The Urban Renewal Authority will complete the second and last phase of its Sheung Wan revitalisation with the opening of a 4,000-square metre public square near the Western Market at the end of next year.
Sheung Wan Fong, at the junction of Morrison and Wing Lok streets, will become the district's landmark, attracting local performers and tourists interested in traditional Chinese medicine and dry seafood. The area will be pedestrianised and beautified with palm trees, according to the authority.
A replica of the original masonry doorway of Nam Pak Hong, a company that dominated trade in rice and South Asian goods in the city's early days, will be built on the spot.
The authority has invited a renowned mainland expert to design a bronze-relief wall to hide a pillar box in the middle of the square. A Tourism Board panel next to the wall will tell visitors about Sheung Wan's development.
A compass design has been chosen for the paving of the square to signify the importance of the old trades to the area. It will also point to important local features.
Stephen Ng Chin-ming, district development director of the authority, said the authority, the Central and Western District Council and the Highways Department had contributed to the design and the $30 million needed for the project.
