Hong Kong’s Hollywood Road has nothing to do with Los Angeles: the surprising history behind the old and artsy tourist hotspot
Hollywood Road has been one of Hong Kong’s favourite destinations for tourists looking for art and antiques over the years, but it has more to offer than just shopping. Just take a walk along its 1km stretch to learn about its long history that dates back to early colonial days.
What’s in a name?
The name may evoke images of glitz and glamour, but Hollywood Road in Central was most likely named by the city’s second governor Sir John Francis Davis, who served in that post from 1844 to 1848, after his mansion Holly House near Bristol in England.
Another popular story is that the name came from holly bushes that grew in the area at the time, creating a “wood”. As holly bushes are not indigenous to Hong Kong, they would have been brought over by early colonials.
Hollywood Road, Hong Kong is older than Hollywood, California
Hollywood Road was built by the Royal Engineers in 1844, at the beginning of British colonial rule. It was only the second paved road to be built in the colony after Queen’s Road just down the hill. It stretches 1km from the former Central Police Station and Victoria Prison in the east to Possession Point, where the British first landed, in Sai Ying Pun to the west.
Fun fact: Hollywood Road in Hong Kong predates its more famous namesake in Los Angeles, California, which was registered by real estate magnate Harvey H. Wilcox in 1887.
Hollywood haven
The road was closer to the harbour in its early years before extensive reclamation, and was a haven for merchants and sailors selling antiques they had acquired in China for money to take back home with them. The reputation it gathered for antiques stuck and has made it a tourist destination ever since.
There is a dubious history behind how some of the antiques were “acquired” from China, but it is said that occasional museum quality pieces could be found there. In recent years, this industry has died due to online shopping habits and the area has added more art galleries instead.
Early Hollywood
There is also the even older Man Mo Temple on the west side of Hollywood Road, built in 1847. It is a complex of three adjacent buildings – Man Mo and Lit Shing temples and Kung So community hall where disputes were settled. Dedicated to the worship of the god of literature, Man Tai, the civil god Man Cheong and the martial god Mo Tai, the temple has long been popular with scholars seeking success in their studies.
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- Possibly named by the territory’s second governor Sir John Francis Davis, the road was formerly known for its many shops selling antiques from China
- Its most famous landmarks are both from the 19th century: Man Mo temple and Central Police Station, now the Tai Kwun arts and dining complex