piece of history - Vitasoy's original recipe is still sold at 7-Elevens throughout Hong Kong.
The Causeway Bay in around 1930.
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