Editing Wan Chai (section)

==History==
[[Image:Wanchai60s.jpg|thumb|right|The coastline of Wan Chai in the early 1960s]]
[[Image:Protesters occupied the Gloucester Road.jpg|thumb|right|Protest zones were set up in Wan Chai for the international [[World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 2005|2005 WTO conference]]]]
[[Image:Wan Chai Buildings 201007.jpg|thumb|right|High density buildings in Wan Chai]]
Wan Chai was the first home to many Chinese villagers living along the undisturbed coastlines in proximity to [[Hung Shing Temple, Wan Chai|Hung Shing Temple]]. Most of them were fishermen, who worked around the area near Hung Shing Temple overlooking the entire harbour. [[Hung Shing Ye]], the God of the Sea, was one of the deities worshipped by the locals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thaiworldview.com/hongkong/hkisland/wanchai2.htm|title=Wan Chai|publisher=Thaiworldview|date=1 January 1998|access-date=28 August 2007}}</ref>

===British Colony (from 1842)===
With the growth of the [[British Empire|British]] [[History of Colonial Hong Kong (1800s - 1930s)|Hong Kong]] administration, centred in old [[Victoria, Hong Kong|Victoria]] (modern Central), Wan Chai attracted those on the fringes of society, such as "coolie" workers, who came to live on [[Queen's Road, Hong Kong|Queen's Road East]]. A focal point of development at that time was [[Spring Garden Lane|Spring Gardens]], a [[Red-light district|red-light zone]].<ref>[http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=7624abf540dcc110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=Hong+Kong&s=News 24-site heritage tour for Wan Chai, SCMP, 6 Oct 2008], quoting Ho Pui-yin, Chinese University historian</ref>

By the 1850s, the area was already becoming a Chinese residential area.<ref name="Wordie" /> There were dockyards on [[Ship Street, Hong Kong|Ship Street]] and [[McGregor Street]] for building and repairing ships. The edge of [[Sun Street]], [[Moon Street]] and [[Star Street (Hong Kong)|Star Street]] was the original site of the first power station in Hong Kong, operated by the [[Hongkong Electric|Hongkong Electric Company]], which began supplying power in 1890.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hec.com.hk/hehWeb/MajorGroupCompanies/TheHongKongElectricCompanyLimited/Generation/Index_en.htm|title=Hong Kong electric company generation|publisher=Hong Kong Electric|date=27 July 2007|access-date=28 August 2007}}</ref>

One of the first waterfront hospitals was the [[Seaman's Hospital]], built in 1843, which was funded by the British merchant group Jardine's. It was then sold to the [[Royal Navy|British Royal Navy]] in 1873 and subsequently redeveloped into the [[Royal Naval Hospital]]. After the [[Second World War]], the hospital was revitalised as the [[Ruttonjee Hospital]] and became one of the main public hospitals in Hong Kong.<ref name="davis">{{cite web|url=http://www.pdavis.nl/RN_Hosp.htm|title=Hong Kong royal navy|publisher=private website citing Harland, Kathleen, The Royal Navy in Hong Kong since 1841, Maritime Books, Liskeard, Cornwall, undated; and Melson, Commodore P.J., White ensign – red dragon, Edinburgh Financial Publishing, Hong Kong|date=1 January 1997|access-date=28 August 2007}}</ref>

The district was home to several well-known schools. One of these schools was established by the famous traditional teacher, [[Mo Dunmei]] ({{lang-zh|t=莫敦梅|labels=no}}). Started as a ''[[shushu]]'' ({{lang-zh|t=書塾|labels=no}}) in 1919, the school was renamed [[Dunmei School]] ({{lang-zh|t=敦梅學校|labels=no}}) in 1934 after him.<ref name="hku.hk">{{cite web|url=http://www.hku.hk/sociodep/oralhistory/2/2.2.2.4.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702185033/http://www.hku.hk/sociodep/oralhistory/2/2.2.2.4.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 July 2007|title=Hong Kong Dunmei school history|publisher=Hong Kong university|date=1 January 2007|access-date=28 August 2007}}</ref><ref name="oralhistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.hku.hk/hkcsp/oral_wanchai.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070301182609/http://www.hku.hk/hkcsp/oral_wanchai.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 March 2007|title=The Hong Kong Oral History Archives Project|publisher=University of Hong Kong Centre of Cultural studies|date=1 January 2007|access-date=28 August 2007}}</ref> It taught [[classical Chinese]] writings and [[Confucianism|Confucian]] ethics.

In 1936, the Chinese Methodist Church ({{lang-zh|t=香港基督教循道衛理教會|labels=no}}) moved its building from [[Caine Road]], [[Mid-Levels|Mid-levels]] Central, to [[Hennessy Road]] ({{lang-zh|t=軒尼詩道|labels=no}}), Wanchai, a thoroughfare of the district running from west to east.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.methodist.org.hk/about/|title=香港基督教循道衛理聯合教會之歷史|website=www.methodist.org.hk|access-date=19 March 2018}}</ref> This church building became the landmark of the district. In 1998, this building was demolished and replaced by a 23-storey building.

===Second World War and the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945)===
During the [[Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong|Japanese occupation]] in the early 1940s, many bombardments took place in Wan Chai. There were abundant incidents of [[Human cannibalism|cannibalism]], [[starvation]], [[torture]] and abuses of the local population by the Japanese soldiers, including the illegal use of child labour. Senior residents could recall vividly how they survived the hardships: this oral history became an important, first-hand source of the harsh living conditions in Hong Kong under the Japanese period.<ref name="oralhistory" /> The Dunmei school was closed during the Japanese occupation period. After the war, the school continued to provide Chinese education for children from families of higher income.<ref name="hku.hk" />

===Post-war development (from 1945)===
During the [[1950s in Hong Kong|1950s]], the [[Communist Party of China|pro-Communist]] underground cell network Hailiushe (海流社) established their headquarters at the rooftop of a multi-story house on [[Spring Garden Lane]]. This group was successfully raided by the [[Hong Kong Police Force|Hong Kong Police]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fung |first=Chi Ming |title=Reluctant Heroes: Rickshaw Pullers in Hong Kong and Canton, 1874-1954 |date=2005 |publisher=Hong Kong University Press |isbn=962-209-734-0 |series=Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong studies series |location=Hong Kong |page=155}}</ref>

[[Prostitution in Hong Kong|Prostitution]] had been one of the oldest occupations in Wan Chai. There are numerous historical accounts of women trading sexual services for western merchandise, especially with sailors from trading ships visiting this area.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} In the [[1960s in Hong Kong|1960s]], Wan Chai became legendary for its exotic [[night life]], especially for the [[United States Army|US servicemen]] resting there during the [[Vietnam War|War in Vietnam]].<ref name="Wordie" /> Despite rapid changes of Wan Chai's demography due to reclamation and redevelopment, the presence of sex workers operating among ordinary residential areas has continued to be a distinctive feature. Some of the lifestyle was illustrated in past movies such as ''[[The World of Suzie Wong (film)|The World of Suzie Wong]]''.<ref>Eric Cavaliero, [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=&art_id=32891&sid=&con_type=1&d_str=19970703&sear_year=1997Changing face of Wan Chai], [[The Standard (Hong Kong)|The Standard]], 3 July 1997</ref>

===Transfer of sovereignty to China (PRC)===
Wan Chai's [[Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre|HKCEC]] has been home to major political and economic events. It was the site of the [[Hong Kong handover ceremony]] in 1997, in which the last governor of Hong Kong, [[Chris Patten]], formally concluded the British chapter and transferred Hong Kong to [[People's Republic of China|China]]. The [[WTO Ministerial Conference of 2005|WTO Ministerial Conference]] in 2005 was also one of the largest international events hosted in Hong Kong, with delegates from 148 countries participating.

In May 2009, 300 guests and staff members at the Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai were quarantined, suspected of being infected or in contact with the [[Influenza A virus subtype H1N1|H1N1 virus]] during the [[2009 swine flu pandemic|global outbreak of swine flu]]. A 25-year-old Mexican man who had stayed at the hotel was later found to have caught the viral infection. He had traveled to Hong Kong from Mexico via Shanghai.<ref>Cheng, Jonathan; Ye, Juliet; Stein, Peter, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124119134084477477 "Hong Kong Orders Quarantine of Hotel"], Wall Street Journal, 2 May 2009</ref><ref>Dasgupta, Saibal, [https://web.archive.org/web/20121023195232/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-03/china/28195542_1_swine-fever-mexican-citizens-mexican-foreign-minister "Swine flu scare: China puts 460 in isolation"], [[The Times of India]], 3 May 2009.</ref>

===Reclamation===
[[Image:Wanchaireclamation.gif|thumb|left|250px|The changes of Wan Chai's coastline from {{clarify span|1842|Johnston Road, originally Praya East, was opened in the late 19th century. Wan Chai Road was on the coast.|date=May 2024}} to 1997]]
Wan Chai's coastline has been extended outwards after a series of [[Land reclamation in Hong Kong|land reclamation]] schemes. Early in 1841, the coastline was located at Queen's Road East (the area of Spring Gardens and Ship Street). The first reclamation took place and new land was sold to {{highlight|Minister of Foreign Affairs of the British Colony.|#f0f0ff}}{{who|date=May 2024}} The project was privately funded and the government did not take part. Soon after, in 1858, the Minister and his salesmen sold the land back to {{highlight|the Chinese|#f0f0ff}}{{who|date=May 2024}} after Sir Robert Brown Black {{clarify span|was named [[President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong|President]] of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong]].|The governor was ex-officio president of the council.|date=May 2024}}<ref name="amogov">{{cite web|url=http://www.amo.gov.hk/form/AAB_Paper129_queen_annexb_e.pdf|title=A historical and architectural appraisal of Queen's Pier central|publisher=Amo gov hk|date=1 January 2007|access-date=28 August 2007}}</ref>

The next reclamation project in Wan Chai was the [[Praya East Reclamation Scheme]]. The coastline was extended to today's Gloucester Road. The reclamation after [[World War II]] from 1965 to 1972 pushed the coastline further out to the areas around [[Convention Avenue]] and {{highlight|the [[Wan Chai Pier]].|#f0f0ff}}{{which|Which generation of Wan Chai Ferry Pier?|date=May 2024}} The 1990s [[Central and Wan Chai Reclamation#Wan Chai Development Project|Wan Chai Development project]] added additional land, on which the current [[Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre|HKCEC]] stands today.